Adrenergic receptor antagonism induces neuroprotection and facilitates recovery from acute ischemic stroke

Significance Stroke is one of the most prevalent types of acute brain injury, and rehabilitation poses globally a significant personal as well as socioeconomic burden. We here demonstrate a potent mitigation of stroke-induced brain damage by blocking adrenergic receptors. Stroke induces cortical spreading depolarizations which repeatedly increases extracellular potassium. We show that adrenergic receptor antagonism promotes the normalization of extracellular medium following stroke. From a translational standpoint, this approach may offer an affordable approach to current treatments such as tissue plasminogen activator administration and mechanical thrombectomy.