01-03-2024

We want to congratulate Mark Bakker with his latest publication, linked to WP1 – Preclinical and experimental studies
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23969873241234134

With his CONTRAST Young Talent Fellowship, Mark Bakker linked antidepressant drug usage to an increased risk of intracranial aneurysms (IA) and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (ASAH).
Utilizing a genetic approach, the authors aimed to find drug classes of which their usage might lower the risk of IA or ASAH. The authors followed a two-step approach. First, overlap between genetic risk factors for IA and the usage of drugs from several drug classes was established. Second, a more in-depth genetic approach was used to assess causality and therapeutic potential of the selected drug classes. The rationale behind the most striking finding is as follows: some individuals, due to their genetic makeup, respond strongly to the effects of antidepressant drugs. Other individuals are less responsive without knowing this, thus mimicking a placebo group. Persons who are exposed to antidepressant drugs and are responsive, were found to be at higher risk of developing IA and ASAH than the placebo-like group. Next, the magnitude of effect of antidepressant drugs on IA and ASAH risk should be determined to assess the clinical utility of these findings.
This study underscores the importance of further research to understand the genetic underpinnings that might link certain drug responses to the risk of stroke, offering a new perspective on preventive strategies in stroke management.

13-02-2024

This weekend the 100th patient for the CASES trial was included in Rijnstate Hospital Arnhem! The recruitment rate is above our expectations and is reassuring that we will reach our goal of 600 inclusions before July 2026.
We would like to thank all participating sites in the Netherlands and Belgium for their hard work and effort! And thanks to the funding agencies, ZonMW & KCE and all collaborators in the CONTRAST consortium for making the CASES trial possible.
For more information, please visit our website: www.cases-trial.eu

24-07-2023

Dear Investigators,

On behalf of the CASES coordinating team, we would like to inform you about the current status of the CASES trial. At the end of May 2023, we received ethical approval in Belgium and the Netherlands.
During the ESOC conference in Munchen 2023, Louise Maes and Theodora van Elk presented the CASES poster. The first investigator meeting in Munchen was also a success, with lively discussions about the trial protocol and valuable input from the attendees.
In the meantime, the eCRF in Castor was build in close cooperation Jasper Daems from WP10, meticulously tested and now live!
So far, site initiation visits were performed for 5 centers in Belgium and in 2 centers in the Netherlands. In the next months several centers will be initiated.
On July 5th 2023, directly after the site initiation in UMC Groningen, the first patient was included!

Click this link tot the CASES website.

08-05-2023

We are very pleased to announce the latest publication of the DIST pilot study group in Acta Neurochirugica (Wien):
Safety and technical efficacy of early minimally invasive endoscopy-guided surgery for intracerebral haemorrhage: the Dutch Intracerebral haemorrhage Surgery Trial pilot study | SpringerLink
In preparation of the Dutch ICH Surgery Trial, that already randomized its first patients, we engaged in ensuring the safety and technical efficacy of minimally invasive endoscopy guided surgery for intracerebral hemorrhage within 8 hours after symptom onset.
We need to progress our work within the DIST to determine whether this intervention also improves functional outcome of patients with this detrimental disease with its current high mortality and morbidity.

Utrecht, 22 November 2022.

De Hartstichting en Hersenstichting investeren EUR 4 miljoen in grootschalig onderzoek mogelijk om de kans op een goed herstel na een herseninfarct, hersenvliesbloeding of hersenbloeding te vergroten.  Het gaat om een vervolgfinanciering van het CONTRAST-consortium vanuit het Impuls-programma dat gestart is in 2017. Het CONTRAST-consortium is een unieke samenwerking waarin alle Nederlandse Universitair Medische Centra en regionale ziekenhuizen samenwerken.

