Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Showing posts with label nihilism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nihilism. Show all posts

Sunday, June 23, 2024

Treatment for intracerebral hemorrhage: Dawn of a new era

 This is why we need survivors in charge, we wouldn't give up. You better wait a couple of decades before you have your intracerebral hemorrhage stroke

Treatment for intracerebral hemorrhage: Dawn of a new era

Abstract

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating disease, causing high rates of death, disability, and suffering across the world. For decades, its treatment has been shrouded by the lack of reliable evidence, and consequently, the presumption that an effective treatment is unlikely to be found. Neutral results arising from several major randomized controlled trials had established a negative spirit within and outside the stroke community. Frustration among researchers and a sense of nihilism in clinicians has created the general perception that patients presenting with ICH have a poor prognosis irrespective of them receiving any form of active management. All this changed in 2023 with the positive results on the primary outcome in randomized controlled trials showing treatment benefits for a hyperacute care bundle approach (INTERACT3), early minimal invasive hematoma evacuation (ENRICH), and use of factor Xa-inhibitor anticoagulation reversal with andexanet alfa (ANNEXa-I). These advances have now been extended in 2024 by confirmation that intensive blood pressure lowering initiated within the first few hours of the onset of symptoms can substantially improve outcome in ICH (INTERACT4) and that decompressive hemicraniectomy is a viable treatment strategy in patients with large deep ICH (SWITCH). This evidence will spearhead a change in the perception of ICH, to revolutionize the care of these patients to ultimately improve their outcomes. We review these and other recent developments in the hyperacute management of ICH. We summarize the results of randomized controlled trials and discuss related original research papers published in this issue of the International Journal of Stroke. These exciting advances demonstrate how we are now at the dawn of a new, exciting, and brighter era of ICH management.

Intracerebral hemorrhage—the deadly sibling of ischemic stroke

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is caused by the rupture of cerebral vessels which results in bleeding within the brain parenchyma and/or ventricles.1 Overall, ICH comprises approximately 10–15% of all strokes worldwide, but the rates are higher in low- and middle-income countries.2 Compared to ischemic stroke, the incidence of ICH has increased in recent years and the prognosis remains poor.3,4 Current estimates predict a significant increase in the incidence of ICH in Europe related to aging and greater use of anticoagulants, with major implications for health care systems and societies.5

Treatment of ICH before 2023—widespread frustration and nihilism

For decades, treatment of ICH has been overshadowed by limited evidence and a presumed lack of effective treatment options reflected by neutral and restrictive guideline recommendations.6,7 Several randomized controlled trials of surgical treatment (i.e. different approaches to evacuation of parenchymal or intraventricular hematoma),811 blood pressure (BP) control,12,13 and hemostatic therapies,1416 resulted in either borderline significant or neutral results. The evidence was persuasive from INTERACT2,12 and stronger when pooled with other trials as part of an individual patient data meta-analysis,17 for a beneficial effect of early intensive BP lowering. Although a study-level meta-analysis of hematoma evacuation also found a potential benefit,18 there is ongoing uncertainty over which patients have the most to gain from neurosurgery along with the optimal timing and technique of intervention. Collectively, these efforts have contributed to somewhat of a negative spirit within (and outside) the stroke community, and in turn degrees of frustration and nihilism regarding treatment approaches and the perception of a uniformly poor prognosis for patients with ICH.19
 
More at link.

Monday, July 12, 2021

The Intracerebral Hemorrhage Score Overestimates Mortality in Young Adults

YOU have to change the mindset of your doctors, researchers and stroke hospital  from the nihilism of failure to recover predictions to: This is how we are going to get you recovered. THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY,  your stroke medical team has abandoned your possibility of recovery, so you just have to accept their failure to do their job. Hope you like your options of disability or death!

