Despite detailed examinations have been performed,the etiology in about one third of ischemic strokes remain uncertain,which are called cryptogenic ischemic strokes.In the recent 2 decades,it has been found that patent foramen ovale(PFO)is closely associated with these cryptogenic strokes,and a roamber of profound studies have been performed subsequently,and a lot of new conceptions have been put forward.INs article reviews advances in research on the relationship between PFO and iscbemic stroke.influencing factors of PFO leading to ischemic stroke,as well as the diagnosis and treatment of PFO.

A focal cerebral infarction results in anterograde and retrograde secondary degenera-tion in remote site. The secondary degeneration in remote site may progress gradually in a certain time and cause harmful effects on the neural function recovery of patients.

Angiogenesis is an important self-repair and remodeling mechanism after cerebral ischemia. It plays pivotal roles in promoting local blood circulation, protecting neurons and improving neurological function after cerebral ischemia. A variety of molecules and signal transduction pathways involved in the regulation of the process, including angiogenin, growth factors, matrix metalloproteinases, tissue kallikrein and anti-angiogenic proteins. This article reviews the roles of these molecules and signal transduction pathways in angiogenesis after cerebral ischemia.

Unilateral neglect is one of the common advanced neurological deficits of stroke. This article highlights the post-stroke definition of unilateral neglect, incidence, sites of lesion resulting in neglect, possible mechanisms and clinical manifestation. It overviews the typing and complications of unilateral neglect, and points out that the significance on the assessment and treatment of unilateral neglect.

Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) seriously affects neurological recovery and quality of life of patients. Its mechanism, clinical evaluation, intervention have become research hotspot at home and abroad. Many studies have confirmed that secondary neurodegeneration in remote cognitive-related brain not affected by ischemia after stroke is one of the mechanisms of PSCI. It has been found in rodents that β-amyloid deposition and neuron loss in distant cognitive-related brain regions are involved in the occurrence of cognitive dysfunction and reducing these secondary damages can improve cognitive function. Experiments involving non-human primates have found neuronal loss but no β-amyloid deposition in distant brain regions after stroke. Clinical studies have found associations between secondary neurodegeneration in remote regions and cognitive function by using neuroimaging techniques, but the relationship between PSCI and β-amyloid deposition is not clear now. Due to its late occurrence time and wider therapeutic time window, its intervention treatment is expected to alleviate cognitive impairment, which has great clinical significance.

Unilateral neglect is a common and advanced nervous disorder of stroke, well-recognized predictor of poor neural functional outcome following stroke. There are several rehabilitation Methods including sensation input, visual scanning training, vestibular stimulation, head and trunk rotation, suggestive therapy, environmental adaptation and activities of daily living training, and some new therapies including prism adaptation, constraint-induced movement therapy, eye patching and transcranial magnetic stimulation developed in the past few years, which to some extent are effective on the treatment of neglect.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between ankle-brachial index(ABI)and intracranial atherosclerosis in patients with ischemic stroke.MetlaTds:qhe ABI of 73 patients with ischemic stroke were detected using vascular Doppler ultrasound;head magnetic resonance angiography(MkA)was performed using a 1.5 T magnetic resonance imahing system,and the extent of intracranial artery stenosis was graded.The correlation between ABI and the grade of intracranial artery stenosis in patieras with ischemic stroke was analyzed.Results:The ABI in patients without intracranial artery stenosis(n=38)was significantly higher than those with intracranial artery stenosis(n=35)(0.975±0.114 vs 0.837±0.096,P<0.001).The ABI was significantly negatively correlated with the extent of intracranial artery stenosis(r=-0.736,P=0.001).Conclusions:The ABI was negatively correlated with the extent of intracranial artery stcnosis.It can he used as a preliminary screening means of intracranial atherosclerosis.

Statins not only reduce the incidence of ischemic stroke but also have the neuroprotective effect on ischemic stroke. Experimental studies in recent years have found that the neuroprotective effect of statins is achieved by multiple mechanisms, in which the regulation of microvascular endothelial barrier is a new mechanism. This article reviews the advances in re-search on this mechanism.

Objective To probe into the treatment effect of Sibelium to hypertensive cerebral vascular lesion and its mechanism.Methods After preparing the model of renovascular hypertensive rats (RHR), we observed the changes of the arterial blood pressure, the cerebral blood velocity, and the pathology of cerebral vascular with treatment of Sibelium. Results The arterial blood pressure of the rats taking medicine 2 to 4 weeks later was lower obviously than RHR of no taking medicine at the same stage, The pathological changes of basal cerebral arteries in the rats were milder than RHR of no taking medicine after treating 4 to 6 weeks. These effects may keep 2 to 4 weeks.Conclusion At early stage of hypertension,Sibelium can reduce the arterial blood pressure of RHR, and stop the progress of cerebral vascular lesion.

Objective To investigate the cognitive behavioral characteristic longitudinally of the patients after subcortical infarction engaged in feature and binding working memory tasks.Methods The behavioral performances were recorded from 28 patients after subcortical infarction at the 1 st week (W1),3 rd moth (M3) and 6th month (M6) while performing color,location,and color-location binding delayed match-to-sample working memory task.25 healthy volunteers(controls) were investigated once using the same task protocol during the study period.Computer recorded the behavior reaction time and accuracy.Single factor variant analysis of repeated measurement was adopted.Results The accuracy of three memory tasks of M3 ((64.92 ± 5.47) ％ ; (92.88 ± 2.98) ％ ;(82.35 ±7.44)％) was improved than that of W1 ((61.06 ±7.78)％; (90.59 ±2.95)％; (77.06 ±5.58) ％) and the difference had statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).But the reaction time of M3 ((868.31 ±118.91)ms; (833.37 ± 120.99) ms; (918.72 ± 101.28) ms) was shortened than that of W1 ((914.02 ±110.53) ms; (859.89 ± 139.94) ms; (1150.17 ± 92.02) ms) and the difference also had statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).In the location-memory task,the correct rate of M6 ((93.91 ± 2.86) ％) was improved than that of M3 ((92.88 ± 2.98) ％) and the reaction time of M6 ((813.24 ± 119.54) ms) was shortened than M3 ((833.37 ±120.99) ms).M6 and M3 to be compared in the color memory task,the correct rate ((64.50 ± 4.49) ％ ; (64.92 ± 5.47) ％) and the reaction time ((866.47 ± 123.87) ms; (868.31 ± 118.91) ms) had no significant difference (P ＜ 0.05).But in the color-location binding task,the correct rate of M6 ((78.49 ± 7.85) ％) and M3 ((82.35 ± 7.44)％) to be compared had significant decreased nearly the level ((77.06 ± 5.58)％) of the stroke beginning.All behavioral performances of patients were worse than that of control subjects except the compare result of location-memory task in M6((93.91 ± 2.86) ％ ; (813.24 ± 119.54) ms).Conclusion Feature memory and binding memory had been damaged in different degrees in the patient after subcortical infarction.The binding memory had the secondary damage what might be related to the secondary nerve fiber degeneration after infarction.