Vascular mEchanisms in, Stroke, dePression, dementiA, and deliRum: The VESPAR Project

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER · Dec 13, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The VESPAR Project is a clinical trial that aims to understand how blood flow in the brain changes in people with cognitive issues, like stroke, dementia, depression, and delirium. Researchers are using special imaging techniques to study how the brain responds to different stimuli and to gather information that could help design future studies on these conditions. The ultimate goal is to improve our understanding of how the brain functions in these populations.

To participate in this study, you need to be an adult over 65 years old, either healthy or diagnosed with one of the conditions mentioned. If you have stable health issues like well-controlled high blood pressure, you may still qualify. However, if you have serious health problems that affect how your brain works or are not well enough to participate, you might not be eligible. Participants can expect to undergo some non-invasive tests, and the study is currently recruiting individuals who meet these criteria. Your involvement could help advance research in understanding brain health and cognitive function!

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• * Inclusion Criteria:
• • Healthy adults aged over 65 years, free from medical comorbidities or medications that can adversely affect cognitive function or cerebral haemodynamics;
• • Stable, well controlled comorbidities (e.g. hypertension);
• • A diagnosis of dementia (major neurocognitive disorder), depression, or delirium, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-V) criteria;
• • Participants on or off anti-dementia drug therapy (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, NMDA receptor antagonists), and antidepressants;
• • A diagnosis of ischaemic (IS) or haemorrhagic (ICH) stroke according to clinical and/or radiological findings, within 72 hours of symptom onset
• * Exclusion Criteria:
• • Poorly controlled medical comorbidities affecting cerebral haemodynamics or cognitive function (e.g., heart failure, hypertension, type two diabetes);
• • Clinically unstable or too unwell to cooperate with the study protocol;
• • Lacks capacity or personal consultee to consent to the study.