The Intracerebral Hemorrhage Score Overestimates Mortality in Young Adults

Published:July 08, 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105963

Abstract

Objective

To determine whether the intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) score is accurate in predicting 30-day mortality in young adults, we calculated the ICH score for 156 young adults (aged 18-45) with primary spontaneous ICH and compared predicted to observed 30-day mortality rates.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed all patients aged 18-45 consecutively presenting to the University of Iowa from 2009 to 2019 with ICH. We calculated the ICH score and recorded its individual subcomponents for each patient. Poisson regression was used to test the association of ICH score components with 30-day mortality.

Results

We identified 156 patients who met the inclusion criteria; mean± standard deviation (SD) age was 35±8 years. The 30-day mortality rate was 15% (n=24). The ICH score was predictive of 30-day mortality for each unit increase (p= 0.04 for trend), but the observed mortality rates for each ICH score varied considerably from the original ICH score predictions. Most notably, the 30-day mortality rates for ICH scores of 1, 2, and 3 are predicted to be 13%, 26%, and 72% respectively, but were observed in our population to be 0%, 3%, and 41%. An ICH volume of >30cc [relative risk (RR) 28, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 3-315, p=0.01] and a GCS score of <5 (RR 13, 95% CI 0.1-1176, p=0.01) were independently associated with 30-day mortality.

Conclusions

The ICH score tends to overestimate mortality in young adults. ICH volume and GCS score are the most relevant items in predicting mortality at 30 days in young adults.(Do you tell your patients you have predicted mortality and have given up on their treatment?)
 

Monday, June 21, 2021

The core/penumbra model: implications for acute stroke treatment and patient selection in 2021

WHOM is doing the specific followup to create protocols on this? NO PROTOCOLS, RESEARCH WAS WASTED. I see nothing here that identifies which of the the 5 causes of the neuronal cascade of death is being solved

in the first week saving billions of neurons.

The core/penumbra model: implications for acute stroke treatment and patient selection in 2021

First published: 15 May 2021

Abstract

Despite major advances in prevention, ischaemic stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. After centuries of nihilism and decades of failed neuroprotection trials, the discovery, initially in non-human primates and subsequently in man, that ischaemic brain tissue termed the ischaemic penumbra can be salvaged from infarction up to and perhaps beyond 24 h after stroke onset has underpinned the development of highly efficient reperfusion therapies(Really? You have statistics proving 100% recovery? Nothing on 100% recovery, then they are not efficient. The problem to be solved is 100% recovery, NOT REPERFUSION!), namely intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy, which have revolutionized the management of the acute stroke patient. Animal experiments have documented that how long the penumbra can survive depends not only on time elapsed since arterial occlusion (‘time is brain’), but also on how severely perfusion is reduced. Novel imaging techniques allowing the penumbra and the already irreversibly damaged core in the individual subject to be mapped have documented that the time course of core growth at the expense of the penumbra widely differs from patient to patient, and hence that individual physiology should be considered in addition to time since stroke onset for decision-making. This concept has been implemented to optimize patient selection in pivotal trials of reperfusion therapies beyond 3 h after stroke onset and is now routinely applied in clinical practice, using computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. The notion that, in order to be both efficient and harmless, treatment should be tailored to each patient's physiological characteristics represents a radical move towards precision medicine.

 

Sunday, December 6, 2020

Stroke Prevention in Older Adults

This is necessary because of the massive failures in the stroke medical world of being able to successfully treat stroke in any shape or form.

Failures listed here:

13 problems with no cure 

The current state of stroke is a complete failure. None of the following have cures. 

1. 30% get spasticity NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

2. At least half of all stroke survivors experience fatigue Or is it 70%?

Or is it 40%?

NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

3. Over half of stroke patients have attention problems.

NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL CURE IT.

4.  The incidence of constipation was 48%.

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL CURE IT.

5. No EXACT stroke protocols that address any of your muscle limitations.

6. Poststroke depression(33% chance)

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

7.  Poststroke anxiety(20% chance) NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

8. Posttraumatic stress disorder(23% chance)  NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT.

  912% tPA efficacy for full recovery NO ONE IS WORKING ON SOMETHING BETTER.

10.  10% seizures post stroke NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

11. 21% of patients had developed cachexia NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

 

12. You lost 5 cognitive years from your stroke  NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT.

13.  33% dementia chance post-stroke from an Australian study?

