New report by American Heart Association informs doctors that
Transcendental Meditation lowers blood pressure

A report from the American Heart Association published on April 22 2013 concluded that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique lowers blood pressure, and recommends that TM may be considered in clinical practice for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.

The purpose of the report, entitled “Beyond Medications and Diet — Alternative Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association,” is to inform physicians which alternative approaches to lowering blood pressure have been shown by research to be effective.

After considering meta-analyses and the latest clinical trials on different types of meditation, the report stated that while Transcendental Meditation is recommended to lower BP, there is not enough scientific evidence to recommend other meditation or relaxation techniques.

“This is an important breakthrough in the evolution of medical practice, since it is the first time that the Transcendental Meditation technique has been recognised and recommended for consideration by a national medical organisation that provides professional practice guidelines to physicians, health care payers, and policymakers,” said Robert Schneider, MD, FACC, director of the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention who has been the principal investigator for several research studies on the Transcendental Meditation technique and cardiovascular disease. “This type of guideline statement has been what health insurance companies have been requesting for many years.”

The authors of the report assessed three categories of alternative approaches: behavioural therapies such as meditation, non-invasive procedures or devices, and exercise-based regimens. The report did not review diets or dietary supplements.

Part of the impetus for this statement from the AHA came from the patients themselves, who are sometimes reluctant to take medication. “A common request from patients is, ‘I don’t like to take medications, what can I do to lower my blood pressure?’” said Robert Brook, MD, chair of the expert panel that authored the report. “We wanted to provide some direction.”

Meta-analyses referenced in the report found that Transcendental Meditation practice lowers blood pressure on average 5 mmHg systolic and 3 mmHg diastolic. Although this is by some accounts modest, Dr Schneider pointed out that for millions of people with high blood pressure, this reduction may help to bring them into a more normal range or prevent the need for hypertension medication with attendant side effects and costs. Clinical trials have shown that lower blood pressure through Transcendental Meditation practice is associated with significantly lower rates of death, heart attack, and stroke.

“We are gratified that our research demonstrating the efficacy of TM on blood pressure is being recognised and hope that this consensus will result in its wider use in clinical practice,” said C. Noel Bairey Merz, professor of medicine at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and principal investigator for an NIH-sponsored clinical trial on Transcendental Meditation and cardiovascular health.

The report also recognised that Transcendental Meditation is generally considered safe and without harmful side effects. As an additional advantage, the statement noted that many of the reviewed alternative therapies, such as meditation, may provide a range of health or psychological benefits beyond BP lowering or cardiovascular risk reduction.

The report concluded that, “It is the consensus of the writing group that it is reasonable for all individuals with blood pressure levels >120/80 mm Hg to consider trials of alternative approaches as adjuvant methods to help lower blood pressure when clinically appropriate.”

http://uk.tm.org/cardiovascular-disease

Volunteer stroke survivors are needed for research exploring the relationship between change in the sense of self before and after stroke (who I was before and who I am now) and the way that this affects adjustment and mood

Who can take part?

To take part you must have had only one stroke, which must have occurred between the ages of 18-65 years. Also, at least 6 months must have passed since the stroke.

What is the purpose of the study?

Research suggests that acquired brain injury, such as stroke, can impact on one’s sense of self, which can lead to significant discomfort and can interfere with successful rehabilitation. It has also been shown that anxiety and depression are commonly experienced after stroke.

This study looks at whether there is a difference in the stroke survivors' sense of who they are now compared to who they were before the stroke. It also explores whether there is a relationship between the experienced difference in the stroke survivors' sense of self and how they feel emotionally, and what might affect this relationship. This will help to inform and improve psychosocial rehabilitation following stroke.

What does it involve?

You will be asked to complete some questionnaires that last approximately 45-60 minutes, including a 10 minute break. The questionnaires will be completed over the telephone, at a time and date agreed between yourself and the researcher. The answers to the questionnaires will be anonymised and kept confidentially.

How can you take part?

If interested or for further information about the study, please contact:

Irina Lapadatu (Trainee Clinical Psychologist)
029 208 70582
lapadatuil@cardiff.ac.uk

South Wales Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology
Cardiff University
Tower Building
Park Place
Cardiff
CF10 3AT

Hello

My name is Mark Jayes. I am a Speech and Language Therapist and a researcher at the University of Sheffield.

I am applying for funding to carry out some research. The research is about mental capacity assessment.

Mental capacity assessments are often carried out in hospital by health professionals (e.g., doctors, therapists, psychologists) and social workers.

Mental capacity assessments are carried out to check if patients understand important, relevant information when they make decisions about their daily lives (e.g., decisions about their medical or personal care, living arrangements, money management).

We know that mental capacity assessment is difficult, especially when it involves people with communication difficulties.

The aim of my research is to develop and test a new tool to make mental capacity assessment easier and more accurate.

The tool will be tested with hospital patients with neurological conditions, including people who have had a stroke.

I would like to know if people think this research project is useful and whether it would help people who have had a stroke.

I would also like to know if people have had experiences of mental capacity assessment in hospitals.

Please post your replies on this forum.

Please contact me if you would like to find out more about this project.

I can be contacted on 0114 2225427 or at cm4mjx@sheffield.ac.uk

Thank you.

Mark Jayes

I'm investigating memory and attention in stroke survivors 6-months or more post-stroke. The study lasts 12 weeks, participants would be asked to a) complete memory and attention tasks and questionnaires at the start and end of the study b) wear a physical activity monitor at the start, middle and end of the study and c) complete a daily diary reporting on memory, attention, mood, anxiety and sleep quality.

If stroke survivors have a live-in caregiver they have the option to take part. Caregivers would be asked to complete questionnaires at the start and end of the 12 weeks, wear the physical activity monitor the same time as the stroke survivor and complete a daily diary reporting on the stroke survivor’s memory and attention and their own mood, anxiety and sleep quality.

Inclusion criteria: adults between 18 and 80 years, self-report memory and attention difficulties, living within Glasgow and surrounding areas. Exclusion criteria: visual or hearing impairment that prevents hearing or reading or if there is difficulty understanding English language.

If interested please contact me at joanne.cummings@strath.ac.uk. Tel 0141 548 4756

1. Has the project got ethical approval?

The study has been approved by the Berkshire Research Ethics Committee ref. 12/SC/0495 (narratives of health and illness). The study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research.

2. Recruitment criteria – who are we looking to recruit to our study?

We want to try and better understand how patients manage their different conditions, and are interested in speaking to people over the age of 18 who have at least two of the following:

• stroke
• COPD
• diabetes
• heart failure
• epilepsy
• asthma

We are looking to speak to people in the Oxford and Manchester areas. In future, this area may be expanded to include more of the UK.

3. Title of the project

Improving the management of long term conditions with the clinical use of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) in Primary Care.

4. Summary of the study

The Health Experiences and the Health Services and Policy Research Groups at the University of Oxford are conducting research on the management of multiple conditions. This part of the project is designed to explore the experiences of patients with at least two of the following conditions: asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart failure, epilepsy, and stroke. We are interested in hearing people’s experiences of managing multiple health conditions, and how they feel that their care could be improved. We are also interested in speaking to GPs about their experiences of managing patients with multiple conditions. To receive an information pack with further details about the study and what would be involved, please get in touch by telephone or e-mail.

5. What will the participants be asked to do?

Taking part involves an interview at your home or another location convenient for you. You will be invited to talk about your experiences of living with more than one condition, how you manage these, and how you feel the care provided for people with multiple conditions could be improved.

6. What will happen to the data after the study has finished?

This is part of a five year project. Data will inform the development of an intervention for patient reporting of outcomes in people with multiple conditions. Subject to additional funding and participant consent, some data will also be published on www.healthtalkonline.org, a website sharing patient experiences, collected by researchers at the University of Oxford.

7. What information will be available to the participants after the study has finished?

Following completion of the five year study, the research will be disseminated and accessible to the public.

Thank you for reading about this study. To receive further information about being involved, please contact:

Kate Neal
Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
University of Oxford

Email address: kate.neal@phc.ox.ac.uk
Telephone number: 07775 003928

I'm writing on here to ask you all a very big favour, I'm a student at South Tyneside college and have being set a research task, the topic I chosen to look at is young stroke survivors. I am trying to find out an average on what age the younger generation is having strokes and what the cause is? this is hard to do without primary research. This is why I'm asking everyone for a helping hand and two minutes of your time! The reason I picked this subject and know about this organisation is because this time last year my mother woke up confused with numbness down her left side, she of course was suffering from a major stroke, it being a hard year and by doing this is helps me to learn what my mother and many thousands of other people are going through. Of course no names need to be left and everything is confidential. Thanks for your time guys. if you do not want to post it on here my email is Lisa115751@yahoo.co.uk you can email me your answers If you prefer that! thanks everyone!
Young stroke survivors questionnaire

1) How old were you when you suffered from your stroke?

2) What kind of stroke did you suffer from?

3) how did your stroke affected you in the long term?

4) What was the cause of your stroke? (underlying medical condition/lifestyle choices)

5) what lifestyle changes have you made since having your stroke?

6) What do you think could have prevented your stroke?

7) Do you think there is enough done to raise awareness about strokes, if not why?

8) Was there any aspects of the care you have received that has affected your recovery?

Your experience of stroke is unique. Could you help researchers to help other people following stroke by sparing 40 minutes of your time?

‘Self-management’ means the things that people do to manage their health and well-being.

Little is known about self-management following stroke and how it can be measured. However, in the first stage of this study, 40 people with stroke have told us what it means to them.

Their experiences helped us develop a new questionnaire to assess self-management following a stroke. The questionnaire is called the Stroke Self-Management-Questionnaire (SSM-Q). We hope it will be used to assess self-management for people with stroke.

We would now really value your help to test how well the new SSM-Q measures self-management. We would like a large number of people who have had stroke to join in with this research. You can help us by completing the SSM-Q. You can complete it either:

- via the internet, or;
- using a paper version (Postage paid return envelope provided).

To complete the SSM-Q, please follow the link:

http://www.smart-survey.co.uk/v.asp?i=59347tpkre

To receive a paper questionnaire pack, or for further information please contact:

Emma Boger

Post-graduate Researcher
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Southampton

e.j.boger@soton.ac.uk
Mobile 07596 125575
Landline (0)23 8059 8924

Many thanks for your interest

Title of the project
Does Repeated Vestibular Stimulation Induce Lasting Recovery From Hemi-Spatial Neglect?

Recruitment criteria – who are you looking to recruit to your study?
We are looking for individuals who suffer from hemi-spatial neglect. This is an attentional disorder that commonly arises after stroke, causing sufferers to act as if the left hand side of their visual world is missing. Symptoms include bumping into objects, leaving food on one side of the plate, and failing to notice people on the affected side. Sufferers are not partially blind (a condition also known as hemianopia) - if strongly encouraged, they can attend to things on the left. The problem is that for some reason, they simply fail or forget to do so.

In addition to suffering from hemi-spatial neglect, our study participants must have no electronic implants (i.e. pace-makers) and have suffered a stroke to the right side of their brain. They must also be 18years or over.

Summary of the study
Our novel therapy involves passing tiny electrical currents through the part of the scalp that lies just behind the ears. The currents are applied via two rubber pads attached to the head. The currents are too small to cause discomfort, but stimulate nerve pathways that project from the inner ear to those parts of the brain that are damaged in people who suffer from hemi-spatial neglect. Conventional treatments do not work very well and, unike ours, are time-consuming. Our study is funded by the Medical Research Council and seeks to show if our new therapy is effective.

Participants will receive 10 days of stimulation plus several follow-up sessions a few weeks later. Although everyone will receive stimulation, some get more than others. Each stimulation session lasts approximately 45minutes during which time you can sit, relax and chat with the researcher. The stimulation sessions run across 2 weeks, Mondays to Fridays only (i.e. excluding the weekend). To date, we have had participants come from as far as Scotland and Ireland! The study will finish in December.

