Brazilian study to uncover genetic clues behind stroke

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Cases * Age ≥18 years; * Confirmed diagnosis by neuroimaging (CT or MRI) of a first episode of ischemic stroke in the last 12 months; * TOAST classification of stroke available: cardioembolic, lacunar, atherosclerotic, or undetermined due to the presence of multiple sources (cardioembolic/atherosclerotic); * Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤4 at the time of inclusion; * Ability and willingness to provide consent and participate in follow-up assessments. Controls * Age ≥18 years; * Reside in the same household or, if not, in the same neighborhood as the case group participant; * Not be a blood relative of the case group participant; * Ability and willingness to provide consent and participate in follow-up assessments. Exclusion Criteria: Cases * Ischemic stroke with a distinct etiology based on TOAST criteria (e.g., infectious, autoimmune, endocarditis, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, drug-related causes); * Diagnosis of monogenic or mitochondrial disorders, such as CADASIL, Fabry disease, homocystinuria, MELAS, sickle cell disease, among others; * Clinical conditions that reduce life expectancy to less than one year (e.g., neoplasia); * Inability to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (due to metal artifacts, MRI-incompatible implants, claustrophobia); * Other conditions that, at the investigator's discretion, prevent participation or compromise follow-up. Controls * Personal history of stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), coronary, or peripheral artery disease; * Serious comorbidities that may impact participation or confound the results; * Clinical conditions that reduce life expectancy to less than one year; * Inability to provide consent due to cognitive impairment or other factors; * Inability to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (due to metal artifacts, incompatible implants, claustrophobia); * Diagnosis of monogenic or mitochondrial disorders, such as CADASIL, Fabry disease, homocystinuria, MELAS, or sickle cell disease; * Other conditions that, at the investigator's discretion, prevent participation or compromise follow-up.