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CHARLOTTE, NC

Stroke Clinical Trials

6 stroke studies are enrolling near Charlotte NC, and 4 of them you can join from home. Free brain imaging, free study treatment, and no insurance needed. Compensation is provided for eligible participants.

6

Enrolling Now

4

Joinable From Home

+/- $100

Per Visit

New here? Read how this page works

First, stroke studies work differently from every other page on our site. Also, the date of your stroke matters more than any other detail. So here is the fastest way through them.

  1. Find the date of your stroke. Because that single fact rules out more studies than any medical detail does.
  2. Then read the first group. Notably, those three take you weeks or months later, so they are the realistic ones from home.
  3. Check the second group only if it is recent. In fact, two of those enrol during an emergency, so a family member would be asking.
  4. Finally, tap Check eligibility on the one that fits. Not sure? Then use the button at the bottom and we check you against all 6.

Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.

The 6 Stroke Studies Enrolling Near Charlotte

Every one is open today and checked this week. However, the date of your stroke decides which ones you can reach.

You can join these from home

These take you weeks or months after the stroke. So if you are reading this at your kitchen table, start here.

Closing a Small Hole in the Heart After a Stroke

W.L. Gore and Associates / Device

Some people have a small flap like hole between the top two chambers of the heart, and a clot can slip through it. This plugs the hole with a small mesh implant, then tracks whether a second stroke happens.

Already approved, tracked in real use No placebo

Est. $900 or so, across about 9 visits over 5 years

Check eligibility →
More details

Why researchers are excited: closing this hole already cut repeat strokes in the first trial, and this checks whether ordinary hospitals get the same result.

Who this study is looking for

  • A stroke with no clear cause, in the last 365 days
  • Also, A hole between the upper heart chambers, confirmed by an ultrasound bubble test
  • Besides that, adults 18 to 70
  • Finally, able to take an antiplatelet medicine such as aspirin

Probably not a fit if: you have or have ever had atrial fibrillation, or you had a heart attack before, or your stroke left you needing help with daily life.

  • Placebo group: None at all. Instead, everybody enrolled gets the real implant, and everybody knows it.
  • How long: 5 years of follow up.
  • Clinic visits: About 9 across 5 years, and the schedule is published. Screening, the implant stay, then 1 month, 6 months, 12 months, and once a year to 5 years.
  • Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
  • Most invasive part: A permanent implant placed through a leg vein, plus an ultrasound probe passed down the throat under sedation.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Atrium Health, Charlotte NC 28203.
  • Read this first: the age cap is 70. Also, if the stroke left you significantly disabled you are ruled out, which is a hard rule in a study built to prevent the next one.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Blood Thinner or Aspirin After a Brain Bleed

Yale University with NIH StrokeNet / Drug

If you survived a bleed in the brain and you also have an irregular heartbeat, doctors face a hard choice. A blood thinner lowers clot risk but might cause another bleed, so this compares apixaban against aspirin.

Late stage, practice changing No placebo

Payment is not published. Ask the clinic, because the visit schedule is not published either.

Check eligibility →
More details

Why researchers are excited: doctors have no good answer to this question today, and both options are already approved, so a result changes care straight away.

Who this study is looking for

  • Adults 18 and older
  • Also, A bleed in the brain confirmed on a CT or MRI scan
  • Besides that, you can start between 14 and 180 days after the bleed
  • Finally, atrial fibrillation or flutter, seen on a heart tracing

Probably not a fit if: the bleed came from a tumour or an untreated tangle of vessels, or your doctor has already decided you must be on a blood thinner.

  • Placebo group: No dummy pill at all. Instead, everybody gets a real medicine, either apixaban or aspirin, and you are not told which.
  • How long: At least 12 months, and up to 36.
  • Clinic visits: A start visit, a 12 month check, then periodic follow up for 1 to 3 years. However, the full schedule is not published, so ask the clinic for it in writing.
  • Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
  • Most invasive part: Blood draws. Also, brain scans, though those are part of normal care after a bleed.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Presbyterian Medical Center, Charlotte NC 28204.
  • Worth knowing: you can join weeks or months later, up to 180 days. So this is one of the few stroke studies you can still reach from home.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Does an Arm Injection Also Improve Walking?