       Or is it 17-66%?

       Or is it 20% chance in this research?

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS THIS

The latest crapola here:

 Stroke Prevention in Older Adults

Originally publishedhttps://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.031707Stroke. 2020;51:3770–3777

The risks of stroke and dementia increase steeply with age, and both are preventable. At present, the best way to preserve cognitive function is to prevent stroke. Therapeutic nihilism based on age is common and unwarranted(But you are a nihilist on stroke rehab, you have NOTHING!) . We address recent advances in stroke prevention that could contribute greatly to prevention of stroke and dementia at a time when the aging of the population threatens to markedly increase the incidence of both. Issues discussed: (1) old patients benefit even more from lipid-lowering therapy than do younger patients; (2) patients with stiff arteries are at risk from a target systolic blood pressure <120 mm Hg; (And those stiff arteries are at higher risk of being perforated during endovascular thrombectomy)(3) the interaction of the intestinal microbiome, age, and renal function has important dietary implications for older adults; (4) anticoagulation with direct-acting oral anticoagulants should be prescribed more to old patients with atrial fibrillation; (5) B vitamins to lower homocysteine prevent stroke; and (6) most old patients in whom intervention is warranted for carotid stenosis would benefit more from endarterectomy than from stenting. An 80-year-old person has much to lose from a stroke and should not have effective therapy withheld on account of age. Lipid-lowering therapy, a more plant-based diet, appropriate anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy, appropriate blood pressure control, B vitamins to lower homocysteine, and judicious intervention for carotid stenosis could do much to reduce the growing burden of stroke and dementia.

 

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

The Michael J. Fox Foundation has had an ambitious goal: find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

And our fucking failures of stroke associations don't even have curing stroke as a goal. They seem to think nothing further needs to be done as proven by this meme from World Stroke Day a few years ago. I would fire the lot of them including all the boards of directors of stroke hospitals for gross incompetence in not even trying to solve stroke. 

For those not enlightened these two links prove how fucking bad stroke is;  All the problems in stroke, or this nihilism list.

I look forward to all the 'stroke leaders' in the world trying to prove me wrong in my assessment. Leaders solve problems they don't 

RUN AWAY!

with their tail between their legs.

 

What a lying piece of shit.


 The Michael J. Fox Foundation has had an ambitious goal: find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

 

Dear Friend,

Since opening our doors in 2000, The Michael J. Fox Foundation has had an ambitious goal: find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. Today, we’re closer than ever.

Learn about 20 years of scientific progress in the Parkinson’s therapeutic pipeline and what’s to come next by joining our Virtual Research Roundtable on Tuesday, November 17 at 3 p.m. ET. Save your seat — and ask your questions of the expert panelists in advance.

We look forward to seeing you online.


P.S. Please feel free to share the registration link with your friends, family and local community members who may be interested in attending.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

What to know during National Stroke Awareness Month

Complete lying by omission. The awareness you need to know is that everything in stroke is a complete failure. You're screwed if you have a stroke. NO REHAB PROTOCOLS, you just get worthless guidelines.

See these for details; the problems in stroke, or this nihilism list.  

