The clinical importance of cerebral microbleeds in ischaemic stroke

After a stroke caused by a blocked blood vessel the risk of another stroke is reduced by blood thinning medications, but a dangerous side effect is bleeding into the brain. It is important to know the risk of this side effect.

A special brain scan, called gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), shows tiny areas of previous bleeding (called "microbleeds") around leaky, fragile blood vessels in the brain, and these cannot be seen on standard brain scans.

It is thought that microbleeds could be associated with a high risk of bleeding in patients receiving blood thinning medication. This study will test this idea by performing gradient echo MRI scans on patients before treatment, and then following treated patients over time.

Investigations will also be carried out into how microbleeds develop and affect memory and thinking (cognition), and whether they cause recurrent stroke. This study may help to predict the risks of blood thinning medications, and to understand whether and how microbleeds cause symptoms.

With thanks to the Violet M Richards Charitable Trust for supporting this award.

Classification:
Prevention, Imaging

back to top|