Notch4 is activated in endothelial and smooth muscle cells in human brain arteriovenous malformations

If you have an AVM you'll have to ask your doctor what this means.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcmm.12115/full

1. Qichuan ZhuGe^1,2,†,*,
2. Zhebao Wu^1,†,
3. Lijie Huang¹,
4. Bei Zhao¹,
5. Ming Zhong¹,
6. WeiMing Zheng¹,
7. Chen GouRong¹,
8. XiaoOu Mao³,
9. Lin Xie³,
10. Xiangdong Wang²,
11. Kunlin Jin^1,2,3,4

Abstract

Up-regulation of Notch4 was observed in the endothelial cells in the arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in mice. However, whether Notch4 is also involved in brain AVMs in humans remains unclear. Here, we performed immunohistochemistry on normal brain vascular tissue and surgically resected brain AVMs and found that Notch4 was up-regulated in the subset of abnormal vessels of the brain AVM nidus, compared with control brain vascular tissue. Two-photon confocal images show that Notch4 was expressed not only in the endothelial but also in the smooth muscle cells of the vascular wall in brain AVMs. Western blotting shows that Notch4 was activated in brain AVMs, but not in middle cerebral artery of normal human brain, which was confirmed by immunostaining. Our findings suggest a possible contribution of Notch4 signalling to the development of brain AVMs in human.

This Kinect Game Is Designed To Rehabilitate Stroke Patients – And It Works

Ask your doctor and therapists which video game is the most effective for rehabilitation. I prefer the cockroach stomping one, they are fast little bastards.  Other possibilities below which your doctor should know all about.
http://www.geekosystem.com/stroke-rehab-game/
Over 325,000 suffer from Hemiparesis, a weakness or inability to move one side of the body, which can occur after a stroke. Since rehab can be an incredibly difficult and expensive process, researchers at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center have come up with a new at-home healing processes – and it involves a game for the Kinect.
Stroke victims who suffer from hemiparesis often have difficulty executing basic functions like eating or dressing; sadly, the most effective form of treatment, Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (or CI) is only able to be administered to less than 1% of affected patients.

“Lack of access, transportation and cost are contributing barriers to receiving CI therapy,” said Lynne Gauthier, an assistant professor at OSU’s College of Medicine. “To address this disparity, our team developed a 3D gaming system to deliver CI therapy to patients in their homes.”

So, with a neuroscientist, clinicians, computer scientists, electrical engineers, and biochemists on board, Gauthier’s team developed a game for the Kinect; the patient slips on a movement-tracking glove to their affected side, weighs down the extremities on the non-affected side, and starts swinging away. The game takes place in a river canyon, and patients can row down the river, swat bats, grab bottles, fish, and find treasure chests.

“This novel model of therapy has shown positive results for individuals who have played the game. Gains in motor speed, as measured by the Wolf Motor Function Test, rival those made through traditional CI therapy,” said Gauthier. “It provides intense high quality motor practice for patients, in their own homes. Patients have reported they have more motivation, time goes by quicker and the challenges are exciting and not so tedious.”

If the initial trial is successful, the game could be expanded to treat patients with brain injuries, celebral palsy, and MS.

Who said the Kinect wasn’t good for anything?

(via Ohio State University, image via OSU Multimedia Newsroom)

Are these earlier studies not good enough? Is no one in charge of following a strategic path? Hell I could do better than this and I'm brain-damaged.
1.  Cool Kiwi science: Mouse aid for stroke victims
2.   Successful aging through digital games: Socioemotional differences between older adult gamers and Non-gamers
3.  Clinical Feasibility of Interactive Commercial Nintendo Gaming for Chronic Stroke Rehabilitation
4.  16 other ones in this post 

Press Release: Stroke Survivors Just Want to get their Lives back to Normal

Of course they do and a good way to do that would be to stop the neuronal cascade of death resulting in less dead and damaged neurons. But your doctor doesn't have anything right now that can do that. I, however am going to insist that after my next stroke my doctor does these 31 things.
I'm not medically trained so don't listen to anything I have to say, just let your doctor kill off millions of neurons by doing nothing in the first week.
http://www.wireservice.ca/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=11199

Bradford UK healthcare professionals receive cash to devise better long-term stroke care

You will need to get involved because they will not choose the best way to handle long-term care.
First you have to decide if prevention of disability is the way to go. That would mean solving and stopping the neuronal cascade of death. Less dead and damaged neurons means less disability to contend with.  These 177 possibilities need research.
If you want to handle the existing people with disability then you need to figure out exactly how neuroplasticity works. How does the neighboring neuron know to help with a task?
Existing therapies in long-term cases barely help. Make sure they don't go down that failed route.
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/local/localbrad/10797484.Bradford_healthcare_professionals_receive_cash_to_devise_better_long_term_stroke_care/

Via Christi Hospital Receives National Honor - PITTSBURG, KS

Big Whoopee.So what if they improved the processes, they don't tell you the full recovery percentages which is the ONLY measure needed. God I hate these press releases, they tell you less than nothing, they are only meant to confuse.
http://www.fourstateshomepage.com/story/via-christi-hospital-receives-national-honor/d/story/axT-D70s4UKLQt3Xx5umeA

The Mediterranean Diet: Where 'True' Reform Misses the Boat

All this is going to do is allow our doctors to tell us to follow the Mediterranean Diet with no need to learn about more prevention possibilities. Pure laziness personified.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/813963?t=1