What to know during National Stroke Awareness Month







SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Even as Coronavirus captures the nation’s attention, some advocates are teaching people about another serious illness that has affected more than seven million Americans.
Stroke continues to affect someone every 40 seconds, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), the organization behind WSAV-sponsored events like the Go Red Luncheon.
But now, in the age of a fast-moving pandemic, efforts to educate during the month of May — which is National Stroke Awareness month — are entirely virtual.
“If it wasn’t for organizations like the American Heart Association, we wouldn’t have advances that are here today,”(Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit! It is orgs like you who don't do one damn thing to get survivors 100% recovered. That goal isn't even in your lexicon. You are the problem. ) said AHA Director of Development Ansley Howze.
Howze says she started working with AHA when her father recovered after undergoing several intensive heart surgeries. Tara MacInnes involved herself with AHA because she has a rare brain disorder called Moyamoya.
She recovered from two intensive brain surgeries when she was a teenager. Her husband — who nearly died from an undetected brain aneurysm — and dog are also stroke survivors.
In addition to bringing attention to National Stroke Awareness Month, the MacInneses are staunch advocates for World Moyamoya Day on May 6. And it just so happens, the couple is also celebrating their wedding anniversary this month.
“There’s a lot of isolation, which is a strange word to use right now, particularly during COVID-19,” said Tara MacInnes. “There’s a lot about being a stroke survivor that can be isolating and that brings on a whole lot of other things, particularly anxiety and depression.”
People with underlying health conditions are more at risk during the pandemic. Despite that, MacInnes — who has always taken the high -road — says her focus is on the word ‘fast.’ It represents the symptoms of a stroke.
  • F: Face drooping?
  • A: Arm weakness?
  • S: Speech difficulty?
  • T: Time to call 911.
Horze says people are hesitant to call 911 — especially now during the pandemic — when they experience symptoms of a stroke. The quicker you call, however, the more likely you are to recover.
Donations to AHA go directly to research and support for survivors. Horze says the organization has a $2.5 million grant to understand COVID-19’s affect on people with heart and brain diseases.
If you’d like to help with other initiatives, consider donating at the following link. You can also call (843)480-4906.





Copyright 2020 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Olle Höök Lectureship 2019: The changing world of stroke rehabilitation

Nothing really useful in here, just all the general guideline stuff already out there. They don't compile anything on all the problems in stroke, or this nihilism list

Abstract 


The paper presents a summary of the Olle Höök lecture, which was presented at the Baltic North-Sea Forum in Oslo, Sweden, in October 2019. The paper aims to provide a worldwide picture of stroke, developments in this field, and the evolution of stroke rehabilitation. It sets out the background to, evidence for, and content of the comprehensive stroke unit. The paper also describes some rehabilitation techniques based on neurophysiology, the use of robotics, and the evidence level for interventions. Organization of the stroke care chain and different aspects of rehabilitation during its trajectory are described. However, the need for rehabilitation is often not met, due to restricted and unevenly distributed resources. With increasing knowledge of neurophysiology and evidence from meta-analyses, the content of stroke rehabilitation will continue to evolve.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

May is National Stroke Awareness Month

Big fucking whoopee.


The only thing you need to be aware of is that EVERYTHING in stroke is a failure. NOT F.A.S.T. or prevention ideas or recovery prediction or biomarkers or lazy press releases that your stroke association thinks is important.

Your stroke hospital is a failure, your stroke doctor is a failure, your therapists fail you, your stroke associations are pieces of crap. All the failures here in one list; My nihilism list;

1. 30% get spasticity NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

2. At least half of all stroke survivors experience fatigue Or is it 70%?

Or is it 40%?

NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

3. Over half of stroke patients have attention problems.

NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

4.  The incidence of constipation was 48%.

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL CURE IT.

5. No EXACT stroke protocols that address any of your muscle limitations.

6. Poststroke depression(33% chance)

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

7.  Poststroke anxiety(20% chance) NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

8. Posttraumatic stress disorder(23% chance)  NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT.

  912% tPA efficacy for full recovery NO ONE IS WORKING ON SOMETHING BETTER.

10.  10% seizures post stroke NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

11. 21% of patients had developed cachexia NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

 

12. You lost 5 cognitive years from your stroke  NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT.

13.  33% dementia chance post-stroke from an Australian study?

       Or is it 17-66%?

       Or is it 20% chance in this research?

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS THIS

Monday, April 6, 2020

Interventions for coordination of walking following stroke: Systematic review

Have these interventions risen to the level of a protocol in the last 9 years? If not, A HELL OF A LOT OF PEOPLE NEED TO BE FIRED, starting with stroke department heads from every stroke hospital. Because if they aren't changing the failure of the status quo, they are not leaders and shouldn't be in positions of authority. This is what stroke leaders should be solving:

Maybe you want researchers to solve these problems in stroke, or this nihilism list.

