Recruiting

Testing early medication and body position in ambulance stroke care

Plain-English translation of NCT06773364 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated May 2025 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 3 — Testing in thousands of people, comparing the treatment against what doctors currently use. This is the last big step before approval.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing whether , a medication that helps prevent seizures, can improve recovery if given very early—right in the ambulance—when someone is having a stroke. Researchers are also testing whether the way you are positioned in the ambulance (lying flat versus sitting up) affects your outcome. The goal is to see if these simple early treatments can help protect the brain during a stroke.

Stroke is a medical emergency where every minute counts, and brain damage happens very quickly. This medication might prevent complications like seizures that can happen after stroke, but doctors don't yet know if giving it in the ambulance—before reaching the hospital—makes a real difference in how well people recover.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are 18 years or older
you have signs of stroke on a quick screening test (called FAST) and arrive in the ambulance within 2 hours of when symptoms started
you can provide brief consent to participate in the study
you have an arm weakness or speech difficulty as part of your stroke symptoms

You likely don't qualify if…

you are in a coma or not responding to pain
you have a serious illness that would make participation unsafe, such as advanced cancer, severe heart failure, or severe dementia
you have a history of epilepsy or a seizure at the start of your stroke
you are allergic to levetiracetam or have a medical reason you cannot take it
you cannot safely lie down or sit up in the ambulance (for example, due to severe vomiting or very severe obesity)

What participation looks like

If you enter this trial, paramedics in the ambulance will randomly assign you to receive either the medication or standard care, and to either lie flat or sit up during transport to the hospital. You'll receive the medication in the ambulance and then continue taking it twice daily for 14 days after hospital admission (or until you leave the hospital early). Your progress will be tracked over the following weeks and months to see how well you recover from your stroke.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 1, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(2 sites)

China

Si County People's Hospital, Suzhou, Anhui

Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality