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Province provides support to British Columbians living with brain injuries

VICTORIA – A brain injury can happen in a moment and change a life forever.

Today, Minister of Health Terry Lake announced $3 million in funding over three years to the Brain Injury Alliance to support those with brain injuries.

“Brain injury has the ability to shatter lives,” said Lake. “Left untreated, it can lead to issues that affect the whole community, which is why the funding provided to the Brain Injury Alliance is so important to make sure help goes to those who need it.”

The Brain Injury Alliance is a registered B.C. non-profit society that supports brain-injury service providers throughout B.C. The alliance will distribute the funding to organizations in the province that run programs and services to help reduce the […]

UBC Health Mentors Program

UBC Health Mentors Program

You can’t always stop the rain, but wouldn’t it be nice if there was an umbrella for everyone?

Vancouver, BC May 4, 2015 As a survivor of an acquired brain injury, I have enjoyed being a member of the UBC Interprofessional Health Mentors Program over the past school year. The Program invites health mentors (usually survivors or caregivers) to team up with four students chosen from ten different health professional programs (audiology, dentistry, dietetics, genetic counseling, kinesiology, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, social work and speech-language pathology). On Wednesday, April 22nd 2015 the group held its annual Health Mentors Program Symposium in the Life Sciences Centre on the […]

Medical student creates art classes for people living with brain injuries

New idea tackles depression and social isolation while creating useable art work

Second-year medical student Maksim Parfyonov has always had a keen interest in neuroscience. And art. When he was offered the chance to work with CONNECT as part of his Southern Medical Program studies at UBC’s Okanagan campus, it seemed like the perfect fit.

Parfyonov began his work with CONNECT, a residential rehabilitation program for people with acquired brain injury, in September as part of the MD curriculum’s Doctor, Patient, and Society course.

The invaluable learning opportunity has turned into weekly art lessons for CONNECT residents that will culminate in a public art show in Lake Country next month.

“I visited a weekly support group run by a psychologist, where […]

70 Tips to Fall Asleep Faster, and Stay Asleep Longer.

We all sleep and we all dream. Some nights it is easier to fall asleep. Other nights it’s a battle. After having some trouble with sleeping these past couple of weeks. I decided to do some research. Since a lot of people wear sweat shorts to bed I thought, why not share this information with you? Hoping that you will find it as useful as I have. After doing all of my research I came up with 70 different ways to help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer. Hopefully this info will having you sleeping like a champ. If you don’t have any trouble sleeping then, by all means don’t change a thing, however if […]

Fred UnLEEshed: Feb. 13, 2015

BRAIN HEALTH: Margaret Trudeau headlined the B.C. Brain Injury Association’s annual Cocktail Fundraising Gala. Torrential rain did not deter guests who filed into the Winsor Gallery to hear from the celebrated Canadian and mental health advocate. The 67-year-old recounted her struggle with bipolar disorder, its challenges and her journey to get help. Joining Trudeau was fellow speaker Ellie Ennas, who shared her own story of recovering from a brain injury sustained in a car accident that almost killed her. The evening of inspiration, chaired by Liz Baron and Susanne Sherwood, brought together health professionals, advocates, educators and survivors focused on raising $40,000 to support the province’s brain injury community.

Time to Get Honest About Being Disabled

Coming to grips with having a disability has taken me many years. Unlike many who have had challenges from the start, the first forty-nine years of my life were spend living without a disability. In one respect, this has made accepting my new life more difficult. I have something to compare it to.

A few weeks ago, I shared with my wife Sarah that I am getting tired of pretending. I often go to superhuman lengths to “appear” uninjured, struggling to speak, using precious and limited energy to make sure that I walk a straight line when vertigo strikes, working hard to do all I can to show the world that I am as uninjured as I look.

