Saturdays News - Epileptic Seizure and/or Stroke?

SSTattler: Epileptic Seizure can happen in a ischemic/haemorrhaging stroke but epileptic seizure effects the transient symptom synchronous neuronal activity (electrical) and a stroke damaging part of the tissue of the brain. See the definition below and YouTube video.

Definition: Epileptic Seizure From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 

An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement (tonic-clonic seizure) or as mild as a brief loss of awareness (absence seizure). It can manifest as an alteration in mental state, tonic or clonic movements, convulsions, and various other psychic symptoms (such as déjà vu or jamais vu). Sometimes it is not accompanied by convulsions but a full body "slump", where the person simply will lose body control and slump to the ground. The medical syndrome of recurrent, unprovoked seizures is termed epilepsy, but seizures can occur in people who do not have epilepsy.

About 4% of people will have an unprovoked seizure by the age of 80 and the chance of experiencing a second seizure is between 30% and 50%. Treatment may reduce the chance of a second one by as much as half. Most single episode seizures are managed by primary care physicians (emergency or general practitioners), whereas investigation and management of ongoing epilepsy is usually done by neurologists. Difficult-to-manage epilepsy may require consultation with an epileptologist, a neurologist with an interest in epilepsy.

Classification Main Article: Seizure Types

Clinicians organize different types of seizure according to whether the source of the seizure within the brain is localized (partial- or focal-onset seizures) or distributed (generalized seizures). Partial seizures are further divided on the extent to which consciousness is affected (simple partial seizures and complex partial seizures). If consciousness is unaffected, then it is a simple partial seizure; otherwise it is a complex partial seizure. A partial seizure may spread within the brain — a process known as secondary generalization. Generalized seizures are divided according to the effect on the body, but all involve loss of consciousness. These include absence, myoclonic, clonic, tonic, tonic–clonic, and atonic seizures. A mixed seizure is defined as the existence of both generalized and partial seizures in the same patient.

Following standardization proposals published in 1970, outdated terms such as "petit mal", "grand mal", "Jacksonian", "psychomotor", and "temporal-lobe seizure" have fallen into disuse.

See the full article Epileptic Seizure From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Is It a Seizure or a Stroke?

Seizures can result from strokes. Learn more about the relationship between these two common conditions.

  (SSTattler: We displayed only a subset this topic - see the topic Epilepsy Therapy Project video).

Epilepsy - Types of Seizures

There are many different kinds of seizures in Epilepsy. Learn more with Dr. Rober Fischer in this educational video.

Understanding Partial Seizures

Partial seizures begin in a limited area of the brain. Each type of partial seizure is profoundly different.

Understanding Generalized Seizures

Although generalized seizures are characterized by electrical activity throughout the brain, each is profoundly different.

10 Truths About Epilepsy

Up to 3 million people have epilepsy in America, yet myths about the disease still abound. Get the facts here!

What Causes Epilepsy?

Epilepsy affects nearly 3 million Americans! But who is really at risk?

Seizure Imitators Overview

Seizures can be scary, but they are often manageable once diagnosed, however, what if what you are experiencing isn't really a seizure? This video presents an overview of seizure imitators.

Fewer Than 1 in 4 Newborns With Ischemic Stroke Have Subsequent Seizures

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- Neonates with arterial ischemic stroke are at increased risk for having at least one seizure in the following months, but this may not warrant prolonged prophylactic anticonvulsant therapy, according to a report in Pediatrics for June.

Samantha Para and the Boston Celtics - Helping Children's Hospital Boston

(SSTattler: As well see Saturdays News - Oct/6/2012 - Pre-Natal & Kids had Stroke)

Samantha had a pre-natal stroke that left her body's right side weakened. Despite heroic efforts to help her, she was left with constant seizures, up to 20 a day. As a teen, Children's stepped in with a rare and risky surgery. Now she is seizure-free and a freshman at a community college on the Cape.

In this video Samantha shares her passion for the Celtics and what it means to her to be able to go to a game.

Saturdays Comics - Dec/08/2012

For Better and For Worse Lynn Johnston / 2007-08-14 "Not great today, he's acting like a little kid !"	Dilbert Scott Adams / 2012-12-06 "Work so hard that it destroy your health and..."
Garfield Jim Davis / 2012-12-02 "SqUriNCh ...."	Betty Delainey & Rasmussen / 2012-12-06 "I have to say -- SKYPE is amazing ..."

* For Better and For Worse" is a serious topic of stroke but with a very nice cartoons. It is all about Grandpa Jim had a stroke and 88 further cartoon "strips" that happened to Grandpa Jim. (See as well  the author Lynn Johnston).

** I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons. It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low. Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.

