Brain Friends

Does it take a village to recover from a stroke? In this episode of Brain Friends, we talk about aphasia support with Angie's care partner Kiehl Cauthorn. We discuss the difference between caregivers and care partners, the stages of care in post-stroke aphasia, and advocacy with insurance companies. We give tips to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and other practitioners on how to include the caregiver/care partner in therapy. Finally, we remind aphasia survivors that "you are better today than you were yesterday and you will be better tomorrow than you are today".  We encourage caregivers and care partners to "stop, listen, be patient, and trust". 

In this episode of Brain Friends, we explore primary progressive aphasia or PPA.  Dr. Seles unravels the complexities of PPA versus other aphasia types and describes the difference between a stroke and frontal temporal dementia.Angie shares analogies highlighting the key differences from other forms of aphasia.The impact of PPA on individuals, their families, and communities is ongoing. This episode of Brain Friends is a must-listen for survivors,  students, and health professionals. 

In this episode of Brain Friends, we discuss reading and writing difficulties that can co-occur with aphasia. "Alexia" is an acquired reading disorder with difficulty seeing and reading words or understanding the meaning of written words. "Agraphia" is the loss of a previous ability to write. Angie discovers new terms related to her aphasia and the connection in the brain. Dr. Seles shares clinical stories on navigating alexia in therapy and the role speech-language pathologists play in helping survivors reintegrate into the community.

In this episode of Brain Friends, we invite Dr. Roy Hamilton, Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of Penn’s Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation (LCNS), for a part 2 discussion on Neuroplasticity.  We begin with the fundamental concept that brains are plastic and designed to change based on experience. Dr. Roy shares how the quality of care in recovery will help language get stronger or activities become easier because the brain reorganizes and adapts also known as "neuroplasticity".Angie shares analogies that translate brain injury to neuroplasticity like “water on the motherboard”. Dr. Seles seeks tips on how practitioners can help with neuroplasticity in neurorehabilitation. Finally, we discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in research, research staff, and publications.Dr. Roy Hamilton, link to the LCNS website and the email associated with the LCNS.https://www.med.upenn.edu/lcns/braintms@mail.med.upenn.eduAphasia Resourceshttps://aphasiaresource.org/

In this episode of Brain Friends, we discuss aphasia treatment and ways Speech Language Pathologists support recovery.Treatment settings and strategies from automatic speech tasks to errorless learning are explained with examples. Dr. Seles discusses health equity in aphasia and how to avoid implicit bias. How insurance demands dictate treatment tasks and ways SLPs can write treatment goals to align with function. Angie shares the importance of inclusion in research, treatment, and the use of patient-reported outcomes.  She discusses her treatment journey and the importance of the Life Participation Approach in Aphasia. Together we recognize that in aphasia treatment  “the client doesn’t plateau, the clinician does”.  For more information on the Resource Orientation for Stroke and Aphasia conference: https://aphasiaresource.org/

Brain Friends Season 2 kicked off with Angie interviewing Dr. Seles on Aphasia Research. We discuss sampling biases and how to make sure research is demographically representative. Dr. Seles shares 3 tips on how to recruit a diverse sample in research and the role stakeholders have in health equity.Finally, we confirm that research is told by who holds the pen and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Season Finale. Episode 11 is full of humor as we discuss the importance of sleep and the brain.Angie shares her fear around sleeping after her stroke and how she communicated fatigue "I feel like I have on two mink coats".Dr. Seles discusses the link between sleep loss and poor brain health. We share tips for healthy aging and sleep hygiene. Finally, Brain Friends goes on the road to the Clinical Aphasiology Conference. We want to hear your feedback . Please leave us a review or a topic you want us to cover in Season 2. 

In this episode of Brain Friends, we apply 5 professional athlete tips to aphasia recovery.What do survivors with aphasia and athletes have in common? The drive to unlock their full potential through fitness, fuel, mental health, recovery, and tribe.Angie shares strategies to use Aphasia Pro Tips throughout stroke recovery.Dr. Seles discusses how Aphasia Pro Tips apply to graduate students navigating school. 

In this episode of Brain Friends, we discuss aphasia types affiliated with celebrities. Dr. Seles categorizes hallmark features between left and right-hemisphere strokes. Angie shares which celebrity resembles her aphasia.  Together we discuss Aphasia conferences and the importance of diversity and inclusion.

In this episode of Brain Friends, we discuss neuroplasticity and share tips that promote brain health. Angie shares the analogy of what aphasia feels like and how doing repetitive or new activities helped her stroke recovery. Dr. Seles shares the importance of Use It or Lose It and how your daily routine can strengthen neural connections in the aging brain.Finally, because neuroplasticity is activity driven, we do exercises that may leave Brain  Friends with new connections....or notShow Notes: Brain Games6 Brain Exercises for NEUROPLASTICITY | Step 2 of Brain Education

In this episode of Brain Friends, we recap the events from the 1st annual Aphasia Awareness Conference in Philadelphia, PA.  Angie had an idea and in conjunction with Temple University put on a conference for survivors with aphasia and caregivers.  Dr. Seles was the keynote speaker.  Listen to our highlights of the "perfect day".Angie recaps the informative day with 160 people in attendance, the Sounds of Joy Choir, food, vendors, and a message for people with aphasia to keep thriving.   She shares her definition of aphasia being an "invisible disability" and the importance of asking the client what they want to do in therapy. Dr. Seles shares highlights from the keynote talk and the importance of neuroplasticity for aphasia recovery. She discusses the reasons people with aphasia should consider participating in research. We clarify the myth that "insurance companies aren't interested" in patient-reported outcomes. Together we can spread aphasia awareness by getting the word out and sharing resources!  

In this episode of Brain Friends, we talk about mental health with counseling psychologist Dr. Lauren. Stroke survivors with aphasia often experience depression or grief related to loss of social roles and communication. Speech-language pathologists play a role in helping clients navigate emotion when it shows up during therapy.  Dr. Seles discusses the importance of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) taking a helping skills class to learn how to support mental health in rehabilitation. Helping skills include how to validate emotion, reflect back a feeling, and show empathy.   Angie shares how emotional moments in aphasia recovery often presented during speech therapy sessions. She discusses her decision process around medication and asks Dr. Lauren for concrete steps survivors can take to navigate mental health.  Dr. Lauren gives advice on how to navigate grief and dispels myths about mental health.  She shares tips health care providers can do to support their clients through emotional moments. Tips for the provider.1. Don’t panic. "They don’t need you to fix them they need you to hear them." 2.  Validate the emotion and expression of the emotion.3.  Focus on listening and asking clarifying questions.4. Reflect back the emotion. “I am hearing you say or “I am hearing that you feel”. "Did I get that right"?6. Cultural humility - Affect matching with words. 7. Take action or co-collaborate on the next action. “Do you have/want a mental health therapist"?

In this episode of Brain Friends, we talk about aphasia advocacy. We discuss health equity and the importance of diversity and inclusion in healthcare and speech-language pathology.Dr. Seles unpacks the disparities in science, research, and stroke care for minoritized groups. Angie shares her personal experience of stroke care and how it influenced her to start two aphasia resource organizations. Take home message: "There is no cure for brain damage there is only healing". This is the continuing education podcast credit you need. 

In this episode, we talk about social isolation after Aphasia and the importance of a social circle in recovery. Angie discusses the difficulty with maintaining friendships after a stroke and gives advice on how simple gestures like a phone call or movie invitation can help a person feel supported. Dr. Seles breaks down the components of social functioning related to social support, social network, social participation, and social roles. This episode validates the need for practitioners to target the social aspects of recovery with language.   Angie shares the differences between social support and social network and how social participation has been most important for her recovery. Listen as she shares which social role has been the most challenging. 

In this episode, we talk about all things Speech-Language Pathology. According to the 2022 US NEWS, Speech Language Pathologists rank #10 in the 100 Best Jobs. We agree! Speech-language pathologists (SLP) work with adults with aphasia to restore communication and quality of life.  Are you making your clients feel uncomfortable or more emotional? Dr. Seles provides master clinician tips for seasoned and early career SLPs. Angie shares challenges with post-stroke aphasia including information overload. You'll hear what makes a good SLP and what Angie wishes SLPs would stop doing.Is there an insurance influence on receiving speech therapy services? We settle the debate on which rehabilitation therapy is the most important and call attention to the way SLPs are treated in the rehabilitation world. Finally, we address the melanin in the room.  Dr. Seles is the first Black SLP Angie met. Does physician-race concordance impact therapy?

In this episode of Brain Friends we talk about having aphasia on vacation, paraphrasing as a successful communication tool, and #aphasia trending after a celebrity diagnosis. Angie shares fluency and relaxation tips important for airport travel and social communication with friends and family. Dr. Seles learns the importance of making sure practitioners and researchers focus on functional language that helps with community integration of social activities like dining out. Together we address an ongoing question in the field, if practitioners should still classify aphasia types?  We end this episode with a question everyone listening should answer and ask someone with aphasia. “What do you wish more people knew about aphasia?

Meet Dr. D. Seles a Neuroscientist and clinical Speech-Language Pathologist and Angie C., a stroke survivor and aphasia advocate.  In this episode, Dr. Seles and Angie C. share how they met and provide insight into aphasia, with humor and laughter as these two self-proclaimed neuro nerds journey together as stakeholders determined to make a difference. Our goal is to create a space for practitioners and people with aphasia that facilitates solid communication, good information and a smile.  In the words of Angie C. "you are not at the end you are at the beginning. It takes time and work".