Barbiturate attenuation of the clinical course and pathologic lesions in a primate stroke model.

To evaluate the potential for clinical application, the reputed protective action of barbiturates in cerebral ischemia was tested in a controlled study after segmental middle cerebral artery occlusion in primates. Surviving treated animals promptly recovered consciousness, locomotion, and feeding behavior despite persistent hemiplegia, while control animals ran an indolent course, with slow recovery of poor quality. Cerebral lesions in treated animals were confined to the deep hemispheric structures, while control specimens showed larger deep lesions confluent with extensive areas of cortical infarction. These results are less dramatic than those reported by others, but the protective effect observed in fields of collateral circulation deserves further exploration as an adjunct to medical and surgical management.