34 teams are building medical tricorders fit for Dr. McCoy for $10M XPRIZE

And when this is complete we should have an objective test for stroke and no longer need such expensive and time-consuming subjective procedures. I've already pointed out  these 17 ways.
And after that points out the failure rate of tPA maybe we can actually start figuring out how to stop the neuronal cascade of death. Stroke is in the 13 core set.
The Core Set includes:
1. Anemia
2. Urinary tract infection, lower
3. Diabetes, type 2
4. Atrial fibrillation
5. Stroke
6. Sleep apnea, obstructive
7. Tuberculosis
8. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
9. Pneumonia
10. Otitis ("ear infection")
11. Leukocytosis
12. Hepatitis A
13. Absence of conditions
http://medcitynews.com/2013/11/see-34-medical-tricorders-competing-10-million-xprize/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=8a36cafdf8-RSS_Medical+Devices&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-8a36cafdf8-67013357

Researchers develop muscle tissue in diseased mice and grow human muscle cells in a dish

Reblogged from Stem Cells Freak. What does your doctor say about  building muscle mass on your atrophied muscles this way vs. building them up the correct way by controlling them with your mind?
http://www.stemcellsfreak.com/2013/11/researchers-develop-muscle-tissue-in.html

Stroke survivors unaware of therapy options for spastic muscles, survey finds

Well maybe they aren't aware because there are no solutions, botox and phenol do not treat the spasticity, they only treat the superficial symptoms.  Talking to your therapist won't do a damn bit of good, your PMR doctor and neurologist know nothing either. But there is always marijuana which no one will tell you about.
http://www.mcknights.com/stroke-survivors-unaware-of-therapy-options-for-spastic-muscles-survey-finds/article/320063/

Brain Jump with Ned the Neuron Review

You'll have to ask your doctor if these brain training games are useful or not.
http://www.theiphonemom.com/Detailed_App_Review-detail/brain-jump-with-ned-the-neuron-review/

Cognition/Emotion Relationships and Neuroplasticity: Implications for Intervention in Psychopathology

Have your doctor figure out a stroke protocol for you on this. Names and Universities so your doctor can't find an excuse not  to contact them. A great stroke association would be contacting them and putting together a stroke protocol since the thousands of neurologists and PMR doctors out there will not be doing this unless they are forced to or are hand fed the solution.
http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/abstract/37452

Laura D. Crocker¹, Wendy Heller^1*, Stacie L. Warren¹, Aminda O'Hare² and Gregory A. Miller^{1, 3}

• ¹Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
• ²Psychology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, USA
• ³Psychology, University of Delaware, USA

Cognition/emotion relationships and related brain mechanisms are receiving increasing attention in the clinical research literature as a means of understanding diverse types of psychopathology and improving biological and psychological treatments. This paper reviews and integrates the growing evidence for cognitive biases and deficits in depression and anxiety, how these disruptions interact with emotional and motivational processes, and what brain mechanisms appear to be involved. This sets the stage, in turn, for understanding the role of neuroplasticity in implementing lasting change in cognition/emotion processes in psychopathology as a function of intervention.

Grading a Physician's Value — The Misapplication of Performance Measurement

I happen to think that pay for performance is the only way we will ever get our doctors to figure out how to get us to 100% recovery. The existing 10% recovered is a complete failure.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1312287
A doctor blogger discussing it here;

Finally! Physician performance measurement questioned in the NEJM! - See more at: http://www.medrants.com/archives/7535#sthash.ITA5Pn3S.dpuf

 Finally! Physician performance measurement questioned in the NEJM!
I disagree with these people because we are paying our stroke doctors for doing nothing and the only way to change that is to stop paying them for not helping us to 100% recovery.
A question for your doctor;
Why should I pay you for not getting me even close to recovery?

Finally! Physician performance measurement questioned in the NEJM! - See more at: http://www.medrants.com/archives/7535#sthash.ITA5Pn3S.dpuf

Finally! Physician performance measurement questioned in the NEJM! - See more at: http://www.medrants.com/archives/7535#sthash.ITA5Pn3S.dpuf

Gut microbes can help in improving your social life

Social support is very important in our recovery efforts. What is your doctor doing to support that need?
Like this?

New form of brain plasticity: Study shows how social isolation disrupts myelin production

or this?

Predictors identified for rehospitalization among post-acute stroke patients

Blogger talking about it here;
http://saypeople.com/2013/11/07/microbes-can-help-in-improving-your-social-life-some-related-research-suggestions/#.UnvHC3dYE2k
The original abstract here; 
Microbial Symbionts Accelerate Wound Healing via the Neuropeptide Hormone Oxytocin

Abstract

Wound healing capability is inextricably linked with diverse aspects of physical fitness ranging from recovery after minor injuries and surgery to diabetes and some types of cancer. Impact of the microbiome upon the mammalian wound healing process is poorly understood. We discover that supplementing the gut microbiome with lactic acid microbes in drinking water accelerates the wound-healing process to occur in half the time required for matched control animals. Further, we find that Lactobacillus reuteri enhances wound-healing properties through up-regulation of the neuropeptide hormone oxytocin, a factor integral in social bonding and reproduction, by a vagus nerve-mediated pathway. Bacteria-triggered oxytocin serves to activate host CD4+Foxp3+CD25+ immune T regulatory cells conveying transplantable wound healing capacity to naive Rag2-deficient animals. This study determined oxytocin to be a novel component of a multi-directional gut microbe-brain-immune axis, with wound-healing capability as a previously unrecognized output of this axis. We also provide experimental evidence to support long-standing medical traditions associating diet, social practices, and the immune system with efficient recovery after injury, sustained good health, and longevity.
Citation: Poutahidis T, Kearney SM, Levkovich T, Qi P, Varian BJ, et al. (2013) Microbial Symbionts Accelerate Wound Healing via the Neuropeptide Hormone Oxytocin. PLoS ONE 8(10): e78898. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0078898
Editor: Silvana Gaetani, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Received: April 3, 2013; Accepted: September 17, 2013; Published: October 30, 2013
Copyright: © 2013 Poutahidis et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants P30-ES002109 (pilot project award to SEE and EJA), U01 CA164337 (to SEE and EJA), and RO1CA108854 (to SEE). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Astrocyte Plasticity Implications for Synaptic and Neuronal Activity

