Welcome

After my release from hospital I found that very little help was available to me surrounding the after affects that resulted from my brain injury. However, after some time I was contacted by BASIC (Brain and Spinal Injury Charity) and their input really changed my life, and thousands of others, for the better.

She invited me to a self-help group meeting in Glasgow (their nearest available group to Aberdeen which is now closed), where I was able to meet with other people who had a similar experience to myself, along with their friends and families. It was an uplifting experience. No, No, No, wait a minute, I’m missing a lot out here. Sandra called me many times, and every time I heard her voice it put a smile on my face. She knew everything I was going through, and over the telephone I began to understand what was going on in my head to a certain extent. I don’t really know how to describe my feelings at that time, but I know this, if BASIC, or specifically Sandra had not contacted me, well who knows ????????

It has been nine years now since my haemorrhage. Our web site has been running for over five years, and I still receive calls for help and information from hundreds of people throughout the UK. So one of the latest key aims of this web site, is to open 'Drop-In Neurocare Centres' throughout Scotland just like England's first Neurocare centre.

These 'Drop-In' centres will be designed to offer Brain Haemorrhage and Brain Injury victims and families specialized after care and rehabilitation facilities, regardless of ethnical, racial, cultural, age or financial background, with the first of these centers being earmarked for the Aberdeen area. Each Centre will be staffed by qualified medical and advisory personnel who will offer a range of benefits such as Information library, emotional support, benefit advice, relaxation therapies, meeting rooms, internet training centres, acupuncture treatment, massage and other services essential to the rehabilitation process.

The 'Drop-In' centres will also have online local community ( UK and Worldwide based),eg Latest News which will enable interactive activities that I thought impossible six years ago.

SHMU shmu (pronounced shmoo) is a dynamic Community Media Unit that supports residents in the six regeneration areas of North & Central Aberdeen in radio and video production, traditional and on-line publications, and digital access. As a community-managed, needs-led organisation, shmu 's mission is to support its communities to reclaim the media.

Using streaming technology and other technologies our website will offer you the following (free) services.

Interactive Chat (one to one and online community based, audio and visual or text based) with streaming capabilities. Professional advice will also be available in the very near future. Live on the internet.

Link's to professional, social and community bodies pertaining to relevant information resources (e.g. other brain injury sites) entitlements for survivors, and entertainment sites that generously provide a wide range of choice.

Advice on accessing a wide range of activities community and worldwide based with the help of the internet. If you know of a good web site or social event tell us about it, don't be shy.

Our Relaxation Zone is guaranteed to put your mind at rest, and more importantly to Cheer You Up.

Subarachnoid Haemorrhage Last year in the UK 8,500 people experienced a brain haemorrhage.That equates to almost one person for every hour, of every day, for the whole year.

A brain haemorrhage which may be a subdural, extradural or a subarachnoid haemorrhage is a sudden leak of blood and is caused by the rupture of a weakened blood vessel known as a brain aneurism.

Approximately 80% of Brain Haemorrhages are caused by Aneurysms. They are present in at least 1% of the population, which means that approximately 600,000 people in the UK are at risk of suffering from a brain haemorrhage.

That equates to at least one in 100 people go about their daily routine completely unaware that they have potentially deadly flaws in the blood vessels in their brain.

Cerebral Aneurysm rupture is very dangerous, being fatal in 50% or more cases, with stroke-like deficits in half the remainder. In these, the damage to brain tissue caused by the original haemorrhage or delayed blood vessel spasm, may cause speech disturbance, emotional difficulties, memory and concentration problems, irritability and aggression, weakness down one side of the body, double vision, epilepsy, disinhibition, incontinence.

Not all such damage is permanent however, and intensive rehabilitation, with physical, occupational and speech therapy will help recovery - which may be slow and uneven.

There is no age barrier to this life threatening condition, and it can happen at any time or place.

