Our Stroke Clinical Trials Group leads a number of randomised control studies examining treatments for stroke.

Current trials include:

CADISS
This is comparing antiplatelet versus anticoagulant therapy in preventing early recurrent stroke in patients with carotid and vertebral artery dissection. Follow up finished in June 2014.  The results were published in the Lancet Neurology (2015;14:361-7) with an accompanying editorial (Kasner SE. CADISS: a feasibility trial that answered its question.  Lancet Neurol. 2015;14:342-3).

VIST
This trial is comparing whether stenting is more effective than best medical therapy in preventing recurrent stroke in patients with symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis.

PRESERVE
This is comparing whether it is better to treat hypertensive patients who have lacunar stroke and confluent leukoariosis (in whom cerebral autoregulation may be impaired) with standard antihypertensive medication or intensive antihypertensive medication. The primary endpoint is cognitive but we are also assessing effects on white matter ultra structure using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and on cerebral blood flow using arterial spin labelling.

BRIDGE
This project aims to uncover the genes underlying these rare causes of SVD, to develop new diagnostic techniques, and to support the development of targeted treatment strategies for these diseases.