The Emory team was led by Michael Frankel, M.D., associate professor of neurology at the Emory University School of Medicine and chief of neurology at Grady Memorial Hospital. Overall, the impact of this new therapy was remarkable. Many patients recovered completely or had minor disabilites from what would have been devastating brain injuries. Until now, the only medication shown to be effective and approved by the FDA for acute ischemic stroke is tissue plasminogen activator, a clot buster called t-PA, given intravenously within 3 hours of symptom onset. Ischemic stroke, which comprises 85 percent of strokes, occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked by atherosclerosis or a clot.
Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a ruptured blood vessel in the brain.
One in five Georgians who died from stroke in 1997 was younger than 65 years of age. Copyright Emory University, 1999. All Rights Reserved.