Semmes Murphey teams with UT Health Sciences to improve screenings for stroke victims

Semmes Murphey Clinic’s clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Brandon Baughman is collaborating with University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in a research study to improve cognitive screening among patients who experienced an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), a type of stroke.

The study is supported by a two-year, $421,188 grant from the National Institutes of Health awarded to UTHSC’s College of Nursing. As a co-investigator, Dr. Baughman will be working closely with the primary investigator, Dr. Ansley Stanfill, UTHSC Professor of Nursing and Associate Dean of Research, and her team. The program is designed to improve outcomes for stroke survivors, as about 30% of aSAH survivors experience severe long-term disability, with many survivors experiencing significant cognitive and behavioral symptoms, even in the absence of physical disability. A higher incidence of cognitive impairments have been identified in rural and African American patients.

Semmes Murphey is proud to collaborate on this important study. Research and patient follow-up care will take place at our main campus on Humphreys Boulevard over the course of 18 months. In addition to the 60 patients to be enrolled, researchers will also work with patients’ caregivers and close relatives to report cognitive issues they may see the patient experiencing. Learn more about the study and how aSAH affects victims’ everyday lives.