When a Brain Scientist Suffers a Stroke As a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist, Jill Bolte Taylor has always known more about brains than most people. But when a brain haemorrhage triggered her own stroke, she suddenly had a front-row seat on the deterioration of the brain. Dr. Taylor recounts the details of her stroke and the amazing insights she gained from it in a riveting 18-minute video of her speech at the Technology, Entertainment, Design Conference in Monterey, Calif., last month. Her fascinating lecture includes a detailed explanation of the differences between the left and right sides of the brain, complete with an incredibly cool prop — a real human brain. A must vist..... Walter

Extraterrestrial Medicine Most space developments are successfully applied on planet Earth. They cure those diseases that the earthly medicine fails to heal.What do an astronaut who spent half a year on the orbit and a patient who suffered a stroke or a brain injury have in common? Neither of them feels his body, can walk unaided or speak without difficulties. An astronaut has these problems because his muscles atrophied in weightlessness, and a patient – because haemorrhage damaged the brain areas involved in speech and motion.

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Subarachnoid Haemorrhage. The symptoms experienced and the convalescence required will be similar for the majority of people, regardless of the cause of the bleed, or any treatment required. Medical and Nursing teams from the Wessex and Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centres have worked in collaboration to build this site as it was felt that there was a need for accurate and patient friendly information to be available to our patients and their loved ones. The aim of this site is to explain SAH in general terms and to provide answers to some commonly asked questions.

Snowdrop Neuro-Cognitive therapy for brain injury. We are a consultancy in child development which specialises in providing programmes of rehabilitation for children who suffer developmental difficulties. Those difficulties may be caused by brain injury or by sociocultural sources and might express themselves in many ways, such as cerebral palsy or autism, or more specific problems such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia or specific language impairment (SLI)

Is there a Link? Relatives of people with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) may be at increased risk of SAH, but precise data on the level of risk and which relatives are most likely to be affected are lacking.

What is a Stroke The brain controls our body movements, processes information from the outside world and allows us to communicate with others. A stroke occurs when part of the brain stops working because of problems with its blood supply. This leads to the classic symptoms of a stroke, such as a sudden weakness affecting the arm and leg on the same side of the body.

The brain is one of the most delicate parts of the body and, tragically, even a short time without a good blood supply can be disastrous. For example, although a finger or even a leg can be successfully saved after many hours without a blood supply, the brain is damaged within minutes. The symptoms of a stroke usually come on quickly and can be very severe.

''Ask the person to smile, raise their arms or say a short sentence,'' says German neurologist Curt Beil.

If the person has problems completing one of those tasks then they must immediately see a doctor.

" Patients taken to a hospital within three hours and treated in a stroke unit have a much better chance of surviving and being rehabilitated,'' says the neurologist from Cologne.

Another stoke indicator is if the tongue lolls from side to side. Half of the hundreds of thousands of patients who suffer a stroke annually are over the age of 75 but young people, and even children, can also be affected.

A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly curtailed. The cause can be a blocked artery supplying the brain or a haemorrhage through a damaged blood vessel. A first sign that a stroke is about to happen is sudden weakness on one side of the body,'' explains Beil.Temporary speech problems, numbness on one side of the body or a sight problem are all warning signals that have to be taken seriously.

How to head off a stroke It is the third biggest killer in the UK and can cause devastating damage to those who survive - yet a few simple lifestyle changes can cut the risk.

Heart Attacks A heart attack seems to strike out of nowhere, but it actually involves a sequence of steps that build over years to culminate in a crisis experienced over minutes or hours.

Aneurysm Coiling Minimally Invasive Treatment for Brain Aneurysms. Hartford , CT - Hartford Hospital has introduced a revolutionary angiographic biplane lab enhancing the performance of minimally invasive treatments for those suffering from brain aneurysms. Connecticut 's first Fully-Integrated 3D Biplane Angiographic Lab was the focus of an Internet webcast first seen on Tuesday, October 21, from Hartford Hospital in Hartford , CT. Click View Webcast, then click, I don't want to watch for CME Credit.

AVM A subarachnoid haemorrhage can also occur because blood leaks from an abnormal tangle of blood vessels called an arteriovenous malformation.AVMs can occur anywhere in the body, but when they affect the brain or spinal cord they can produce problems if they bleed (haemorrhage). If the AVM ruptures and bleeds the blood that escapes puts pressure on the surrounding brain region or spinal cord region. This is usually a sudden event and causes neurological symptoms like headache, seizure and weakness.

