Fractal Dimensions and Clot Contraction in Stroke
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Comparisons of Fractal Dimension Analysis and Clot Contraction in Acute Ischaemic Stroke and Post-Thrombolysis Outcomes Across Stroke Aetiologies: A Study for an MSc by Research
IRAS ID
319327
Contact name
Phillip Adrian Evans
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
The study will focus on Acute Ischaemic Stroke (AIS), and disorders of blood clotting that are implicated in AIS. We will recruit patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with feature of AIS, and analyse their clotting profile before and after treatment. Previous work at the Welsh Centre for Emergency Medicine Research (WCEMR) has demonstrated a technique known as fractal analysis can be used to analyse blood clotting in AIS. Fractal analysis markers are deranged in patients with AIS. Work by collaborators of WCEMR has shown a technique known as clot contraction is another marker that is impaired in AIS. The two techniques have never been simultaneously performed in the same patient cohort and understanding their relationship offers key insights into how they might be used by clinicians.
There are a number of causes for AIS, and this research will also examine how clotting abnormalities differ amongst these causes. We are also interested in how patients with AIS respond to thrombolysis therapy, as this treatment comes with a high risk of serious complications. Identifying patient groups who are more likely to respond to treatment would therefore provide clinicians with more information to base treatment decisions on with a more accurate risk to benefit balance.
Summary of study results:
Clot contractile forces - the forces which shrink a clot down by pulling it inwards - were shown to be reduced in patients having a stroke as compared to normal healthy volunteers of a similar age. This would suggest part of the disease process in stroke is an inability to shrink down clots properly to restore blood flow to the brain.
It is not clear if this mechanism leads to stroke, or occurs as a result of stroke. Further work is required to establish this, and explore whether a similar phenomenon is seen in other conditions related to abnormal clot formation.
REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EE/0279
Date of REC Opinion
1 Feb 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion