Global BBB Disruption and Post-Stroke Cognitive Decline

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

After a stroke, people are at higher risk for cognitive decline and dementia. This work looks at whether early disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) explains how vascular brain damage progresses to dementia and how to predict it using routine brain MRIs. Researchers will follow patients with serial MRI scans to see if BBB changes precede white matter damage and cognitive decline. They will also test a new MRI approach that measures BBB disruption without injecting contrast, so it can be used in more clinical settings. The goal is to translate these imaging findings into ways to identify at-risk patients sooner and guide care.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• Johns Hopkins University
  Baltimore, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Leigh, Richard — Johns Hopkins University
• Study coordinator: Leigh, Richard

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

• Brain-wave markers to predict thinking problems after a small stroke

  This project is seeing if patterns in brain recordings (MEG and EEG) can predict which people with small strokes will develop lasting problems with attention, thinking, or processing speed.

  NIH research Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, United States · NIH-11297638

• Understanding how blood-brain barrier disruption affects cognitive decline after a stroke

  This study is looking at how changes in the protective barrier around the brain after a stroke might help us predict if someone will have trouble with thinking and memory later on, using special brain scans to keep an eye on these changes in stroke patients.

  NIH research Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, United States · NIH-11126639

• How living environments affect cognitive decline after stroke

  This study looks at how the places stroke survivors go and spend time in can affect their thinking skills over time, helping us understand what environments might support better brain health for older adults after a stroke.

  NIH research Stanford University · Stanford, United States · NIH-10996049

• Investigating how breathing problems after a stroke affect thinking skills in older adults with Alzheimer's disease.

  This study is looking at how breathing problems after a stroke might affect thinking and memory in older adults, especially those with Alzheimer's or certain brain conditions, to find ways to help improve both breathing and brain health.

  NIH research University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston · Houston, United States · NIH-10875715

• Using digital tools to identify cognitive decline after minor strokes

  This study is looking at how certain digital tools can help predict memory and thinking problems in people who have had minor strokes, so we can find ways to help them recover better and sooner.

  NIH research Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, United States · NIH-10525918

• Stroke prevention with hydroxyurea for children with sickle cell anemia in Nigeria

  A multinational, patient-facing study tests whether hydroxyurea can safely prevent first strokes in Nigerian children with sickle cell anemia.

  NIH research Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Nashville, United States · NIH-11629280

About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.