Neuroimaging researchers to study stroke recurrence risk with $3.2M grant

With a recently awarded $3.2 million R01 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) in Cincinnati, Ohio plan to study how neuroimaging can help pinpoint risk factors of stroke recurrence, according to a recent university press release.

According to the National Stroke Association, recurring stroke makes up roughly 25 percent of all stroke cases, with nearly 800,000 cases reported annually in the U.S. alone. Those who have suffered a stroke also have an increased risk of recurring stroke for up to five years afterwards.   

The research, titled APRISE, (Assessing Population-based Radiological Brain Health in Stroke Epidemiology), will be a continuation of a previous stroke study called Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Stroke Study (GCNKSS), according to the release.  

Led by Achala Vagal, MD, associate professor and vice chair of research at department of radiology at UC, researchers will evaluate brain images for signs of small vessel disease in the form of previous injury, microbleeds, white matter disease or brain atrophy, among other observations.  

“The development of a clinical prediction tool, incorporating our full range of modern imaging techniques, will enhance our ability to identify patients at a higher risk for recurrent strokes,” Vagal said in the release.