NINDS clinical trials in stroke: lessons learned and future directions.

Since 1977 the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has sponsored 28 phase 3 trials to evaluate treatments of stroke, which when all completed will have randomized a total of 44 862 patients in the United States and other countries. NINDS stroke clinical trials have been successful in finding beneficial and cost-effective treatments for cerebrovascular disease. Future trials are likely to be larger and have simpler designs which allow for the inclusion of more patients and which collect less data for each patient. In addition, measures of cognitive outcomes, particularly timed tests of executive function, disability scales, and quality-of-life outcomes will become more common. The stroke research community can take pride in the solid base of evidence that has been built over the past 2 decades. If we continue to follow the discoveries of science, continue to create new trial methodology, and increase participation in clinical trials, significant advances in the treatment of cerebrovascular disease will continue.