According to data from the Catalan Agency for Health Quality and Assessment (AQuAS), around 25,000 people experience a stroke each year in Catalonia, with cases increasing annually by 8 per cent. Dr Cocho highlighted the need for more stroke units in hospitals, explaining that they are essential to patient care. She stated, “Among the various treatment options available, stroke units increase the likelihood of functional recovery by 30 per cent in patients who have experienced a stroke.”
Rapid medical attention
The UIC Barcelona lecturer and healthcare professional at Hospital General de Granollers emphasised the importance of receiving medical attention as quickly as possible, noting, “Each minute of cerebral ischaemia results in the loss of two million neurons, thereby reducing the chances of a favourable outcome.” She stressed the need to recognise the main symptoms of a stroke, which she listed as “facial asymmetry, difficulty raising an arm and speech impairment”.
The specialist noted that two out of three people survive a stroke, and of these, between 20 and 40 per cent will experience disabling after-effects. Dr Cocho explained that in most cases there is no genetic predisposition and that incidence could be reduced by more than 60 per cent through control of key cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and diabetes.
To improve rapid patient care following a stroke, Dr Cocho has led a project using a non-generative AI tool that, based on a simple cranial CT scan, produces a report within 30 minutes with 80 per cent sensitivity regarding the likelihood of ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, or the presence of large-vessel arterial occlusion. This tool, MeThink, is already in use at Hospital Clínic, Vall d’Hebron, Hospital de Vic, MútuaTerrassa, Hospital de Manresa and Hospital General de Granollers. She explained that “it is highly useful for emergency teams when assessing patients and determining the most appropriate therapy.”
Recovery through physiotherapy
In addition to medical treatment, undergoing rehabilitation following a stroke is key to regaining mobility and striving for independence. According to Dr Rosa M. Cabanas, lecturer and researcher in the Department of Physiotherapy, between 70 and 80 per cent of patients experience some functional improvement thanks to physiotherapy, and between 10 and 20 per cent may achieve near-complete recovery, particularly when the stroke has been mild and physiotherapy begins early.
Dr Cabanas expressed concern that despite the need for it, there are not enough physiotherapists in Spain who specialise in stroke care. She also said that geographical and access inequalities persist, alongside shortages in the public sector, despite improvements in the figures. “Investing in physiotherapy not only enhances people’s quality of life but also reduces dependency and long-term costs”, she concluded.
