Our goal is to reduce the burden of and improve treatment for patients with stroke, cerebrovascular disease, retinal disease and degenerative spinal disease through high-quality research
Stroke, retinopathy and degenerative spinal disease are very common diseases that have a large impact on public health. The individual and societal consequences of these diseases are enormous, both in terms of suffering and economic costs.
The Brain and Circulation group is an interdisciplinary group integrating clinical, epidemiological and health service research aimed at improving treatment and prevention of stroke, retinopathy, and spinal degenerative disorders.
Our research designs cover clinical trials, large population-based studies and clinical registry-based research. Data from the population-based Tromsø Study and from the national clinical quality registries, especially the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery (NORspine) and the Norwegian Stroke Registry are cornerstones of our research.
Organization: The group is hosted by UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Dept. of Clinical Medicine, and by the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN). The majority of the group members are affiliated with both UiT and UNN, while some are affiliated with Nordland Hospital Trust Bodø, Innlandet Hospital and Sørlandet Hospital Kristiansand, in addition to UiT.
We collaborate with leading international researchers in the field to form larger research consortia to share results and address common goals. We take part in several national and regional research networks.
Read more about stroke
A stroke is the result of acute tissue damage to the brain caused by disruption of blood supply to a part of the brain.
Stroke is the second most common cause of death globally and the third most common cause in Western countries. Every day, 33 people in Norway have a new stroke and 6 people die of stroke and vascular disease in the brain. Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in adults.
Stroke is caused by the disruption of blood circulation to parts of the brain, either due to blockage or burst of an artery that supplies the brain. This results in brain tissue damage due to deprivation of oxygen and nutrients. Approximately 85% of strokes are caused by blockage of an artery, usually by a blood clot, leading to ischemic stroke (or brain infarct). Intracerebral hemorrhage, which is bleeding into the brain tissue, constitutes 10-12% of all strokes, while 3-5% are due to subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is a bleeding between the brain tissue and tissue layers covering the brain. The majority of subarachnoid hemorrhages are cause by a rupture of an aneurysm (a bulge or outpoaching of an artery).
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