Stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases

Stroke results from problems with blood vessels in the brain, either when they are blocked (ischaemic stroke) or they burst (haemorrhagic stroke). It affects more than 113,000 people per year in the UK, where there are more than one million stroke survivors. Globally, stroke is the second-leading cause of death and the third-leading cause of death and disability combined.

Stroke logo

Ischaemic stroke is often preceded by a transient ischaemic attack, sometimes called a mini-stroke, when a blockage occurs, but quickly clears, so that symptoms are transient. There is growing recognition that cerebrovascular diseases are also a common cause of dementia, mood disturbance, and other hitherto unrecognised symptoms.

Stroke research within Edinburgh Neuroscience is concentrated in the Cerebrovascular Research Group, led by Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman and based within the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences.

Edinburgh Neuroscience's research on stroke is world leading; our clinical researchers are experts in the design and delivery of multicentre clinical trials and brain imaging. Many of our research studies have affected treatment guidelines in clinical practice, which benefit patients, including:

Our focus is not just on the stroke but also on how the brain vascular system functions and how perturbations to this can affect brain activity and health.  Stroke and underlying conditions such small vessel disease in the brain can lead to diverse problems with life after stroke including cognition, mood, continence and other symptoms.  Since brain injury (such has head trauma and stroke) is associated with an increased risk of dementia there is strong integration between our researchers working on stroke and the dementias. Indeed, the disruption of the brain cerebrovascular system, and the interaction between glia, brain-vascular cells and neurons, is the primary focus of our UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh.

We also take a macro view. Our preclinical researchers are exploring the mechanisms underlying neuroimmune signalling, trying to understand why conditions such as pneumonia are common after a stroke. Our clinical researchers are exploring the treatment of patients with haemorrhagic stroke, who are at high risk of all major vascular events, especially those in atrial fibrillation. Others are interested in the social determinants of stroke and the interplay with mental illness.

Finally, we have extensive global collaborations, supporting the conduct of our own research and synthesis of the best available evidence in randomised controlled trials and animal research. Our in-house research nurses also recruit patients in our clinical service to a diverse portfolio of multicentre clinical research studies run by our collaborators.

UoE researchers who work in this area include:

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