Interventions for coordination of walking following stroke: Systematic review

  KristenL.Hollands a,
*,TrudyA. Pelton b,

SarahF.Tyson a,
MarkA. Hollands c,
Paulette M. van Vliet d
a.  School of Health, Sport and Rehabilitation Sciences,University of Salford,Frederick Rd.Campus,Salford M66PU, UK .

b.  School of Psychology,College of Life and Environmental Sciences,University of Birmingham, UK c.  School of Sport and Exercise Sciences,College of Life and Environmental Sciences,University of Birmingham, UK 
d.  School of Health Sciences,University of Newcastle,  Australia
Article history:
Received: 5 May 2011
Received in revised form, 20 July 2011
Accepted: 22 October 2011



 ABSTRACT

Impairments in gait coordination may be a factor in falls and mobility limitations after stroke.

Therefore, rehabilitation targeting gait coordination may be an effective way to improve walking post stroke.  This review sought to examine current treatments that target impairments of gait coordination, the theoretical basis on which they are derived and the effects of such interventions. Few high quality RCTs with a low risk of bias specifically targeting and measuring restoration of coordinated gait were found.(Well then, create such research. Do you expect survivors to recover with the crapola they have today?) Consequently, we took a pragmatic approach to describing and quantifying the available evidence and included non-randomised study designs and limited the influence of heterogeneity in experimental design and control comparators by restricting meta-analyses to pre- and post-test comparisons of experimental interventions only. Results show that physiotherapy interventions significantly improved gait function and coordination.  Interventions involving repetitive task specific practice and/or auditory cueing appeared to be the most promising approaches to restore gait coordination. The fact that overall improvements in gait coordination coincided with increased walking speed lends support to the hypothesis that targeting gait coordination gait may be a way of improving overall walking ability post stroke.However, establishing the mechanism for improved locomotor control requires a better understanding of the nature of both neuroplasticity and coordination deficits in functional tasks after stroke.  Future research requires the measurement of  impairment, activity and cortical activation in an effort to establish the mechanism by which functional gains are achieved.


2011ElsevierB.V.All rights reserved.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

'I knew nothing about stroke until I had one aged 43'

Oh no, not another 'awareness' campaign. The only awareness campaign that is needed is that everything in stroke is a failure. Cite these statistics: 

All the failures here in one list; My nihilism list;

1. 30% get spasticity NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

2. At least half of all stroke survivors experience fatigue Or is it 70%?

Or is it 40%?

NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

3. Over half of stroke patients have attention problems.

NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL CURE IT.

4.  The incidence of constipation was 48%.

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL CURE IT.

5. No EXACT stroke protocols that address any of your muscle limitations.

6. Poststroke depression(33% chance)

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

7.  Poststroke anxiety(20% chance) NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

8. Posttraumatic stress disorder(23% chance)  NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT.

  912% tPA efficacy for full recovery NO ONE IS WORKING ON SOMETHING BETTER.

10.  10% seizures post stroke NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

11. 21% of patients had developed cachexia NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

 

12. You lost 5 cognitive years from your stroke  NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT.

13.  33% dementia chance post-stroke from an Australian study?

       Or is it 17-66%?

       Or is it 20% chance in this research?

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS THIS

'I knew nothing about stroke until I had one aged 43'

After a long process of recovery, Shaun Wilson tells Kathy Donaghy he is now on a mission to raise awareness about the increase of 'working-age stroke'

Stroke survivor Shaun Wilson pictured at Fahan, Co Donegal. Photo: Lorcan Doherty. 2
Stroke survivor Shaun Wilson pictured at Fahan, Co Donegal. Photo: Lorcan Doherty.
Kathy Donaghy

