None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Stroke is currently the second highest cause of death in Australia and a leading source of disability (National Stroke Foundation, 2010). Some strokes are caused by a blockage in a blood vessel within the brain. Evidence suggests that thrombolysis (i.e., administering a drug to dissolve the blockage) shortly after a stroke may reduce some of the neurological damage (Wardlaw, Murray, Berge, & del Zoppo, 2009; Williams et al., 2009). One such drug is called recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Very little is known about the effects of rt-PA on the recovery of communication or swallowing function. This has significant implications for patient rehabilitation, as it is unknown whether patients who receive rt-PA will respond differently to traditional behavioural rehabilitation methods post-stroke or improve at different rates. It is also unknown whether the effects of rt-PA on post-stroke recovery differ according to stroke location. As a result, the proposed study will investigate the effects of thrombolysis on the recovery of communication and swallowing function after stroke. Increasing our knowledge in this area will assist in the development of effective patient rehabilitation programs to maximise quality of life post-stroke. Aims The overall aim of the project is to investigate the effects of thrombolysis on the recovery of communication and swallowing function after ischaemic stroke. Specifically, the project will investigate whether patients who receive rt-PA following an ischaemic stroke differ from patients who do not receive the drug with respect to language, speech and swallowing function. The project will also investigate whether these communication and swallowing recovery patterns differ following rt-PA over the first 6 months post-stroke. Finally, given the difference in communication disorders resulting from stroke location, the study will investigate whether there is a difference in the effects of rt-PA on communication and swallowing outcomes according to whether patients experienced a left or right sided stroke.
Interventions
The study will investigate the effects of thrombolysis using recombinant tissue plasminogen activators (rt-PA) on communication and swallowing recovery after ischaemic stroke. During the study we will record patient communication and swallowing outcomes through observational measures at different time points along the recovery continuum (the first week post-stroke, and then 3 and 6 months later). We will compare the recovery patterns between patients who are lysed and patients who are not lysed.
The study will investigate the effects of thrombolysis using recombinant tissue plasminogen activators (rt-PA) on communication and swallowing recovery after ischaemic stroke. During the study we will record patient communication and swallowing outcomes through observational measures at different time points along the recovery continuum (the first week post-stroke, and then 3 and 6 months later). We will compare the recovery patterns between patients who are lysed and patients who are not lysed. No thrombolytic drugs will be administered during the study (ie. Participants will be lysed on admission to hospital by the hsopital medical team as per the hospital thrombolysis guidelines prior to entry into the study).
Sponsors
Emma Finch
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Participants will have been admitted to hospital following an ischaemic stroke. Participants will have English as their primary language and will not have previously received thrombolysis.
Exclusion criteria
Any individuals with other neurological conditions, a hisotry of previous stroke or head injury, or a NIHSS score of greater than 22 will be excluded
Outcome results
None listed