Monday 15 December 2014

FAST is blind to vision loss

When I talk to people who have suffered a stroke, one of the things I often hear is "I did the FAST test and...".  For some it's a life-saver as it prompts them to seek urgent medical attention or call an ambulance.  But for people with vision loss it's at best of no use and at worst can delay diagnosis of a stroke.

Please email me at the address above and tell me your story.

One man told me that he called an ambulance crew because he couldn't see.  The ambulance crew did the FAST test and told him he hadn't had a stroke.  In the Emergency Department he kept telling people he couldn't see until they sent him to an ophthalmologist who told him he'd had a stroke.  By that time it was too late for him to be treated with clot-busting drugs (thrombolysis).

A woman told me that it took her a week to have her stroke diagnosed, despite going straight to her GP and reporting vision loss.

What happened to you?  Please email me at the address at the top of this page.


The FAST test needs to change to incorporate a test of vision.  I intend to apply to run a project to develop an extended FAST test, including vision loss (maybe the V-FAST test?).  Please let me know if you are happy for me to use your story in the application.  Not all stories will be able to be used, but I'm interested to hear about your experience.

Thanks!

Phil Clatworthy

Thursday 20 February 2014

Scientific Review of New Neglect Rehab Methods

A recent scientific review published in the Free to Access journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience describes four new methods for rehabilitation of neglect:

  • Non-invasive brain stimulation (using magnets (TMS) and weak direct currents (tDCS))
  • Drug treatments
  • Prism adaptation
  • Virtual reality
The conclusion?  We need more research.

The article is free, but pretty technical.  Get it HERE.

FEATURED

Try Eye-Search, free web-based visual search training from University College London (funded by the Stroke Association).
Listening Books is a UK charity providing audiobooks for people with reading difficulty. Books can be posted on CD, downloaded, or streamed online. There is a membership fee, but it is apparently heavily subsidised.