The Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS) was established in 2004. It is a multidisciplinary translational "centre without walls" combining basic and applied research to study the causes, consequences and treatment of major brain disorders. Our major disease targets, that straddle the disciplines of Neurology and Psychiatry, include: bipolar disorders, brain cancer, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, prion disease, schizophrenia, stroke and epilepsy.
Sandercock et al. paper shortlisted for BioMed Central Open Data Award
"The International Stroke Trial database" by Peter AG Sandercock et al. Trials 2011, 12:101 (21 April 2011) has been shortlisted for an Open Data Award. The Open Data Award, sponsored by LabArchives, seeks to recognize researchers who have published in BioMed Central journals and have demonstrated leadership in the sharing, standardization, publication, or re-use of biomedical research data. The award will be presented in London on Thursday 17th May, and will be attended by co-author Maciej Niewada on behalf of the group. Congratulations and good luck to Peter and colleagues!
A video of Peter Sandercock talking about his project can be viewed here: http://dcnapp1.dcn.ed.ac.uk/neurotube/player/player.asp?vidID=bji81231
Cooling brains might help in stroke
Dr Malcolm MacLeod has received press coverage about a new trial that will investigate whether cooling the brain to 35 degC will help reduce the damage suffered during a stroke, thereby saving lives. Small studies have indicated there may be a benefit, but this large scale trial seeks a definitive answer.
The Telegraph (19 Mar 12)
BBC online (19 Mar 12)
Lancet Neurology Editorial on New Collaborative Initiative
A new international project led by Prof Joanna Wardlaw has been profiled in an Editorial in Lancet Neurology. The project brings together experts on the imaging of cerebrovascular disease and neurodegeneration to agree standard terminology and definitions for vascular pathology on MRI and CT, and to suggest standards for image acquisition, analysis and reporting.
Editorial in Lancet Neurology (April 2012)€11m for stroke research in hypothermia
Researchers in the Stroke Research Group are part of a European Consortium which has been awarded €11m for a clinical trial of therapeutic cooling for stroke. Joanna Wardlaw leads the imaging work package, and Malcolm Macleod leads the data management work package and is scientific liaison officer for study. Further details at www.eurohyp1.eu.
£1.34 million to conduct RESTART
The British Heart Foundation has awarded a five year Special Project Grant worth £1.34 million to conduct the RESTART (REstart or STop Antiplatelets Randomised Trial) in the UK. The application was led by Dr Rustam Al-Shahi Salman (MRC senior clinical fellow), and also includes Prof Martin Dennis (Prof of Stroke Medicine), Prof Gordon Murray (Prof of Medical Statistics), Prof David Newby BHF Prof of Cardiology), Prof Peter Sandercock (Prof of Clinical Neurology), Dr Cathie Sudlow (Reader in Clinical Neurology), Dr Phil White (Reader in Neuroradiology), and Dr Will Whiteley (MRC clinician scientist).
At least one quarter of adults with a stroke due to intracerebral haemorrhage are on drugs like aspirin at the time of the bleed because they had previously suffered vaso-occlusive disease. For 720 people like this who survive the brain haemorrhage, RESTART will test whether more brain haemorrhages occur after restarting drugs like aspirin than after stopping them, and it will investigate whether brain microbleeds on brain MRI are important effect modifiers. If restarting antiplatelet drugs does not raise the risk of further brain haemorrhage, continuing them could allow survivors to continue to benefit from them.
