title: Evaluation of the intravenous magnesium sulfate effect in clinical improvement of patients with acute ischemic stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence is mounting that magnesium may play a critical role in the development of strokes and the healing process during and after a stroke. Magnesium is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist that has been shown to be neuroprotective in many preclinical models of ischemic and excitotoxic brain injury. This study was performed to evaluate the intravenous magnesium sulfate effect in clinical improvement of patients with acute ischemic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and seven patients with acute ischemic stroke signs and symptoms lasting less than 12 hours were included in the study and were divided into two groups, 55 patients received 4 g of MgSO(4) over 15 minutes and then 16 g over the next 24 hours, and 52 patients were received matching placebo. The study primary end point was stroke related neurologic deficit evaluation by the national institute of stroke scale (NIHSS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients receiving MgSO(4) showed significant recovery compared with the group of patients receiving placebo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that magnesium sulfate can be used as a safe and useful neuroprotective agent in acute ischemic stroke and lacunar stroke patients may represent a relevant and practical target population for agents with biological activity in white matter.
authors: Neurology Department of Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. afshari_d@yahoo.com
authors: Daryoush
authors: D
authors: Afshari
authors: Nasrin
authors: N
authors: Moradian
authors: Mansour
authors: M
authors: Rezaei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000150:complications; D020767:Intracranial Thrombosis / Q000150:complications; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D018401:Sample Size; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D008278:Magnesium Sulfate; D008274:Magnesium