Table 1 Exclusion criteria

• History of hypersensitivity to corticosteroids

• Systemic corticosteroid treatment within the last six months or at present time (> 20 mg p.o. or generally intravenous intake)

• Two fixed dilated pupils

• Pre-event score mRS more than two or Barthel Index less than 95

• Pregnancy

• Breast feeding women

• Recent history of active tuberculosis or systemic fungal infection

• Recent head trauma/neurosurgery/peptic ulcer disease

• Life expectancy less than three years

• Other serious illness that confound treatment assessment

• Simultaneous participation in another clinical trial

• Previous participation in another clinical trial in the last 30 days

• Previous participation in this clinical trial

• Women of childbearing potential who are not using a highly effective birth control method

• Acute viral infections other than HSVE (herpes zoster, poliomyelitis, chickenpox)

• Hepatitis B surface Antigen-positive chronic active hepatitis

• Approximately eight weeks before to two weeks after prophylactic vaccination

• Lymphadenitis following Bacille Calmette Guérin vaccination.