Diagnostic markers of stroke and cerebral injury and methods of use thereof

A method of identifying a subject as at risk for a stroke, said method comprising:

• analyzing a test sample obtained from a subject for the presence or amount of one or more specific markers for cerebral injury and one or more non-specific markers for cerebral injury;
• and
• correlating the presence or amount of said one or more specific markers for cerebral injury and said one or more non-specific markers for cerebral injury to a probability that said subject is at risk for a stroke.

A method of determining a diagnosis of transient ischemic attack in a subject, said method comprising:

• analyzing a test sample obtained from a subject for the presence or amount of one or more specific markers for cerebral injury and one or more non-specific markers for cerebral injury;
• and
• correlating the presence or amount of said one or more specific markers for cerebral injury and said one or more non-specific markers for cerebral injury to a probability that said subject has suffered a transient ischemic attack.

A method of identifying a patient at risk for cerebral vasospasm, the method comprising:

• comparing an amount of a marker predictive of a subsequent cerebral vasospasm, said marker selected from the group consisting of von Willebrand's factor (vWF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9), in a test sample from a patient diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage to a predictive level of said marker, wherein said patient is identified as being at risk for cerebral vasospasm by a level of said marker equal to or greater than said predictive level.

A method of differentiating ischemic stroke from hemorrhagic stroke in a subject, said method comprising:

• analyzing a test sample obtained from a subject for the presence or amount of one or more specific markers for cerebral injury and one or more non-specific markers for cerebral injury;
• and
• correlating the presence or amount of said one or more specific markers for cerebral injury and said one or more non-specific markers for cerebral injury to a probability that said subject has suffered ischemic stroke versus hemorrhagic stroke.