title: Comparing Cerebralcare Granule and aspirin for neurological dysfunction in acute stroke in real-life practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cerebralcare Granule (CG) is a polyherbal Chinese medicine that has been shown to have neuroprotective effects in experimental models of stroke. We compared the efficacy and safety of CG with aspirin in patients with acute stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this open-label, controlled trial, we recruited patients with angiographically confirmed strokes and US National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores of 4-22 within 2 weeks of symptom onset; recruitment was performed at 55 sites in China. Patients received CG or aspirin. The primary efficacy end-point was neurological function. Analyses were done by intention to treat. Patients were measured for NIHSS, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Mini-Mental State Examination scores and Barthel index at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between January 2013 and January 2014, we treated 1963 patients with CG and 1288 patients with aspirin. Baseline NIHSS, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores were comparable between the two groups. Patients in the CG group had a greater improvement than the aspirin group in terms of NIHSS (P < 0.01) and Barthel index at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, patients in the CG group had a greater improvement than the aspirin group in terms of Mini-Mental State Examination (P < 0.01) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (P < 0.05). Adverse reactions were similar between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This large-scale, controlled trial indicated that CG may be a useful treatment in the management of post-stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, People's Hospital of Shanxi Province, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
authors.forename: Luqing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, The Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lianming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, People's Hospital of Shanxi Province, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
authors.forename: Fengyun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002681:China; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; C553222:cerebralcare preparation; D001241:Aspirin
keywords: 
  Cerebralcare Granule; aspirin; stroke