HC Deb 09 January 2001 vol 360 cc532-6W
Mr. Jack

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the research projects into strokes which have been supported by Government bodies; and what was the individual level of expenditure for each project; [143247]

(2) if he will make a statement on his plans for financing research into strokes for the next three financial years. [143135]

Mr. Denham

The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the National Health Service. The Department also provides NHS support funding for research commissioned by the research councils and charities that takes place in the NHS.

The research projects into stroke which have been supported by the Department are listed. Project: British Regional Heart Study: a prospective study into the causes of CHD hypertension and stroke in a cohort of men now aged about 60–79—Professor Peter Whincup, St. George's Medical School. Cost: £324,674 Project: A related study in a cohort of women of similar age—Professor Shah Ebrahim, University of Bristol. Cost: £417,855 Project title: A controlled comparison of alternative strategies in stroke rehabilitation—Professor Lalit Kalra. Guy's, King's and St. Thomas' School of Medicine. Cost: £499,778 Project title: A systematic review of the effectiveness, cost effectiveness and barriers to implementation of thrombolytic and neuroprotective therapy for acute ischaerhic stroke in the NHS—Professor Peter Sandercock, University of Edinburgh. Cost: £77,482 Project title: What is the best imaging strategy for acute stroke?—Dr. Joanna Wardlaw, University of Edinburgh. Cost: £131,415 Project title: Early prediction of rehabilitation needs following acute stroke—Professor Philip Bath, University of Nottingham. Cost: £87,766 Project title: Social-environmental, psychological and physical approaches to stroke rehabilitation—Professor David Barer, University of Newcastle. Cost: £371,264 Project title: Can the effectiveness of interdisciplinary team care for stroke be improved?—Professor David Barer, University of Newcastle. Cost: £121,406 Project title: FOOD—A multicentre international randomised trial to evaluate percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and nasogastric tube feeding in patients admitted to hospital with a recent stroke—Dr. Martin Dennis, University of Edinburgh. Cost: £357,411 Project title: Screening for stroke—Professor Shah Ebrahim, University of Bristol. Cost: £109,386 Project title: Evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture in defined aspects of stroke recovery—Dr. George Lewith. Cost: £172,898 Project title: A study of the information-giving process between physiotherapists and patients in relation to recovery following stroke—Dr. Rose Wiles. Cost: £40,621 Project title: A randomised trial to evaluate the cost effectiveness of a domiciliary rehabilitation scheme versus usual care in the rehabilitation of stroke patients—Dr. Paul Roderick. Cost: £127,522 Project title: An exploration of the narrative life histories of people following stroke—Dr. Caroline Ellis-Hill. Cost: £48,750 Project title: The Development and Evaluation of the provision of individualised information to meet the needs of people undergoing rehabilitation following a stroke—Professor D. L. McEllan. Cost: £29,036 Project title: To evaluate the assessment of motor and process skills (AMPs) as an improved measure of rehabilitation outcome in stroke patients—Ms Susanna Robinson Cost: £20,504 Project: Developing methods in primary care for prevention of vascular disease and diabetes in high risk ethnic groups—Dr. J. K. Cruikshank, University of Manchester. Cost: £127,151 Project: Formulation of guidelines for dental rehabilitation of stroke patients—Professor James McCord, University Dental Hospital of Manchester. Cost: £13,525 Project: The Oxford community myocardial infarction incidence study—Dr. Andrew Neil, University of Oxford. Cost: £125, 934 Project: Development of an early hospital discharge policy following acute stroke—an evaluation—Dr. Heather Rodgers, University of Newcastle. Cost: £118,531 Project: An RCT of the cost-effectiveness of exercise in the over 65s—Professor Jonathan Nicholl, University of Sheffield. Cost: £334,188 Project: The Tees stroke register—Professor Richard Thompson, University of Newcastle. Cost: £463,093 Project: Co-ordinated stroke audit and research (COSTAR)—Professor David Barer, Newcastle General Hospital. Cost: £174,210 Project: Rehabilitation of arm function—Professor Nadina Lincoln, University of Nottingham. Cost: £215,007 Project: The incidence, natural history, resource use and outcome of stroke—Dr. Charles Wolfe, United Medical and Dental School. Cost: £607,088 Project: Snoring, obstructive sleep apnoea stroke—Professor G. J. Gibson. Freeman Hospital. Cost: £86,147 Project: Does psychological treatment improve the outcome after stroke?—Professor Allan House, University of Leeds. Cost: £349,163 Project: Development of a measure of social outcome following stroke—Mrs. Victoria Wood, Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust. Cost: £63,501 Project: The incidence of, aetiology and management of stroke—Dr. I. Baker, University of Bristol. Cost: £281,268 Project: Multi-centre trial of out patient occupational therapy of stroke—Dr. John Gladman, University of Nottingham. Cost: £206,748 Project: The influence of developmental indices and blood pressure in young adults on risk of stroke and ischaemic heart disease in later life—Professor George Davey Smith, University of Bristol. Cost: £54,862 Project: The treatment of urinary incontinence in stroke patients—Professor Christopher Castleder, University of Leicester. Cost: £96,271.