Wake Forest with Merz Pharmaceuticals / Drug

People with a stiff, tight arm after a stroke already get botulinum injections for the arm. This measures whether their walking and balance improve too, using sensors during a timed walk.

Already approved drug, new question No placebo

Payment is not published. However, this is the lightest study on the page.

Check eligibility →
More details

Why researchers are excited: clinicians keep noticing people walk better after an arm injection, and this is one of the first studies to actually measure it.

Who this study is looking for

  • Weakness and stiffness after a stroke, in both an arm and a leg
  • Also, able to walk 10 metres with no help from another person
  • Besides that, no cane, no walker and no ankle brace while walking
  • Finally, no botulinum treatment in the past 4 months

Probably not a fit if: you have any trouble getting words out, because aphasia rules you out. Also, joints that will not straighten or a movement range under 30 degrees rule you out.

  • Placebo group: None at all. Instead, everybody gets the real injection, and everybody knows it.
  • How long: About 12 weeks.
  • Clinic visits: Only 2 or 3 in person, plus 1 phone call, and the record states it plainly. A testing visit, the injection, a return test at 4 to 6 weeks, then a phone check at about 12 weeks.
  • Phone calls: Yes, the final check in is by phone.
  • Most invasive part: Botulinum injections by needle into the arm muscles.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Carolinas Rehabilitation, Charlotte NC 28203.
  • Read this first: the walking rule is strict. So if you use a cane, a walker or an ankle brace, this study cannot take you, even though most other rules would fit.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Only in the first days or weeks

These have hard time windows, and two of them enrol during an emergency. We list them so families know what to ask about.

A Wearable Headset for Recovery After a Stroke

BrainQ Technologies / Device

A wearable headset sends a magnetic signal so weak you cannot feel it, for 40 minutes at a time. Half get the real signal and half get a dummy, and everybody does the same home exercises.

Final device study before FDA review Within 3 weeks of a stroke

Payment is not published. Ask the clinic, because the session count is high.

See if you fit →
More details

Why researchers are excited: the signal is too faint to feel, so this is one of very few recovery studies where nobody can guess their group.

Who this study is looking for

  • Moderate disability now, but fully independent before the stroke
  • Also, adults 22 to 80
  • Besides that, started between 4 and 21 days after the stroke
  • Finally, A relative or carer who can use a phone app and help with exercises

Probably not a fit if: you do not notice one side of your body, or you have an implanted electronic device, or you have had a seizure in the last 5 years.

  • Placebo group: Yes, and it is a dummy device rather than a pill. It switches on and behaves normally but sends nothing.
  • How long: About 9 months.
  • Clinic visits: 5 in person assessments, at the start and at 45, 90, 180 and 270 days. However, treatment runs 5 days a week for at least 45 sessions, and the record allows those at home under remote supervision.
  • Phone calls: Yes, video supervision is built into the design.
  • Most invasive part: Nothing invasive at all. It is a wearable coil, with no needles, no drugs and no surgery.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Atrium Health Carolinas Rehabilitation, Charlotte NC 28203.
  • Read this first: five sessions a week for about 9 to 13 weeks is the heaviest time commitment on this page, even if most of it happens at home.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

A Gas Given During Emergency Clot Removal

Wake Forest University / Drug

During the emergency procedure to pull a clot out of a brain artery, the person breathes nitric oxide gas through the ventilator. The hope is that it keeps the at risk brain tissue alive until blood flow returns.

Early stage, finding a safe dose In hospital only

Payment is not published. Notably, enrolment happens during an emergency.

Read the details →
More details

Why researchers are excited: in animal studies this gas opened the tiny vessels around the clot, and it is already a familiar approved hospital product.

Who this study is looking for

  • Adults 18 to under 80
  • Also, A large clot in a main brain artery, seen on a scan
  • Besides that, clot removal starting within 16 hours of symptoms
  • Finally, full anaesthesia with a breathing tube is planned

Probably not a fit if: there is any bleeding in the brain on the scan, or your blood pressure is low on arrival, or you cannot have an MRI.

