The mission of the NeuroVascular Research Foundation (NVRF) is to advance the fields of emergency stroke therapy and stroke prevention. Over the past decade, NVRF-sponsored registries have collected procedural and outcomes data to identify best practices and improve patient outcomes. These registries are unique and are not duplicated by other organizations, including the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

INSTOR™ (the INterventional Stroke Therapy Outcomes Registry) has demonstrated that endovascular therapies for emergency stroke treatment and stroke prevention improve patient outcomes. Previous versions of this important registry focused first on endovascular pharmaceutical interventions, and more recently on combined mechanical/pharmaceutical therapies. INSTOR III™ is the most comprehensive outcomes-based stroke database available, and covers all current medical and interventional procedures. INSTOR is the only registry that collects risk-adjusted data on patient outcomes, and fulfills the requirement of the ASA for Comprehensive Stroke Centers, and the Performance and Training standards specified by all societies involved in stroke care (Neurology, Neuroradiology, Neurosurgery, etc. (1,2,3) .

INTRASTOR™ (INTRacranial Angioplasty and STenting Outcomes Registry) is intended to document that intracranial angioplasty and/or stenting can reduce stroke and death in patients with severe intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis.

NVRF was founded in 2001 as a 501(c) (3) non-profit charity under the Federal income tax code. NVRF relies on charitable contributions to support our programs. Industry contributions supported initial startup and operations, but changing regulations regarding such contributions have substantially reduced these funding sources. Small charitable gifts and personal loans have enabled NVRF to continue our important work, but this has resulted in the Foundation taking on debt.

To help cover expenses, NVRF has begun charging sites a small annual fee for data management, as is the standard for other clinical outcomes registries. The goal of NVRF is to make stroke care the best it can be, and this requires data collection and comprehensive analysis in order to improve process of care. This research is optimized by keeping data-collection fees low so that INSTOR III is available to any site that wants to participate. Without contributions, NVRF will have suboptimal funding to support operating expenses and research.

If you can help, please mail your contribution to:

NeuroVascular Research Foundation
436 Inspiration Lane
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878

All assistance will be gratefully acknowledged.

1) Metrics for Measuring Quality of Care in Comprehensive Stroke Centers: Detailed Follow-Up to Brain Attack Coalition Comprehensive Stroke Center Recommendations: A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2011;42:849-877
2) Performance and training standards for endovascular ischemic stroke treatment: Writing Group for the American Academy of Neurology, AANS/CNS Cerebrovascular Section, Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery, and the Society of Vascular & Interventional Neurology. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2009 Nov-Dec;18(6):411-5.
3) Training Guidelines for Intra-arterial Catheter-directed Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Statement from a Special Writing Group of the Society of Interventional Radiology J Vasc Interv Radiol 2009; 20:1507–1522.