Recruiting

Comparing two brain imaging scans to predict stroke recovery

Plain-English translation of NCT03367286 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated November 2022 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

Read our Stroke research guide →

What is this trial?

When someone has a stroke caused by a blood clot, doctors need to decide quickly who will benefit most from a clot-dissolving medication called rt-PA. This study is testing whether a CT scan or an MRI scan is better at predicting which patients will have a good recovery after receiving this treatment. The researchers will follow 1,000 stroke patients and check how well they're doing three months after their stroke.

Doctors currently use different imaging methods to decide whether to give stroke patients emergency clot-dissolving treatment, but it's unclear which method is most reliable for predicting good outcomes. This trial aims to find out which imaging approach gives doctors the best information to make these life-saving decisions.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 18 and 80 years old
you have had an acute ischemic stroke (a stroke caused by a blood clot)
you are willing to provide informed consent to participate
for patients arriving after 4.5 hours: imaging shows a small enough clot core and enough surrounding at-risk brain tissue to potentially benefit from clot-dissolving treatment

You likely don't qualify if…

you have medical conditions that make clot-dissolving medication unsafe for you
you are allergic to contrast dye used in imaging scans
you had significant disability before this stroke
you are participating in another research study in the past 30 days
you have a terminal illness where you would not be expected to live more than one year

What participation looks like

You will receive one of two types of brain imaging scans (either a CT or MRI scan) to help doctors assess your stroke. If you meet certain criteria, you may receive emergency clot-dissolving treatment. You'll have a follow-up imaging scan 24 hours after treatment, and researchers will check how you're doing at 3 months after your stroke using a simple disability assessment.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 13, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(1 site)

China

The second affiliated hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou

Key details

Sponsor

Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

Enrollment target

~1,000 participants

Started

June 2009

Primary completion

June 2024

This trial's estimated completion date has passed — the record may not be fully up to date.

Last updated on clinicaltrials.gov in November 2022.

Contact the research team directly

Reach out to the team running this trial. Response times vary — some teams are faster than others.

Central contact

Min Lou, Ph.D

Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

Interested in joining?

Tell us you're interested and we'll help connect you with the research team. We'll walk you through what to expect first — no email needed to get started.

View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov