CSN - Canadian Stroke Network

www.canadianstrokenetwork.ca

An estimated 50,000 Canadians suffer a stroke every year – that's one every 10 minutes – and another 300,000 people live with the consequences of the disease. Strokes are the leading cause of adult disability in Canada.

The Canadian Stroke Network (CSN)’s mission is to to reduce the impact of stroke on Canadians through collaborations that create valuable new knowledge in stroke, help ensure that the best knowledge is applied, and work to build Canadian capacity in stroke.

The CSN’s projects target five avenues of research: Prevention – to better understand the risk factors and identify ways of better controlling them; Treatment – to improve acute stroke care in Canada; Minimizing stroke damage – to protect the brain from stroke or minimize the damage that occurs post stroke; Recovery and Rehabilitation Post Stroke – to identify new methods of enhancing functional recovery; and Knowledge Translation – to move new knowledge and best practices to patients as quickly as possible.

FASTER (Fast Assessment of Stroke and TIA to Prevent Early Recurrence) is a major initiative focused on the secondary prevention of stroke. It could dramatically improve the future emergency treatment of stroke. CSN researchers have successfully conducted a pilot clinical trial, which is near completion, and they are ready to expand the trial internationally.

Another successful initiative is the stroke-stem cell project that explores the potential of adult stem cells in recovery from stroke. To date, results show that the adult stem cells can be mobilized within the brain and lead to functional recovery.

On the rehabilitation side, the CSN has united the various rehabilitation disciplines in a coordinated, consensus-based approach to define and implement best practices in stroke rehabilitation (the SCORE project). International experts cite this approach as a model for other countries.

The CSN manages a powerful research tool called the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network. In only three years, the registry has become one of the world's premier tools for measuring the delivery of stroke care, gathering information on over 10,000 stroke patients in 21 hospitals across Canada. The data allows researchers to ask important questions about treatment, drugs, hospital stay and recovery. Data are being used to support and monitor the implementation and efficacy of other large-scale projects such as Ontario's Co-ordinated Stroke Strategy.

CSN research has led to over 20 patents being filed. It has also been involved in start-up companies based on its research, such as NoNO Inc., Phoenix Biopharm Inc. and Stem Cell Therapeutics, a company that recently raised $8 million through an initial public offering.

The CSN has run several competitive rounds of its award-winning Focus on Stroke training program, bringing many new researchers into the field. The CSN complements this program with additional innovative training programs and has recently ventured into professional training for health professionals.

Over the years, the CSN has forged strong partnerships with a number of industry, government and health-charity partners and established international research links in areas where Canada may stand to benefit.

Provincial Reach:

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Distribution of Research Personnel in 2004-2005

For more information visit the CSN Web site.