Neurología : publicación oficial de la Sociedad Española de Neurología
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Update of Acute Ischaemic Stroke Treatment Guidelines of the Spanish Neurological Society based on a critical review of the literature. Recommendations are made based on levels of evidence from published data and studies. ⋯ Treatment of acute ischaemic stroke includes management of patients in stroke units. Systemic thrombolysis should be considered within 4.5 hours from symptom onset. Intra-arterial approaches with a wider window of opportunity can be an option in certain cases. Protective and restorative therapies are being investigated.
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Many patients who have had Parkinson's disease (PD) for several years will present severe motor fluctuations and dyskinesias which require more aggressive therapies. The different approaches which are now available include deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus or medial globus pallidus, subcutaneous infusion of apomorphine, and intestinal infusion of levodopa-carbidopa. ⋯ Although numerous studies have confirmed the efficacy of the 3 different therapies in advanced PD, there are no comparative studies that would allow us to define the best candidate for each technique.
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Delayed vasospasm has traditionally been considered the most important determinant of poor outcome after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Consequently, most of the research and therapies are directed towards reducing the incidence of vasospasm (VSP). To date, however, clinical trials based on this strategy have not delivered a definitive treatment for preventing or reducing brain injury after SAH. This fact has caused a paradigm shift in research, which now focuses on early brain injury (EBI) occurring in the first 72 hours after SAH. It has also changed the idea of VSP's role in brain damage, and suggests the need for re-evaluating the pathophysiological process of SAH. ⋯ It seems that the research approach needs to be changed so that investigators will focus on prevention of EBI, reduction of secondary brain complications and ultimately, the optimisation neurological outcome.
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Review Meta Analysis
[Painful hemiplegic shoulder in stroke patients: causes and management].
The hemiplegic shoulder pain is common after a stroke. Its appearance brings pain and limits daily living activities as well as participation in specific Neuro-rehabilitation programs. All this leads to a worse functional outcome. Good management of patients can reduce both the frequency and intensity of shoulder pain, improving functional outcome. ⋯ Shoulder subluxation, occurs at an early stage after stroke and is associated with subluxation of the shoulder joint and spasticity (mainly subscapularis and pectoralis). Slings prevent subluxation of the shoulder. It is preferable to move within a lower range of motion and without aggression to prevent the occurrence of shoulder pain. The injection of corticosteroids does not improve pain and range of motion in hemiplegic patients, while botulinum toxin combined with physical therapy appears to reduce hemiplegic shoulder pain.
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The vitamin K antagonists (VKA) available for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation have many drawbacks due to their difficult clinical use and high risk of bleeding. Currently, several drugs are being developed as possible substitutes for VKA that have many advantages such as the lack of monitoring requirement and scarce pharmacologic and food interactions. The present article provides an update on the new oral anticoagulants that are in a more advanced stage of clinical research, their pharmacologic properties, advantages and disadvantages and their results in recent clinical trials.