ABSTRACT

Stroke is a major cause of disability in the United States and around the world. In the last decade, exciting new therapies have become available for treatment of the acute phase of ischemic stroke, giving hope to patients for better treatment. Even then, a large majority of patients come to medical attention too late or are not candidates for acute therapies. There exists a huge potential to modify the recovery phase after acute stroke to improve outcome and lessen disability. Such recovery therapies have been in intense development in laboratories and clinics around the globe. This chapter summarizes various pharmacological and cell-based modalities for enhancement of the process of recovery from stroke.