| Congressional staff members visited with members of the UCLA Stroke Center to learn about how federal funding supports stroke research at UCLA. |
The UCLA Stroke Center hosted four Congressional staff members from the offices of Representatives Adam B. Schiff, Diane Watson and Henry Waxman at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on Jan. 11. The event was co-sponsored by the American Heart Association.
The educational tour provided an overview of UCLA research that is part of the Specialized Program of Translational Research in Acute Stroke (SPOTRIAS) Center-a national network of eight centers that perform early phase clinical projects, share data, and promote new approaches to therapy for acute stroke. SPOTRIAS is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) / National Institutes of Health (NIH).
"We welcomed the opportunity to meet the congressional staff members and share with them how federal funding is being applied to stroke research at UCLA," said Saver. "The investment in SPOTRIAS allows us to move the most promising, early-stage stroke treatments from the bench to the bedside, with the goal reducing the burden of stroke for patients, families, and society."
An overview of SPOTRIAS projects was presented by UCLA Stroke Center members including Dr. Jeffrey Saver, professor of neurology, Dr. Neil Martin, professor of neurosurgery, Dr. David Liebeskind, associate professor of neurology, and Dr. Sidney Starkman, professor of emergency medicine and neurology.
The researchers discussed five current studies of new interventions for acute stroke:
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The Therapeutic Acqueous Oxygen (TAO) Trial: using supersaturated liquid oxygen as a new stroke treatment.
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The Intraoperative Computed Tomography and Endovascular-Guided Surgery for Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICES) Trial: developing a new, minimally invasive, "keyhole" surgical technique to treat patients who have experienced bleeding into the brain.
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The Fast Integrated Evaluation using mobiLe televiDeo for Doctor Access (FIELD-DOC) Trial: using video cellphones to connect patients at home and in ambulances with expert stroke physicians.
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The Magnetic Resonance and Recanalization of Stroke Clots Using Embolectomy (MR RESCUE) Trial: the first randomized study of a retriever device that pulls clots out of blocked arteries and restores brain blood flow.
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The Counterpulsation to Upgrade Forward Flow in Stroke (CUFFS) Trial: applying air-filled cuffs to the legs to redirect blood flow to threatened brain areas.
In addition, Dr. Scott Janis, clinical research project manager in the Office for Clinical Research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, offered a summary of the national SPOTRIAS program, and stroke neurology Fellows Dr. Sarah Song and Dr. Radoslav Raychev discussed their advanced stroke training at UCLA.
The presentations were followed by a tour of the hospital's various units that treat stroke patients.
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