Trying […]

Margaret Trudeau to Inspire as Headline Speaker at BCBIA February Gala

Margaret Trudeau to Inspire as Headline Speaker at BCBIA February Gala

Jan. 15, 2015 – Vancouver – Margaret Trudeau, mental health advocate, famed Canadian speaker and former wife of Pierre Trudeau, the 15th Prime Minister of Canada, says she has a vested interest in supporting the British Columbia Brain Injury Association’s Annual Fundraising Cocktail Gala, on February 5th.

“I will be sharing personal anecdotal stories to weave my message, which is about finding the courage to face your diagnosis or injury – whatever it may be – and going through the process of acceptance to find new ways of being,” says Trudeau.

Tickets are now selling for the Gala, which organizer Susanne Sherwood says will raise funds and awareness for the […]

Stem Cell Therapy Study may help victims of stroke

Stem cell treatment could help stroke victims survive serious brain damage, the first human trial of its kind has suggested.

The pilot study, conducted by doctors at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and scientists at Imperial College London, saw five stroke victims injected with stem cells directly into their damaged brain within seven days of a stroke.

The stem cells were taken from the patients’ own bone marrow.

The scientists said it showed “promising results”, with all the patients showing improvements in disability within six months – something that had only previously been shown in animals.

Four out of five patients had the most severe type of stroke, which only four per cent of people are expected to survive and lead […]

Blueberries could help heal brain injuries

It’s been said you can have too much of a good thing. But a researcher at Memorial University’s school of pharmacy says nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to blueberries and other antioxidant-rich fruit found in abundance in this province.

Dr. John Weber and his research team believe berry extracts may be beneficial, not only for cardiovascular health, but to help reduce the effects of some diseases and help people recover from traumatic brain injury.

Weber has been studying the effect berry extract could play in certain diseases.

During a recent telephone interview, he explained his research, saying that glutamate is the major neurotransmitter in the brain and is needed for normal brain processes.

However, glutamate levels […]

Schoolboy’s pictures of a life with brain injury are acclaimed

A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy with brain injury has had his therapeutic artworks displayed at a major London art gallery. Ben Whymark, from Didcot, volunteered to paint pictures for the Oxfordshire-based Child Brain Injury Trust to show what it is like to live with a brain injury. The All Saints Primary School pupil suffered his brain injury when he was 16 months old after contracting pneumococcal meningitis and septicaemia. He suffered damage to his frontal lobes and at the back of his brain and had to learn how to walk and talk again. But through his painting Ben hopes to show others just what life is like for him.

TBI Recovery Possible: Cognitive Impairment Can Improve With Targeted Brain Training

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can cause severe cognitive problems in adolescents and children, such as a loss of concentration or focus, communication, and problem-solving skills. While it is difficult to predict how long the recovery process from a TBI will take, previous research suggested that cognitive improvements can occur up to one year after the injury, after which it reduces significantly. But new research indicates that with specific brain training, cognitive improvements can be achieved even years after injury.

This research was conducted by the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas and was published Wednesday in the online open-access journal Frontiers in Neurology. While the fastest recovery occurs in the first six months following […]

Concussion recovery delayed by mental activity, study shows

After a concussion, adolescents with the highest level of mental activities — such as reading, doing homework and playing video games — take the longest to recover, a new study suggests.

Adolescents engaged in the highest level of mental activities take about 100 days on average to recover from symptoms of concussion, compared to about 20 to 50 days for those with lower mental activities, according to researchers from Children’s Hospital Boston.

A concussion is an injury to the brain resulting from a blow to the head.

Classic symptoms of concussion are confusion and amnesia. Others include headache, dizziness, nausea […]

Pulling an all-nighter could damage brain

Pulling an all-nighter can make you feel completely drained, cranky, and out of sorts the next day, but can it also actually injure the brain? A new Swedish study published last Tuesday in the journal Sleep indicates that it might.

In the small study conducted in 15 healthy young men, the researchers measured blood levels of certain proteins associated with brain injuries like concussions after the men slept eight hours in a sleep lab and then were kept awake all night playing board games and watching movies. The researchers found that the blood protein levels were 20 percent higher after the men pulled an all-nighter compared to when they had a full night’s rest.

