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sector_ico_Health_trans Human Health

Reducing Stroke Burden with Hospital-Ready Biomarker Test for Rapid TIA Triage

143TIA
  • Project Leaders: Andrew Penn, Christoph Borchers, Shelagh Coutts
  • Institutions: Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA)
  • Budget: $9757996
  • Program/Competition: Large Scale Applied Research Programs
  • Genome Centre(s): Genome Canada
  • Fiscal Year: 2013
  • Status: Closed

Every year, 50,000 Canadians have a stroke, making it the leading cause of disability in the country. However, an equal number of people suffer what are called transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs, which, while less serious, can lead to strokes. The problem is that many conditions, including migraines, can present as TIAs, leading to expensive neuroimaging testing on patients who don’t need it. What’s needed is a quick, inexpensive test that would differentiate TIAs from other conditions, and aid in the appropriate selection of brain imaging.

The team led by Drs. Andrew Penn, Christoph Borchers and Shelagh Coutts worked to develop a test to help with the appropriate treatment of TIA patients. They developed an electronic tool which uses clinical information to better manage these patients and this tool is now in clinical use on Vancouver Island. The project team also worked to develop protein biomarkers which could in the future be used to increase the accuracy of the tool. With the results of this test, doctors will know whether to keep patients for further care or send them home and also whether they require brain imaging. This reduces unneeded imaging risks and costs as well as preventing TIAs from progressing to a full stroke.