Hope for Brain Injury
Thank you for your ongoing coverage of brain injury, including "Adding Insult to Brain Injury," the letter from Patricia A. Cusack in the November/December 2006 issue. In May 2005, I was diagnosed with a glioma of the brain. I experienced forgetfulness and difficulty expressing myself, but I blew off these symptoms because I thought it was just a part of getting older.
I felt such a connection with Patricia A. Cusack, and the article inspired me to continue my search for the right doctor who will help me get through this major ordeal in my life. Thank you so much for sharing other people's stories, because now I feel there's hope out there and that there are other people who understand what I'm going through. - Sandy Gonzales, Lorain, Ohio
Anna Nicole and Methadone Addiction
I am taking methadone for my idiopathic neuropathy, which plagues my feet and hands. Because methadone has been in the news lately with the death of Anna Nicole [Smith], it would be interesting to read about how methadone is used for neuropathy patients and its safety.
The doctors who were interviewed during the Anna Nicole investigation said that methadone gives people a "buzz," and that's why heroin addicts like it. I don't understand this because I get no buzz at all when I take methadone. It simply relieves my pain the same way that an aspirin might relieve muscle pain. I'm upset that people might think of me as a drug addict when that is so far from the truth. - Carole Collier, New York, N.Y.
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your question, Carole. We asked one of our neuropathy specialists to respond to your letter personally. See "Ask the Experts" on to ease your concerns.
More Information on Seizures, Please
I recently discovered Neurology Now in the "Brain Awareness" program here in Portland. I have a personal interest in consciousness and neuroscience.
I also have a friend who struggles with complex partial seizures and their many ramifications, though it's hard to get definitive information on this condition. I'm particularly interested in understanding the symptoms that precede the actual seizure and the duration of these symptoms following the seizure. Are there any preventive measures that can be taken during the preseizure phase to avoid a seizure? What kinds of interventions can you recommend? I hope that in the future you can do an issue on seizures: simple partial seizures, complex partial seizures, even nonepileptic seizures. Thank you for considering this! - Oren Glick, Portland, Ore.
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Welcome, Oren. There's so much exciting neurological research being done on consciousness these days. As for your question on seizures, see "The Double Storm" on page 38, where we discuss temporal lobe epilepsy and depression. We'll have many more features on epilepsy in the coming months, so stay tuned.
Correction to Stroke Incidence
First, congratulations on your magazine. I think Neurology Now has achieved a good balance of educational articles, current developments in science news, and human interest stories. It is a very good vehicle for promoting awareness of neurological disease, as well as for educating the public in a visually appealing format.
I would, however, like to point out some errors in one of your news updates in the January/February 2007 issue. On page 13, you reported on research on the incidence and severity of strokes from the Framingham study. ["Stroke rate declines, but severity remains unchanged."] I am the lead author of the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, not the New England Journal of Medicine.
Also, we noted that women—not men, as you reported—were having strokes at a significantly older age, which may have contributed to the severity and absence of a decline in 30-day mortality in women. - Raphael Carandang, M.D., Beachwood, Ohio.
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you very much, Dr. Carandang, for your kind words and for pointing out these errors. We apologize and appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight!
Huntington's Disease
I am encouraged by the in-depth articles in each issue of Neurology Now on all of the neurological diseases except Huntington's disease. I know that it is not as prevalent as some of the other conditions you cover, but it is also one of the most devastating diseases due to the feeling of being a prisoner in one's own body, which moves uncontrollably and at will. This disease creates more dysfunction in a family than the majority of people ever realize.
I subscribe to your magazine because Huntington's is in my sister's family. She lost her husband when she was 43, and this past December, at age 47, she lost her son Dean, for whom she was the caregiver. My nephew was very fortunate to be able to be treated at the Huntington's Clinic at the University of South Florida. My sister moved there so that Dean could have Dr. Juan Sanchez-Ramos as his physician. The clinic there was a wonderful support.
Please consider discussing Huntington's disease, and please include resources for Huntington's in Resource Central. - Sylvia A. Bower, R.N., Powell, Ohio
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your suggestion, Sylvia. Check out our cover story—The American Academy of Neurology is honoring Julie Andrews this year for her work promoting awareness of Huntington's disease.