ABSTRACT
Each year 4.6 million people die from stroke worldwide and 75% of these cases occur in industrialized countries.1 In the U.S., stroke is the third leading cause of mortality, with 4.7 million survivors, 15 to 30% of whom are left with permanent disabilities and 20% of whom require long-term institutional care.2 Significant social, financial, and personal problems occur as a result of these disabilities.3 Stroke is a generic term, encompassing a wide variety of vascular diseases affecting the nervous system. Treatment of these diverse disease processes necessarily involves several different approaches.