A stroke three years ago at the age of 43 turned Shaun Wilson's world upside down. Having returned to work earlier this year, he's on a mission to raise awareness about the increase of stroke in younger people and how, with the right help and support, you can get your life back on track.
It was during surgery to remove a cyst from his brain that Shaun (46), a father of two teenage boys from Co Donegal, suffered a stroke, in September 2016. He says he knew little or nothing about stroke until it happened to him.
According to the Irish Heart Foundation, a stroke occurs when a blood vessel, which is carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain, bursts or is blocked by a clot. This causes an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain. This can damage or destroy brain, cells which will affect body functions.
The term 'stroke' comes from the fact that it usually happens without warning, 'striking' the person from out of the blue. The effects of a stroke on the body are immediate.
Shaun remembers waking up in recovery from surgery with no power in the right-hand side of his body and slurred speech. He asked the doctors if he'd ever walk again. Immediately his thoughts turned to how he was going to pay the mortgage on the family home if he couldn't get out to work.
"The doctors told me that there are no two people the same and it was very hard to say what recovery would be like. I told them I wasn't looking for exact dates but what were their hopes. I told them I needed something to work towards," says Shaun.
After spending three weeks in Beaumont Hospital, he began a long period of rehabilitation - first in Letterkenny in Co Donegal and later at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
He has videos from the time on his phone showing his first attempts to put weight on his legs, which show just how far he's had to come. By January of 2017, he was walking with a stick and had to wear a splint. He puts a lot of his recovery down to being a stickler for doing the work. As well as the physiotherapy he got, he made sure he repeated the exercises he was given several times a day. He and his wife Doreen walked - even if it was only a short distance to start with - every day.
In February 2017, Shaun started going to the gym in a hotel in Derry City, half an hour away from his home in Fahan in Donegal. From Monday to Friday, he caught the 8.10am bus to the city, catching the midday bus home after spending time in the gym and the pool, which helped to improve his mobility.
He lifted weights to build up the strength in his right arm gradually and Shaun stresses that while progress was slow, the fact that others could see improvement really spurred him on. He found it exhausting and needed to rest as soon as he came home again.
"The first couple of weeks were the worst when I honestly wondered if I'd be able to do anything for myself. In hospital I was thinking too much," says Shaun.
He joined a support group in Letterkenny called 'Different Strokes for Different Folks' and found he was the youngest person in the group by a long way. His wife Doreen went to the group meetings with him and together they learned that working-age people all over the country, people just like them, were piecing their lives back together after stroke.
Shaun was finding concentrating on things hard. From TV shows to writing notes on the iPad, he just couldn't concentrate. Gradually and with practice, this improved. Fatigue was also a big issue. "Fatigue is not just tiredness - it's brain tiredness. You learn that when you're tired, there's no point in trying to do something. The rest is more important. Half an hour of sitting in quietness can do a lot," he says.
Before the stroke, he says his job for a motor parts company often saw him leave the house before 8am and not return till after eight at night. "At the time, I thought I'd no choice. Now I try not to let myself get too worked up about work. There's a lot more to life," he says.
Last September, Shaun had to take his driving test again. And in April, he returned to work with a different car parts company. "I count myself as very lucky. I'm a positive person and I think positivity helps. The people in your life help too. I'm still an early bird in the mornings but I'm home at 5.30pm. Ryan (16) and Oran (14) might have football and I'm here for that now. You take it all for granted until something happens. I feel lucky to have got to where we are now but it's a different life now," says Shaun.
According to the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF), 8,000 people are hospitalised every year after suffering a stroke. In the space of less than a decade, there has been a 26pc increase in working-age stroke, or the equivalent of 300 younger strokes a year. Meanwhile, new Public Health England data shows that almost four in every 10 first strokes now happen in middle age.
The IHF's head of advocacy, Chris Macey, says while improvements in stroke services in recent years have resulted in thousands of additional lives being saved, there has been no corresponding investment in community rehabilitation services. He says this means stroke survivors' recoveries are being squandered, with younger people particularly falling off the radar.
While the number of deaths has fallen, there has been a lack of investment in recovery and Macey says stroke survivors often find themselves back in the community with no access to services like physiotherapy.
"Psychological services are virtually non-existent. Our research shows that while there's at least 60,000 stroke survivors, there's less than €7m being spent on community rehabilitation," he says.
Another major deficit the IHF found in its research is the lack of supports to return to work after stroke, which meant that only 36pc of those affected were in work, compared to 88pc who were employed before their stroke.
"Employers want to help but they don't know what to do. Often people going back to work don't realise how difficult things will be. It's not like breaking your arm. People with young families are worried about the financial burden and they have to find ways around losing income," says Macey.
As part of a pilot programme, the IHF set up a support group to help younger stroke sufferers in Dublin last year. The group's co-ordinator, Helena Heffernan, says she's familiar with the struggles younger stroke sufferers go through after her own husband had a stroke at the age of 32 over a decade ago.
"There's no two people the same. Some people really struggle to accept what's happened, others are in denial. The group meets in the morning and it's driven by what the members want. At the same time, we are still doing exercises and working on things like balance and co-ordination.
"After the exercises, we go for coffee. We might sit down for half an hour or we could be there for two hours," says Helena.
⬤ You can get in touch with Helena Heffernan from the Younger Stroke Support Group by calling 086 130 0237, or get more information on stroke from the Irish Heart Foundation at irisheart.ie.
The Donegal stroke support group Different Strokes for Different Folks is on Facebook.

