title: [Effects of calcium antagonists on brain ischemia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in adults; about half of those who survive become dependent on others in performing personal activities of daily living. Ischemia disturbs calcium cellular homeostasis, whereas calcium channel blockers re-establish it. This study was aimed at assessing benefits of calcium channel blockers on the outcome of rehabilitation of the patients afflicted by ischemic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  The functional independence was measured by the Barthel index in 90 patients subjected to rehabilitative therapeutic treatment. The functional recovery of patients treated with calcium channel blockers and with other drugs (control) was compared and tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the 0.5 confidence interval showed that the increases of the Barthel index values were significantly higher in the patients treated with calcium antagonists (p < 0.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the literature, such an outcome is the result of improved brain blood flow auto-regulation, increased brain perfusion as well as of neuroprotective, antioxidative, platelet anti-aggregatory effects of investigated drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The calcium channel blockers improved the outcome of rehabilitative therapeutic treatment significantly in the patients afflicted by ischemic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Zavod za fiziologiju, Medicinski fakultet Novi Sad. naumovicnada@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naumović
authors.forename: Petar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Slankamenac
authors.forename: Danka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Filipović
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ivetić
authors.forename: Snezana Tomasević
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Todorović
authors.forename: Ksenija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bosković
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers