Abstract
With this inaugural issue, we are pleased to introduce the European Stroke Journal (ESJ) to our readers in the global scientific stroke community. The ESJ adds to the existing body of journals dedicated specifically to stroke, reflecting the exponentially increasing research activities in this field. The journal contributes to the recognition of stroke as a prototype of a non-communicable disease of highest importance to public health – and a disease that is highly preventable, treatable and manageable. Whereas important advances have been made in stroke in the recent past, very much remains to be done, and the role of research will continue to be a prerequisite for further progress.
The ESJ also represents the growing body of activities of the European Stroke Organisation (ESO), which include its own scientific conference, education, guidelines – and now also a scientific journal. The scope of the ESJ is clinical stroke from all fields, published as original research papers, guidelines, trial protocols, editorials and letters to the editor.
The journal is being supported by a very strong editorial board drawn from Europe as well as most regions of the world, reflecting that the outreach of the ESJ is not regional but global. ESJ aims to have a close collaborative contact to other stroke journals/societies such as the International Journal of Stroke/World Stroke Organization, and Stroke/American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
The content of the first issue of the journal provides excellent examples of what we should expect from the journal in the future: important guidelines from the ESO, authoritative reviews on clinically important topics (in this issue stroke in the young, management of basilar artery occlusion and translational research on inflammation in stroke) as well as original research of the highest quality. We encourage readers to submit articles of interest or to suggest topics they might like others to address. The ESJ aims for dynamic interactions to ensure success, and we look forward to your contributions in this process.