Table 1 Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Symptomatic ischemic stroke within the 6–12 months prior to enrollment confirmed by MRI

Score of 2 points or more on the NIH Stroke Scale language component (indicating severe aphasia)

Age 45 years or older

Life expectancy of < 1 year

Known date of stroke (to the month)

Documented diagnosis of dementia predating the stroke

Fluent in English

History of hemorrhagic stroke

Ability to return for annual follow-up visits

Pre-existing neurological, psychiatric, or other conditions (e.g., vision impairment, epilepsy) that would impact assessment of neurologic and/or cognitive outcomes