'I was told it was just a migraine'

2019-08-26_lif_52760381_I2.JPG
Clíodhna Ní Bhroin had a stroke at 32. Photo: Frank McGrath
 

Clíodhna Ní Bhroin from Killiney in Dublin suffered a stroke two years ago at the age of just 32. She says people should be aware that stroke can happen to anyone, regardless of age.
When she went to the GP feeling unwell, Clíodhna was told she had a migraine and was told to take an aspirin and rest. Her mother and sister weren't happy and called an ambulance. Scans showed Clíodhna had had not one but two strokes and needed a thrombectomy, a relatively new medical procedure to remove the clots.
Clíodhna had to learn to do everything again - from reading and writing to talking - and while she made good progress quickly, she still suffers from fatigue, a common after-effect of stroke.
She's hoping to return to work in software quality assurance in October but says the return has taken longer than she anticipated.
A year ago, she joined the younger stroke support group facilitated by the Irish Heart Foundation and it's helped her cope with the huge amount of change she's faced in her life since stroke.
"As well as the fatigue, I lost all sensation in the right-hand side of my body, although I do have the movement back. That's something that impacts on my quality of life. I've learned there's no timescale for these things - it's incredibly individual," says Clíodhna.
"It can be a very frustrating journey. I've had excellent support from friends and family and if I need something, I know I can ask. I realise that if somebody does or says something that hurts my feelings, I understand they're not doing it on purpose, they're just not aware."
For anyone in the early days of recovery from a stroke, Clíodhna says reaching out to a support group is a brilliant way of connecting with people who know what you're going through. She says it's also a good way to get your confidence back.
"I think I was a kind enough person before the stroke but I'm an awful lot kinder now. You never know what's going on in a person's life and I'm more philosophical now. I wouldn't have chosen it [stroke], but I've come out the better," she says.

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

MedRhythms Adds Stroke Scientific Advisory Board

Appeal to authority is not going to get stroke survivors to 100% recovery. The authorities are responsible for doing nothing to solve all the problems in stroke, or this nihilism list.

