Assessment of Blood–Brain Barrier Disruption in Stroke

T he disease burden of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is ris- ing in the United States and Canada. It is estimated that in the United States 795 000 people have a stroke each year, which amounts to 34 billion in medical expenses and lost productivity. ecently, the role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the pathogenesis of AIS has emerged as a focus for new therapeutic strategies. After the onset of AIS, the BBB is rapidly disrupted and this disruption persists for days through the acute and early subacute phases of AIS. The disruption of the BBB can be quantified as an increase in the permeability of the BBB (Figure Current research is attempting to elucidate the mechanisms of BBB disruption after AIS and develop therapeutic strategies to mitigate the clinical consequences of BBB disruption.