Charting cognitive and volumetric trajectories after stroke: Protocol for the Cognition And Neocortical Volume After Stroke (CANVAS) study

Abstract

Rationale: Globally, stroke and dementia are leading causes of disability and mortality. More than one third of stroke patients will develop dementia, but mechanisms are unclear. Aims: The study aims to establish whether brain volume change is associated with poststroke dementia, and to elucidate potential causal mechanisms, including genetic markers, amyloid deposition and vascular risk factors. An understanding of whether - and in whom - stroke is neurodegenerative is critical for the strategic use of potential disease-modifying therapies. Hypotheses: That stroke patients will exhibit greater brain volume loss than comparable cohorts of stroke-free controls; and that those who develop deme..