Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

In recent years, there was a surge in interest for biomarkers in ischemic stroke, with several purposes. In this chapter we will focus on biomarkers with potential use in ischemic stroke, namely, in diagnosis, grading of severity, identification of subtypes, and prediction of outcome or recurrence. A special emphasis will be placed on the role of infl ammation in stroke, as it plays a key role in the cascade of events leading to progression of ischemic brain injury. However, the role of biomarkers in the clinical management of ischemic stroke is still limited. Therapeutic trials attempting to intervene on the infl ammatory process are also briefl y mentioned.