The study aims to find the best ways to invite people with covert cerebrovascular disease (CCD) to take part in research and follow up with them. The results will help plan future studies on treatments to lower the risk of stroke or dementia in people with covert cerebrovascular disease (CCD).
After a brain scan, many people without any symptoms of a stroke learn they have scan appearances similar to those of a stroke ('covert cerebrovascular disease'). People with covert cerebrovascular disease (CCD) have a higher risk of future stroke or dementia, but no treatments are known to reduce this risk. In part, this is because it is difficult to find and ask enough people with covert cerebrovascular disease to take part in trials of new treatments.
We have developed new computer methods that can look at massive numbers of brain scan reports. We think these new computer methods cold find and invite a large number of people affected by covert cerebrovascular disease to studies to test new treatments. We will use brain scans collected in normal clinical practice and invite people to join our cohort study in NHS Lothian.
We will test whether this approach is feasible and acceptable to people with CCD. If this method is feasible and acceptable, we will apply for a larger amount of money to test new treatments for people with covert cerebrovascular disease in larger and more definitive trials.
Further information
Visit the DISCOVER project main page for more information (University of Edinburgh website page)
