Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have conducted a study to investigate how global brain health can impact recovery after a stroke.
They found that younger “brain age” is associated with better post-stroke outcomes. This could lead to new ways to predict post-stroke outcomes and improve recovery for stroke survivors.
During a stroke, blood flow to part of the brain is cut off, causing damage to brain cells and resulting in a lesion.
However, people with similar amounts of lesion damage can experience varying degrees of recovery.
That’s why this study looked at global brain health, which assesses the overall health of the brain based on its cellular, vascular, and structural integrity.
The researchers focused on brain age, a specific measure of global brain health that examines the biology of the nervous system through whole-brain structural neuroimaging.
Brain age predicts chronological age based on neuroimaging of structures such as regional thickness, surface area, and volumes, and is calculated using advanced machine learning algorithms.
The study found that younger brain age is associated with better post-stroke outcomes.
The team explained that a healthier brain can protect individuals from the functional consequences of stroke.
In other words, the healthier the brain is, the less likely someone is to have a stroke and the less likely they are to have poor outcomes if they do have a stroke.
The researchers hope that their findings will lead to improved treatments and better outcomes for stroke survivors.
The researchers used high-resolution MRI data from research studies for this study.
They plan to progress their brain age assessment work by applying it to routine clinical MRI data to determine if it can be an easily implemented biomarker for stroke rehabilitation outcomes.
Further research in this area could have important implications for stroke rehabilitation therapies.
In conclusion, this study shows that younger brain age is associated with better post-stroke outcomes.
By considering global brain health, we may be able to predict post-stroke outcomes more accurately and develop new treatment strategies to improve recovery for stroke survivors.
How to prevent stroke
Strokes can be prevented by making lifestyle changes and managing underlying medical conditions that increase the risk of stroke. Here are some strategies for stroke prevention:
Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of stroke. Maintaining a healthy weight through regular exercise and healthy eating habits can reduce this risk.
Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of stroke by maintaining healthy blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol levels.
Eat a healthy diet: Eating a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats can help reduce the risk of stroke. Avoiding high-sodium foods and limiting alcohol intake can also help.
Manage high blood pressure: High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke. Managing blood pressure through medication and lifestyle changes can help prevent stroke.
Manage diabetes: High blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of stroke. Managing diabetes through medication and lifestyle changes can help reduce this risk.
Stop smoking: Smoking increases the risk of stroke, so quitting smoking can help prevent stroke.
Limit alcohol intake: Drinking too much alcohol can increase the risk of stroke, so limiting alcohol intake to moderate levels (one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men) can help reduce this risk.
Manage atrial fibrillation: Atrial fibrillation is a type of irregular heartbeat that can increase the risk of stroke. Managing this condition through medication and lifestyle changes can help prevent stroke.
Know your family history: Knowing if family members have had strokes or other cardiovascular conditions can help identify if you have an increased risk of stroke.
By making these lifestyle changes and managing underlying medical conditions, it is possible to reduce the risk of stroke and prevent this serious condition from occurring.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and diets high in flavonoids could help reduce stroke risk.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and common high-blood pressure drug may treat vascular dementia.
The study was conducted by Sook-Lei Liew et al and published in Neurology.
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