The University of Vermont Medical Center HealthSource brain blog is your leading source for brain news, brain articles and nervous system articles from industry experts. Read through a collection of brain and nervous system information on a variety of topics such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and more. The HealthSource brain blog features an array of regular authors and contributors from the medical world including doctors, nutritionists, nurse practitioners and healthcare experts.
On June 7, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first new Alzheimer’s medication in 18 years. Significantly, it is the first approved treatment that’s designed to address the actual disease process and not just dementia symptoms. But aducanumab, which goes by the brand name Aduhelm, has sparked controversy among medical experts; both Republican and Democratic […]
Lori McKenna, LICSW, social worker with the UVM Medical Center’s Memory Program answers questions about caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. What challenges face the caregiver of a person with dementia? Lori McKenna: The unknown regarding the progression of the disease. The grief that they may experience following diagnosis: anger, fear, depression, isolation, […]
Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that affects nearly 8 million Americans and is a leading cause of blindness in adults. In the latest episode of HealthSource Radio, Dr. Christopher Brady talks about the disease. Brady is an ophthalmologist at the UVM Medical Center and assistant professor at the Larner College of Medicine at UVM. Listen to […]
Every morning, when Katie MacDonald opens her eyes, she has a migraine. And not just a headache. There’s a cascade of other symptoms – debilitating body aches, brain fog and fatigue. After several hours, the symptoms fade, but only temporarily. Sometime in the afternoon, inevitably, they come crashing back. For the past 31 years, Katie […]
When you think of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), most people think of sports injuries or motor vehicle crashes. And it’s not surprising. TBIs, including concussions, are often covered in the media in relation to football players or student athletes. As a Level 1 Trauma Center, we see traumatic brain injuries in a very different light. […]
Recently, the World Health Organization released its first-ever guidelines for reducing risk for dementia and cognitive decline. Today, dementia is a global-health priority. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict that the U.S. burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias will double by 2060 to 13.9 million people. The guidelines seek to help people […]
Most of us can say we know someone who has had a stroke. The facts speak volumes: A stroke happens every 40 seconds in the United States Every 4 minutes, someone dies of a stroke It is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States Although they occur more commonly in those over the […]
When it comes to stroke, there are many risk factors that are beyond your control, including Being over age 55; Being a female (each year, women have more strokes than men, and stroke kills more women than men. Use of birth control pills, pregnancy, history of preeclampsia/eclampsia or gestational diabetes, oral contraceptive use, and smoking, […]
Most people think MIGRAINE = BAD HEADACHE. But that’s not true… The headache of migraine is often such a profound part of the experience that is all most people think about. But there are many other (non-headache) migraine symptoms, including heightened senses (of light, sound, and smell), a sense of disequilibrium or imbalance, and nausea. […]
Are you ready for a fun-filled and safe winter season!? The UVM Medical Center’s Rehab Therapy Center wants to ensure you know everything you need to in order to stay healthy. Concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a hot topic today — and for good reason. Sports-related concussions impact about 3.8 million athletes each […]
