Cerebral stroke, which shows itself as a local neurological
deficiency, sends warnings which must not be ignored. They
are: sudden weakness of half of the body or a hand or a foot;
a sudden speech disturbance which passes after a number of
minutes (the mouth contorts); a sudden, brief disturbance in
the vision of one eye, sudden headaches; a feeling of
numbness in half of one's body or face or sudden dizziness
accompanied by double vision for a few moments.
What is common to all of these warning sings is that they
occur suddenly and in specific points or areas of the
body.
When these symptoms occur, one must immediately consult a
doctor and describe the symptoms. If necessary, the doctor
will refer the patient for further examination and
treatment.
Today it is possible to identify an occurrence of cerebral
stroke by means of reliable noninvasive simulation tests. In
addition, Doppler or Ultrasound tests on the neck and heart
arteries identify the source of the blood clots which are
causing the stroke. The test results enable the
administration of suitable treatment: surgical or
therapeutic. People in the high risk group, such as those who
suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart
rate disturbances, would most probably receive preventive
treatment which reduces the risk of cerebral stroke. Among
those medicines are Pharbestetin for the reduction of
cholesterol, or anti-coagulants such as aspirin and
Comadine.
Clinical Trials for New Stroke Medication
A new medicine for victims of cerebral strokes is currently
undergoing clinical trials in medical centers in the United
Sates, Europe and Israel. The experimental medicine,
developed by Bristol-Meyers-Squibb, will hopefully curb the
chain of events caused by stroke and prevent damage to brain
cells of its victims.
Dr. Natan Borenstein, Director of the Brain Blood Vessel
Department of the Ichilov Medical Center who is coordinating
the first Israel trial, stresses that time is a crucial
factor in the treatment of cerebral stroke. Improvements are
possible during the six hours following a stroke. After that,
damage is irrevocable.
"Sadly, there is a lack of awareness of the crucial
importance of reaching the hospital as quickly as possible in
the case of stroke. Unlike suspected heart attacks, which
cause people to rush to the emergency room, most people
prefer to ignore or to deny the warning signs of cerebral
stroke and wait until the symptoms pass. Treating the stroke
as soon as possible can limit damage to the brain cells," Dr.
Borenstein told Yated Ne'eman.
Treatment of a blood vessel clot can be effected by
dissolving the thrombosis -- a treatment which is not yet
practical in most cases -- or by stopping the sequence of
strokes in the brain cells: a concept called "neuro-
protection." Until now, all attempts to develop an effective
medicine have failed. According to Dr. Borenstein, the new
medicine now undergoing clinical trial inhibits one of the
processes which cause cell death. The medicine must be given
within six hours from the onset of the stroke.
Cerebral stroke is the third most frequent cause of death in
the Western world, following heart disease and cancer. It is
the main cause of disability among the elderly. Fifteen to
twenty per cent of stroke victims die within a month; a third
within the first year after the stroke. 90% of those who
suffer from stroke are people over 65. From 55 and up, the
risk of suffering a stroke doubles with each ten year
span.
Cerebral stroke is caused either by a rupture of brain blood
vessels or -- in most cases -- by a clot in the brain's blood
vessels. The clot causes a chain of strokes and, at the end
of the process, the brain cells which have not received blood
supply are either severely damaged or die. This, then, causes
functional disturbances in the particular parts of the body
that these cells control.
Dr. Borenstein notes that the clinical study will include
1600 patients, and is being conducted in the Ichilov,
Hadassah, Wolfson and Tel Hashomer hospitals. A patient
arriving in time at one of the participating hospitals will
be able to be included in the experiment if he suits the
treatment protocol.
