Reperfusion Changes After Stroke and Practical Approaches for Neuroprotection

Reperfusion is the first line of care in a growing number of eligible acute ischemic stroke patients. Early reperfusion with thrombolytic drugs and endovascular mechanical devices is associated with improved outcome and lower mortality rates compared with natural history. Reperfusion is not without risk, however, and may result in reperfusion injury, which manifests in hemorrhagic transformation, brain edema, infarct progression, and neurologic worsening. In this article, the functional and structural changes and underlying molecular mechanisms of ischemia and reperfusion are reviewed. The pathways that lead to reperfusion injury and novel neuroprotective strategies with endogenous properties are discussed.