A great question for your doctor. How will this help your recovery and what needs to be done to encourage it? 
http://nro.sagepub.com/content/19/6/604.abstract?etoc

1. Tiina M. Pirttimaki1
2. H. Rheinallt Parri2

1. ¹A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
2. ²School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK

1. H. Rheinallt Parri, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK. Email: parrihr@aston.ac.uk

Abstract

Astrocytes are increasingly implicated in a range of functions in the brain, many of which were previously ascribed to neurons. Much of the prevailing interest centers on the role of astrocytes in the modulation of synaptic transmission and their involvement in the induction of forms of plasticity such as long-term potentiation and long-term depression. However, there is also an increasing realization that astrocytes themselves can undergo plasticity. This plasticity may be manifest as changes in protein expression which may modify calcium activity within the cells, changes in morphology that affect the environment of the synapse and the extracellular space, or changes in gap junction astrocyte coupling that modify the transfer of ions and metabolites through astrocyte networks. Plasticity in the way that astrocytes release gliotransmitters can also have direct effects on synaptic activity and neuronal excitability. Astrocyte plasticity can potentially have profound effects on neuronal network activity and be recruited in pathological conditions. An emerging principle of astrocyte plasticity is that it is often induced by neuronal activity, reinforcing our emerging understanding of the working brain as a constant interaction between neurons and glial cells.

Eye Contact Increases Resistance to Persuasion

Remember this when you are talking to your doctor and need to convince them that they are stupid and know nothing about stroke recovery.
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/09/25/0956797613491968

1. Frances S. Chen1,2
2. Julia A. Minson3
3. Maren Schöne1
4. Markus Heinrichs1,4

1. ¹Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg
2. ²Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
3. ³Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University
4. ⁴Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg

1. Frances S. Chen, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 3521-2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 E-mail: frances.chen@psych.ubc.ca

1. Author Contributions F. S. Chen and J. A. Minson contributed equally to this work and share first authorship. F. S. Chen and J. A. Minson developed the study concept. All authors contributed to the study design. Testing and data collection were performed by M. Schöne. F. S. Chen and J. A. Minson performed the data analysis and interpretation. F. S. Chen and J. A. Minson drafted the manuscript, and all authors provided critical revisions. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

Abstract

Popular belief holds that eye contact increases the success of persuasive communication, and prior research suggests that speakers who direct their gaze more toward their listeners are perceived as more persuasive. In contrast, we demonstrate that more eye contact between the listener and speaker during persuasive communication predicts less attitude change in the direction advocated. In Study 1, participants freely watched videos of speakers expressing various views on controversial sociopolitical issues. Greater direct gaze at the speaker’s eyes was associated with less attitude change in the direction advocated by the speaker. In Study 2, we instructed participants to look at either the eyes or the mouths of speakers presenting arguments counter to participants’ own attitudes. Intentionally maintaining direct eye contact led to less persuasion than did gazing at the mouth. These findings suggest that efforts at increasing eye contact may be counterproductive across a variety of persuasion contexts.

Ph.D. Scholarships Available in Brain Repair and Rehabilitation at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

Any of you survivors in Oz could ace the interview by pointing out all the research possibilities I have pointed out.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/naturejobs/index.cfm?method=job&id=347090
Employer: Hunter Medical Research Institute
Location:
Posted: October 7, 2013
Expires: December 6, 2013
Requisition number:

Science jobs from Hunter Medical Research Institute: The Centre for Translational for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation (CTBRR) located at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia has two full Ph.D. scholarships available and open to both domestic and international applicants. The successful applicants will be supervised by Dr Rohan Walker (Senior Research Fellow) and Professor Michael Nilsson (Director of the CTBRR and the Hunter Medical Research Institute).
The project associated with the scholarships will utilise animal models of stroke to examine how the recovery environment, following experimentally induced brain injury, can be modified to optimize recovery and brain repair. In examining brain repair, the projects focused on the role of glia and will make extensive use of a recently established multiphoton real time brain imaging platform.
The students will be supervised by both clinical and basic scientists and will be encouraged and supported to undertake some part of their research project at an nationally or internationally recognized centre for stroke research affiliated with the CTBRR. The objective of this international placement is to develop the candidate's own research network, and enrich the quality and scope of their research.
Scholarship The successful applicant will be supported by a scholarship for three and a half years at $25,000 per annum (tax-free), with the opportunity to apply for a 6 month extension. If the successful candidate is an international student, Overseas Student Health Cover will be provided for the duration of their candidature. A full tuition fee scholarship will also be offered to successful international candidates (domestic students undertaking a Research Higher Degree are not required to pay fees). Funding will also be made available to assist with relocation and establishment.
Application We are seeking applications from individuals who are interested in undertaking research who have completed an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science, Psychology, Medicine or equivalent with first class Honours, or Masters. Ideally, preference will be given to applicants that have had experience with animal handling (rats and or mice) as well as immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. They may also have experience with cell culture and basic molecular biology.
Strong proficiency in English is essential (an ILETS score of 6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0; or a TOFEL overall score of not less than 93; see also http://www.newcastle.edu.au/policy/000104.html for more details).
Interested applicants should send Dr. Rohan Walker a copy of their CV, academic transcripts, and English proficiency transcript (not required to domestic applicants) to (brain.repair.recovery@gmail.com).
Further information about the Centre for Translational Brain Repair and Rehabilitation (CTBRR)
The CTBRR is located within the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), a joint venture between the University of Newcastle and the Hunter New England area health service. The research undertaken by the centre is interested in developing optimising multi-modal approaches to adapt the physical and social environment to improve recovery from Stroke.

Plan To Expand Telemedicine Programs Unveiled - Vermont

Once again  the stupidity prevails, lets expand the existing infrastructure rather than go down the sensible route and find an objective way to diagnose stroke. Why not try one of these 17 ways?  I bet it would be faster and more accurate.
http://digital.vpr.net/post/plan-expand-telemedicine-programs-unveiled

Is high cholesterol putting your brain at risk?

Well your doctor should know all the pros and cons
Is high cholesterol putting your brain at risk?

What you may not know, however, is that high cholesterol can also affect your brain; specifically, there’s growing evidence leading neuroscientists like me to suspect that high cholesterol may increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. - See more at: http://blog.neura.edu.au/2013/11/06/is-high-cholesterol-putting-your-brain-at-risk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-high-cholesterol-putting-your-brain-at-risk#sthash.KbSKTkYF.dpuf

What you may not know, however, is that high cholesterol can also affect your brain; specifically, there’s growing evidence leading neuroscientists like me to suspect that high cholesterol may increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. - See more at: http://blog.neura.edu.au/2013/11/06/is-high-cholesterol-putting-your-brain-at-risk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-high-cholesterol-putting-your-brain-at-risk#sthash.KbSKTkYF.dpuf

 What you may not know, however, is that high cholesterol can also affect your brain; specifically, there’s growing evidence leading neuroscientists like me to suspect that high cholesterol may increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. -
So the question for your doctor is; Is your caffeine habit enough to counteract that risk of Alzheimers?
This might be interesting;

Do you still think of eggs as nutritional no-nos?

or this?

Consuming whole eggs may improve blood lipids, new research suggests

or this?

Remarkable Conditions: (The Risks of) Eating Human Brains

or this?

Cholesterol Myths that May Surprise You

or this?

Micropharma probiotics lower cholesterol: But does it really matter?

or this?

In Framingham cohort, HDL - not LDL - linked with stroke

or this?

Cholesterol ‘paradox’ in survival after stroke thrombolysis

or this?

Cholesterol-Reducing Drugs May Lessen Brain Function, Says Researcher

"prisoners of the past" and "pioneers of the future." - Stroke

This comes from Newt Gingrichs' new book "Breakout,".
the divide between those who think the party needs no new ideas, no positive message, and no fundamental change on the one hand, and those who want to be aggressive about breaking out to a better future on the other.
I'll apply it to the stroke world.
Most of the stroke world is still enamored of tPA and the F.A.S.T. campaign.
tPA was approved in 1996 and has an appalling 12% efficacy.
F.A.S.T.  assumes that getting to the hospital fast will save the brain. This is an incorrect assumption due to tPA failures and no protocol to stop the neuronal cascade of death.  The pushers of F.A.S.T., all the stroke associations, are rooted in the past and can't get rid of the blinders they have put on themselves. No new ideas.

ASA - Dr. Sacco,

NSA - Mr. Baranski, 

WSO - Dr. Stephen Davis

are all prisoners of the past, none have reached out to stroke survivors and are just working on tweaking the status quo.
I don't see how the boards of directors can justify such failure of leadership.

The WSO has come up with the pathetic 2010 Stroke: working toward a prioritized world agenda

The status quo will not be enough for the coming tsunami of stroke.

 

TED talks - Grégoire Courtine: The paralyzed rat that walked

If it can be done this way it should be able to be reversed where signals are sent back to the brain showing how correct walking is done and have the brain neuroplastically change to walk again properly.
Whom is going to take on that challenge?
http://www.ted.com/talks/gregoire_courtine_the_paralyzed_rat_that_walked.html? 

Kirk Outlines Stroke Agenda for Survivors to Return to Work after Recovery

So unless this contains somethings that stops the neuronal cascade of death this is worthless because the current standard protocols only get 10% to full recovery. Bend his ear because he knows nothing and he was damn lucky he had a fairly small stroke.
http://www.hngn.com/articles/16504/20131104/kirk-outlines-stroke-agenda-for-survivors-to-return-to-work-after-recovery.htm 
We can't let know-nothings drive the stroke agenda.

Testosterone medication may boost risk of heart attack, stroke, death

And what does your doctor have to say about this;
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-heart-disease-testosterone-replacement-20131105,0,3592717.story#axzz2jpVkB1UJ
compared to this?

1.  Effect of testosterone on functional recovery in a castrate male rat stroke model

and this?

2.  Lower Testosterone Levels Predict Incident Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack in Older Men 

and this?

3.  Decreased Serum Testosterone in Men With Acute Ischemic Stroke

and this?

4.  Serum estradiol and risk of stroke in elderly men 

and this?

