Background: One-quarter of strokes in Australia occur in younger individuals. The aetiology of stroke in young people is diverse. A better understanding of young stroke phenotypes and recovery trajectories could support targeted risk factor modification and personalised approaches to rehabilitation and recovery.
Aims: We aim to evaluate the feasibility of a protocol for a deep phenotyping study which will characterise phenotypes in young adult stroke and explore their associations with recovery.
Methods: This is a prospective, observational, multi-centre longitudinal pilot study. We will recruit 100 young stroke survivors aged 18-55 years, within one month of an acute ischemic stroke. We will collect data at three timepoints (<1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post-stroke). Data will include participant demographics, structural and functional advanced MRI, biobanking with genetics, physical activity, sleep quality, mood, stress, and information related to environmental exposures (e.g., microplastics) will characterise young adult stroke phenotypes. Outcomes of stroke recovery to characterise recovery trajectories will focus on post-stroke fatigue and cognition. Descriptive statistics will evaluate outcomes of implementability (feasibility, fidelity and acceptability). An observational epidemiological analysis approach will be applied to describe the observations of associations between phenotypic data and recovery trajectories.
Results: Ethical approval granted April 10, 2025. First patient, first visit anticipated Q2 2025.
Conclusion: Our deep phenotyping pilot study could build a better understanding drivers of recovery in young stroke survivors, optimising personalised management and supporting recovery.