Neighbouring blood vessels determine recovery from a stroke
Illustration of the blood vessels in the brain of a patient with early venous filling, i.e. the brain area is excessively reperfused after removal of the blood clot in the blocked artery.
P. Thurner und Z. Kulcsar, USZ
A Swiss study has shown that successful recovery from a stroke depends on bridges with neighbouring blood vessels.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Português
pt
Vasos sanguíneos vizinhos determinam recuperação de derrame
This discovery by researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) could improve the treatment of patients, according to a study published on MondayExternal link.
Patients with less effective connections between blood vessels in the brain – known as collateral networks – had poorer recovery after a stroke, said the study published in the journal Neuron.
In an ischaemic stroke, the blood supply to the brain is interrupted by a blocked blood vessel. To treat such a stroke, the blocked vessel has to be reopened using medication or a catheter.
Flooding the brain
The researchers were able to show that in patients with poor collateral connections, opening the blocked blood vessels caused a sort of flooding in the brain. The brain was once again irrigated rapidly and excessively, leading to cerebral haemorrhages and increased mortality in tests on mice.
The scientists then confirmed these results in humans: here too, excessive blood flow occurred in the brain, and recovery was poorer if the collateral connections between the vessels were poor.
These potentially harmful effects of too rapid a resumption of blood flow after treatment have been neglected until now, stressed the UZH researchers.
“Future therapeutic interventions for stroke should aim to enhance collateral function, allowing for beneficial reperfusion after stroke,” said study leader Susanne Wegener.
Translated from French by DeepL/ac
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
Ukraine peace talks: 50 countries have confirmed participation
This content was published on
To date, 50 countries out 160 invited delegations have confirmed they will attend the Ukraine peace conference, held in central Switzerland in mid-June, according to Swiss public radio, RTS.
Federer-backed On boosts forecast after sneaker demand rises
This content was published on
Swiss footwear company On Holding AG posted strong first-quarter revenue, boosted by demand for its running shoes and new line of training apparel.
Michael Schumacher’s watches fetch CHF4 million at Swiss auction
This content was published on
Watches belonging to Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher sold for around CHF4 million ($4.41 million) at auction house Christie's in Geneva on Tuesday.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.