The Vascular Diseases Research Group (VaDi) focuses on understanding cognitive and emotional symptoms after stroke as well as related brain changes.

VaDi consists of an interdisciplinary team including psychologists, physicians, and physicists, among others. Both national and international collaborators are heavily involved in the group’s projects. Currently, five PhD students (Elise Gjestad, Elisabeth Kliem, Maede Sadat Etesami, Vera Solianik og Ragnhild Roaldsnes), all based at the Department of Psychology at NTNU and St. Olav’s University Hospital, are studying cognitive and emotional symptoms in the acute phase as well as up to 3 years after stroke. 

Our main research methods  include neuropsychological examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). More specifically, our research group focuses on the following topics:

We aim to improve the understanding of cognitive and emotional symptoms after stroke, as well as their development over time. Using extensive neuropsychological examination, our goal is to increase knowledge of these common post-stroke symptoms, which highly affect both rehabilitation and quality of life.

In addition, by using advanced neuroimaging techniques, we aim to study the etiology of emotional and cognitive symptoms after stroke. Therefore, we study these stroke sequelae in relation to imaging biomarkers such as white matter integrity/connectivity (DTI derived), default mode network disruption (rs-fMRI derived), perfusion (ASL derived), as well as measures of small vessel disease and neurodegeneration (structural MRI and FLAIR-derived). 

We collaborate with other know stroke studies in Norway, such as Nor-COAST (Norwegian cognitive impairment after stroke)

Detailed list of collaborators