Stroke is well known to be the third largest cause of death in the western World but its treatment is largely conservative. The recognition that the area surrounding an infarct (the penumbra) is still viable during the early stages of ischaemia along with our increasing understanding of the pathophysiology of cerebal ischaemia has led to the establishment of a whole host of clinical trials using various “clot-busters” as well as agents designed for neuroprotection—for example, calcium antagonists, …