HALLE, Germany, May 16 (UPI) -- German scientists have reported synthesizing a compound that dramatically decreases damage to neurons in rats demonstrating stroke symptoms. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the United States and the most common cause of adult disability. An ischemic stroke occurs when a cerebral vessel occludes, obstructing blood flow to a portion of the brain. There is only one approved stroke therapy -- tissue plasminogen activator, which targets the thrombus within the blood vessel. Because of the lack of available stroke treatments, neuroprotective agents have also generated as much interest as thrombolytic therapies. The...