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822 active trials for Stroke

Determining the Optimal Dose of Reactive Balance Training After Stroke

Falls in daily life are one of the most significant complications for people with stroke. Fall rates are particularly high soon after discharge from stroke rehabilitation. A new type of balance training, called reactive balance training (RBT), can reduce fall rates after discharge from stroke rehabilitation. In our previous study, RBT was implemented as part of routine care, and as a result, the dose of training was different for each participant; participants completed between one and twelve 30-minute sessions of RBT. Previous research in healthy older adults suggests that a single session of RBT is enough to lead to lasting changes in reactive balance control and reduce fall rates in daily life. It is not clear if the same is true for people with stroke, who have more severe impairments and might need a higher dose of training to achieve the same benefits. The overall goal of this work is to determine the optimal dose of reactive balance training for people with stroke who are attending rehabilitation. This pilot study will determine the feasibility of a clinical trial to address this larger goal. People with sub-acute stroke will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1 session, 3 sessions, or 6 sessions of RBT. Each session will be 45 minutes long, and will occur as part of participants' routine out-patient rehabilitation. We will use our experiences with this pilot study to help design a larger study. Specifically, we will use this pilot study to answer the following questions: 1) what is the optimal sample size; 2) how long will it take to reach this sample size; 3) what outcome measures should be used; 4) how feasible is it to prescribe a specific dose of RBT to people with sub-acute stroke; and 5) what two intervention groups should be included in the larger trial?

Start: August 2020
Study on the Effect of Influenza Vaccination After Heart Attack on Future Cardiovascular Prognosis

Background. For more than a century a causal link between influenza and cardiovascular disease has been suspected. It is conceivable that influenza may precipitate plaque rupture, increase cytokines with central roles in plaque destabilization and trigger the coagulation cascade. Accordingly, registry studies, case control studies and a few small randomized trials, all underpowered for clinical endpoints, have demonstrated that the risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is increased following respiratory infection and that the risk of stroke and AMI in patients with established cardiovascular disease seem to be reduced following influenza vaccination. In May 2015 a Cochrane review concluded that influenza vaccination may reduce cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events but bias and inconsistent results in prior studies require higher-quality evidence to confirm these findings. High costs and little commercial interest in conducting a randomized trial on influenza vaccine in cardiovascular disease stand in the way. Objective. The objective is to document whether influenza vaccination protects against cardiovascular events and death in patients with an AMI or very high risk stable coronary artery disease patients. Methods. Population: 4400 patients with ST-elevation (STEMI), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or very high risk stable coronary artery disease are randomized 1:1 in a blinded fashion using an RRCT design and followed up via registries and telephone calls. Intervention: Influenza vaccination. Control: Placebo (saline). Outcome: The primary endpoint is a composite of death, myocardial infarction and stent thrombosis till 1 year. Patients will be included in the study in all of Sweden's 7 university hospitals and 5 general hospitals, 4 university hospitals and 1 general hospital in Denmark, in 1 specialized heart center in Norway, 2 university hospitals in Czech Republic, 6 hospitals in Scotland, 1 university hospital in Latvia and 2 hospitals in Bangladesh. Secondary endpoints are time to all-cause death till 1 year, time to cardiovascular death till 1 year, time to stent thrombosis till 1 year, time to revascularization till 1 year, time to myocardial infarction till 1 year, time to cardiovascular death, a new myocardial infarction or stent thrombosis (first occurring) till 1 year, time to stroke, including TIA till 1 year, time to rehospitalization for heart failure till 1 year, time to hospitalization for arrhythmia till 1 year or length of hospital stay (if information is available). From a hypothesis generating perspective we aim to follow up patients through registries beyond 1 year and up to 5 years. The trial has been approved by the ethical committee system (Dnr 2014/264) and the Medical Products Agency (EudraCTnr -2014-001354-42) in Sweden. Perspectives. If a clinical benefit can be demonstrated in this prospective trial influenza vaccination may become an important novel in-hospital therapy for patients with cardiovascular disease and the accompanying direct and indirect societal gains will be profound.

