Stroke represents one of the most prominent causes of disability and mortality worldwide and poses significant costs to healthcare services. As many as 24.9 million people living worldwide have suffered an ischemic stroke, and projections suggest that by 2030, an additional 3.4 million adults older than 18 years in the United States will have had a stroke.[1] Stroke can be deadly, with mortality rates at 1 year post-stroke (both ischemic and hemorrhagic) running from 8 to 36%, with the higher mortality rates occurring in the elderly. [1] But more than this, stroke leads to disability in a large number of patients. Approximately half of stroke survivors remain disabled, with 20% requiring care at a facility.[2] These sobering data highlight the economic and medical importance of understanding stroke mechanisms, stroke management, and stroke prognosis.

Despite the potential catastrophic outcomes of stroke, not all patients suffer significant morbidity, and some patients even show considerable improvement over time.