*** Changed from "Pickles" to "Betty" -- "Betty" is a excellent cartoon and Gary Delainey & Gerry Rasmussen are authors/artists/cartoon-strips and they live in Edmonton.

Saturday - Eclectic Stuff & Articles - Dec/08/2012

Definition:Eclectic(noun) a person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.

Article: Mark - Dec 4th, 2012 Newsletter - The Teaching of Talking

Mark - The Teaching of Talking

Questions from our Readers

What do you work on in speech therapy with those who have lost the ability to talk?

Approaches that speech therapists use to address speaking difficulties are as many as the stars above.  And I'm not kidding!  Approaches to therapy are as different as fingerprints; hardly ever the same.  Each speech pathologist has their own way of doing things and there is a great deal of variability within the field today.

Many of the approaches, which have been used, are old and tired; and thank goodness there are the speech gurus who develop new and different approaches to address the problem of speech loss due to aphasia, head injury or developmental delays in children.  There are many new and exciting approaches, which are showing great promise.  

In my previous writings I have commented that most caregivers and clients/patients know whether speech therapy is working, and I have encouraged many who are in doubt to have conversations with their therapist or seek other expert speech pathologists for second or third opinions. 

The Teaching of Talking Method fits right in with the newest concepts in speech therapy today for the treatment of speech and language difficulties of those with aphasia, head injury and developmental delays.  The concept deals with neuro-plasticity which is the brain's ability to reorganize itself and allow the nerve cells to compensate for an injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment.  It simply means that the brain can continue to improve function with regular exercise and practice and that it may take hours per day to keep the process of learning occurring, even with a damaged brain.  Our method would also concur with Constraint Induced Speech Therapy which forbids alternate methods of communication such as writing, signing, gesturing and other means of communication and forces the concentration of therapy on speaking, and dealing with real life speaking situations and what must be said in the moment during daily activities of living.  Neuro-plasticity and Constraint Induced Speech Therapy are the Foundational Principles of The Teaching of Talking Method, and forcing ....

See the full article Dec 4th, 2012 Newsletter - The Teaching of Talking.

Eclectic: Jackie - ONLY for the Women; Sorry, Not Allowed for Men.

Jackie - SSTattler

JOKE 1:

In a dark and hazy room, peering into a crystal ball, the Mystic delivered grave news:

"There's no easy way to tell you this, so I'll just be blunt. Prepare yourself to be a widow. Your husband will die a violent and horrible death this year."

Visibly shaken, Laura stared at the woman's lined face, then at the single flickering candle, then down at her hands.

She took a few deep breaths to compose herself and to stop her mind racing. She simply had to know. She met the Fortune Teller's gaze, steadied her voice and asked, "Will I be acquitted?"

For some reason, wives tend to like this joke ....

JOKE 2:

A chicken farmer went to a local bar and sat next to a woman and he ordered a glass of champagne:
    -- The woman perks up and says, 'How about that? I just ordered a glass of champagne,
        too!'
   -- 'What a coincidence' the farmer says. 'This is a special day for me... I am celebrating'.
   -- This is a special day for me too, I am also celebrating!' says the woman.
   -- What a coincidence!' says the farmer! As they clinked glasses the man  asked, 'What are
       you celebrating?'
   -- 'My husband and I have been trying to have a child and today my gynaecologist told me
       that I am pregnant!'
   -- 'What a coincidence,' says the man. 'I'm a chicken farmer and for years all of my hens
       were infertile, but today they are all laying fertile eggs.'
   -- 'That's great!' says the woman. 'How did your chickens become fertile?'
   -- 'I used a different cock,' he seriously replied.
   -- The woman smiled and said, 'What a coincidence'.

JOKE 3:

I became confused when I heard the word 'service' used with these agencies:

• Banking 'Service'
• Postal 'Service'
• Telephone 'Service'
• Pay TV 'Service'
• State & Public 'Service'
• Customer 'Service'
• Bureaucratic 'Service'
• and so on ...

This is not what I thought 'Service' meant. Then I visited my uncle, he's a farmer, and he hired a bull to 'Service' his cows.

Suddenly WOW!!!  It all came clear - now I understand what all those agencies are doing to us!

Eclectic: Diane - Privileges Revoked

Diane - The Pink House OTC

Yesterday, I called Outpatient Rehab to find out if the paperwork had been cleared for Bob to continue therapy and was told that his "privileges were revoked" by the financial aid office.

This is not because of anything Bob or I have done. This is because the hospital is fighting with United Health Care over unpaid claims and thus, all United Health Care enrolees are having their "privilege" to financial aid revoked.

Today, an appeal is going to the Chief Financial Officer in charge of the financial aid program to see if he/she will grant an exception for Bob.

