Abstract Background and aims Clinical studies in acute ischemic stroke are susceptible to early discontinuation and non-publication, contributing to research waste and limiting evidence generation. This study aimed to characterize registered clinical studies in acute ischemic stroke and identify factors associated with trial discontinuation and non-dissemination. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of all acute ischemic stroke-related clinical studies registered on ClinicalTrials.gov through December 2025. Data on enrollment size, study location, and funding source were extracted. Associations between study characteristics and discontinuation were assessed using unadjusted binomial logistic regression. Results Among 849 eligible clinical studies, 698 (82.2%) were completed and 151 (17.8%) were discontinued. Studies enrolling fewer than 100 participants had significantly higher odds of discontinuation (OR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.24–0.58; P 0.001). Trial discontinuation did not differ significantly between single-center and multicenter studies (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.81–2.00; P = 0.30), nor between industry-funded and non–industry-funded studies (OR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.44–1.16; P = 0.18). Conclusions A notable proportion of acute ischemic stroke clinical studies are discontinued, indicating persistent non-dissemination bias. These findings highlight ethical concerns regarding participant involvement without corresponding knowledge gain and underscore the need for improved trial feasibility and stronger dissemination practices in stroke research. Conflict of interest Yousef Radwan Alnomani: nothing to disclose
Alnomani et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: