Effects of the PPAR-α agonist fenofibrate on acute and short-term consequences of brain ischemia.

In stroke, there is an imperative need to develop disease-modifying drugs able to (1) induce neuroprotection and vasculoprotection, (2) modulate recovery and brain plasticity, and (3) limit the short-term motor and cognitive consequences. We hypothesized that fenofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) agonist, could exert a beneficial effect on immediate and short-term poststroke consequences related to its pleiotropic mechanisms. Rats or mice were subjected to focal ischemia to determine the effects of acute treatment by fenofibrate on (i) motor and memory impairment, (2) both cerebral and vascular compartments, (3) inflammation, (4) neurogenesis, and (5) amyloid cascade.

Previous leisure-time physical activity dose dependently decreases ischemic stroke severity.

In the present subanalysis of a cross-sectional study showing the favorable effect of prior transient ischemia, leisure-time physical activity, and lipid-lowering drug therapy on stroke severity, we aimed to evaluate whether previous physical activity was dose dependently associated to minor stroke (NIHSS 0-3) and to identify possible underlying factors. Among 362 consecutive patients, less severe stroke was related to weekly exercise duration prior to stroke (no exercise: 36.1%; <2 hours: 49.

Insular infarcts and electrocardiographic changes at admission: results of the PRognostic of Insular CErebral infarctS Study (PRINCESS).

Background And Purpose: Previous studies showed that insular strokes are associated with electrocardiographic (ECG) changes. However, they did not take into account the 1(st) ECG recorded at admission, but continuous ECG recorded up to 72 hours after onset. Whether these changes are the consequence of the infarct, or are associated with a cardiac source of cerebral ischemia, remains unsettled.