Animal models

Animal models of cerebral ischaemia mimic at best less than 25% of all stro kes. Compounds which prove efficacious in animal models should, therefore, only be expected to improve outcome in a quarter of all strokes. If trials for acute stroke are to succeed, stroke subgroups represented by the animal models should be targeted. For the other subgroups, e.g. lacunar stroke, a ppropriate animal models need to be developed. Moreover, thrombolysis shoul d be included in animal models because it is likely to be used as a first l ine treatment for ischaemic stroke and any future therapeutics will need to be compatible with it.