The Associate Dean of Research at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center's College of Nursing has received a two-year, $421,188 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve cognitive screening in people who suffer from a devastating type of stroke called aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Professor Ansley Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN, has devoted her program of research to improving outcomes for people who survive strokes. Her latest grant aims to determine if an existing screening tool can be used in a new way to assess patients following aSAH and trigger a referral to an in-depth neuropsychological assessment, which could lead to earlier effective interventions.
Over the last 20 years we have done a much better job of saving people. But there is always the question, 'What are we saving them to?' My goal is to return them to a good quality of life and to ameliorate their symptoms." Dr.
Ansley Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN The aSAH type of stroke strikes relatively young people, carrying a mortality rate of almost 40 percent. About 30 percent of those who do survive will experience severe long-term disability, and many survivors experience cognitive symptoms. A higher incidence of cognitive issues following such a stroke is seen in rural or African-American patients, Dr.
Stanfill said. It is hoped that the study could make a significant impact on improving equity by informing new practice guidelines that provide an earlier and more accurate assessment.