Brain stimulation to help thinking after aneurysm-related brain bleeding
Official title: Brain Stimulation to Improve Neurocognitive Deficits After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11303354 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether targeted brain stimulation can help people regain thinking and memory after bleeding around the brain from a burst aneurysm.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | April 17, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $502,462 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS136224-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11303354 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future trials would be survivors of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage who have ongoing cognitive problems such as memory or attention difficulties.
✕Less likely to help
People whose cognitive decline is from progressive neurodegenerative disease or from causes unrelated to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
After a ruptured brain aneurysm many survivors still struggle with thinking, memory, and returning to work. Researchers will study how brain networks that support thinking change after this kind of bleeding using imaging and behavioral tests. They will use animal models and brain stimulation approaches to try to restore normal network activity and improve behavior, with the goal of translating successful methods toward people. If the method works in the lab, it could lead to clinical trials testing noninvasive stimulation in survivors of subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that improve memory, thinking, and daily functioning for people recovering from aneurysmal brain bleeding.
How similar studies have gone: Noninvasive brain stimulation has shown mixed but sometimes promising benefits in other types of stroke and brain injury, but applying it specifically after subarachnoid hemorrhage is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chung, David Young — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Chung, David Young
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Cognitive screening after an aneurysmal brain bleed
Using patient questionnaires to find thinking and memory problems in people recovering from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
-
Blood test to predict delayed brain injury after an aneurysm bleed
This project is creating a blood test to spot which people who had a brain aneurysm bleed are likely to develop delayed brain injury in the days after the bleed.
-
3D brain blood vessel model to study subarachnoid hemorrhage and test therapies
A researcher will develop a 3D printed, biomimetic brain model to study subarachnoid hemorrhage and screen potential nanoparticle-based treatments.
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Biomarkers to Fine-Tune Intrathecal Nicardipine for Brain Bleeding-Related Stroke
Researchers are testing biomarkers to personalize intrathecal nicardipine treatment for patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage to prevent brain damage.
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Adropin as a shield for the brain after a brain hemorrhage
A potential treatment with adropin is being studied to protect brain cells after a subarachnoid hemorrhage and reduce stroke-like damage.
-
Manganese-based compound as a potential therapy for subarachnoid hemorrhage
A new manganese porphyrin-based drug is being explored as a possible treatment to reduce brain injury after a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.