All I can say is good grief. And I can't believe it. And here is just one more reason this country needs a universal health care system.

See the original article Privileges Revoked in The Pink House On The Corner.

Eclectic: Monty - You Are Not As Young As You Think ...

This is hilarious...  

Have the sound turned up, way up ... 

Article: National Stroke Assoc. - Spotlight on Pediatric Stroke

Stroke is a serious condition that affects more than just adults. Hundreds of children, including unborn babies, newborns, children and teenagers, experience strokes every year.

Strokes may become evident in babies just after birth if they experience seizures (uncontrolled movements and rhythmic jerking) or apnea (when breathing stops temporarily) ....

See the full article Spotlight on Paediatric Stroke in National Stroke Assoc.

Face of Stroke Ambassador: Elijah Rutherford

Hear more about why Elijah is a Faces of Stroke Ambassador for National Stroke Association's December 2012 stroke awareness mini-campaign about paediatric stroke.

Article: Dean - Embryonic Neuron Transplants Could Effectively Treat Brain Diseases

Dean's Stroke Musing

I don't see why this couldn't be used in stroke also. 
       -- Dean's Stroke Musing
http://www.medical-blogs.org/blog-crawler?bci=824553&url=http://www.news-medical.net/news/20121015/Embryonic-neuron-transplants-could-effectively-treat-brain-diseases.aspx

The unexpected survival of embryonic neurons transplanted into the brains of newborn mice in a series of experiments at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) raises hope for the possibility of using neuronal transplantation to treat diseases like Alzheimer's, epilepsy, Huntington's, Parkinson's and schizophrenia.

The experiments, described this week in the journal Nature, were not designed to test whether embryonic neuron transplants could effectively treat any specific disease. But they provide a proof-of-principle that GABA-secreting interneurons, a type of brain cell linked to many different neurological disorders, can be added in significant numbers into the brain and can survive without affecting the population of endogenous interneurons.

The survival of these cells after transplantation in numbers far greater than expected came as a shock to the team, which was led by UCSF professor Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, PhD, and former UCSF graduate student Derek Southwell, MD, PhD.
The prevailing theory ...

See the full article Embryonic Neuron Transplants Could Effectively Treat Brain Diseases
                          in Dean's Stroke Musing.

Article: Dean - Nerve Stimulation Plus Standard Therapy May Accelerate Stroke Recovery

Dean's Stroke Musing

This is already being used to treat depression and epilepsy. Definition here<<: Get our researchers on it for stroke for acute vs. chronic. -- Dean's Stroke Musing.

http://news.bioscholar.com/2012/07/nerve-stimulation-plus-standard-therapy-may-accelerate-stroke-recovery.html

UT Dallas researchers recently demonstrated how nerve stimulation paired with specific experiences, such as movements or sounds, can reorganize the brain and improve its function.

This technology could lead to new treatments for stroke, tinnitus, autism and other disorders.

A team led by Dr. Robert Rennaker and Dr. Michael Kilgard looked at whether repeatedly pairing vagus nerve stimulation with a specific movement would change neural activity within the laboratory rats’ primary motor cortex. To test the hypothesis, they paired the vagus nerve stimulation with movements of the forelimb in two groups of rats.

After five days of stimulation and movement pairing, the researchers examined the brain activity in response to the stimulation. The rats who received the training along with the stimulation displayed large changes in the organization of the brain’s movement control system. The animals receiving identical motor training without stimulation pairing did not exhibit any brain changes, or plasticity.

People who suffer strokes ...

See the full article Nerve Stimulation Plus Standard Therapy May Accelerate Stroke Recovery
                         in Dean's Stroke Musing.

Article: Gary - Everything You Are Is In Your BRAIN ...

Gary - PEI Stroke Recovery

Would you like to find out more as well as have a deeper understanding of how stroke can effect our brains?

Watch this very interesting video to learn more ...

(SSTattler: Change YouTube "Quality", lower right i.e. the symbol "gears", and change to 240p or or 360 or 480p and then the picture from poor picture to good).








Our brains are amazing parts of our bodies. In fact, brains can also learn and adapt. If you or someone you know or love has been affected by stroke, you need to learn about HOW to teach the brain.

Lets start with a well written book: "The Brain That Changes Itself" (now available on Kindle).

Follow with another of my favourite books on the topic of stroke "Stronger After Stroke".

And now lets get to work: "Stroke Nation"  (Stroke Nation can help through it's growing library of videos available to you, no matter where you live. The video library is available on their You Tube channel) Stroke Nation Video Library.

In conclusion of this post I also want to introduce you to "StrokeLink" What is StrokeLink?