Study: Concussions May Lead to Alzheimer’s Brain Plaques

Research suggests that people who have traumatic brain injuries may be more likely to develop memory problems as they age.

People who suffer concussions may be at a higher risk of developing plaques on the brain found in people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study featured in the journal Neurology.

The new research released today examines the relationship between concussions and amyloid beta plaques in the brain. While the study couldn’t prove causation, it helps shed light into the possible long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries.

Smokers Are Inhaling Arsenic And Cyanide, And Damaging Their Brains, New Campaign Warns

Inhaling dangerous chemicals in cigarettes, including arsenic and cyanide, damages major organs and increases the risk of stroke and dementia, a new stop-smoking campaign will warn.

The Smokefree Health Harms, launched by Public Health England, will warn smokers the chemicals they inhale move through the heart, the lungs and into the bloodstream, finally damaging cells in the brain.

England’s chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said: “We know about the serious effect smoking has on the heart and lungs but smokers need to be aware of how much potential damage is being done to the brain and other vital organs through toxins in cigarettes entering the blood.

“Smoking is the major cause of premature death, with one in two […]

Will new test method improve detection of traumatic brain injuries?

The effects of a TBI can be devastating, and in some cases late detection can lead to even more severe effects.

Many people in New Haven County, Connecticut, have had the experience of being hurt and not knowing initially whether the injury was severe. This can especially be a danger for people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury, which is often a difficult injury to detect.

The effects of a TBI can be devastating, and in some cases late detection can lead to even more severe effects. Now, a new and more effective means of detecting TBI may be able to help future victims of the condition.

Listening to pop music could help people with severe brain injuries recall memories

Listening to pop music can help patients with severe brain injuries recall personal memories, a new study suggests.

Researchers discovered that brain injured patients recalled a similar number of memories when played a song as those without a brain injury.

The study, by Dr Amee Baird and Dr Séverine Samson, was the first to investigate the power of music in evoking memories in people with brain injuries, rather than in those who are healthy or who have dementia.

Talking with Your Spouse or Charlie Brown’s Teacher? Miscommunication in Couples After Brain Injury

The dam finally broke for Christine as she shared with the group her mounting frustrations towards her husband, Mark. “Since his car accident, every time I talk with my husband I get the impression I must sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher,” she said. “Repeatedly, I try to explain my thoughts and feelings to him, trying to make him understand what I’m going through. I feel that I must be insane. Otherwise, why would I keep doing the same thing over and over expecting to get a different response? I’ve explained a million times how I feel, so why won’t he change? I can only assume from his lack of a response, he must not love me anymore […]

6 Things You Need To Know About Women, Aging And Brain Health

Americans are living longer than ever, and women tend outlive men: The average life expectancy for females in the United States is now roughly 81, compared to 76 for males, according to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

As a result, women are disproportionately affected by many of the health issues associated with brain aging. Yet studies exploring brain diseases like Alzheimer’s have focused largely on men, argues Lynn Posluns, founder of the Canada-based Women’s Brain Health Initiative, a nonprofit that raises money to address that research gap.

As researchers begin to tackle questions about how aging influences women’s brains, they’re learning more about what women can do to stay “brain healthy longer,” Posluns said. […]

This Is Your Brain On The Ocean

Your body is comprised of roughly 57 percent water, so it isn’t all that surprising that we’re drawn to even larger bodies of the stuff — the ocean. Though scientists haven’t been able to pinpoint the exact reason behind why the ocean gets our synapses firing so feverishly, it’s a universal truth that doesn’t need all that much explaining. Your brain on the ocean … is better. Below, check out the ways the ocean affects all of your senses for the better.

Hearing
During our formative memory making years (about ages 16 – 21), it is common for many people to spend some amount of time near the ocean, forming memories in their hyper-relaxed state, according to […]

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