ARUBA is designed to determine whether symptom management with medicines improves long-term outcomes of patients with unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM’s) compared to interventional therapy, such as surgery, to remove the AVM. Patients are randomized to receive either medical management of any symptoms related to the AVM, or to receive an intervention. This study is open to patients over the age of 18 who have a known brain arteriovenous malformation, who have never undergone a procedure to treat the AVM, and who have never had any bleeding from the AVM. Patients must be willing to be followed in the study for a minimum of 5 years.

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CLOSURE-I evaluates patients who have had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), who also have a patent foramen ovale (PFO). It will compare the incidence of recurrent stroke or TIA in patients who have their PFO closed with an occlusive device versus patients who are treated with best medical therapy (aspirin, coumadin, or both). Patients will be randomized to one of these two treatment groups. The study is open to people who are 18 to 60 years old and have had a stroke or TIA within the past 6 months, and have a PFO. Participants must be medically and neurologically stable, and must be willing to be followed in the study for 2 years.
ICTuS-L evaluates the use of hypothermia in patients who are suffering a stroke. Hypothermia is induced by placing a catheter in a vein in the groin and lowering the body’s inner temperature in an effort to protect brain tissue during a stroke. Patients will be randomized to one of several groups, half of which receive hypothermia, and some of which also receive a “clot-busting drug” called tPA. This study is open to patients between the ages of 18 and 80, who come to emergency room within 6 hours of symptom onset, and who meet other medical criteria. Patients must be willing to be followed in the study for 3 months after enrollment.

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IMS-III, the Interventional Management of Stroke Trial, is designed to compare a combined IV/IA tPA approach to IV tPA alone in ischemic stroke. Patients in this trial are randomized to receive either the standard dose of intravenous (IV) tPA (the “clot-busting drug”) or IV tPA dose plus an intra-arterial (IA) therapy, which could be treatment with the Merci Retriever device; treatment with the EKOS device, which is designed to break up the clot with ultrasound energy; IA tPA alone or in combination with one of the devices. The study is open to patients who are male or female, age 18 to 80, meet the standard criteria for IV tPA, and have an NIH Stroke Scale of  ≥10, and meet other eligibility criteria. Patients must be willing to be followed in the study for 12 months. 

IRIS tests a common medication, ACTOS®, for its effectiveness in preventing recurrent strokes in patients who have insulin resistance. A fasting blood test is needed to determine if a patient has this condition. The study is open to people over the age of 45, who have had a stroke in the past 6 months, are insulin resistant, and are not diabetic. Patients will be put into one of two groups. One group will receive placebo, and the other will receive medication. Patients must be willing to remain in the study for approximately 3 years.

Siblings With Ischemic Stroke Study (SWISS) is a genetic study intended to discover inherited risk factors for stroke. Patients over the age of 18 who have had a stroke at any time, and who have a living, full-blood sibling who has also had a stroke, are eligible to participate. The patient’s, and their sibling’s, only obligation is to contribute a single blood sample, which will be analyzed for a gene that could be linked to stroke.

 

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