Head Down Tilt 15° to Increase Collateral Flow in Acute Ischemic Stroke

The DOWN-SUITE study is multicenter, randomised, controlled, open-label clinical trial with blinded outcome assessment comparing collateral status in patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with an in-hospital application of head down tilt -10° to -15° (HDT15) versus usual positioning (0° to +30°) before endovascular mechanical thrombectomy. This study will involve adult patients who are eligible for mechanical thrombectomy and who have acute ischemic stroke due to left or right middle cerebral artery occlusion (M1 segment). The investigators hypothesise that HDT15, applied in acute ischemic stroke patients with a large vessel occlusion, will improve collateral circulation, prolong the survival of the ischemic penumbra and improve the clinical benefit from mechanical thrombectomy compared with standard of care (usual positioning 0° to +30°).