Studies thinking and memory changes after stroke
Looks at which factors affect memory and thinking after a stroke in adults.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Determinants of Incident Stroke Cognitive Outcomes and Vascular Effects on RecoverY
Key facts
- Where
- Ann Arbor, Baltimore, Boston, Charlottesville, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Durham, Houston, Indianapolis, Iowa City, Jackson, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Rochester, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle, The Bronx, and Winston-Salem, United StatesSee the 31 sites
Where in United States
- University of MichiganAnn Arbor, United StatesNo longer taking part
- University of Maryland Medical CenterBaltimore, United StatesTaking people
- Boston Medical CenterBoston, United StatesTaking people
- Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, United StatesTaking people
- University of VirginiaCharlottesville, United StatesTaking people
- The University of Chicago Medical CenterChicago, United StatesTaking people
- University of CincinnatiCincinnati, United StatesTaking people
- University of ColoradoDenver, United StatesTaking people
- Duke University Medical CenterDurham, United StatesTaking people
- Houston Methodist Research InstituteHouston, United StatesTaking people
- UTHealthHouston, United StatesTaking people
- Indiana UniversityIndianapolis, United StatesTaking people
- University of IowaIowa City, United StatesNo longer taking part
- University of Mississippi Medical CenterJackson, United StatesTaking people
- Mayo ClinicJacksonville, United StatesTaking people
- Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, United StatesTaking people
- Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical CenterLos Angeles, United StatesTaking people
- University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, United StatesTaking people
- Methodist University HospitalMemphis, United StatesTaking people
- University of Miami Health SystemMiami, United StatesTaking people
- University of Minnesota HealthMinneapolis, United StatesTaking people
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, United StatesTaking people
- The Hospital of the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, United StatesTaking people
- Barrow Neurological InstitutePhoenix, United StatesTaking people
- Mayo ClinicRochester, United StatesTaking people
- University of UtahSalt Lake City, United StatesTaking people
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan Antonio, United StatesTaking people
- University of California San DiegoSan Diego, United StatesTaking people
- University of Washington - Harborview Medical CenterSeattle, United StatesTaking people
- Montefiore Medical CenterThe Bronx, United StatesTaking people
- Wake Forest Baptist HealthWinston-Salem, United StatesNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Trial code
- NCT04916210
- Record updated
- 14 September 2026
- Original description
The overall goal of the DISCOVERY study is to better understand what factors contribute to changes in cognitive (i.e., thinking and memory) abilities in patients who experienced a stroke. The purpose of the study is to help doctors identify patients at risk for dementia (decline in memory, thinking and other mental abilities that significantly affects daily functioning) after their stroke so that future treatments may be developed to improve outcomes in stroke patients. For this study, a "stroke" is defined as either (1) an acute ischemic stroke (AIS, or blood clot in the brain), (2) an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH, or bleeding in the brain), (3) or an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH, or bleeding around the brain caused by an abnormal bulge in a blood vessel that bursts).Read full original descriptionShow less
Determinants of Incident Stroke Cognitive Outcomes and Vascular Effects on RecoverY
The overall goal of the DISCOVERY study is to better understand what factors contribute to changes in cognitive (i.e., thinking and memory) abilities in patients who experienced a stroke. The purpose of the study is to help doctors identify patients at risk for dementia (decline in memory, thinking and other mental abilities that significantly affects daily functioning) after their stroke so that future treatments may be developed to improve outcomes in stroke patients. For this study, a "stroke" is defined as either (1) an acute ischemic stroke (AIS, or blood clot in the brain), (2) an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH, or bleeding in the brain), (3) or an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH, or bleeding around the brain caused by an abnormal bulge in a blood vessel that bursts).
The investigators hypothesize that:
1. The size, type and location of the stroke play an important role in recovery of thinking and memory abilities after stroke, and pre-existing indicators of brain health further determine the extent of this recovery. 2. Specific stroke events occurring in individuals with underlying genetic or biological risk factors can cause further declines in brain heath, leading to changes in thinking and memory abilities after stroke. 3. Studying thinking and memory alongside brain imaging and blood samples in patients who have had a stroke allows for earlier identification of declining brain health and development of individualized treatment plans to improve patient outcomes in the future.
Inclusion: Age ≥18 years; Admitted to the enrolling clinical performance site (CPS) hospital with a diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), or aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH); Radiographic confirmatory evidence of: (1) AIS (based on a focal area of restricted diffusion on MRI), (2) non-traumatic primary ICH (based on evidence of acute parenchymal hemorrhage on CT or brain MRI) or (3) non-traumatic acute aSAH (based on evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage on CT or MRI and evidence of aneurysm on CT angiography, MR angiography, or conventional catheter-based angiography); Able to complete baseline visit in person or by phone within 6 weeks of stroke onset; Able to provide informed consent by self or proxy; Fluent in English or Spanish prior to stroke onset.
Exclusion: Documented history of pre-stroke dementia or fails dementia pre-screen; Contraindication to MRI: presence of electrically, magnetically, or mechanically activated implants (such as cardiac pacemakers, cochlear implants, implanted pumps); or metallic clips in the brain; Additional exclusion criteria for Tier 3 participants:; Known to have one of the following genetic conditions which can increase the risk of developing cancer: Cowden disease, Lynch syndrome, hypogammaglobulinemia, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, Down's syndrome; Age <50 years; Concurrently enrolled into a study that is not approved under the DISCOVERY Co-Enrollment Policy; Unable to complete study protocol (advanced directives such as comfort measures only, or inability to complete the study due to severe medical/behavioral co-morbidities), as determined by physician investigator during screening process; Additional exclusion criteria for Tier 2 participants:; Biologically female individuals who are pregnant or seeking to become pregnant.