The MRC grants since 1996 relevant to stroke are listed as follows. There are a number of underpinning grants and these fall into two categories: molecular/cellular mechanisms that play a central role in the pathology, natural defence mechanisms and recovery process in a number of brain injury conditions; and projects involving the development of imaging techniques to look at relevant neuropathological conditions. Project: The molecular basis of brain damage during and after cerebral ischaemia—Dr. T. E. Bates, Institute of Neurology. Cost: £148,235 Project: Meta-Analsis of Prospective studies to establish risk factors for stroke—Dr. N. Qizilbash, University of Oxford. Cost: £147,894 Project: The International Stroke Trial—Professor P. Sandercock, University of Edinburgh. Cost: £281,072 Project: The treatment of transient ischaemic attacks and stroke—Professor C. P. Warlow, University of Edinburgh. Cost: £2.140,565 Project: Chemokines and metalloproteinases in leukocytes adhesion and migration in the central nervous system during inflammation—Professor M. L. Cuzner. Institute of Neurology. Cost: £118,592 Project: The molecular basis of brain damage during and after cerebral ischaemia—Dr. K. L. Allen. Institute of Neurology. Cost: £148,383 Project: Characterisation of endothelin receptor sub-types in human cerebral vessels—Dr. A. P. Davenport, University of Cambridge. Cost: £47,982 Project: Computer assisted image analysis of hypertensive retinal vascular architecture—Dr. S. A. Thorn, St. Mary's Hospital. Cost: £98,951 Project: Protective effect of heart shock protein over-expression in cerebral ischaemia—Professor David Latchman, University College London. Cost: £73,758 Project: Control of expression of the angiotensinogen gene and its linkage to hypertension and Cerebrovascular disease—Professor P. J. Grant, University of Leeds. Cost: £132,631 Project: Brain TNF alpha receptors—Professor N. J. Rothwell, University of Manchester. Cost: £144,990 Project: Mechanisms of damage to and protection of non-neuronal cells in the CNS during cerebral ischaemia—Professor J. McCulloch, University of Glasgow. Cost: £116,111 Project: Neuropeptide-Y and induced tolerance of excitotoxic insults—Dr. L. E. Sundstrom, University of Southampton. Cost: £39,194 Project: Ion channels, transporters and receptors in brain endothelium: basic science to underpin drug discovery—Dr. J. N. Abbott, Kings College London. Cost: £154,035 Project: A study of the effects of stroke on the development of reading in children—Professor E. Funnell. Royal Holloway and Bedford New College. Cost: £132,538 Project: Clinical and pathological studies of acute ischaemic stroke—Professor C. P. Warlow, University of Edinburgh. Cost: £578,072 Project: The causes, consequences and treatment of acute brain injury—Professor C. P. Warlow, University of Edinburgh. Cost: £1,601,033 Project: The treatment and prevention of stroke—Professor P. Sandercock. University of Edinburgh. Cost: £645,824 Project: Pilot study for a randomised controlled trial of corticosteroids in head injury—Dr. I. G. Roberts Institute of Child Health (London). Cost: £277,744 Project: The effect of nitric oxide donors on experimental stroke—Professor P. M. W. Bath, GKT, King's College Campus. Cost: £175,716 Project: Mechanisms of delayed ischaemic neurological deficit following aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage—Dr. D. K. Menon, University of Cambridge. Cost: £25,404 Project: Regulation of brain IL-1 release—Professor N. J. Rothwell, University of Manchester. Cost: £44,496 Project: The asymptomatic carotid surgery trial—Miss A. Halliday, St. Mary's Hospital. Cost: £526,685 Project: The Cambridge Cerebrovascular Centre—genetic predisposition, vascular biology, Functional Imaging—Professor J. D. Pickard, University of Cambridge. Cost: £4,101,451 Project: Surgical Trial in Intracerebral Haemorrhage—Professor A. D. Mendelow, University of Newcastle. Cost: £892,712 Project: Acute and Chronic Brain Injury—Mechanisms and Outcome: Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre—Professor J. D. Pickard, University of Cambridge. Cost: £1,583,194 Project: Functional and Metabolic Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain During the Acute and Recovery Stages of Stroke—Professor P. M. Mathews, University of Oxford. Cost: £1,373,622 Project: Investigation of calpain function in slice cultures using noval fluorescent probes—Professor M. Bradley, University of Southampton. Cost: £156,100 Project: Brain Protection after Cerebral Ischaemia—Professor J. McCulloch, University of Glasgow. Cost: £221,212 Project: Intravenous Magnesium Efficacy in Stroke Study (IMAGES)—Dr. K. R. Lees, University of Glasgow. Cost: £1,394,970 Project: Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial—Miss A. Halliday, St. Mary's Hospital. Cost: £631,816 Project: Brain Damage Co-operative: from Mechanisms to Man—Professor McCulloch, University of Glasgow. Cost: £209,586 Project: Neuronal pathways underlying CNS responses to injury and disease—Professor N. J. Rothwell, University of Manchester. Cost: £429,332 Project: The pathophysiology of clinical recovery and deterioration after ischaemic stroke: Studies with functional/physiologic—Professor J. Baron, University of Cambridge. Cost: £1,000,004 Project: The CRASH trial (Corticosteroid randomisation after significant head injury)—Dr. I. G. Roberts, Institute of Child Health (London). Cost: £2,210,337.

Many of the projects described are ongoing. Support for new projects will depend on priorities within the Department's policy research programme and the NHS research and development programme.

Much of MRC's work is in response mode, so it is not possible to predict spend over the next three years. However, MRC do not anticipate any major change in the level of commitment.