Do we still need clinical evaluation in the era of “high tech” functional neuroimaging, or should we just rely on machines? For those of us who care for patients with stroke where they are normally admitted—that is, peripheral hospitals with poor access to complex facilities—the answer is obviously yes, and the results shown in the paper by the Edinburgh group (this issue, pp 558-562)1 are an important confirmation of this view.

After CT to rule out a haemorrhage, the clinical distinction between total anterior circulation infarct (TACI), partial anterior circulation infarct (PACI), posterior circulation infarct (POCI), and lacunar infarct (LACI), as …