Supported by the NINDS and National Institute on Aging (NIA), DISCOVERY (Determinants of Incident Stroke Cognitive Outcomes and Vascular Effects on RecoverY) will become a landmark study to unravel the mechanisms of post-stroke cognitive disability, early stroke recovery, and potential targets for personalized prevention, intervention and rehabilitation. The vision of DISCOVERY is to dramatically reduce the rates of post-stroke VCID and functional disability in high-risk US populations – specifically including the health disparities populations.

Led by Drs. Natalia S. Rost, M.D, MPH and Steven M. Greenberg, M.D, Ph.D, of the MGH J. Philip Kistler Stroke Research Center, the network consists of four novel cores and 30 premier academic clinical sites with access to acute stroke populations and the expertise and capacity for systematic assessment of post-stroke cognitive impairment and dementia. The DISCOVERY team will conduct a prospective, multi-center, observational, nested-cohort study of 8,000 nondemented ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients aiming to translate this new knowledge into practical tools for identifying patients at high risk for post-stroke VCID and propose targeted interventions for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of post-stroke cognitive impairment and dementia.