It is an application (App) available only for Apple products at this time to help: "StrokeLink empowers stroke survivors throughout their care journey by providing knowledge and self-care tools to bridge the gaps in care delivery. It provides a comprehensive toolkit of health reference material and a powerful tool for rehabilitation designed to guide and actively engage patients as they recover and regain independence."

(SSTattler: See also Article: SSTattler - SPEAKEASY (Stroke Network Speech Language Pathologists))

If you can, check out StrokeLink and take it for a spin. I would LOVE to know what you think by leaving a comment . Thanks!

If the content on this post is helpful to you in any way, I would also LOVE to know. Please leave a brief comment to let me know. Thanks!!!

You can also sign up (top Right of this page) to be notified by email whenever we post to our blog.

Smiles,

Gary Stroke survivor since 2002

p.s. Please visit our Facebook pages: "PEIStroke Recovery" and "My Life After Stroke"

See the original article Everything You Are Is In Your BRAIN ...
                                in Prince Edward Island Stroke Recovery

Article: Sharon - The Social Cure: Plan How You Can Socialize With Family, Friends, and Neighbours

Sharon - SSTattler

A few weeks ago, I talked about how important social relationships are to health. The most recent one to admonish people to get back to socializing with their families, friends and neighbours is Dr. Paul Nussbaum, clinical neuropsychologist and adjunct professor of neurological surgery at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine.

"Face-to-face interaction and maintaining your family network are beneficial for the brain. So shut off the entertainment devices and spend time talking to each other"

“People who isolate themselves have a higher risk of developing dementia."  So as the New Year approaches think about how you can get out and socialize with family and friends!

Dr. Nussbaum offers the following tips:

Create stories: Tell family stories, join a community acting group.  Engaging in creativity is an important brain workout. In Edmonton, SAGE offers lots of creative activities including GeriActors as. 

Invent games: It turns out the traditional car game of counting license plates is good for the brain, because there is a link between mental stimulation and reduced risk of dementia. However, you don’t have to invent new games—what about chess, checkers, snakes and ladders, and even Parcheesi?  Get  your friends and family together for a games night. 

Get exercise: Physical activity lowers the likelihood of dementia. If you can’t go to a regular seniors centre—check out the Steadward Centre. 

Eat healthy food: A recent study found markers of Alzheimer's in mice who consumed a diet with high levels of fat similar to that of fast food. Cook more meals from scratch. Food rich in anti-oxidants, such as apples, grapes, cantaloupe and berries, for brain-healthy lunch and snacks. 

Your brain can re-organize, "The brain is highly dynamic, constantly reorganizing, and shaped by environmental input," Dr. Nussbaum says.

Engaging in social activity, rather than sitting in front of the TV is the way to increase your brainpower and your health after stroke.

Article: Sharon - Aphasia Heart to Heart

Sharon - SSTattler

Music by Marc Black. Lyrics by Candy Kugel & Marc Black. This recording is from It's Still Me!", a 17-minute guide for people with aphasia and their loved ones, by Buzzco Associates, NYC.

This animated video explains what aphasia is, some basic brain function, how it feels to have aphasia, and demonstrates some ways to communicate without words. It acknowledges that the loss of words is devastating, both for those who have aphasia and for the people around them. More importantly, it also holds out hope for a rich and fulfilling future.

Candy’s mother suffered a massive stroke in 1994 and then survived another 12 years with aphasia, the condition that impairs a person’s ability to process language.  Because she could no longer speak, Candy noticed that even well-meaning friends stopped talking with her, and in fact, avoided looking directly at her when they came to visit.  As a tribute to her and as a much needed public service, Buzzco created “It’s Still Me!”  Click here for more information about the inspiration.  

Buzzco was delighted when Allison Janney, the award-winning actress best known as CJ Cregg on “The West Wing,” agreed to narrate the film with her intelligent and caring voice.

Eclectic: SSTattler - The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra presents: Handel's Messiah

John - SSTattler

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra presents: 

Handel's Messiah 

Saturday, Dec 8, 2012, 7:30 – 10:30PM

Location:    Enmax Hall, Winspear Centre 
             (4 Sir Winston Churchill Square)
City:        Edmonton
Event:       Winspear Centre
Description: Our ever-popular annual 
             performances of Handel’s Messiah 
             will inspire you this Christmas season!
Category:    Concerts / Performances, Performing Arts / Culture
Cost:        Dress Circle: Adult $75 / Student & Senior $75, 
             Terrace: Adult $65 / Student & Senior $63,     
             Orchestra: Adult $56 / Student & Senior $53, 
             Upper Circle: Adult $38 / Student & Senior $36, 
             Gallery: Adult $28 / Student & Senior $28, 
             Orchestra Front: Adult $20 / Student & Senior $20
Link:        www.edmontonsymphony.com …

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