An observational clinical study to understand brain complications of COVID-19 - the COVID-19 Clinical Neuroscience Study (COVID-CNS).
Stroke, when a blood clot or a bleed reduces blood flow to certain areas of the brain, is one of a few serious neurological complications of infection with COVID-19. We don’t know exactly why this happens in many cases. Studies from the recent pandemic suggest it may occur at a younger age in COVID-infected patients than in patients not infected with the virus.
In this study we seek to understand what puts younger individuals with COVID-19 infection at risk of having a stroke, in comparison both to older individuals and those who are not infected with the virus. We will also look at the different types of strokes younger individuals have and how their outcomes compare to older counterparts. We hope this will enable us to better understand this neurological complication of COVID-19 and to look for features of cases that link to poorer outcomes. This may help us consider ways to target and support those who are at higher risk of having a COVID-19-related stroke and prepare doctors for how to identify high risk individuals for future pandemics.
