Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the world. Identifying the genes underlying
stroke risk may help us to improve our understanding of the mechanisms that cause
stroke and also identify novel therapeutic targets. To have sufficient power to disentangle the genetic component of
stroke, large-scale highly phenotyped
DNA repositories are necessary. The BRAINS (Bio-repository of
DNA in
stroke) study aims to recruit subjects with all subtypes of
stroke as well as controls from UK, India, Sri Lanka and Qatar. BRAINS-UK will include 1500
stroke patients of European ancestry as well as British South Asians. BRAINS-South Asia aims to recruit 3000
stroke subjects and 3000 controls from across India and Sri Lanka. BRAINS-Middle East aims to enrol 1500
stroke patients from Qatar. The controls for BRAINS-Middle East will be recruited from a population-based Qatari Biobank. With the addition of new recruitment centres in India and Qatar, we present an updated version of the BRAINS study protocol. This is the first international
DNA biobank for
stroke patients and controls from the Middle East. By investigating the influence of genetic factors on
stroke risk in European, South Asian and Middle Eastern populations, BRAINS has the potential to improve our understanding of genetic differences between these groups and may lead to new population-specific therapeutic targets.