Markers of Recovery in StrokE Study
Our current biological understanding of stroke recovery in humans is extremely limited and this lack of knowledge is a major challenge in reducing stroke disabilities and deficits. Evidence of neural repair in humans can be gleaned indirectly through functional outcome measures, but we propose that metabolomics may also provide a minimally invasive window into human brain repair. This study will integrate clinical imaging and molecular biomarkers as a diagnostic tool in further understanding stroke recovery mechanisms.
• Imaging confirmed ischemic stroke within 7 days of stroke onset
• Age \> 18 years
• NIHSS ≥ 1 on arm item OR NIHSS = 0 on arm item but \< 3/5 strength on MRC scale in distal joint (flex/ext elbow or grip/ext hand)
• Pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale (mRS) \< 3