title: Acute stroke therapy trials: an introduction to recurring design issues.
abstract: We discuss selected issues concerning the design of stroke treatment trials. Key issues include the type of stroke studied, the time interval from stroke onset to patient entry, and whether to include cardioembolic strokes and allow concomitant therapy.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D004617:Embolism / Q000150:complications; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D012107:Research Design; D013997:Time Factors