Predicting arm and hand recovery after stroke

Validation of Early Prognostic Data for Recovery Outcomes after Stroke for Future, Higher Yield Trials (VERIFY)

NIH-funded research Yale University · NIH-11307002

This project tests whether MRI and a quick, noninvasive brain-response test can predict arm and hand recovery for people who recently had an ischemic stroke.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionYale University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New Haven, United States)
Project IDNIH-11307002 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you join, researchers will collect standard clinical exams, a brain MRI, and a brief transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) test early after your stroke. They will follow your arm and hand recovery for 90 days to see how well these measures match real outcomes. The team will use an existing prediction tool (PREP-2) plus the MRI and TMS results to group patients by likely recovery. This is a large, multi-site effort to validate these biomarkers so future trials and rehabilitation plans can be better targeted.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults who recently had an ischemic stroke with motor (arm/hand) weakness and who can undergo MRI and noninvasive TMS in the early post-stroke period are the ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People with hemorrhagic stroke, unstable medical conditions, implanted devices that prevent MRI/TMS, or those outside the early post-stroke window may not be eligible or benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, clinicians could give more accurate recovery predictions and tailor rehabilitation plans earlier after stroke.

How similar studies have performed: Prior work shows that motor-evoked potentials and MRI measures of corticospinal injury relate to recovery and the PREP-2 tool has shown promise, but large multi-site validation is still needed.

Where this research is happening

New Haven, United States

Researchers

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 below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.