Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Platelet-Oriented Inhibition in New TIA and Minor Ischemic Stroke (POINT) Trial
Brief Summary: A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a transient episode of neurological dysfunction caused by focal brain, spinal cord, or retinal ischemia, without acute infarction. An ischemic stroke is a cerebral infarction. In POINT, eligibility is limited to brain TIAs and to minor ischemic strokes (with an NIH Stroke Scale \[NIHSS\] score less than or equal to 3).

TIAs are common \[25\], and are often harbingers of disabling strokes. Approximately 250,000-350,000 TIAs are diagnosed each year in the US. Given median survival of more than 8 years \[32\], there are approximately 2.4 million TIA survivors. In a national survey, one in fifteen of those over 65 years old reported a history of TIA \[33\], which is equivalent to a prevalence of 2.3 million in older Americans. Based on the prevalence of undiagnosed transient neurological events, the true incidence of TIA may be twice as high as the rates of diagnosis \[33\]. Based on our review of the National Inpatient Sample for 1997-2003, there were an average of 200,000 hospital admissions for TIA each year, with annual charges climbing quickly in the period to $2.6 billion in 2003.

Composite endpoint of new ischemic vascular events: ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction or ischemic vascular death at 90 days.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients who receive explanation on this study and give informed consent
* Patients aged 30 to 85 years
* Baseline NIHSS less than 15
* Onset of symptoms within 48 hours of the start of investigational product
* Full functional independence prior to the present stroke indicated by an mRS score of 0, 1, 2

Exclusion Criteria:

* Evidence from CT or MRI scan of an acute intracranial hemorrhage, a tumor, encephalitis or any diagnosis other than acute ischemic stroke likely to cause the present symptoms.
* Previous regular use of an antiplatelet agent or warfarin
* Patients with known cardiac disease likely to cause cardiogenic embolism or congestive heart failure
* Evidence from CT or MRI scan of midline shift when visiting hospital
* Uncontrolled hypertension (SBP\>220 mmHg or DBP\>120 mmHg)
* Hypotension (\<90/60 mmHg)
* Patients with known bleeding diathesis or coagulation disorder
* Patients with liver disease (ALT\>100 or AST\>100), or renal disease (creatinine\>2.0 mg/dl)
* Known severe anaemia (hemoglobin\<8.0 mg/dl), or thrombocytopenia (platelet\<100,000/mm3)
* Scheduled for endarterectomy within 3 months
* Severe co-morbidity likely to limit patient's life expectancy to less than 6 months
* Patients with alcohol or illegal drug abuse or dependency
* Pregnant or lactating patients. When administrating to females, it should be confirmed that the patients is in the menopause (by evaluation of investigators) or permanently infertile (hysterectomy or surgical operation like bilateral tubal ligation, bilateral oophorectomy, etc). If a patient is likely to be pregnant, the patient should not be pregnant before randomization. And, the patient should use reliable contraception between at least 3 weeks before randomization to 7 days after the final administration of study drug.
* Patients treated by thrombolytic agents like tPA after onset of stroke
B: Inclusion Criteria:

Patients with a diagnosis of cerebral infarction (excluding cardiogenic cerebral embolism) who meet the diagnostic criteria based on the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) ad hoc committee's classification of cerebrovascular disease III.

1. Patients who have had an onset of cerebral infarction, the time of which is known, between 1 week and 6 months before the time of enrolment (including first and recurrent cerebral infarctions)
2. Patients who are 50 years or older
3. Patients whose neurological signs and symptoms are considered to be stable by the investigator or sub-investigator
4. Patients with a finding corresponding to the responsible focus confirmed by head X-ray computerised tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
5. Patients who have at least two of the following risk factors:

   * diabetes
   * hypertension (systolic blood pressure is 140 mmHg or higher or diastolic blood pressure is 90 mmHg or higher) or under treatment of hypertension
   * smoker (at the time of onset of cerebral infarction)
   * obesity (Body mass index (BMI) is more than 25 kg/m2)
   * previous vascular disease (stroke, acute myocardial infarction or peripheral arterial disease before the onset of cerebral infarction)
   * end-organ damage (retinopathy, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) or microalbuminuria)
   * hyperlipidaemia