5.  Could androgens maintain specific domains of mental health in aging men by preserving hippocampal neurogenesis? 

and this?

6.  Testosterone increases neurotoxicity of glutamate in vitro and ischemia-reperfusion injury in an animal model

and this?

7.  Testosterone Improves Woman’s Brain Functions

and this?

8.  Thinking with your gonads: testosterone and cognition

You do expect you doctor to know all about this? Don't you?

Fatal snake bite mistaken for a stroke

Once again the stupidity of subjectively diagnosing a stroke is exposed. Why not try one of these 17 ways?  Are you absolutely sure your ER doctor will be able to diagnose your stroke properly and in time to possibly get 12% efficacy of tPA applied?
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/fatal-snake-bite-mistaken-for-a-stroke-20131106-2x07q.html

Nanotechnology can advance Regenerative Medicine

Reblogged from Stem Cell Freak. Ask your doctor how long before something like this will have a useable stroke protocol.
http://www.stemcellsfreak.com/2013/11/nanotechnology-can-advance-regenerative.html

Stem cells linked to cognitive gain after brain injury in preclinical study

A press release from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School. Whom is going to do the same testing for stroke and then in humans?
http://www.uthouston.edu/media/story.htm?id=1aa60db0-e4b5-4b5c-a450-db6fb8ffda04
A stem cell therapy previously shown to reduce inflammation in the critical time window after traumatic brain injury also promotes lasting cognitive improvement, according to preclinical research led by Charles Cox, M.D., at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School.
The research was published in today’s issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine.
Cellular damage in the brain after traumatic injury can cause severe, ongoing neurological impairment and inflammation. Few pharmaceutical options exist to treat the problem. About half of patients with severe head injuries need surgery to remove or repair ruptured blood vessels or bruised brain tissue.
A stem cell treatment known as multipotent adult progenitor cell (MAPC) therapy has been found to reduce inflammation in mice immediately after traumatic brain injury, but no one had been able to gauge its usefulness over time.
The research team led by Cox, the Children’s Fund, Inc. Distinguished Professor of Pediatric Surgery at the UTHealth Medical School, injected two groups of brain-injured mice with MAPCs two hours after the mice were injured and again 24 hours later. One group received a dose of 2 million cells per kilogram and the other a dose five times stronger.
After four months, the mice receiving the stronger dose not only continued to have less inflammation—they also made significant gains in cognitive function. A laboratory examination of the rodents’ brains confirmed that those receiving the higher dose of MAPCs had better brain function than those receiving the lower dose.
“Based on our data, we saw improved spatial learning, improved motor deficits and fewer active antibodies in the mice that were given the stronger concentration of MAPCs,” Cox said.
The study indicates that intravenous injection of MAPCs may in the future become a viable treatment for people with traumatic brain injury, he said.
Cox, who directs the Pediatric Surgical Translational Laboratories and Pediatric Program in Regenerative Medicine at UTHealth, is a leader in the field of autologous and blood cord stem cells for traumatic brain injury in children and adults. Results from a Phase I study were published in a March 2011 issue of Neurosurgery, the journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Cox also directs the Pediatric Trauma Program at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Social environment and neurogenesis in the adult brain

Your doctor needs to find out exactly what social environment is needed for the best neurogenesis. It shouldn't take longer than two weeks to get this implemented in all stroke hospitals.
http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/abstract/16486

Claudia Lieberwirth¹ and Zuoxin Wang^1*

• ¹Department of Psychology & Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, USA

Adult neurogenesis—the formation of new neurons in adulthood—has been shown to be modulated by a variety of endogenous (e.g. trophic factors, neurotransmitters, and hormones) as well as exogenous (e.g. physical activity and environmental complexity) factors. Research on exogenous modulators of adult neurogenesis has focused primarily on the non-social environment. Most recently, however, a role of the social environment on modulating adult neurogenesis has also been suggested. The present review details the effects of adult-adult (e.g. mating, conspecific exposure, and pheromonal cues) and adult-offspring (e.g. gestation, parenthood, and exposure to offspring) interactions on adult neurogenesis. In addition, the effects of a stressful social environment (e.g. lack of social support and dominant-subordinate interactions) on adult neurogenesis are reviewed. The underlying mechanisms and potential functional significance of adult-generated neurons in mediating social behaviors are also discussed.

Imaging of the Carotid Artery Vulnerable Plaque

This is probably the only thing that might have been able to prevent my stroke and that would have only been possible if my Dads doctor had told him to have any kids checked for this after his 85% occlusion.

Imaging of the Carotid Artery Vulnerable Plaque

Catalano C, Wintermark M; Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology (Aug 2013)

Tags:

• Interventional Radiology
• Vascular Disorders

Read/Add Comments | Email This | Print This | PubMed | Get Full Text

Atherosclerosis involving the carotid arteries has a high prevalence in the population worldwide. This condition is significant because accidents of the carotid artery plaque are associated with the development of cerebrovascular events. For this reason, carotid atherosclerotic disease needs to be diagnosed and those determinants that are associated to an increased risk of stroke need to be identified. The degree of stenosis typically has been considered the parameter of choice to determine the therapeutical approach, but several recently published investigations have demonstrated that the degree of luminal stenosis is only an indirect indicator of the atherosclerotic process and that direct assessment of the plaque structure and composition may be key to predict the development of future cerebrovascular ischemic events. The concept of'vulnerable plaque'was born, referring to those plaque's parameters that concur to the instability of the plaque making it more prone to the rupture and distal embolization. The purpose of this review is to describe the imaging characteristics of'vulnerable carotid plaques.'

Councillor in plea over Royal Shrewsbury Hospital stroke services

They really should be screaming over the pathetic 12% efficacy rate of tPA and the complete lack of services that stop the neuronal cascade of death.  Going down the same therapy route as in the past will not be enough to help them in the future. Someone needs to do some strategic planning or there will be lots more death and disability following the existing protocols.
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2013/11/04/councillor-in-plea-over-royal-shrewsbury-hospital-stroke-services/

Jumper Cables for the Mind

A little tDCS in the morning instead of caffeine and you'll be good to go. When is your stroke hospital going to implement this? I'm sure enhanced patients will recover better.

Jumper Cables for the Mind

One paragraph from the link.
Scientific papers published in leading peer-reviewed journals since 2005 have shown that tDCS can improve the speed or accuracy with which people perform this attention-switching task. Other studies have found it can improve everything from working memory to long-term memory, math calculations, reading ability, solving difficult problems, piano playing, complex verbal thought, planning, visual memory, the ability to categorize, the capacity for insight, post-stroke paralysis and aphasia, chronic pain and even depression. Effects have been shown to last for weeks or months.

Support Services for Stroke Survivors in Michigan

I'm sure this will get co-opted by the stroke associations which means the result will be worthless.
If the council does get set up I guess I will have to be an asshole and demand I get seated. 

Support Services for Stroke Survivors in Michigan

Dear dean,

Your state legislators are considering a bill that would create a council to develop a statewide plan to address the needs of Michiganians with acquired brain injuries. Since stroke is considered an acquired brain injury, this plan would help stroke survivors. Contact your legislators today and urge them to support SB 617!

My addition to the message sent to legislators.
Create this council so it has a majority of survivors on it. The stroke medical world only gets 10% to full recovery so the existing medical protocols have failed. Don't allow the medical world to implement the existing failures.

Tapping Medical Marijuana’s Potential

A NYTimes Wellnes blog.
I include one sentence that your doctor should be figuring out a way around to help your spasticity. The stupidity of the Schedule I classification burns.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/04/tapping-medical-marijuanas-potential/?_r=0
The strongest evidence for the health benefits of medical marijuana or its derivatives involves the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain and the spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis.  
(Who the hell is studying it for stroke spasticity?)
A great stroke association would do the research and contract it to be done in more enlightened countries and then work on changing the classification of the drug in the US. But that would require initiative and people that actually work for the best interests of stroke survivors. That doesn't include the ASA, NSA or WSO.

Resetting stem cells

This seems like our stroke researchers could use this to jumpstart creation of new neural stem cells. Ask your doctor what researchers they are going to contact to get this research  into a stroke protocol. You do expect your doctor to know at least a dozen stroke researchers? Don't you?
http://blogs.plos.org/biologue/2013/11/01/a-faster-reset-button-for-stem-cells/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+plos%2Fblogs%2Fbiologue+%28Blogs+-+Biologue%29

Novel Means to Quantify Physiological Sleepiness

How is your doctor going to use this knowledge to diagnose your sleepiness and fatigue problems? What protocol will be established to fix this?
Blogger discussing it here with nice graphs;
http://www.dormivigilia.com/?p=3920

Abstract here; 
Period-Amplitude Analysis Reveals Wake-Dependent Changes in the Electroencephalogram during Sleep Deprivation

Kirk working to improve care for stroke patients

If he is your senator you need to contact him and tell him that rehabilitation silo is not the area that needs focus. Prevention of the neuronal cascade of death will help more than any focus on rehab. He needs to talk to intelligent stroke survivors rather than the stroke medical teams because they don't have any clue about getting to 100% recovery.
http://www.wics.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.il/30face81-wics.com.shtml

Tenacity vs. persistence

This a a great distinction as written by Seth Godin. I like his insights. I have added him to my blog list if you want to find him again.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/11/tenacity-is-not-the-same-as-persistence.html

White matter maturation supports the development of reasoning ability through its influence on processing speed

I have yet to see any therapies that address white matter damage or any diagnosis of such damage. To me this seems to be the most important part of relocating functions from your dead cortex. You need efficient white matter connectivity in order to connect the new control area back to the nerves that actually go the needed functions. Ask your doctor what they are doing about this need.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24118718

Ferrer E, Whitaker KJ, Steele JS, Green CT, Wendelken C, Bunge SA.

Source

Department of Psychology, University of California at Davis, USA.

Abstract

The structure of the human brain changes in several ways throughout childhood and adolescence. Perhaps the most salient of these changes is the strengthening of white matter tracts that enable distal brain regions to communicate with one another more quickly and efficiently. Here, we sought to understand whether and how white matter changes contribute to improved reasoning ability over development. In particular, we sought to understand whether previously reported relationships between white matter microstructure and reasoning are mediated by processing speed. To this end, we analyzed diffusion tensor imaging data as well as data from standard psychometric tests of cognitive abilities from 103 individuals between the ages of 6 and 18. We used structural equation modeling to investigate the network of relationships between brain and behavior variables. Our analyses provide support for the hypothesis that white matter maturation (as indexed either by microstructural organization or volume) supports improved processing speed, which, in turn, supports improved reasoning ability.

