The aim of the study is to investigate the ability to recall information given during informed consent on intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute ischaemic stroke.

The purpose of this prospective multi-center study is to investigate whether patients with acute ischaemic stroke are able to recall information given before providing informed consent to intravenous thrombolysis after the end of treatment. Patients with acute ischaemic stroke will be compared to a group of relatives who witnessed the informed consent procedure of a relative with acute ischaemic stroke, stroke patients who were not treated with intravenous thrombolysis and patients without an ischaemic stroke but similiar risk factors (admitted to the Departement of Cardiology and Pneumology, Charité, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany).

Inclusion criteria (all):

• age ≥18 years
• able to give informed consent
• ability to understand and read German
• no prior i.v.-thrombolysis

Additional inclusion criteria - patients with acute ischaemic stroke:

• suspected ischaemic stroke (according to brain CT) or MRI-proven acute ischaemic stroke
• indication for intravenous thrombolysis

Additional inclusion criteria - relatives:

· relative (1st or 2nd dregree) of a patient with acute ischaemic stroke and present during the informed consent procedure

Additional inclusion criteria - stroke patients with a contraindication for thrombolysis:

• ischaemic stroke (according to brain MRI or CT)
• contraindication for intravenous thrombolysis

Additional inclusion criteria - non-stroke patients:

· present admission at the Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany

Exclusion criteria (all groups):

• not able to give imformed consent or under legal supervision/guardianship
• participation in an interventional study

Patients with acute ischaemic stroke and intravenous thrombolysis or patients with acute ischaemic stroke refusing intravenous thrombolysis, relatives (1st or 2nd degree) of patients with acute ischaemic stroke, patient with acute or subacute ischaemic stroke with a contraindication for intravenous thrombolysis and patients without acute ischaemic stroke (admitted to the Department of Cardiology (Charité, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Germany).