Incidence and outcomes of acute cerebrovascular events: methodology of the population-based Normandy Stroke Study

Background : The number of strokes has been steadily increasing due to the ageing of the population and its management has changed dramatically in recent years. Nevertheless, there are few unbiased epidemiological studies to investigate the incidence of strokes and their long-term prognosis. Methods : The Normandy Stroke Study (NSS) is a prospective population-based study of all strokes and transient ischemic attacks in a large urban, suburban, and rural area in the Northwest of France. It is designed to meet the current gold standard in stroke epidemiological study by using multiple overlapping sources for case identification. It also aims to assess the impact of socio-economic disparities and long-term prognosis of stroke through an additional follow-up up to three years after the event to better understand the functional and cognitive prognostic of stroke as well as the quality of life in patients after stroke. Conclusion : NSS will provide important data on epidemiology and long-term consequences of stroke at the population level and will help care providers to adapt resource allocation.