Physiotherapy for patients with mobility problems more than 1 year after stroke: a randomised controlled trial

Once again proving that therapy is not the easy solution to recovery problems.  Probably not enough repetitions. This should lead to the recognition that stopping the neuronal cascade of death will result in less dead and damaged neurons.  Why can't these people look at the big picture and make appropriate corrections rather than staying within their own silo(area of expertise)?
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2802%2907443-3/fulltext

The Lancet, Volume 359, Issue 9302, Pages 199 - 203, 19 January 2002

<Previous Article|Next Article>

doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)07443-3Cite or Link Using DOI

John Green MSc a , Anne Forster PhD b, Sue Bogle PhD c, John Young PhD b

Summary

Background

Community physiotherapy is often prescribed for stroke patients with long-term mobility problems. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of this treatment in patients who had mobility problems 1 year after stroke.

Methods

We screened 359 patients older than 50 years for a single-masked, randomised controlled trial to assess the effects of community physiotherapy. Assessments were made at baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months in 170 eligible patients assigned treatment or no intervention. The primary outcome measure was mobility measured by the Rivermead mobility index. Secondary outcome measures were gait speed, number of falls, daily activity (Barthel index scores), social activity (Frenchay activities index), hospital anxiety and depression scale, and emotional stress of carers (general health questionnaire 28). Analyses were by intention to treat.

Findings

Follow-up was available for 146 patients (86%). Changes in scores on the Rivermead mobility index (score range 0—15) differed significantly between treatment and control groups at 3 months (p=0·018), but only by a median of 1 point (95% CI 0—1), with an interpolated value of 0·55 (0·08—1·04). Gait speed was 2·6 m/min (0·30—4·95) higher in the treatment group at 3 months. Neither treatment effect persisted at 6-months' and 9-months' follow-up. Treatment had no effect on patients' daily activity, social activity, anxiety, depression, and number of falls, or on emotional stress of carers.

Interpretation

Community physiotherapy treatment for patients with mobility problems 1 year after stroke leads to significant, but clinically small, improvements in mobility and gait speed that are not sustained after treatment ends.

 

Banish fatigue and enjoy greater physical and mental energy starting now!

I'm quite sure this is the answer to all my fatigue problems! What could be wrong about it? Its from the Harvard Medical School.  Tell your doctor to get it and then write back to them that they know nothing about stroke fatigue.
The actual email;

Be ready to take on the day — every day!
Learn how you can banish fatigue and enjoy greater physical and mental energy starting now!

Dear dean,

When you are “on your game,” you know it. You think more clearly and quickly. You tackle daily chores more confidently and look forward with enthusiasm to whatever is next. You also know when you are “off your game.”

If you find that you don’t always have the pep you once did, you are not alone. Lack of energy is a common complaint. But the good news is that you can end the blahs. You can have more energy. You can achieve more consistent alertness, stamina, and drive.

Boosting Your Energy, a new Special Health Report, will make you more “energy efficient.” It explains how, by instituting easy-to-adopt lifestyle changes, you can dramatically increase your capacity for physical exertion and add to your powers of mental concentration.

In this report, Harvard Medical School doctors will expand your understanding of the factors that affect your energy level, including the amount and type of stress you’re under, your sleep habits, your exercise routine, and your diet.

As you read Boosting Your Energy, you’ll be introduced to the sensible steps and strategies that will help you maintain your “get-up-and-go” for all the things you want — and need — to do.

You’ll read about the foods that fuel your muscles and your mind. The report pinpoints low-glycemic-load foods that keep your energy on an even keel, highlights the vitamins and minerals that are key to efficient energy production, explains why caffeine has the power it does, and details why you should think twice before spending time and money on energy bars and sports drinks.

Boosting Your Energy will tell you about exercises that add to your energy reserves. You’ll discover why some of us are morning people and others are night owls. You’ll get tips for lessening the effects of jet lag. You’ll be alerted to the consequences of too little or too much sleep. You’ll find four ways to reduce energy-sapping stress. And you’ll learn about a six-step plan to jump-start your natural energy.

There’s no reason to face an energy shortage! Order your copy of Boosting Your Energy now!

To your good health,

Anthony Komaroff, M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Senior Physician, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Publications

Sexual Function in Post-Stroke Patients: Considerations for Rehabilitation

I can't quite imagine a hospital hiring a sexologist for stroke patients.
My recreational therapist covered this in a one hour session, basically said, go ahead and do it. But he didn't go as far as getting the doctor to write a prescription for sex and provide a suitable location. 
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsm.12343/abstract

Abstract

Introduction

While the rehabilitation goals of post-stroke patients include improving quality of life and returning to functional activities, the extent to which sexual activity is addressed as part of the standard rehabilitation process is unknown. Moreover, the specific sexual concerns of stroke patients, including the effect of stroke on intimate relationships and sexuality of the partner, the ability to physically engage in sex, and the effect of psychological components such as role identity, depression, and anxiety on sexuality, all warrant examination by rehabilitation professionals.

Aim

The aim of this study is to examine the existing literature on sexuality and stroke patients in order to better understand how the sexual lives of stroke patients and their partners are affected and to provide recommendations to rehabilitation professionals for addressing sexuality as part of treatment.

Methods

Narrative review, PubMed, PEDro, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases (inception—December 2012) were searched for the key words “stroke,” “sexual dysfunction,” “sexuality,” “quality of life,” and their combination. All relevant articles in English and secondary references were reviewed.

Main Outcome Measures

We report the results of the literature review.

Results

Sexual dysfunction and decreased sexual satisfaction are common in the post-stroke population and are related to physical, psychosocial, and relational factors. However, they are not adequately addressed in post-stroke rehabilitation.