Brain Tumour There are approximately 5,000 new cases of primary brain tumour every year, and they account for 25% of all children's cancer deaths. Brain cancer starts in just one cell of the brain. As the cell copies itself, the cancer copies as well. The cancer continues to grow from a tumour. The tumour stays exactly where it starts, but it can grow very large and put pressure on crucial areas of the brain. Primary brain cancer starts within the brain. Secondary brain cancer starts in another organ and then migrates to the brain. Again there is no age barrier.

Meningitis Meningitis is an infection of the covering layers of the brain (meninges). Meningitis can be caused by various sorts of infection, with a virus, with a bacterium, and even with fungi.

Encephalitis The Society’s stated aim is to improve the quality of life of all people affected directly and indirectly by encephalitis.

Live February 8th 2005. Memphis, Tenn.- Methodist Healthcare will host a live surgical Webcast at Methodist University Hospital On Tuesday, February 8, 2005 at 10pm showcasing a brain surgery that targets radiation directly to a tumour cavity. The Webcast will feature Allen K. Sills Jr., MD, neurosurgeon, Methodist University Hospital, as he performs a procedure using the GliaSite Radiation Therapy System (RTS). Frederick A. Boop, MD, Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery, LeBonheur Children's Medical Centre will narrate the event.

Amazing coverage of the latest developments in brain cancer treatment. The live event was first class very professional, to say the least. I was even able to ask the neurosurgeon a question by email live. He even said "That's an Excellent Question." Well he said that to them all. ^(^ Watch the replay. Outstanding coverage!!!

Head Injury Each year 1.4 million people in the UK suffer head injury, and about 150,000 of these will be admitted to hospital, with most being discharged within 48 hours. Head injury is most likely to happen to young men who are involved in road traffic accidents. These head injurys, along with other neurological conditions affecting the brain, mean that an estimated 3 Million people in the UK are suffering from brain related disorders. These people often need rehabilitation sometimes over many years. Even minor brain injury can result in difficulties which can persist for many months or years.

ReGentherapeutics Plc Five years ago Dr Wally Nel, a General Practitioner in South Africa, discovered that zolpidem promoted remarkable recoveries in some patients who were treated with it for insomnia, following traumatic brain injury and stroke. In a case report published in a South African medical journal in 2000, Dr Nel and his co-worker Dr Ralf Clauss described how approximately fifteen minutes after an oral dose of zolpidem was administered to a patient who had suffered a road traffic accident three years previously, he awoke from his semi-comatose condition and remained awake for the next 3-4 hours and when drug action subsided he returned to his previous state. That same patient is now awake for up to 10 hours a day after seven years of daily treatment with zolpidem. Further studies in Dr Nel’s clinic have now shown that many subjects with brain-injury caused in various ways and with various degrees of severity have consistent and reproducible improvement in their clinical features when given Zolpidem.

Sleeping Pill Wakes Woman After 2 Years in Coma after a brain haemorrhage. Article

Case Study Evidence for Zolpidem efficacy in brain damage. Previous reports have shown that zolpidem could reverse semi-coma and improve cerebral perfusion after brain injury. Studies in animals have implicated omega 1 GABAergic action as reason for this improvement. Evidence for the efficacy of zolpidem in a wide range of brain pathology is reviewed here and the mechanism of zolpidem in brain injury is considered from the perspective of diaschisis and neurological dormancy after brain injury. (SA Fam Pract 2005;47(3): 49-50).

Epilepsy Scotland Epilepsy can affect anyone at anytime. Nearly 40,000 people in Scotland are affected by the condition and Epilepsy Scotland is here to help. If you want the latest information on the causes and treatment of epilepsy - either for yourself, a family member, for a friend, or even for a feature article - then we are sure you will find it here.

Epilepsy Our website contains everything you need to know about epilepsy - and if you can't find something, email us using our Email Helpline service and we will do our best to email you a reply within five working days.

Alert Patients receiving drugs commonly used to treat epilepsy are twice as likely to experience suicidal behavior or ideation, compared to those receiving placebo. The increased risk, observed as early as week 1, was consistent among 11 commonly used drugs.......31/1/08.