MedRhythms Adds Stroke Scientific Advisory Board

PORTLAND, Maine, July 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MedRhythms, a Portland, Maine-based digital therapeutics company, today announced the addition of a Stroke Scientific Advisory Board. The company is developing digital therapeutics, which use sensors, software, and music to support gait rehabilitation in adults suffering from neurologic injuries or diseases. Neuroscience principles and clinical research into the efficacy of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation underpin the science behind these interventions. The company's first product will be focused on addressing walking deficits in the post-stroke population.
MedRhythms is honored to welcome Dr. Lou Awad, Dr. Randi Black-Schaffer, and Dr. Magdy H. Selim to its Stroke Scientific Advisory Board. Each brings a unique skill set to the team and a history of significant research and contributions to the field of stroke care and rehabilitation.
Dr. Magdy H. Selim, M.D., Ph.D. Vascular Neurologist; Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School; Chief of the Division of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Disease, and Director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Dr. Randi Black-Schaffer, M.D. Physiatrist specializing in Stroke Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation of Young Adults after stroke; Medical Director of the Stroke Program at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital; Director of the Spaulding Stroke Research and Recovery Institute; Chief of the Division of Stroke and Neurology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School; fellow of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Diplomate of the Association of Academic Physiatrists.
Dr. Lou Awad, P.T., D.P.T., Ph.D. Director of Boston University's Neuromotor Recovery Laboratory; Research Faculty Member of the Spaulding Stroke Research and Recovery Institute; Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy in Boston University's College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College; Associate Faculty Member of Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.
"Rhythm is a compelling mechanism of action with exciting potential to make an impact in neurorehabilitation.  I look forward to working with MedRhythms in this capacity to develop advanced therapeutics to help all patients suffering from gait impairments," said Dr. Magdy Selim.
The Scientific Advisory Board will strengthen MedRhythms' experience and knowledge in the areas of stroke research and recovery prior to the commercial launch of the company's first product for post-stroke walking rehabilitation. Its establishment is part of MedRhythms' ongoing effort to better serve stroke survivors by understanding their experiences, interests, and needs more deeply. "MedRhythms is committed to helping those suffering from stroke by building high-quality products based on a foundation of neuroscience and rigorous clinical evidence. Teaming up with these Key Opinion Leaders in stroke care and research will help us fulfill this mission," said Brian Harris, Co-Founder and CEO of MedRhythms.
In addition to the digital therapeutic for stroke, MedRhythms is regularly evaluating new innovations, both through internal development and strategic partnerships. These innovations fuel the Company's pipeline of digital therapeutics for neurologic disease and injury.
About MedRhythms
MedRhythms, a privately held company headquartered in Portland, ME, is a digital therapeutics company that uses sensors, music, and AI to build evidence-based, neurologic interventions to measure and improve walking. The MedRhythms team has extensive experience in rehabilitation techniques that use music. The company began as a therapy services company that launched out of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, which the US News & World Report named the No. 2 rehabilitation hospital in the country. To learn more, visit: www.medrhythms.com.

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Stroke research grants, Australia Stroke Foundation Research Grant Round for 2020

This is specifically what is wrong with Stroke associations. They should be requesting solutions to exactly defined stroke problems. None of this having researchers shoot in the dark.  Maybe you want researchers to solve these problems in stroke, or this nihilism list.

Stroke research grants, Australia Stroke Foundation Research Grant Round for 2020 


Stroke research grants

Stroke Foundation Research Grant Round for 2020 

Applications are now open.

In the 2020 Grant Round, Stroke Foundation’s Research Grants program aims to further build capacity in the research community by offering Early Career Researcher Seed Grants.

This round also aims to address a research gap in carer support by allocating one of the four Seed grants available to this priority area.
 

Key dates for 2020 Research Grants

  • Grant applications open: Monday 1 July 2019
  • Grant applications close: 5pm AEST Friday 30 August 2019
  • Grants awarded: mid-December 2019

2020 Early Career Researcher Seed Grants

Four (4) Seed Grants in total of up to $50,000 per grant available to early career researchers, addressing (at least) one of the following Stroke Foundation 2020 Research Priority Areas.
One (1) of the four Seed Grants is allocated to a Support for Carers project in the 2020 Round.
These grants are to conduct pilot or feasibility studies that will be used to inform a larger nationally competitive grant submission (e.g. NHMRC project grants).

2020 Research Priority Areas(These are way too general to be of any use.)

To improve access to and delivery of:
  1. long term community support (e.g. continuity of care, health services, and rehabilitation) with outcome measures beyond 6 months;
  2. interventions for long term psychosocial recovery (i.e. recovery of cognition, communication, and emotional and social wellbeing) with outcome measures beyond 6 months;
  3. health services and pathways of stroke management, including proposals addressing implementation and change in practice (i.e. translation into practice for acute stroke care studies);
  4. support for the diverse needs of Carers.

To Apply

For information on how to apply, download the Stroke Foundation Research Grant Application Guide and read in full before completing the application form.
The Application Guide includes important information including eligibility criteria, grant descriptions, application procedure and FAQs.