Heat and neighborhood stressors worsen stroke outcomes in people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias
Official title: Impact of Environmental Stressors on Ischemic Stroke Outcomes in Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias
Funded at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research · NIH-11401428 · Data updated 2026-11-12
In people with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, this project studies how hot weather and neighborhood-level socioeconomic stress affect stroke outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Feinstein Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhasset, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $527,406 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS139190-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401428 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with Alzheimer’s disease or Alzheimer’s-related dementia who have experienced an acute ischemic stroke and live in various neighborhoods.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not experiencing a stroke or living in low-risk neighborhoods may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
The research looks at how environmental heat and local socioeconomic factors interact to influence stroke outcomes in AD/ADRD patients. Using the heat vulnerability index, it will connect neighborhood heat risk with stroke severity, disability at discharge, and mortality. The team plans to analyze patient data to see if hotter, more stressful environments lead to worse recovery after an acute ischemic stroke. This could help identify high-risk communities and inform policies to protect vulnerable patients during heatwaves.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide targeted protections for AD/ADRD patients in hot, disadvantaged neighborhoods and improve stroke care planning.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data suggest environmental and socioeconomic factors influence stroke outcomes, but the combined effect in AD/ADRD is not yet established.
Where this research is happening
-
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Manhasset, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sanelli, Pina Christine — Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Sanelli, Pina Christine
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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How heat and neighborhood stress affect stroke recovery in people with Alzheimer's
Researchers will look at whether living in hot, high-stress neighborhoods makes strokes more likely or harder to recover from for people with Alzheimer's or related dementias.
-
How environmental heat affects stroke outcomes in Alzheimer's disease patients
This study is looking at how hot weather and tough living conditions affect people with Alzheimer's and related dementias who have had a stroke, to see if those factors make their strokes worse and recovery harder, with the goal of helping to find better ways to care for them.
-
Improving blood flow after stroke by breaking down NETs
Aims to see if breaking down neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) after an ischemic stroke can improve blood flow and reduce brain injury in patients.
-
EP2 blockers to protect the brain after a stroke
Aims to test brain-permeable EP2 antagonists to reduce damage after ischemic stroke and improve recovery.
-
Genetic testing to find causes of early-onset ischemic stroke
This project uses whole-exome sequencing to look for gene changes that may cause ischemic stroke in adults who had a stroke at a young age.
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Targeted nanomedicine to protect the brain after stroke
A targeted drug-delivery approach aims to boost blood-brain barrier repair and reduce brain damage after an acute ischemic stroke in patients at risk.
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.