Leaky brain blood vessels after stroke and risk of memory loss
BBB Dysfunction in Post-Stroke Dementia
This work looks at whether tiny leaks in brain blood vessels after a stroke are linked to later memory problems for people who have had a stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169680 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you had a stroke, researchers will invite you to join a project that uses MRI scans, blood tests, and clinical visits to look for long-lasting brain vessel leaks and inflammation. They will enroll about 200 people with chronic stroke and 50 control volunteers at three sites (Stanford, Columbia, and Manchester). The team will try an MRI-based marker of blood-brain barrier permeability and measure blood markers related to new vessel growth and inflammation. The goal is to find signs in living people that predict who may develop slow memory decline or dementia after a stroke.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a prior stroke in the chronic phase who can travel to one of the participating sites and are willing to have MRI scans and blood draws are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People without a history of stroke, those who cannot have MRI (for example due to metal implants or severe claustrophobia), or those unwilling to undergo research tests may not receive direct benefit from joining.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give doctors a way to spot stroke survivors at higher risk of dementia so they can be monitored or offered early treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Animal experiments and autopsy studies in people suggest inflammation and leaky vessels are linked to cognitive decline, but using MRI biomarkers to detect long-term blood-brain barrier leakage in living stroke survivors is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Buckwalter, Marion S — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Buckwalter, Marion S
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.