Reducing Risk of Stroke and DementIa In patientS With COVert cERebrovascular Disease (DISCOVER)

Reducing Risk of Stroke and DementIa In patientS With COVert cERebrovascular Disease: a Pilot and Development Study

The purpose of the DISCOVER study is to pilot acceptable approaches to people with covert cerebrovascular disease (CCD) and their follow-up. This is the first step in designing efficient randomised trials of treatments to reduce the risk of stroke or dementia in people with CCD.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Covert Cerebrovascular Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Functional and Cognitive scores

Detailed Description

DISCOVER is a prospective cohort involving individuals with covert cerebrovascular disease (CCD) in NHS Lothian. Participants will be recruited through electronic health records and clinician collaborators. Participants will be monitored at 3 and 6 months and where possible 12 months to assess cognitive, functional, and vascular event outcomes.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 100

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: William Whiteley; Phone Number: +44(131) 4659602; Email: william.whiteley@ed.ac.uk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

People aged 65 years or older living in Scotland, UK

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• People who, at the time the letter is prepared or are identified by a clinician

  • Age ≥ 65 years

  • Have no known history of:

    • Stroke or TIA
    • Dementia
    • Parkinson's disease
    • Multiple sclerosis
    • Metastatic cancer (or non-meningioma brain tumour).

  • A CT or MRI scan report ≤5 years before study start date with of one or more of:

    • Cerebral small vessel disease
    • Deep old ischaemic stroke
    • Cortical old ischaemic stroke

Exclusion Criteria:

• Text of brain scan report unreadable
• Do not consent to take part in study procedures
• Unable to consent
• Unable to communicate by email, letter or telephone through language, speech disability or lack of address
• Unlikely to survive one year past enrolment in judgement of the study investigator

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Speech samples	Speech will be measured at assessment, in collaboration with the NeuroCARE Clinical and Digital Measures Module (22/SS/0010 IRAS No. 310885).	At 3, 6 and 12 months following enrolment
Vascular events	At each assessment the investigators will ask about dementia, mild cognitive impairment and stroke symptoms.	At 3, 6 and 12 months following enrolment
Functional scores	The investigators will measure day-to-day function with the Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale, which is a 20-item assessment of daily living abilities for dementia. Each activity has 5 statement options (a - e) which refer to a different level of ability.	At 3, 6 and 12 months following enrolment
Cognitive scores	The investigators will measure concerns or anxiety about covert cerebrovascular disease using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. It is a 10-minute test that assesses seven areas of cognition for a total possible score of 30 points. A score of 25 or less is indicative of cognitive impairment.	At 3, 6 and 12 months following enrolment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Edinburgh
• Collaborators: NHS Lothian

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 6, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 13, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 17, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 9, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 7, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: ccd
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Musculoskeletal Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Myopathies, Structural, Congenital; Myopathy, Central Core; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services; Rehabilitation; Health Status; Demography; Epidemiologic Measurements; Activities of Daily Living; Functional Status
• Other Study ID Numbers: AC25041; HIPS/23/02 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Chief Scientist's Office, Scotland, UK)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Published results will not contain any personal data that could allow identification of individual participants.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No