Category Stroke

Imperial College London

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In September 2022, I was invited to take part in the IC3 study at Imperial College London that looks at cognitive performance after stroke. (www.ic3study.co.uk)”

Storm Anderson, part of the PLORAS Team, put me in touch with the team.. I had spent some time with Storm, talking about the last couple of years and the progression that I had made, post Stroke.

University College London and Imperial College London are trying to investigate how  people who have had a stroke recover using brain MRI scans and tests.

I filled out the registration online and then had an email from Dragos, PhD Candidate, who told me what to expect about the next steps and looked forward to a phone-type interview with him.

The phone interview involved an online test that I could do at home. It took approximately 60-90 minutes and I was allowed to take built-in breaks.  There was going to be a couple of tests that will record your speech so that they could estimate your language ability. During those tests, a question would pop up at the beginning, asking me to allow access to my microphone.

When I was finished I had to send the code at the end of the assessment for their records and to analyse the answers.

After a couple of weeks of completing the online test, I received an email from Dragos which had some other questions:-

  • How did I find the assessment ?
  • How did I find some of the tests that were quite hard and a bit tricky or where there tests that I found confusing or hard to complete ?
  • Did I use a tablet, computer or laptop to do the tests ?
  • If I did use a laptop, did I use a mouse or a touchpad ?

I responded that the assessment was really good and really knowledgeable from the time that I had a stroke, up until now, to see. how I have progressed ( in my head ….. lol)It may sound weird but in my brain, I can think things at the same rate as other people, but translating into sounds coming from my mouth is a bit tricky but after 7 years, again I have improved since doing the assessment.

I found there were 2 tests that were a bit challenging, the test where there were squares and round shapes and a test where there were different shapes and I couldn’t repeat it when they had shown me the first time but again I hope that in time I will find they become easier, it Is a learning curve.

I used my laptop and a mouse. So, all in all, I found it very good.

Imperial College London

At the end of November, I had an email conversation to see if I was happy to take part in MRI session. The session was going to take approximately, 1 and a half hours. there is a research scan and a clinical scan that examines your brain health and function and one of the neuroradiologists would review it to see if there are any new unexpected findings

So, in December, I went the Imperial College London and was met by Dragos and Gaya.

I had some forms to fill out with them and that explained again the next steps and the reasons for it.

Obviously, I had questions but Dragos and Gaya answered all of them so I felt very ok went I went into the MRI Scan.

I was also interviewed by Dr Fatemeh Geranmayeh, an Honorary Consultant Neurologist and Clinician Scientist who was also updating the file that they have on me as this was the first time that I had been to the hospital and were talking about the Stroke before and after the MRI scan so that she could have the whole picture.

Dr Fatemeh Geranmayeh

In the MRI Scan, I had earphones on and a clear visser to put over my eyes.

On the screen was a picture, then a voice said when the picture was. Then on the screen it said repeat and I had to say what the picture was. There were sets of pictures that were easy and sets of pictures that were very difficult.

At each time when I had done 6 pictures, they sped it up and I had to say what the picture was (with no reference to what it was) and each one lasted 3 seconds, each time.

This was to see if I had memory and speech about the pictures and how my brain has developed since I had my stroke.

After coming out of the MRI scan, I did a couple more tests in the lab with Dragos and again I answered questions about my stroke with Fatemeh.

Dragos Gruia

I had a really good day and the team at Imperial College London was fantastic. The  results from the neuroradiologist has reported that there is no new lesion or abnormality apart from the old stroke in the left side of my brain.  I am looking forward to the next tests/MRI in the summer from the college.

If you or anybody wants to know more about cognitive recovery in patients with cerebrovascular disease , then please click the link below

https://www.ic3study.co.uk/

So, the tube…….

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Now the problem is, at the moment, I can’t go up and down the Escalator and I intend on going to a Shop (when its quiet !!!)

Saturday 22nd of December, my partner then and I decided to go to London Borough Markets. I said let’s take a train to London Bridge, we took the car and there will be somewhere close to park it. But then Amy (his daughter, just married) and Ben decided to come as well and they decided we would go up in a car to the O2 and then take the ‘tube’ to London Bridge.

They did not know that I couldn’t use an escalator, as in the tube and hopefully there would be lifts !

I managed to sort out the tube, it has disabled platforms so it was alright. We went to the tube at the O2 and used a lift to get down and it was really busy, after all, it was Christmas ! It was funny in a way Ben and Amy went first, then we followed me on to the tube, we were cramped right in. And it was even more funny, because I held the bar overhead (my left hand). But the noise and everybody was swaying from side to side and my right arm just kept flopping from side to side as well, it was hilarious.

As we approached London Bridge, the tube stopped and everybody got out and we went and got a lift to take us to the top floor. Then we crossed over the road to the Markets.

We looked around for a couple of hours, as I say, it was Christmas ! But everyone was nice and then we went back, via the tube.

Again, now I have done it once – I am alright with doing it again.

And now I can do the Train on my own !

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I spent a long time thinking about this……. Pre Stroke, I used to go up to London on the train and didn’t even think about it. I used to leave my car at the station and then when the train had stopped,  I used to get the underground……..

So, I pondered all week before.  I emailed to say that I wanted to go, it was at Church House, Dean Yard, Westminster in London.  Ok….. i could imagine getting to London but not on the tube yet !

On the Friday before,  I went down to Rochester Train Station.  I could only park for 3 hours, however, just around the corner was a Long Stay Car park. Which if you park in a disabled car park space and have you blue badge on display, so you can park there all day !!!

Then I went into the Station and they showed me the lift to the top floor and if I needed someone to help me on the train (and off in London) then I only had to shout. The only thing was the tube and basically it was a Taxi ride from Victoria Station.

I was really proud of myself in a way, I spent the whole day in London (via the Train Station and the Taxi) and ok, I was tired but I did it and as I say, once I have done it the first time, then its fine.

There were workshops :- iReadMore, which was a word reading app for patients with aphasia ( which i was one of them !) iTALKbetter, again an app to improve word finding. A sonic sleeve which gives auditory feedback on forward reaching movements such as reaching a cup of tea.

There were talks as well :- Stimulating Speech, Upper Limb Rehabalitation Project. It was really good and it made you think about the different effects that a Stroke can have.

I signed up to be a Volunteer for PLORAS. They do an MRI brain scan and a language assessment to predict language outcome and recovery.  So lets see…..