Start: October 2016
Efficacy of an Interactive Web-Based Home Therapy Program After Stroke

Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Of the annual incidence of stroke (~750,000) in the USA about 60% fail to recover arm and hand use contributing to reduced quality of life for survivors and caregivers. How can therapists facilitate the rehabilitation of individuals with arm movement deficits and increase their quality of life over a long time period? It is known that principles of treatment including repetition, feedback, challenge and progression are important for producing recovery. The ability for patients to train at home and manage their own rehabilitation duration, intensity and progression, via effective self-management strategies, is vital. What is needed is an effective, easy to use, low cost system that self-motivates patients to intensively practice their therapy exercises at home while maintaining elements of repetition, feedback, challenge and progression. In this proposal the investigators intend to adapt just such a "web-based system" originally designed in the UK. The first version of the system has shown preliminary efficacy and feasibility in a small pilot study in UK. The investigators will adapt the system for use in the USA, with the assistance of consultants from the UK. The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of using a free, easy to use, interactive web-based upper extremity stroke rehab program on individuals with stroke who have recently been discharged from outpatient rehabilitation. The goal is to compare the home use of the web-based stroke rehab program with that of written exercises in a randomized controlled trial. The aims/objectives are to (1) adapt the existing system for use in America including adding bilateral activities and then to assess (2) motor function immediately before and after six weeks intervention and after twenty weeks follow up in order to support the efficacy of using this web-based intervention; (3) behavioral changes in motivation and self-efficacy at the same time points to understand the relationship between behavioral and motor function changes; (4) perceptions of patients and caregivers of the web-based program to understand feasibility and barriers to home use; and (5) perceptions of therapists to understand feasibility and barriers to clinic use.

Start: September 2019
What is the Optimal Antithrombotic Strategy in Patients Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndrome Having Atrial Fibrillation With Indication for Anticoagulants?

The optimal antithrombotic management in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) is unknown. Patients with AF are treated with oral anticoagulation (OAC) to prevent ischemic stroke and systemic embolism and patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or those who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are treated with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), i.e. aspirin plus P2Y12 inhibitor (clopidogrel), to prevent stent thrombosis (ST) and myocardial infarction (MI). Patients with AF undergoing PCI were traditionally treated with triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT, i.e. oral anticoagulation (OAC) plus aspirin and P2Y12 inhibitor) to prevent ischemic complications. However, TAT doubles or even triples the risk of major bleeding complications. More recently, several clinical studies demonstrated that omitting aspirin, a strategy known as dual antithrombotic therapy (DAT) is safer compared to TAT with comparable efficacy. However, pooled evidence from recent meta-analyses suggests that patients treated with DAT are at increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST) and even cardiovascular (CV) death. Insights from the AUGUSTUS trial showed that aspirin added to OAC and clopidogrel for 30 days, but not thereafter, resulted in fewer severe ischemic events. This finding emphasizes the relevance of early aspirin administration on ischemic benefit, also reflected in the current ESC guideline. However, because we consider the bleeding risk of TAT unacceptably high, we propose to use a short course of DAPT (drop the OAC for 1 month). There is evidence from the BRIDGE study that a short period of omitting OAC is safe in patients with AF. In this study, these patients are treated with DAPT that also prevents stroke, albeit not as effective as OAC. Thus, by omitting OAC in the first month, we make room for aspirin use for optimal prevention of myocardial infarction or stent thrombosis in the first month after ACS or PCI. The WOEST 3 trial is a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of one month DAPT compared to standard therapy consisting of OAC and P2Y12 inhibitor combined with aspirin up to 30 days. We hypothesise that the use of short course DAPT is superior in bleeding and, secondary, non-inferior in preventing ischemic events. The primary endpoint is clinically relevant bleeding (according to the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis definition) after one month. Secondary endpoints include a composite of CV death, MI, ischemic stroke, ST, and systemic embolism after one month, and one year follow-up.

Start: July 2022