How heat and neighborhood stress affect stroke recovery in people with Alzheimer's
Impact of Environmental Stressors on Ischemic Stroke Outcomes in Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias
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.
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 ID | NIH-11170706 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project looks at people with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias who have had an acute ischemic stroke and links their hospital records to neighborhood heat vulnerability scores. The team will use the Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) from New York State/City to capture environmental heat and socioeconomic stress and compare that to stroke severity measures (NIHSS, ASPECTS) and discharge outcomes (modified Rankin Scale, mortality, new swallowing problems). They will analyze whether people living in higher-HVI neighborhoods have higher stroke rates, worse neurological severity, or poorer recovery at discharge. The work is observational and based on existing clinical and neighborhood data rather than testing a new drug or device.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias who live in communities with high heat vulnerability, especially those who have had or are at risk for an acute ischemic stroke, are the main group this work focuses on.
Not a fit: People without AD/ADRD, those with non-ischemic (hemorrhagic) strokes, or individuals living in low-heat-risk areas may not directly benefit from these specific findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help target heat-relief, prevention, and stroke-care resources to neighborhoods where people with AD/ADRD are at highest risk, potentially improving recovery and survival.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows high temperature raises stroke risk and worsens outcomes, but combining neighborhood heat vulnerability and socioeconomic stress specifically in people with AD/ADRD is a new approach.
Where this research is happening
Manhasset, United States
- 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
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 below.