[The nimodipine therapy of acute focal cerebral ischemia (minor stroke). A clinical study with an assessment of regional cerebral blood flow by SPECT]

Abstract

Aim of the study is the evaluation of therapeutic effectiveness of nimodipine in acute focal cerebral ischaemia. Thirty patients affected by minor ischaemic stroke divided in two randomized groups have been studied consecutively: all the patients were treated with standard therapy, nimodipine was delivered in addition only to the patients of the first group. Both clinical evaluation using Mathew scale, modified by Gelmers, and flowmetric evaluation with SPECT were performed at different times. The results haven't shown any significant statistical difference in the effectiveness of the therapy between the two groups even if a positive clinical trend was evidenced in the group treated with nimodipine. The flowmetric study has shown the poor homogeneity of the groups from a physiopathological point of view not-with-standing the two groups were similar for the clinical severity, sex, age and vascular risk factors. We conclude that is advisable to carry out further trials in which the comparison study groups are more numerous and balanced also from a physiopathological point of view.