Conclusions

As sexual function is an important component to quality of life and activities of daily living, physicians and rehabilitation specialists, including physical, occupational, and speech therapists, should receive training in addressing sexuality in the treatment of post-stroke patients. Sexologists and sex therapists should be an integral part of the rehabilitation team. Rosenbaum T, Vadas D, and Kalichman L. Sexual function in post-stroke patients: Considerations for rehabilitation. J Sex Med **;**:**–**.

Down-regulation of Nogo-A by collagen scaffolds impregnated with bone marrow stromal cell treatment after traumatic brain injury promotes axonal regeneration in rats

WHOM the hell is going to start testing this in humans?

Down-regulation of Nogo-A by collagen scaffolds impregnated with bone marrow stromal cell treatment after traumatic brain injury promotes axonal regeneration in rats

• Asim Mahmood^{a, , , ,} ,
• Hongtao Wu^a, ,
• Changsheng Qu^a, ,
• Selina Mahmood^a, ,
• Ye Xiong^a, ,
• David Kaplan^d, ,
• Michael Chopp^{b, c,}

• ^a Department of Neurosurgery, 2799W Grand Blvd, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, 48202 USA
• ^b Department of Neurology, 2799W Grand Blvd, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, 48202 USA
• ^c Department of Physics, Oakland University, 2200 North Squirrel Road, Rochester, MI, 48309-4401 USA
• ^d Department of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology Center, Room 251, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02155 USA

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Purchase $35.95

• 

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Highlights

•

Human bone marrow stromal cells were impregnated into scaffolds for transplantation.

•

Scaffold+hMSC treatment reduced Nogo-A protein level in the injured brain.

•

Scaffold+hMSC treatment down-regulated Nogo-A gene transcription in oligodendrocytes.

•

Scaffold+hMSC treatment increased axonal density after TBI.

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Abstract

Nogo-A is a major form of growth inhibitory molecule (growth-IM) which inhibits axonal regeneration and neurite regrowth after neural injury. Bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) have been shown to inhibit Nogo-A expression in vitro and in cerebral ischemic animal models. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of treatment with human MSCs (hMSCs) impregnated into collagen scaffolds on the expression of Nogo-A and axonal plasticity after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Adult male Wistar rats were injured with controlled cortical impact and treated either with saline, hMSCs-alone or hMSCs impregnated into collagen scaffolds (scaffold+hMSC) transplanted into the lesion cavity 7 days after TBI. Rats were sacrificed 14 days after TBI and brain tissues were harvested for immunohistochemical studies, Western blot analysis, laser capture microdissections and qRT-PCR to evaluate axonal density and Nogo-A protein and gene expressions. Our data showed that treatment of TBI with scaffold+hMSC significantly decreased TBI-induced Nogo-A protein expression and increased axonal density compared to saline and hMSC-alone treatments. In addition, scaffold+hMSC transplantation decreased Nogo-A transcription in oligodendrocytes after TBI. Scaffold +hMSC treatment was superior to hMSC-alone treatment in suppressing Nogo-A expression and enhancing axonal regeneration after TBI. Our data suggest that transplanting hMSCs with scaffolds down-regulates Nogo-A transcription and protein expression which may partially contribute to the enhanced axonal regeneration after TBI.

New strategies to prevent heart attack, stroke

Not a single one of my suggested 10 are mentioned, just the usual boring, eat healthy, smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.
http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/25314-new-strategies-to-prevent-heart-attack,-stroke.html

Trait self-control and Halloween

Your doctor should be measuring this to determine how to ensure you will get the best recovery possible.
A Psychology blogger talking about it here;

What Your Resistance to Halloween Candy Predicts About Your Life

or you could try the

Stanford marshmallow experiment

 

'Eugene Braunwald and the Rise of Modern Medicine': Book Review cardiology

If we have such a person for stroke they are not visible at all. Where are the medical giants in stroke? Sounds like a great question for your stroke association.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/813392?t=1

Talking with Patients about Other Clinicians' Errors

Every single stroke patient treated should be considered a clinicians error if they don't fully recover. This is an incredibly offensive statement to our doctors but since non-recovery has been happening for hundreds of years, past errors of not working on stopping stroke disability is laid at the feet of the stroke medical profession. You can't blame it on lack of defined research if you don't even participate in research.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsb1303119
Not only did the doctor miss the Afib but the treating physicians for the stroke missed stopping the neuronal cascade of death. Lack of a standard of care in the first week is no reason not to create your own based on the available research. Like these 31 possibilities.

Rapid functional reorganization in human cortex following neural perturbation

You have to demand your doctor figure out how the last line occurs. Even if its too late for you the next patient needs this information. Your doctors won't do a damn thing if you don't insist they  plan a stroke protocol around something like this. Unless they can prove it is not accurate.
Blogger dissecting this here; 
How Flexible Is Brain Organization?
 The abstract here;
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24107958

Zanto TP, Chadick JZ, Satris G, Gazzaley A.

Source

Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, and Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.

Abstract

Despite the human brain's ability to rapidly reorganize neuronal activity patterns in response to interactions with the environment (e.g., learning), it remains unclear whether compensatory mechanisms occur, on a similar time scale, in response to exogenous cortical perturbations. To investigate this, we disrupted normal neural function via repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and assessed, using fMRI, activity changes associated with performance on a working memory task. Although transcranial magnetic stimulation disrupted neural activity in task-related brain regions, performance was not affected. Critically, another brain region not previously engaged by the task was recruited to uphold memory performance. Thus, functional reorganization of cortical activity can occur within minutes of neural disruption to maintain cognitive abilities.