Clinical trials in acute ischemic stroke: Problems in design and interpretation

When evaluating potential therapies for acute or progressing ischemic stroke, we should discard our preconceived notions about either efficacy or lack of efficacy of individual interventions. With carefully designed and performed clinical trials, we have the opportunity to change the present feeling of helplessness when it comes to the acute management of patients with ischemic stroke. The alternative to expensive, time-consuming, controlled clinical trials of promising therapies is to continue to treat on the basis of opinions or bias.