title: Observational Dutch Young Symptomatic StrokE studY (ODYSSEY): study rationale and protocol of a multicentre prospective cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The proportion of strokes occurring in younger adults has been rising over the past decade. Due to the far longer life expectancy in the young, stroke in this group has an even larger socio-economic impact. However, information on etiology and prognosis remains scarce.
  
  
  METHODS
  ODYSSEY is a multicentre prospective cohort study on the prognosis and risk factors of patients with a first-ever TIA, ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage aged 18 to 49 years. Our aim is to include 1500 patients. Primary outcome will be all cause mortality and risk of recurrent vascular events. Secondary outcome will be the risk of post-stroke epilepsy and cognitive impairment. Patients will complete structured questionnaires on outcome measures and risk factors. Both well-documented and less well-documented risk factors and potentially acute trigger factors will be investigated. Patients will be followed every 6 months for at least 3 years. In addition, an extensive neuropsychological assessment will be administered both at baseline and 1 year after the stroke/TIA. Furthermore we will include 250 stroke-free controls, who will complete baseline assessment and one neuropsychological assessment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ODYSSEY is designed to prospectively determine prognosis after a young stroke and get more insight into etiology of patients with a TIA, ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage in patients aged 18 to 49 years old in a large sample size.
authors.forename: Renate M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Arntz
authors.forename: Mayte E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: van Alebeek
authors.forename: Nathalie E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Synhaeve
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Brouwers
authors.forename: Gert W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Rob A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Gons
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: den Heijer
authors.forename: Paul L M
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: de Kort
authors.forename: Karlijn F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: de Laat
authors.forename: Anouk G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: van Norden
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Vermeer
authors.forename: Maureen J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van der Vlugt
authors.forename: Roy P C
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Kessels
authors.forename: Ewoud J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Center for Neuroscience, department of Neurology, PO Box 9101, 6500, HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Frankerik.deleeuw@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Frank-Erik
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: de Leeuw
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult