Sleep Disorders Managed and Assessed Rapidly in Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and In Early Stroke
Sleep Disorders Managed and Assessed Rapidly in Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and In Early Stroke
The aim of the investigators was to determine whether the immediate management of any
 detected sleep disorders can improve outcomes in patients who have had a transient ischemic
 attack (TIA) or minor stroke. This group of patients is at high risk for having a recurrent
 stroke or TIA, and the investigators would like to investigate new ways of preventing
 potentially avoidable events. The treatment of sleep disorders immediately after a stroke or
 TIA may prove to be a novel method of avoiding future strokes and improving outcomes.
Every year, thousands of people in Canada either die or are permanently disabled after
 suffering a stroke. This costs our society billions of dollars in physician services,
 hospital expenses, and decreased productivity. Some individuals are slightly more lucky;
 instead of having a severe stroke, they have either a very mild stroke or temporary stroke
 symptoms, also known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA), and do not experience any loss of
 abilities. However, mild strokes and TIA's can precede the onset of a more serious, disabling
 stroke. Most of the significant strokes that happen after a mild stroke or TIA occur within
 days of the original event; there is a need for early interventions that could prevent such
 occurrences.

 One of the goals of recent research has been to find ways to prevent major strokes after
 individuals have sustained a minor stroke or TIA. Up until now, stroke doctors have focused
 on treating elevated blood pressures and cholesterol levels, scanning the blood vessels in
 the neck for significant narrowings, and searching for irregular heart rhythms, all of which
 are treatable conditions that put patients at risk for having a stroke. Despite research
 which shows that sleep disorders such as sleep apnea (abnormal pauses in breathing during
 sleep) or restless legs syndrome (which can cause involuntary leg movements in sleep) are
 possible risk factors for stroke, these conditions are not routinely investigated by stroke
 doctors after a TIA or stroke.

 The investigators hypothesize that the study patients, who will all receive an expedited
 sleep assessment and expedited treatment of their sleep disorders, will have at the 3-month
 follow-up assessment: (i) Significantly improved quality of life at 3 months compared to
 baseline measurements (primary outcome); (ii) Improved outcomes on measures of sleepiness,
 psychomotor vigilance, daily function, depressive symptoms, cognition, and blood pressure at
 3 months (secondary outcomes).
1. Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Patients presenting within 14 days of symptoms with either

 -  High risk TIA

 -  Minor stroke.

 -  High risk TIA will be defined as:

 -  Transient, acute motor or speech disturbance lasting at least 5 minutes, or

 -  Any TIA associated with >50% ipsilateral carotid stenosis (presumed to be
 symptomatic) or atrial fibrillation not currently anticoagulated

 -  Mild stroke will be defined as focal neurological deficits with MRI changes and a
 National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≤ 5

 2. Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Past history of impulse control disorder, gambling, or active psychiatric disease

 -  Patients with cognitive impairment restricting ability to perform activities of
 daily function and ability to comply with medical therapy (e.g. CPAP or
 medication use)

 -  Patients with limb weakness not allowing them to utilize a CPAP device

 -  Life expectancy less than 6 months