Caitlin Heaney West

3 weeks ago | brainandlife.org | Caitlin Heaney West

Your brain injury occurred when a vehicle trailer crashed into you while you were cycling. What happened once you arrived at the hospital? I was in a coma. They fitted me with an intracranial pressure bolt that measured the pressure in my brain. I had a feeding tube and a tracheostomy because I wasn't breathing on my own. They took out a plate in my skull to allow my brain to swell. What happened after you woke from the coma? I couldn't walk. I couldn't talk.

1 month ago | brainandlife.org | Caitlin Heaney West

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the American Epilepsy Society (AES), and the Epilepsy Foundation of America (EFA) released a new joint position statement that includes 11 key points and recommendations, published in the journal Neurology in March. An update to their 2007 position statement, the new version takes into account recent research and focuses “on a fair and uniform approach to driving and epilepsy,” says David C.

2 months ago | brainandlife.org | Caitlin Heaney West

How were you diagnosed with NMOSD, an autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system? In 2020, I was running when unexplained blurry vision came on; I'd never experienced that. I saw an optometrist who had some ideas, and after a while, those ideas didn't explain things, so I was referred to a neuro-ophthalmologist and then to a fantastic neurologist, Kristen Krysko, MD, MAS [of St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto]. When did you develop an interest in art?

Dec 9, 2024 | journals.lww.com | Caitlin Heaney West

An analysis of two randomized clinical trials found that the Simon 2-Stage futility trial design is feasible when studying treatments for early Parkinson's disease (PD), according to results published online Dec. 6 in Neurology. The authors noted that researchers have identified several generic medications that could slow the progression of PD or affect neurodegeneration, but evaluating those in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) presents challenges.

Dec 9, 2024 | journals.lww.com | Caitlin Heaney West

​Having a stroke increased a patient's risk of developing dementia by 80 percent, according to results of a population-wide analysis published online Dec. 4 in Neurology. The analysis, which focused on residents of Ontario, Canada, also found that nearly one-fifth of stroke survivors who were followed from 90 days to 20 years after the incident later were diagnosed with dementia.