Klinische studies

De komende vijf jaar gaat het CONTRAST-consortium de kans op een goed herstel vergroten bij patiënten met een beroerte door het ontwikkelen van nieuwe behandelingen in het laboratorium, door onderzoek naar het verbeteren van de logistiek voor de behandeling, en door het starten van zes grote klinische studies. Patiënten vanuit de Universitair Medische Centra, maar ook vanuit diverse grote regionale ziekenhuizen, worden geïncludeerd in deze studies. Alle studies zullen worden ondersteund door een centrale beoordeling en statistische analyses van de CT- en MRI-scans die van de hersenen zullen worden gemaakt.

Internationale richtlijnen

Het onderzoeksprogramma wordt gecoördineerd door hoogleraar neuroradiologie prof. dr. Aad van der Lugt, Erasmus MC Rotterdam en hoogleraar acute neurologie prof. dr. Yvo Roos van het Amsterdam UMC. “Wij zijn ontzettend dankbaar dat wij het vertrouwen van de Hartstichting en de Hersenstichting hebben gekregen,” zegt Van der Lugt. “Met de versterking van het Nederlands onderzoek naar diagnose en behandeling van beroertes hopen wij het verschil te maken voor mensen die dit gaan ervaren.” Roos vervolgt: “Binnen CONTRAST zijn wij zeer trots op het feit dat Nederlands onderzoek de behandeling van beroerten wereldwijd heeft veranderd. Op basis van ons onderzoek zijn de internationale richtlijnen veranderd. De ambitie is om de komende vijf jaar opnieuw een dergelijke bijdrage te kunnen leveren.”

Voor meer informatie:

• Gezamenlijke persbericht van de Hartstichting en Hersenstichting:
• https://professionals.hartstichting.nl/actualiteiten/grootschalig-onderzoek-voor-snellere-en-betere-beh
• https://www.hersenstichting.nl/nieuws/hersenstichting-en-hartstichting-bundelen-krachten-voor-beroertezorg

Dear all,
In addition to in-person attendance at ICAS 2022, we now also offer virtual attendance to the conference.

Ofcourse we would be most delighted to meet you in-person at ICAS, tickets for virtual attendance can now be purchased for only 75 euros via the following link.

The ICAS 2022 Conference takes place on Friday 16 September and Saturday 17 September 2022. The Conference will be held in the Novotel Rotterdam Brainpark.

Best regards,
Conference Organising Committee ICAS 2022

Dear all,

Register now for ICAS 2022 in Rotterdam, 16-17 September 2022, and don’t miss out on the latest research updates in the field of intracranial atherosclerosis.

Highlights include updates about the latest trials targeting intracranial atherosclerosis, an interactive session on the current AAN and ESO guidelines on intracranial atherosclerosis, a keynote lecture by Prof. Louis Caplan, and many more!

Please have a look at the full program here, and register! Best regards,
ICAS 2022 Conference Organizing Team

Dear all,

Please don’t forget to register for the ICAS 2022 in Rotterdam. Check www.icasrotterdam.com for the final program.

Accreditation for this event has been applied for.

Feel free to forward this message to people who would like to join us at ICAS Rotterdam 2022!

Best regards,

Daniel Bos
on behalf of the Organizing Committee ICAS 2022

CONTRAST investigators and collaborators are invited to the CONTRAST consortium meeting on 22 September 2022 in Maastricht. At the meeting we will update each other on the progress made and the plans for the future. We ask you to register using the form below before 1 September 2022.

The preliminary program is available here and subjected to change.

As it has been a long time since we got together in a live meeting we highly encourage everyone (PhD student in particular) to share their results and present a poster during the breaks. The consortium meeting is a perfect opportunity to share your (preliminary) results and discuss your ideas among clinical and non-clinical CONTRAST investigators. Additionally, this event provides a perfect overview of the different research lines in CONTRAST aiming at improving the outcome for stroke patients.

CONTRAST workpackage Leaders, PhD students & Postdocs and research nurses are invited for the online CONTRAST intra-consortium meeting on 10 December 2021.

The purpose of this meeting is to bring together the CONTRAST investigators to celebrate the results we booked, discuss the progress and share best practices.

The preliminary program can be found here.

Please register online here before 26 November 2021.

Update: due to COVID regulations, the meeting will be held ONLINE. All registered colleagues will receive a link and program by email.