Cerebrolysin in patients with acute ischemic stroke in Asia: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial

Ziganshina L.E., Abakumova T., Hoyle C.H.V.

The Cochrane review that keeps deflating the cerebrolysin story. Across pooled RCTs in acute ischemic stroke, no convincing effect on death or dependency. If you read one paper on cerebrolysin and stroke, read this one — and notice the gap between Cochrane's read and the marketing.

Muresanu D.F. et al.

Multidimensional ensemble of outcomes in moderate-severe TBI; modest but consistent benefit on the composite endpoint at 90 days. Methodologically unusual primary analysis — the authors essentially pooled scales to get power. Read as suggestive, not definitive.

Poon W. et al.

CAPTAIN I — the Asian-Pacific companion to CAPTAIN II in moderate-to-severe TBI. Similar multidimensional analytic approach, similar directional benefit, similar sample-size limitation. Take the two CAPTAIN trials together as the modern cerebrolysin TBI dataset.

Cui S. et al.

The other Cochrane verdict — in vascular dementia, IV cerebrolysin courses improved cognition and global function with no adverse-event signal. A friendlier read than the stroke review; sample sizes still modest and follow-up short.