This volume records the international scientific meeting of The Stroke Association celebrating its centenary. It is an account of what stroke care was like in the past, present practice and future trends in treatment. The proceedings demonstrate the contributions from several disciplines, medicine physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy and speech therapy. The possibilities of methods of primary prevention, secondary prevention, acute care diagnosis, including new methods of imaging and rehabilitation are described. The dramatic developments described offer great hopes for the future. Stroke accounts for about 10% of all deaths in industrialised countries and is a leading cause of disability in the community. Stroke rates rise sharply with age, and the increasing number of older persons in the population is of concern in terms of projected impact of stroke. All those involved in stroke, clinicians, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, GPs and public health physicians will find this a valuable up to- date review of current knowledge in prevention, treatment and investigation and rehabilitation of stroke.