{ "abstract": "Introduction Although Germany has a strong history of stroke research, it currently lacks a national harmonised infrastructure for clinical stroke research. To address this gap, the stroke-specific Specialty Network (SN Stroke) of the Network University Medicine (NUM) was established as a comprehensive research platform. Hereby we present the protocol of the Stroke-CORE cohort (COhort for REsearch in Stroke) within SN Stroke enrolling a large representative cohort of patients with acute ischeamic stroke or intracerebral haemorrhage in Germany. Methods Stroke-CORE is a national, prospective, longitudinal, multi-centre cohort study with a decentralised biobank, structured as a modular umbrella protocol. Adult patients with acute ischaemic stroke or intracerebral haemorrhage, and paediatric stroke patients are enrolled at participating hospitals. Data collection follows four adaptive levels, ranging from a core clinical data set (Level 1) to modules covering the whole stroke care pathway (Level 2), biosamples (Level 3), and voluntary additional modules (Level 4), with follow-up at discharge, 90 days, 180 days (optional), and annually. Enrolment started in August 2026 across 12 initial sites, with a target of 12,750 patients being recruited by 2030. Perspective Stroke-CORE represents a nationally harmonised cohort spanning prehospital care, acute treatment, rehabilitation, prevention, aftercare, and paediatric stroke. Its adaptive modular design allows continuous expansion with new modules, data streams, and biobanking initiatives without protocol revision. As a sustainable national research platform, Stroke-CORE aims to address key knowledge gaps, facilitate recruitment for clinical trials, and accelerate translational, clinical and outcomes research. Trial registration The protocol is registered at German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00039775, July 8th, 2026).", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. wiegand_f1@ukw.de.", "Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.", "Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.", "Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.", "Abteilung Für Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.", "Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.", "Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.", "Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.", "Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Ulm, Germany.", "Department of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.", "German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.", "Stiftung Deutsche Schlaganfall-Hilfe, Gütersloh, Germany.", "Division of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Hospital, LMU Munich, Dr. Von, Munich, Germany.", "Center for Children With Medical and Developmental Complexity, Munich University, LMU Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.", "Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.", "University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.", "Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.", "Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, LMU Medizin, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.", "Institut Und Poliklinik Für Diagnostische Und Interventionelle Neuroradiologie, Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.", "Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.", "Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.", "Department of Neurology, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany.", "DKFZ (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site North, Luebeck, Germany.", "Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.", "Evangelisches Klinikum Bethel, Universitätsklinik Für Neurologie, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.", "Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.", "Department of Neurology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.", "Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany." ], "article_type": "research article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 38, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Flora Noelle Wiegand", "orcid": "0000-0001-9792-8400" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Angelika Alonso", "orcid": "0000-0003-2487-7205" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Heinrich J Audebert", "orcid": "0000-0002-4785-0366" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Jessica Barlinn", "orcid": "0000-0003-3021-9348" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Martin Bendszus", "orcid": "0000-0002-9094-6769" }, { "affs": [ 5 ], "name": "Folke Brinkmann", "orcid": "0000-0002-4307-4232" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Bastian Cheng", "orcid": "0000-0003-2434-1822" }, { "affs": [ 7 ], "name": "Mark Dzietko", "orcid": "0000-0002-3035-4841" }, { "affs": [ 8 ], "name": "Katharina Feil", "orcid": "0000-0002-4566-712X" }, { "affs": [ 9, 10 ], "name": "Agnes Flöel", "orcid": "0000-0002-1475-5872" }, { "affs": [ 11 ], "name": "Christina Franzisket", "orcid": "0009-0002-0164-4281" }, { "affs": [ 12, 13 ], "name": "Lucia Gerstl", "orcid": "0000-0003-4490-5357" }, { "affs": [ 14 ], "name": "Christian Grefkes", "orcid": "0000-0002-1656-720X" }, { "affs": [ 15 ], "name": "Kai Günther", "orcid": "0009-0004-6774-0334" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Kathrin Harringa" }, { "affs": [ 15 ], "name": "Steffi Jiru-Hillmann", "orcid": "0000-0002-1275-5967" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Johanna-Luise Kanwisch" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Lucia Kerti", "orcid": "0000-0002-2383-7909" }, { "affs": [ 16 ], "name": "Martin Köhrmann", "orcid": "0000-0002-0701-9535" }, { "affs": [ 17 ], "name": "Anna Kopczak", "orcid": "0000-0002-5037-2342" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Claudia Kunze" }, { "affs": [ 18 ], "name": "Jennifer Linn", "orcid": "0000-0003-0797-2761" }, { "affs": [ 19 ], "name": "Annerose Mengel", "orcid": "0000-0002-2399-3020" }, { "affs": [ 20 ], "name": "Dominik Michalski", "orcid": "0000-0002-0206-5380" }, { "affs": [ 21, 22 ], "name": "Jens Minnerup", "orcid": "0000-0002-0382-5759" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Christian H Nolte", "orcid": "0000-0001-5577-1775" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Christian Otte", "orcid": "0000-0002-4051-997X" }, { "affs": [ 23 ], "name": "Jan Purrucker", "orcid": "0000-0003-2978-4972" }, { "affs": [ 20 ], "name": "Dorothee Saur", "orcid": "0000-0002-1808-0913" }, { "affs": [ 24 ], "name": "Wolf Schäbitz", "orcid": "0000-0003-1838-6098" }, { "affs": [ 25 ], "name": "Stefan Schwab", "orcid": "0000-0002-8487-1238" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Kristina Szabo", "orcid": "0000-0002-0465-818X" }, { "affs": [ 26 ], "name": "Timo Uphaus", "orcid": "0000-0001-5526-0510" }, { "affs": [ 27 ], "name": "Rolf Wachter", "orcid": "0000-0003-2231-2200" }, { "affs": [ 11 ], "name": "Markus Wagner", "orcid": "0009-0003-6625-787X" }, { "affs": [ 15 ], "name": "Peter U Heuschmann", "orcid": "0000-0002-2681-3515" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Karen Gertz", "orcid": "0000-0002-1203-641X" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Götz Thomalla", "orcid": "0000-0002-4785-1449" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3n8kkmr537h3w.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1186/s42466-026-00547-8", "fulltext_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-026-00547-8", "id": "3n8kkmr537h3w", "issns": [ "2524-3489" ], "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-026-00547-8", "language": "en", "licence": "CC-BY", "licence_label": "CC BY", "licence_source": "article", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "heading", "Study Protocol" ], [ "lcc", "RC321-571" ], [ "lcc", "RC346-429" ], [ "openalex", "2713|Acute Ischemic Stroke Management" ] ], "openalex": "W7224911998", "pdf_url": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s42466-026-00547-8.pdf", "pmcid": "PMC13723132", "pmid": "42963588", "published": "2026-10-01", "publisher": "BMC", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3n8kkmr537h3w.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-11-01T14:21:25Z", "native_id": "07d0e3221cd240758d04f85b324f71ee", "source": "doaj", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-026-00547-8" }, { "first_seen": "2026-11-02T03:21:21Z", "native_id": "MED:42963588", "source": "europepmc", "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42963588" }, { "first_seen": "2026-11-04T12:21:47Z", "native_id": "PMC13723132", "source": "pmc", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-026-00547-8" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "medicine", "origin": "openalex:2713|Acute Ischemic Stroke Management", "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health" } ], "title": "Stroke-CORE: master study protocol of the national cohort of the specialty network stroke within the network university medicine in Germany", "title_text": "Stroke-CORE: master study protocol of the national cohort of the specialty network stroke within the network university medicine in Germany", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-11-04T12:21:47Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3n8kkmr537h3w", "venue": "Neurological Research and Practice", "versions": [] }