What will the participants be asked to do?
You will need to come to one of our study centres in Kent for the stimulation sessions, although it may be possible to conduct some of the later follow-ups at your home. We do have some limited funds to help pay for your travel to one of our study centres

What information will be available to the participants after the study has finished?
We will provide participants with both detailed feedback on whether the intervention reduced their hemi-spatial neglect, and how much stimulation they received. We will also tell them about the more general findings of the study.

What will happen to the data after the study has finished?
The data from all participants will be anonymous and stored in locked filing cabinets and password-protected computers. The data will be handled in strict accordance with both the Data Protection Act and the guidelines laid down by the Medical Research Council.

Has the project got ethical approval?
Yes, from a recognised NHS body (NRES Committee London – City & East).

Further information
Further information, including a short video, can be found at the following webpage:

http://www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/hemispatialneglect/

If interested in participating then please contact us using the details below:

Full name: Dr Olga Zubko

Institution: University of Kent

Telephone number: 01227 823066

Email address: olga.zubko@nhs.net

Postal address: School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NP.

Hello

I am Madeleine, a researcher from the University of Sheffield.

I am designing a research project about lack of awareness of disability after a stroke. The research will develop a tool to assess this problem.

I am interested to hear from you if you struggled to recognise the effects of your stroke or if you care for someone with this difficulty.

An example of this is not realising you can no longer do a task or use a part of your body soon after having your stroke, for many stroke survivors this is only temporary. I would be interested to hear from you even if you have now recovered.

I am looking for people who might be interested in drawing on their experiences of this to help me to design a research project.

This would involve looking at the summary of the research and discussing with myself whether you think it is important and sharing your opinions about what would help other people in that situation.

If you are interested in being involved and would like more information, please contact Madeleine:

Telephone 0114 2225424 or email madeleine.harrison@sheffield.ac.uk

I am a speech and language therapist working at City University in London. We want to find out if therapy to help with word finding difficulties can be carried out over the internet, using software such as Skype.

Participants will receive 8 hours of speech and language therapy. We will lend them a computer for the therapy and show them how to use it. We will also carry out some assessments. Sessions will be in the participant’s home.

We are looking for people with aphasia who:

• Have word finding difficulties (but have some speech)
• Had a stroke at least 6 months ago
• Have a friend or relative who could be their partner in the research
• Were English speakers before their stroke (but they can be bilingual)
• Have a broadband internet connection at home.

If you are interested in taking part and would like more information, please contact:

Anna Caute
Tel: 020 7040 8202
Email: Anna.Caute.1@city.ac.uk

People who have had a stroke are needed for a study looking into the effects of arm and hand rehabilitation after stroke. The study takes place at the University of Southampton.

Participants will receive 2 weeks of one to one daily therapy (2 hours a day, 5 days a week, Monday-Friday) with a therapist, using the ArmeoSpring rehabilitation system. More information about this system is available on this website: http://www.hocoma.com/products/armeo/armeospring/

Potential participants will need to attend an assessment session at the University of Southampton, to determine if they are eligible to the study.

Participants will also need to attend 4 measurement sessions (2 before and 2 following rehabilitation sessions), which will consist of EEG recordings during reaching movements, and movement tests.

To receive a participant information sheet, please contact Sebastien on sebastien.pollet@soton.ac.uk

Many thanks,

Sebastien Pollet
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Southampton

I am conducting a study into whether self-help techniques for anxiety are effective after a stroke. I am interested in hearing from anyone who has had a stroke who experiences feelings of worry or anxiety.

You would need to be able to answer questions about yourself over the telephone once a month for four months and follow self-help techniques from a free CD for a month.

Please contact me on 07504 685463 or at k.golding@surrey.ac.uk to register your interest or discuss the study further.

Katherine Golding, Trainee Clinical Psychologist, University of Surrey