Public release date: 2-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Cathy Campbell cathy@canadianstrokenetwork.ca 613-852-2303 Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Two outstanding studies one measuring the ability of the brain to recover from stroke and the other a tool to predict clinical outcomes after stroke were honoured for their innovation and impact at the 2012 Canadian Stroke Congress.
Researcher Thomas Harrison of the University of British Columbia received the co-chairs' Innovation Award for his study of the recovery abilities of the brain's sensory and motor areas.
Harrison and his team determined that the area of the brain responsible for movement can also process sensations of touch and pressure if the brain area originally responsible for doing so is damaged by stroke.
The researchers used a new method for non-invasively stimulating the brain with light, a technique that allowed them to measure brain response over time.
"It's very encouraging: it shows how good the brain can be at recovering after an injury," says Mr. Harrison. "Hopefully, down the road, it will be possible to test different therapies to see if we can augment this process and improve recovery after stroke."
"The Innovation Award highlights a study with a unique approach to a crucial area of research," says neurologist Dr. Michael Hill, Co-Chair of the Canadian Stroke Congress. "This study opens many possibilities for exploration and future work."
Congress co-chairs presented the Impact Award to Dr. Gustavo Saposnik, Clinician Scientist at St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto. Dr. Saposnik and his team created a diagnostic tool called iScore, an application capable of accurately predicting complications in stroke patients who are given the clot-dissolving drug tPA after an ischemic stroke. The tool is used by physicians to guide treatment decisions.
Patients with high iScores may not benefit from intraveneous tPA and carry a higher risk of hemorrhagic complications, the research found.
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Stroke recovery and treatment studies win top honors at Canadian Stroke Congress