WHAT IS THE NOURISH Study?
The Nutrition effects on brain Outcomes and Recovery In Stroke after Hospitalization (NOURISH) study is a 24-36 month long clinical trial to test whether a healthful diet can
- slow the progression of memory loss and thinking abilities that can occur in persons who had a recent stroke
- improve mental health, well-being and physical activity
The NOURISH study involves older adults ages 55 years and older who
- have recently been hospitalized for a stroke
- reside in the Chicagoland area
- will be or are discharged back to their homes
What would be expected of me if I enroll in the NOURISH Study?
After completing a phone screener, eligible adults will enroll in the NOURISH study and be randomly assigned to either a COACH or a SELF-Guided intervention.
Participants in NOURISH will then be followed for 24 to 36 months with home visits where researchers collect data about their diet patterns, memory and thinking abilities, mental and physical health, measure blood pressure and weight and obtain blood samples. All participants will be asked to participate in a brain MRI if they choose.
In the first 90 days of the study, all participants will receive home-delivered fresh meals that incorporate healthful ingredients.
Approximately 250 participants will be randomly assigned to COACH diet plus health intervention and 250 participants to be assigned to a SELF-Guided health education intervention.
Both COACH and SELF NOURISH study interventions will be delivered through 30 minutes to one-hour Zoom or telephone sessions spread over the first three months after randomization and then will have intervention sessions.
What’s great about the NOURISH Study?
- 90 days of freshly cooked meals delivered to your home
- Personalized post stroke health and nutrition counseling throughout the study (up to 3 years, equivalent to 85 visits with dietitians. All free.)
- Compensation for your time and any transportation costs
- Study visits can be done in your home or at our study office – it is your choice
- Free blood pressure machines to monitor and check your blood pressure
- Social support from study personnel and researchers throughout your post stroke recovery
How do I enroll?
Please call Ms. Jameszetta James or Ms. Amy Tran at (708) 660-6463 or email us at NOURISH@rush.edu to learn more about enrolling in the study.
OUR TEAM
The NOURISH study is led by a multidisciplinary team at Rush University Medical Center from the following departments:
Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center
Department of Neurology
Department of Internal Medicine – RIHA
Department of Clinical Nutrition
Department of Family Medicine/Preventive Medicine
Our Partners
Data Coordinating Center
Brigham and Women’s
Participating Health Systems
University of Chicago
Advocate Aurora Health
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Researchers are unable to enroll people with the following partial list of conditions:
Have a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease or taking a medication for memory.
Allergic to nuts, shellfish
Can a person enroll in other clinical trials while in NOURISH?
In most cases, yes.
Participation in another clinical trial that involves nutrition/diet would require that you withdraw from the NOURISH study.
Can I continue to take all of my medications?
Yes.
How is my privacy affected by participating in this study?
Your privacy is of prime importance to us. All data that we collect will be anonymous. We will take all possible precautions to keep your identity confidential.
Why is this important to study?
Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States and around the world. Although treatments for an acute stroke have improved some outcomes, post stroke cognitive (memory) changes and dementia are very common and very disabling.
Over 70% of stroke survivors complain of cognitive (memory) changes and these changes can lead to difficulty in doing basic activities of daily living and maintaining independence.
Why should I participate in this study, when I have so many other visits with doctors since my stroke?
The NOURISH study understands that recovery from stroke can be challenging managing the many doctor visits. Our team works with you when scheduling study visits to fit your schedule.
We provide home visits for our routine study visits, and only ask for one visit to our office at the time of enrolling in the food delivery service.
For those participants who elected to have a brain MRI, we provide transportation through a car service to and from the MRI center.
Which Chicago area healthcare systems are presently involved with the NOURISH study?
- Rush University Medical Center
- Rush Oak Park
- University of Chicago
- Advocate Aurora Health
How was NOURISH funded?
The NOURISH study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04337255) has been funded by grant # R01AG062637, from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.
(CoPIs: Neelum T. Aggarwal, MD, CoPI: Christy Tangney, PhD)
All study activities, transportation costs and home delivered meals are covered through grant funding.