Breathing Space Scotland Anyone can feel down or depressed from time to time. It helps to get some Breathing Space. You are not alone and talking about how you feel is a positive first step in getting help. So don't let problems get out of hand, phone Breathing Space where experienced advisors will listen and provide information and advice.

Breathing Space is a free and confidential phoneline service for any individual, who is experiencing low mood or depression, or who is unusually worried and in need of someone to talk to.

Brain Clinic Carers of people with brain injuries are getting the opportunity to visit the site of Northern Ireland 's first purpose-built brain injury clinic.

Two studies published last week reveal such a correlation between erectile dysfunction and chronic diseases that doctors think the diagnosis of poor sexual health should warrant screening for a serious, underlying or emerging illness.

Stroke Thirty people a day die or are left seriously disabled because they do not get specialised care in a dedicated stroke unit. Stroke is one of the biggest killers and cause of disability in the UK. Stroke treatment costs us £2.3bn a year - almost six per cent of the NHS and social services annual expenditure. These costs are projected to increase by 30 per cent in real terms by 2023. There are two main types of stroke: those caused by blood clots in an artery supplying blood to the brain (ischaemic stroke), and those caused by bleeding in the brain (haemorrhagic stroke). About 80% of all strokes are ischaemic. There are about 4.7 million stroke survivors in the UK alone (1.6% of the total population), and more women than men have strokes.There is no miracle cure for stroke. But there is strong evidence that people who have had a stroke are more likely both to survive and to recover more function if they receive organised inpatient care in a stroke unit.

MS Could Estriol Be the Elixir for MS? LOS ANGELES, CA -- March 23, 2007 -- It has long been common knowledge that pregnant women with multiple sclerosis experience a sharp drop in the disease's symptoms during the course of their pregnancy.

MS Multiple Sclerosis is the most common neurological disorder diagnosed amongst young adults. It afffects the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain and the spinal cord. It is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40 years.

MS Society UK The MS Society is the UK's largest charity for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS) - about 85,000 people across the UK. Information and support is available to anyone affected by MS from our network of over 350 local branches.

Alzheimers Scotland Is Scotland's leading dementia charity. We provide services and campaign actively to help people with dementia and their families and carers. This website is for people with dementia, carers, family members, professionals, policy-makers, students and anyone who wants to know more.

Alzheimers The UK’s leading care and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers.

Alzheimer's gene identified An international effort led by scientists at the University of Toronto, Columbia University and Boston University has isolated another gene responsible for Alzheimer's disease. 14/01/07.

Depression Clinical depression should not be confused with the occasional bout of the 'blues' that everyone experiences from time to time. Depression is a recognised mental disorder with quantifiable symptoms that often have a serious impact on the person's quality of life, physical well-being and productivity in society.

7 Relationship Problems and How To Solve Them! It’s a rare couple that doesn’t run into at least a few relationship problems -- even when their love life is generally happy. It helps, experts say, to know what the most common problems in a relationship or marriage are. That way you’ll have a better chance of getting through them if they occur in yours. Scott Haltzman, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of psychology at Brown University in Providence, R.I.

The Wall Street Journal Why some patients get no help after brain injury. I hope someone from the Scottish and UK Parliament reads this!!

AA-uk After a brain injury alcohol is often used as an escape from day to day living. Need I say more?

Alcoholics Anonymous® is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.

Al-anon uk Al-Anon Family Groups provide understanding, strength and hope to anyone whose life is, or has been, affected by someone else's drinking. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.

Carers The Princess Royal Trust for Carers is delighted by the announcement of an extra £60m for Carers' Grants, and the news that the Grant would continue for at least an extra two years.

Carers UK Carers UK is the voice of carers. Carers UK is here to improve carers' lives by fighting for equality and recognition for carers. Carers UK campaigns for changes that make a real difference for carers and provides information and advice on carers' rights and how to get support. Excellent website with informative information for all carers.

Bereavement This site is here for your support. It is totally voluntary and free of charge. We all need support when grieving the loss of a loved one, especially after the initial support which we receive in the early days drops off. The phone rings less and less, and people call to see us less frequently. Daily life and living takes over, and we feel lost and very alone....This is where Bereavementuk can be of help and support.

