1 in 7 Strokes Occurs During Sleep, Many Go Without Clot-Busting Treatment, University of Cincinnati Study

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Approximately 14 percent of all strokes occur during sleep, preventing many from getting clot-busting treatment, according to a study published in the May 10, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "Because the only treatment for ischemic stroke must be given within a few hours after the first symptoms begin, people who wake up with stroke symptoms often can't receive the treatment since we can't determine when the symptoms started," said study author Jason Mackey, MD, of the University of Cincinnati and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Imaging studies are being conducted now to help us develop better methods to identify which people are most likely to benefit from the treatment, even if symptoms started during the night."