  • Placebo group: None. Everybody enrolled receives the gas, because this stage is about finding a safe dose.
  • How long: Per person length is not published on the public record.
  • Clinic visits: Effectively none beyond the hospital stay. All published activity happens during the emergency admission itself.
  • Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
  • Most invasive part: A catheter threaded from the groin or wrist into a brain artery, plus general anaesthesia with a breathing tube.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte NC 28203, and Atrium Health, Charlotte NC 28204.
  • Why it is here: you cannot sign up for this from home. We list it so families know it exists, and so you can ask the hospital about it if a stroke is happening right now.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Clot Removal for the Cases Nobody Has Tested

Medical University of South Carolina with NIH StrokeNet / Device

Pulling a clot out is proven for classic large strokes, but two grey areas were left out of every landmark trial. This randomly assigns clot removal or medicines only, for very mild symptoms with a big blockage, or a clot further downstream.

Ongoing platform study In hospital only

Payment is not published. Notably, enrolment happens during an emergency.

Read the details →
More details

Why researchers are excited: these two groups were excluded from every trial that made clot removal standard, so nobody actually knows the right answer for them.

Who this study is looking for

  • Adults 18 and older, independent before the stroke
  • Also, arrival at hospital within 24 hours of last being well
  • Besides that, either a big blockage with only mild symptoms, or a clot in a smaller downstream branch
  • Finally, the procedure can start within 2 hours of the qualifying scan

Probably not a fit if: you had a seizure at the start of the stroke, or there is bleeding in the brain, or a large area of damage is already visible.

  • Placebo group: No dummy operation. Instead, one group has the procedure and the other has medicines only, and both are real standard options.
  • How long: 90 days for the main result.
  • Clinic visits: The hospital stay, then 1 follow up at 90 days. In hospital checks fall at about 24 hours, 36 hours and discharge.
  • Phone calls: Whether the 90 day check is in person or by phone is not published.
  • Most invasive part: A catheter threaded from the groin into a brain artery to pull the clot out.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte NC 28207.
  • Worth knowing: consent is often given by a family member, because the patient may not be able to. Also, the rules are the opposite of what you would expect, because a big blockage only qualifies if symptoms are mild.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Not sure which one fits you?

First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we check you against all 6 studies. No account, no paperwork.

See if I may fit one of these studies →
✓ Takes just a few minutes✓ No cost, no obligation✓ You are never enrolled by checking

Why Stroke Research Matters Here in Charlotte

The stories my grandmother told

My grandmother grew up in south Charlotte, and she still kept track of everybody. There was a man from church out toward Gastonia whose arm never quite came back, and he stopped coming to the potluck. Meanwhile, a friend of a friend in Rock Hill lost her words for a while and everybody talked louder at her, as if that helped. Somebody's uncle in Monroe had what they called a spell, drove himself home, and had a real stroke the next month. Nobody in those stories ever said the word stroke early enough, though. Instead, they said he had a little episode. Also, they said she is just tired. They said it will come back on its own.

What is actually being studied here

Gastonia, Rock Hill, Monroe, Kannapolis, Concord. Stroke is common right across the region, and the Carolinas sit inside what doctors have long called the stroke belt. However, the studies here split by timing rather than by severity. So two run during the emergency itself. Meanwhile, three take you weeks or months later. In fact, one of those is about walking rather than the arm it treats.

So why do people here fall behind?

  • The warning signs get driven home. A mini stroke often gets explained away. So the real one arrives weeks later, and by then options narrow.
  • The first hours are everything. Clot removal and clot busting drugs work on a clock. Meanwhile, most stroke research still happens inside that same window.
  • Recovery gets called finished. People are told they have plateaued at six months. However, most recovery studies here start long after that.
  • Speech therapy runs out fast. Insurance often covers only a handful of sessions. Notably, research studies are one of the few places more therapy exists.
  • Nobody looks for the cause. A hole in the heart or a hidden irregular heartbeat causes many strokes. In short, two studies here exist because of that.

What changed my mind about research

My grandfather had blood cancer. Because of that, our family looked into clinical trials, and it gave us more time with him. Of course, that is one family's story and not a promise. But it changed how I think about research. Previously, I had assumed a trial was a last resort. Instead, I learned it is often the earliest place a new option shows up.

Research is a care option

There is a saying in medicine that research is a care option, not a last resort. Generally, that is the honest frame here. You are not giving up your neurologist. Rather, you are adding a second set of eyes.

