WP8 – Monitoring & improving long-term outcomes after stroke

WP leaders

Ruud Selles (EMC) & Carel Meskers (AUMC)

The workpackage

The general hypothesis of this workpackage is that the ability to better profile stroke recovery patients and better predict stroke recovery is essential to optimize long term outcome post stroke in terms of selecting the right treatment for the right patients at the right time. To do so, we will add long-term follow-up measurements of motor and cognitive impairments and capacity, in combination with self-reported outcome measurements (PROMs), quality of life, and use of health care resources to CONTRAST 2.0 acute care studies. Specifically, we aim to address the following questions:

  1. Which clinical and neuroimaging markers can predict outcome of upper limb motor function (FM-UE) and capacity (ARAT) at 3 months post stroke?
  2. Which clinical and neuroimaging markers can predict outcome of lower limb motor function (FM-LE) and capacity (gait speed) at 3 months post stroke?
  3. Which clinical and neuroimaging markers can predict cognitive functioning?
  4. What are the differences and similarities in the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial characteristics of patients following different care pathways?

Objectives

  1. To create an inception cohort of stroke recovery patients, included within the first 72 hours post stroke and with a follow-up of 12 months post stroke. Patients will be included from CONTRAST 2.0 RCT’s. Additional patients may be included to cover the full range of stroke severity patients. The cohort will build on the detailed profiling of patient’s early post stroke (e.g., clinical assessment, imaging) and extend on it with additional profiling during the stroke recovery using clinician assessment tools for motor, cognitive, and speech/language impairments and capacity, patientreported outcome measures (PROMS), patient-reported experience measures (PREMS) and care consumption data.
  2. To develop valid prediction models for upper and lower limb function and capacity and cognitive function at 12 weeks post stroke.
  3. To describe the physical, cognitive, and psycho-social characteristics of patients following different care pathways.