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NOMAS

Department of Neurology

“Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) “: is a research study of stroke and stroke risk factors among the multi-ethnic community of Northern Manhattan, New York.

The study is a collaboration between the Department of Neurology at University of Miami and the Neurological Institute at Columbia University.

The Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) is a NINDS-funded study of the population of Washington Heights in Northern Manhattan. The ongoing study, which began in 1990, is now a collaboration between the Department of Neurology at University of Miami and the Neurological Institute at Columbia University. The study’s interdisciplinary team of doctors and researchers has enrolled over 4,400 people from the community, some of whom have suffered a stroke or related neurological diseases.

NOMAS is the first study of its kind to focus on stroke risk factors in whites, blacks, and Hispanics living in the same community. It is helping to fill gaps in our knowledge of stroke epidemiology in minority populations. Until now, there has not been sufficient research of Hispanic communities and their risks for stroke and heart disease, and NOMAS strives to provide that needed resource of knowledge and prevention. The broad focus of the study is to investigate environmental and genetic markers for stroke, subclinical disease measures of the carotid arteries and brain, and predictors of vascular cognitive impairment and decline. A good understanding of these factors will be of importance in predicting stroke, myocardial infarction, vascular disease, and determining cognitive decline among the aged and multiethnic populations.

NOMAS provides a vital source of support and clinical information for the Hispanic, black, and white community. As the Hispanic or Latino community continues to grow, such information becomes ever more relevant. The study has already made great advances in the understanding, prevention, and treatment of stroke. Analysis of the results continues at both the University of Miami and Columbia University while follow up activities are ongoing at Columbia University.

The Northern Manhattan Study is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Grant # R37 NS029993