What you actually get

  • Brain imaging that many people wait months for
  • Movement and speech testing by people who do it all day
  • Study treatment at no cost, on top of your usual care
  • A coordinator who calls when something looks off
  • No cost, and no insurance needed
  • Roughly $100 a visit for your time

So add it up. Notably, three of these six have no dummy treatment at all. Meanwhile, one of them is two visits and a phone call, which is lighter than most physical therapy courses. So the question is not whether research is worth a look. Instead, it is whether another year of the same is.

What Is Actually Being Tested for Stroke

Three completely different windows, and they do not overlap.

The First Hours Belong to the Hospital

Some studies here can only enrol you during an emergency, sometimes within hours. So you cannot sign up for those from a laptop, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. However, they are worth knowing about anyway. In fact, if someone in your family is in a stroke unit right now, asking whether a study is running is a reasonable question.

The First Weeks Are Their Own Window

A second group opens days or weeks after the stroke, not hours. One takes people between 4 and 21 days out. Another takes people within 5 days. Meanwhile, one blood thinner study allows anywhere from 14 to 180 days. So the single most useful thing to know is your date, because it decides which door is even open.

Recovery Studies Never Really Close

The largest group here is about recovery, months or years later. That includes speech therapy for lost language, brain stimulation, and one study measuring whether an arm injection helps walking. Notably, several of these have no placebo at all, because both groups get real therapy. So there is no window to miss with these.

Preventing the Next One Is a Different Question

Two studies here are about stopping a second stroke rather than treating the first. One closes a small hole in the heart. Another seals the pouch where clots form in atrial fibrillation. But read the labels carefully. One study on this page actually excludes anyone who has had a stroke, because it is testing prevention in people who have not had one yet.

Aphasia Research Is Concentrated Here

Losing language after a stroke is common. Also, therapy for it is scarce almost everywhere. However, the University of South Carolina in Columbia runs one of the biggest aphasia programmes in the country. So three separate studies there test different ways to bring language back. In short, that is a real advantage for people in the Midlands.

Research Sites Near Charlotte

Atrium Health runs most of the stroke research here. But sites add new studies all the time. So it is worth knowing what sits near you.

Atrium Health

Multiple Charlotte locations / 161+ active studies

Crohn’s, Heart Failure, COPD, Dementia, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension

Charlotte’s biggest health system. It is tied to Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Also, it runs far more trials than anyone else nearby.

Visit Website →

American Health Research Network

Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 25 to 30+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Type 2 Diabetes

Led by Dr. Selwyn Spangenthal. It is the biggest private lung research group in Charlotte. Specifically, it has 4 offices: Charlotte, Rock Hill, Lake Norman, and Charleston.

Visit Website →

Monroe Biomedical Research

Monroe, NC / 17+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Hypertension, Obesity, Ulcerative Colitis

Notably, one of the 5 busiest research sites in the country. Its 6,300 sq ft space can host overnight stays. It is also an SCRS Global Impact Partner.

Visit Website →

Clinical Research of Gastonia

Gastonia, NC / 11+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Idiopathic Hypersomnia

Led by Dr. Anup Banerjee. Its 3,500 sq ft space sits next to CaroMont Regional Medical Center. Also, it has been running for over 10 years.

Visit Website →

OnSite Clinical Solutions

Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 10+ active studies

Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s, COPD, Heart Failure, Atopic Dermatitis

It works with Charlotte doctors in heart, gut, skin, nerve, and joint care. Besides, it runs studies from Phase I through Phase IV.

Visit Website →

Flourish Research

Matthews, NC 28105 / 4+ active studies

Alzheimer’s Disease, Early Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s-Related Psychosis

Led by Dr. M. Reza Bolouri. He has 20+ years in Alzheimer’s research. The site is an Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence. In fact, its network has finished 5,500+ trials.

Visit Website →

New Hope Clinical Research

SouthPark, NC 28211 / 4+ active studies

Major Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder

Led by Dr. Kurian Abraham. It runs Phase I through IV studies and has 30 beds for overnight stays. Its last FDA audit came back clean. Also, it has finished 200+ brain studies.

Visit Website →

Queen City Clinical Research

SouthPark, NC 28211 / 2+ active studies

Chronic Pain, Chronic Migraine, Osteoarthritis

Led by Dr. Leonardo Kapural, a former Cleveland Clinic professor. Notably, he has written 200+ journal articles. On top of that, many call this the biggest pain research site in the country.

