Chronic Pain and Acquired Brain Injury Workshop - Sept 14, 2012

This looks like a very informative and interesting day. Put on by the Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association.

Friday September 14, 2012
Garden Park Tower
#101-2825 Clearbrook Rd
Abbotsford, BC
8:30 am to 5:00 pm


Featuring:


“The Intersection of Chronic Pain and Brain Injury”
Dr. David Fordyce, Neuropsychologist
Rehabilitation Institute of Washington


“MTBI, Chronic Pain, and Depression: Symptom Overlap and Distinctions”
Dr. Barbara J. Schrock, Ph.D., ABPP
Board-Certified in Clinical Neuropsychology
Lead Neuropsychologist, Sharp Rehabilitation Center


"Psychopharmacology of Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of Traumatic Brain Injury”
Robert M. Stowe, MD, FRCPC
UCNS Diplomate in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry
Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine (Neurology)
University of British Columbia


“The current continuum of services for ABI clients with complex care needs including 
chronic pain requiring tertiary care in FH - The final phase of Riverview Redevelopment”
Rick Gremm, BSW
MSc. Resource and Systems Leader
Fraser Health, Mental Health and Substance Use

Continental Breakfast, lunch and refreshments included.
$100.00 for full-day workshop
Sponsor opportunities and Exhibitor booths available
Contact Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association at 604-557-1913
or email info@fvbia.org for details

Healing Hands: Mirages and Illusions

The MIRAGE multisensory illusions box can create a powerful illusion that the hand or fingers are being stretched or shrunk. This is done by pulling or pushing on the fingers or hand while a live video image of the hand is stretched or shrunk at the same time. A chance discovery appeared to show that these illusions can reduce the experience of pain in osteoarthritis patients.


Read about some of the early research into this:
http://bodyinmind.org/mirage-and-osteoarthritis-pain/


The original BBC news article and video (from a year ago) are here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13068924

The Kinaesthetic Senses (Journal Of Physiology)

An excellent review of kinaesthesia - the senses of limb position and limb movement.
The term ‘kinaesthesia' was coined by Bastian (1888) and refers to the ability to sense the position and movement of our limbs and trunk.

http://jp.physoc.org/content/587/17/4139.full

7 Things You Should Know About Pain Science

Along with using "Explain Pain" (Butler, Moseley) and "Understanding Pain, Live Well Again (Pearson), this web based resource is invaluable in helping teach clinicians and people with pain about the pain experience.


http://www.bettermovement.org/2010/seven-things-you-should-know-about-pain-science/


The whole site (www.bettermovement.org) is great, but particularly the information about pain.

NEUROPHYSIOLOGY Basics

I am a sucker for sites like this.  Provides basic, accurate neurophysiology information, and good diagrams/drawings. Kind of like a straightforward online textbook.


http://www.neurophysiology.ws/index.htm

Pain and the Body Schema

Recently re-read this article and am still impressed by its content.
A very influential article in the development of Graded Motor Imagery programs.


"Pain and the body schema: Evidence for peripheral effects on mental representations of movement"
http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/124/10/2098.full.pdf

BrainMind.com

http://brainmind.com/


So I was recently introduced to this website via a colleague who suggested I watch a Youtube video re: the parietal cortex processing of somatosensory input, as well as how it mixes it up with visual and other input.  It's kind of like your own brain watching you work with your own hands...


Here's the link for that video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7hq47Rf2eY
It is REALLY interesting!

That video is part of a six-part series available on 3 DVD's through BrainMind.com
http://brainmind.com/Books.html (scroll down page).  The series goes through 1) Brain Overview, 2) Left Hemisphere, 3) Frontal Lobes, 4) Parietal Lobes, 5) Temporal Lobes, 6) Limbic System.


You can also watch the rest of the six part series on Youtube.  They are easily found from the first link above.


The site really is a deep resource.  If you love reading and learning about neuroscience, consciousness, evolution, brain injury, stroke, then you will really get into it.