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with a diagnosis of brain disorders with a bleeding risk such as brain haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage, cerebral arteriovenous (AV) malformation, cerebral AV aneurysms and brain tumours
2. Patients with complications of cardiac disorders (atrial fibrillation, mitral valve stenosis, severe cardiac valve disorders) that may provide an embolic source for cerebral embolism
3. Patients having had acute coronary syndromes (acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina) within 6 months after enrolment in this study
4. Patient with hypersensitivity to dipyridamole preparations
5. Patients with a history of drug allergy to acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) or aspirin asthma
6. Patients with a history of peptic ulcer
7. Patients having undergone arterial reconstruction after development of cerebral infarction
8. Patients with very severe impairment (4 or 5 on Modified Rankin Scale)
9. Patients with bleeding or bleeding tendencies (haemophilia, haemorrhage urinary tract, vitreous haemorrhage, etc.)
10. Patients with severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure is 180 mmHg or higher or diastolic blood pressure is 110 mmHg or higher)
11. Patients with complications such as serious cardiac, renal and hepatic disorders
12. Patients with a malignant tumour or having had a tumour treatment in the past 5 years
13. Women who are or may be pregnant or lactating women
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients with TIA or minor acute ischemic stroke (NIHSS \< 4 at the time of randomization) who must NOT be candidates for acute thrombolysis or other acute intervention indicated as the current standard of care
* Aged 40 years or older
* Patients with: (a) weakness at time of TIA/minor stroke and/or language disturbance at time of TIA/minor stroke and; (b) duration of neurological deficit (TIA) \> 5 minutes
* Patients can be randomized within 24 hours of symptom onset. Symptom onset is defined by the "last seen well" principle
* Patients must have provided written, informed consent to participate in the FASTER trial.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with pure sensory symptoms, pure vertigo or dizziness, pure ataxia or pure visual loss
* Patients for whom thrombolysis or other acute intervention is indicated as the current standard of care
* Patients who are currently on statin therapy, antiplatelet therapy (not including aspirin), or long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs but not COX inhibitors), or anticoagulation
* Patients who in the opinion of the site Investigator, should be commenced on statin therapy
* Patients with neurological deficit due to intracranial hemorrhage (intracranial hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, epidural hematoma), tumor, infection or any finding not consistent with acute brain ischemia as the cause of presenting symptoms
* Presumed cardiac source of embolus (e.g. atrial fibrillation, prosthetic cardiac valve, known/suspected endocarditis)
* Patient with a concomitant acute coronary syndrome (acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina)
* Modified Rankin Score 3 or more (pre-morbid historical assessment)
* Patients in whom the qualifying event was due to a complication of cerebral angiography, a revascularization procedure or trauma
* Uncontrolled hypertension at baseline (systolic blood pressure \>180 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure \>110 mmHg), or malignant hypertension defined by brain plus acute organ involvement due to acute hypertension
* Women who are breast-feeding or pregnant. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test prior to randomization. Women of childbearing potential may still participate in the trial but must plan on not becoming pregnant during the course of the study and must practice a suitable method of birth control. If a patient becomes pregnant or begins breast-feeding during the study, both study drugs will be discontinued immediately, and the patient followed for the duration of the study
* Evidence of contraindication for use of Trial Medication: (i) serious systemic bleeding precluding antiplatelet therapy; (ii) hypersensitivity to aspirin, thienopyridine drugs (clopidogrel or ticlopidine) or statins; (iii) current or past history of renal insufficiency \[serum Creatinine \>150 umol\]; (iv) hepatic dysfunction indicated by any or all of the following \[ALT \>3xULN, AST \>3xULN, ALP \>3xULN\]; (v) thrombocytopenia \[platelet count \< 150 x10\^9/L\]; (vi) neutropenia \[neutrophil count \< 0.5 x10\^9/L\]; (vii) bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy indicated by any or all of the following \[INR \>1.2, PT \>1.2xULN, PTT \>1.2xULN\]
* Life expectancy of less than 90 days
* Participation in another clinical therapeutic trial (drug or device) either concurrently or within the previous 30 days, or prior participation in FASTER
* Geographical or other factors that render follow-up impractical or that render evaluation of outcome events impossible (e.g. severe dementia). Patients may be randomized who could and are willing to complete their follow-up at a participating centre
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Neurological deficit (based on history or exam) attributed to focal brain ischemia and EITHER:

  * High risk TIA: Complete resolution of the deficit at the time of randomization AND ABCD2 score of (greater than or equal to) 4 OR
  * Minor ischemic stroke: residual deficit with NIHSS of (less than or equal to) 3 at the time of randomization
* Ability to randomize within 12 hours of time last known free of new ischemic symptoms.
* Head CT or MRI ruling out hemorrhage or other pathology, such as vascular malformation, tumor, or abscess, that could explain symptoms or contraindicate therapy.
* Ability to tolerate aspirin at a does of 50-325 mg/day.

Exclusion Criteria

* Age \<18 years
* TIA symptoms limited to isolated numbness, isolated visual changes, or isolated dizziness/vertigo.
* In the judgment of the treating physician, a candidate for thrombolysis, endarterectomy or endovascular intervention, unless the subject declines both endarterectomy and endovascular intervention at the time of evaluation for eligibility.
* Receipt of any intravenous or intra-arterial thrombolysis within 1 week prior to index event.
* Gastrointestinal bleed or major surgery within 3 months prior to index event.
* History of nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage.
* Clear indication for anticoagulation (e.g., warfarin, heparin) anticipated during the study period (atrial fibrillation, mechanical heart valve, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, hypercoagulable state).
* Qualifying ischemic event induced by angiography or surgery.
* Severe non-cardiovascular comorbidity with life expectancy \<3 months.
* Contraindication to clopidogrel or aspirin.

  * Known allergy
  * Severe renal (serum creatinine \>2 mg/dL or 176.8umol/L) or hepatic insufficiency (prior or concurrent diagnosis, with International Normalized Ratio (INR)\>1.5 or any resultant complication, such as variceal bleeding, encephalopathy, or icterus)
  * Hemostatic disorder or systemic bleeding in the past 3 months
  * Current thrombocytopenia (platelet count \<100 x10\^9/l) or neutropenia (\<1 x10\^9/l)
  * History of drug-induced hematologic or hepatic abnormalities
* Anticipated requirement for long-term (\>7 day) non-study antiplatelet drugs (eg, dipyridamole, clopidogrel, ticlopidine), or Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) affecting platelet function (such as prior vascular stent or arthritis).
* Inability to swallow medications.
* At risk for pregnancy: premenopausal or post menopausal woman within 12 months of last menses without a negative pregnancy test or not committing to adequate birth control (e.g., oral contraceptive, two methods of barrier birth control, or abstinence).
* Unavailability for follow-up.
* Signed and dated informed consent not obtained from patient.
* Other neurological conditions that would complicate assessment of outcomes during follow-up.
* Ongoing treatment in another study of an investigational therapy that may potentially interact with study drug, or treatment in such a study within the last 7 days.
* Previously enrolled in the POINT study.

Answer: D