Visit Website →

Novant Health

Multiple Charlotte locations / Several active studies

Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, Hypertension

One of the biggest health systems in the Carolinas. Its Heart and Vascular Institute runs heart studies and sees a lot of patients.

Visit Website →

DLVSC

4 Charlotte-area offices / 1+ active studies

Eczema, Psoriasis, Rosacea

Led by Dr. Gilly Munavalli. This award-winning skin practice owns 50+ FDA-approved lasers and devices. Also, it has its own research team.

Visit Website →

DelRicht Research

South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies

Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Depression

Part of a national network of mental health research sites. Currently, it runs the azetukalner bipolar depression trial in Charlotte. Previously, it ran other mental health studies.

Visit Website →

TMS of the Carolinas

South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies

Major Depression, Treatment-Resistant Depression

A specialty site for brain stimulation care. It runs the fast TMS study that packs 6 weeks into 2.

Visit Website →

What to Expect in a Stroke Study

New to studies? Here is how one works, step by step.

01

Prescreening

First comes a short phone call or online form. Also, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The staff ask the date of your stroke first, because that decides everything. Then they book a visit.

02

Screening Visit

Next the clinic runs tests of movement, speech or memory, and often a brain scan. Also, they go through the consent form line by line, and a family member can sit in.

03

Treatment or Therapy

Then the study begins. So you take the study drug, wear the device, or attend therapy sessions. Meanwhile, your own doctors keep managing everything else.

04

Follow-Up

Finally, the clinic checks in for months or years, sometimes by phone. Also, your own doctor gets the results, and you can withdraw at any point.

Stroke Trial FAQs

Real answers about stroke studies near Charlotte NC.

How long after a stroke can I still join a study?

It depends entirely on which one, and this is the most important question on the page. One study takes you up to 180 days after a brain bleed. Meanwhile, the recovery studies take you months or even years later. However, two here enrol only during an emergency, so those are not reachable from home.

Can I join if my stroke was years ago?

Yes, for the recovery studies. The arm injection study is for people with lasting stiffness, whenever the stroke happened. Also, the heart hole study takes you up to a year afterwards. So being past the early window rules out some doors and opens others.

Will I get a placebo instead of real treatment?

In three of these six, there is no dummy treatment at all. The heart implant study gives everybody the real implant. Meanwhile, the blood thinner study gives everybody a real medicine, either apixaban or aspirin. However, the headset study does use a dummy device, and it is designed so nobody can tell.

What is a hole in the heart doing on a stroke page?

A small flap like opening between the top heart chambers lets a clot slip through to the brain. It causes a real share of strokes in younger people with no other explanation. Notably, closing it already reduced repeat strokes in the first trial. So ask your neurologist whether you were ever checked for one.

What if I have trouble speaking?

That matters, and not always in the way you would expect. The arm injection study here excludes anyone with speech trouble. However, our Columbia page lists three studies built specifically for language recovery. So it is worth looking at both pages if that is your situation.

How many visits are we really talking about?

It ranges more than almost anything else we list. The arm injection study is two visits and a phone call. Meanwhile, the headset study runs five sessions a week for about nine weeks, though most can be done at home. So check the visit line on each card rather than the study length.

Someone in my family is in hospital right now. What should I ask?

Ask the stroke team directly whether any research study is enrolling. Two studies here take people during the emergency procedure itself, and consent often comes from a family member. Also, decisions like whether full anaesthesia is used can decide eligibility, and those are made in the moment. In short, asking early is the only way in.

Do I need insurance?

No. None of these require insurance. The study treatment and study visits are provided at no cost. Also, you keep your own neurologist and therapists throughout. Results are sent back to them.

Is a recovery study worth it if I have plateaued?

That word gets used too early and too often. Most recovery studies here start long after six months, because researchers no longer accept that recovery simply stops. Also, these studies give you more therapy hours than insurance usually covers. So a plateau is a reason to look rather than a reason to stop.

Where can I get stroke care near Charlotte NC?

Atrium Health and Novant Health both run stroke programmes, and Carolinas Rehabilitation handles recovery. Also, ask specifically for a stroke neurologist rather than general neurology. Your primary care doctor can refer you. Meanwhile, ask whether the cause of your stroke was ever fully identified, because that decides prevention.

Ready to Explore a Study?

Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Charlotte team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.

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Sources

Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 15, 2026. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.

See which stroke study you qualify for →