The Way Foundation "At last, an organisation that acknowledges the needs of those men and women widowed young!" According to the latest estimates, there are approximately 36,500 widowed men and women in England, Wales and Scotland under the age of 40. Under 50, the figure rises dramatically to approximately 142,000. The WAY Foundation provides a self-help social and support network for men and women widowed up to the age of 50, and their children. The main aim is to help those widowed young to rebuild their lives by helping one another.

Great News There has been a major improvement in Shetland's health care provision with the official launch of a new scanner. Islanders raised more than £1million for the facility, which will mean faster diagnosis for spinal injuries, stroke, cancer and other illnesses.

News Finland: Health ministry plans to publish guidelines for the medical use of cannabis. 17/2/08.

News USA: The largest American association of physicians calls for reclassification of cannabis and protection of patients who use the drug according to state laws. Marijuana has been smoked for its medicinal properties for centuries. Preclinical, clinical, and anecdotal reports suggest numerous potential medical uses for marijuana. Although the indications for some conditions have been well documented, less information is available about other potential medical uses. 17/2/08.

Brain Healing Bridges Two MIT scientists nanotechnologically reconnect brain cells. 26/07/07

Red Wine Antioxidant in red wine protects against Alzheimer's disease. 26/07/07.

A CHARITY which offers a helping hand to brain injury victims and their families is set to be re-launched in York this autumn. A public meeting is being organised at the Priory Centre on Monday November 26, with the aim of setting up a York branch of Headway. 09/09/07.

News 'Hearing voices' is not a symptom restricted to patients with psychosis, physicians in Switzerland report. They describe a case illustrating how auditory hallucinations can occur when neurological conditions affect the parts of the brain used to process and monitor speech. Mon, 20 August 2007.

News A survey by a health charity has found nearly a third of people in Scotland are more likely to act over a lost bank card than a suspected stroke. 18/07/07.

News A probe of the upper echelons of the human brain's chain-of-command has found strong evidence that there are not one but two complementary commanders in charge of the brain, according to neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. 20/06/07.

News Paralyzed lab rodents with spinal cord injuries apparently regained some ability to walk six weeks after a simple injection of biodegradable soap-like molecules that helped nerves regenerate. The research could have implications for humans with similar injuries. 23/04/07.

News The University of Toronto team found head injury patients who had drunk low amounts were 24% less likely to die than those who had not had any alcohol. 23/12/06.

News Blood clots can save you or kill you. Now scientists getting a better handle on when and where they will form. 06/11/06

News The active ingredient of marijuana could be considerably better at suppressing the abnormal clumping of malformed proteins that is a hallmark of Alzheimer's than any currently approved drugs prescribed for the treatment of the disease. Scientists report the finding in the Oct. 2 issue of the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics. 05/10/06

News Hospital cancer service is saved. Demonstrators have won their fight to keep breast cancer care services at a north Wales hospital that had been threatened with downgrading. 15/09/06

News 'Never disregard a head injury' Every year, over a million people attend hospital with a head injury - most of which are mild. However, although it sounds innocuous, doctors have realised that mild head injuries can result in long term problems. 11/07/06.

News Did Cannabis caused a fatal brain haemorrhage for 23 year old man? 12/07/06. The coroner said: "This may not have been a natural cause but I'm not prepared to say that it was definitely due to cannabis.

News Surgery for Parkinson's disease was popularized in the mid- twentieth century before the advent of effective medical therapies. Early lesioning treatments contributed to our understanding of the functional anatomy of Parkinson's disease. Observations of the limitations and long-term complications of established pharmacological therapies for Parkinson's disease, together with major contributions from animal research to elucidate the roles of the basal ganglia in movement disorders, inspired a recent renaissance in neurosurgical interventions for Parkinson's disease including deep brain stimulation; this continues to yield much neurophysiological information. The development of potentially restorative treatment modalities, such as gene therapy, neural transplantation and nanotechnology, hold much promise for surgery, both therapeutically and in revealing further insights into Parkinson's disease pathophysiology. 16/6/06.

