Brain Awareness Week – Day 1
Every year in March, Brain Awareness Week is held around the world – an international initiative that began in 1996, which aims to present the latest scientific research on the brain and neurological diseases to the public.
The Association for Stroke and Aphasia (ASA) has been participating in the initiative for several years now, presenting to the Bulgarian public European scientific projects that can actually improve treatment and recovery after stroke.
This year, we will present five projects funded under the Horizon Europe program, which examine different stages of the stroke patient’s journey – from early recognition of the disease to recovery after hospital treatment.
The first project is POC4Triage.
Stroke – a race against time
A stroke is a medical emergency in which the brain suddenly loses sufficient blood supply.
Every minute without treatment means the death of millions of nerve cells. That is why specialists often say:
“Time is brain.”
Modern medicine has effective treatment methods – such as venous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy – that can restore blood flow to the brain. But these methods only work if they are applied early enough.
Here the main problem arises:
the patient does not always reach a medical facility in time that can perform such treatment.
Stroke in Bulgaria
Stroke remains one of the most serious public health diseases in the country.
According to available medical data:
tens of thousands of Bulgarians suffer a stroke every year
approximately 10–13% of patients die in the first month after the stroke
many survivors are left with permanent neurological damage
In recent years, Bulgaria has achieved significant progress in treatment.
By 2025, 62 hospitals in the country will be implementing modern stroke treatment, including thrombolysis.
But practice shows that patients often end up in a hospital that does not have the necessary capacity. This means:
waste of time
transfer between hospitals
less chance of recovery
That is why early recognition of severe stroke cases in the ambulance can be crucial.
The POC4Triage project
The European scientific project POC4Triage is investigating new technologies that can help medical teams recognize strokes earlier - before the patient reaches the hospital.
The project is developing and testing portable diagnostic devices that can be used:
in the ambulance
in the emergency department
immediately after the patient is admitted
Among the technologies being studied are:
EEG sensor patch
A small sensor that is placed on the patient's forehead and measures the brain's electrical activity.
fNIRS device
A technology that uses near-infrared light to monitor blood flow in the brain.
These measurements can provide valuable information about the state of the brain in just a few minutes.
What this means in practice
If the medical team has more information at the time of transport, they can more accurately assess:
whether it is a severe stroke
whether the patient needs specialized treatment
to which hospital they should be transported
This can help direct the patient to a specialized stroke center without wasting time.
As Dr. Noelia Rodríguez, a neurologist at Vall d’Hebron Hospital, explains:
“Stroke is a medical emergency in which early diagnosis is crucial. These technologies can help us understand what is happening to the patient during transport to the hospital.”
Why this is important for Bulgaria
For patient organizations, the issue of stroke is not just medical. It is related to the quality of life of thousands of people and their families.
The President of the Association for Stroke and Aphasia, Eng. Dorina Dobreva, emphasizes:
“It is important for patient organizations not only to talk about the problems, but to participate in the solutions. European scientific projects show how innovations can actually shorten the time to treatment.”
The Vice President of the AIA, Dr. Georgi Georgiev, adds:
“Statistics show that time is the decisive factor in stroke. When the patient is referred directly to a treatment unit that can perform modern treatment, the chance of recovery increases significantly.”
The message of the first day
All these efforts can be summarized in one sentence:
The right decision in the ambulance can save the patient’s brain.
What’s coming up this week
POC4Triage is the first of five projects that we will present this week.
In the coming days, we will look at more European research that deals with:
prevention of recurrent stroke
use of artificial intelligence in treatment
new approaches to follow-up and recovery after stroke
They all have one common goal –
better treatment and a better life after stroke.
POC4Triage has received funding from the European Union under grant agreement No 101137358.
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