Federal Grant Award Summary

Brigham & Women's Hospital Inc. received a $716,816 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853), effective March 17, 2026, with completion targeted for January 31, 2031. The award supports SOCIALBIT2, a research initiative that deploys an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm—operationalized on smartwatch devices—to objectively measure social connection in stroke survivors. The system utilizes ambient audio features to detect minutes of social interaction without recording raw audio data, addressing a critical measurement gap in stroke recovery research where traditional self-report surveys are limited by patient cognitive and language deficits.

The project involves a three-month observational study of approximately 200 ischemic stroke patients who will wear SOCIALBIT-equipped smartwatches in their natural, everyday environments following hospitalization. The technology provides continuous, high-resolution tracking of social interaction time to inform intervention timing and strategies for this at-risk population. This represents the first objective assessment of social connection in stroke survivors conducted outside controlled hospital settings, advancing both measurement science and evidence-based intervention design for post-stroke recovery outcomes.