News A mother is planning legal action against a hospital where her 16- year-old son died after waiting two days for emergency treatment. 11/04/06.

Aspirin Regular use of aspirin doubles the risk of death after a brain haemorrhage, according to a Finnish clinical study. 11/11/05.

Aspirin Stroke survivors who stopped taking their prescribed daily aspirin tripled their risk of having another stroke within the month, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2005.

News Press Releases GW announces that it has been informed by the Home Office that the Drugs Minister, Paul Goggins, has confirmed that Sativex® oromucosal spray, its cannabis-based medicine, may be imported from Canada to satisfy its prescription to individual patients in the UK as an unlicensed medicine. 15/11/05.

News Vatcan City, April 20 (Reuters) - Newly-elected Pope Benedict XVI suffered a brain haemorrhage in 1991 but has since recovered from it, his biographer John Allen was quoted as saying on Wednesday. 20/04/05.

BrainHelp Scottish Charity :- Though the success of my web site has gained national recognition and won me prestigious awards for contribution in this field, I am painfully aware that the acute shortage of after care facilities for brain aneurysm/haemorrhage sufferers throughout Scotland cannot be compensated by a website, no matter how successful it is operated. Therefore my colleagues and I have instituted the Scottish charity 'Brain Help' for the specific purpose of funding the Brain Aneurysm Foundation and the establishment of 'Drop-In Neurocare Centres' throughout Scotland .

These 'Drop-In' centres will be designed to offer Brain Haemorrhage and Brain Injury victims and families specialized after care and rehabilitation facilities, regardless of ethnical, racial, cultural, age or financial background, with the first of these centres being earmarked for the Aberdeen area. Each centre will be staffed by qualified medical and advisory personnel who will offer a range of benefits such as Information library, emotional support, benefit advice, relaxation therapies, meeting rooms, internet training centres, acupuncture treatment, massage and other services essential to the rehabilitation process.

These are a prime examples in cancer care. Maggie's Centres "Maggie's is the jewel in the crown for providing cancer support" Mike Dixon, Surgeon, Western General Hospital Edinburgh.

These are a major undertaking, and one that cannot be achieved without the generosity and support of all sectors of the Scottish business community as well as recognition from the general public, and we are hopeful that you will appreciate the validity and vital necessity of our undertaking and contribute meaningfully to our project to enable us to accomplish our objectives as early as possible.

We are the definitive resource for any journalist working on a brain injury related story and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We can offer a wide range of media volunteers, facts and figures and any other information that you could possibly need to know to write a brain injury /stroke related story.

Georgian Dress Hire Based in the Granite City of Aberdeen, Bonnie Scotland. Georgian Dress Hire offer a full kilt making and dress hire service. We have an extensive choice of hand-made kilts, tartans and accessories, in order to achieve a imaginative style that reflects your personality.

Neil Angus For advice and engineering on a number of software and hardware issues.

Jessie Bruce Queens Nursing Institute Scotland. For there hard work and support.

Stewart Milne An electrician by trade, Stewart Milne diversified into house-building and set up Stewart Milne Construction in 1975. Over the past 30 years, Stewart Milne Group has grown and evolved to become one of Scotland's best- known privately owned house builders with involvement in the manufacture of timber frames and commercial structures, building contracting and commercial property development.

Aberdeen Student's Charities Campaign's Aberdeen Student's Charities have been running for over 80 years and incorporate students from the three higher institutions of Aberdeen: The University of Aberdeen, The Robert Gordon University and Aberdeen College.

HBOS plc As one of the UK's leading financial organisations we have a huge presence in the community not only through the products and services that we provide to individuals, but by employing more than 60,000 people. Thanks Simon.

Millennium Commission The Millennium Commission assists communities in marking the close of the second millennium and celebrating the start of the third. The Commission uses money raised by the National Lottery to encourage projects throughout the nation which enjoy public support and which will be lasting monuments to the achievements and aspirations of the people of the United Kingdom.

Grampian Police Many thanks for your donation : The Forensic Science Laboratory Nelson Street Aberdeen.

Use our new search facility. Brainhelp benefits from you using the search facility as you normally would.