Podcasts about vns

Josephine Starrs and Virginia Barratt were among the creators of the VNS, an Australian feminist art collective born in the early days of the world wide web in the 1990s. The group is credited with coining the term "cyberfeminism." For Further Reading: The cyberfeminists who called themselves ‘the future cunt’ | Dazed An Oral History of the First Cyberfeminists This month, we’re talking about Word Weavers — people who coined terms, popularized words, and even created entirely new languages. These activists, writers, artists, and scholars used language to shape ideas and give voice to experiences that once had no name. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should. Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, Vanessa Handy, Melia Agudelo, and Joia Putnoi. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Knox is a standup comedian and the author of "Vivien's Rain." In this unique episode that reveals the perspective of a device end-user, Mike shares his personal journey into the MedTech field through the lens of his daughter's epilepsy and the life-saving (and life-giving!) impact of a vagus nerve stimulator. He discusses the challenges faced before discovering the device, the transformation in his daughter's life post-surgery, and his advocacy work. Mike also touches on the stigma surrounding epilepsy, the importance of compassion, and his career shift from law enforcement to comedy, using humor to inform and inspire others.    Guest links: www.MikeKnox.com   Charity supported: Save the Children Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com.  PRODUCTION CREDITS Host: Lindsey Dinneen Editing: Marketing Wise Producer: Velentium   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 052 - Mike Knox [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host, Lindsey, and I am so excited to introduce you to my guest today, Mike Knox. Mike is a standup comedian and author of the book, "Vivien's Rain," about his daughter's epilepsy and the medical device that saved her life. He is a retired parole agent, and I am so excited that he is joining us today because he has a very unique take on the medical device field from a personal encounter. All right. Well, welcome, Mike. Thank you so much for being here. I'm so excited to speak with you. [00:01:27] Mike Knox: Thank you for having me. [00:01:29] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, of course. Well, you come to the medtech field and to medical devices in a very kind of unique pathway, and I'm very excited to dive into that. But before we do, would you mind just sharing a little bit about yourself, your background, and what you're doing today, what led you to today? [00:01:48] Mike Knox: Sure. I'm retired law enforcement and now I'm full time stand up comedian and an actor, much better than law enforcement. And I have a daughter who has epilepsy. She's 17 now. She started having seizures at the age of two. And by the age of eight, she got a vagus nerve stimulator, which basically saved her life. So it's a small implant that's like a -- I'm not supposed to say this-- but it's basically like a pacemaker, but for your brain. So it's a small generator that attaches onto your vagus nerve and sends impulses to interrupt your seizure. So she's now been seizure free for eight years. And I go basically go and I'm an ambassador for the company that makes this product. And I go and talk about this product, which is basically, I mean, it has saved my daughter's life. And not only that, but beyond that, it's allowed her to be get her life back basically because she was pretty much just a little zombie cause she was on so much medication at the time. So really for the past 15 years, it was just my wife and I living day to day as parents just trying, you know, in and out of the hospital with my daughter. So now she's in a great place and that affords me the time to go out and talk. [00:02:54] Lindsey Dinneen: Wow. That's incredible. Okay. So can we go back a little bit and talk about what life was like before this device, before you discovered this device, before all of the changes started happening for the better, but can you just paint a picture of what did daily life look like and how did that go? [00:03:13] Mike Knox: It was waiting for the seizure to happen. And most of them were at night, so it would usually be my wife and I taking turns watching my daughter all night long. And she'd be be on medication, but she'd have break breakthrough seizures. She would have partial seizures, but they would go into grand malls and we'd have to go always to the hospital because that's where the rescue medication was. And then it would be at the hospital, always confusion because they were the hospital that was local, wasn't really trained. And we kind of found out not a lot of hospitals, emergency rooms, were trained for seizures, which seizures have been around 2000 years. So there's a lot of misinformation, a lot of not really good education. And that's where I, as a parent thought, this stuff really needs to change. So that's what my wife and I did was, you know, started small talking to our hospital and just trying to get a policy in place where we could, you know, safely get my kid from here to the hospital. Then as time went by kind of technology caught up and we were able to have a rescue medication at home. But there were times where my daughter flatlined twice. So it was very scary. And it was just like living day to day because we we're in crisis mode and waiting for that next seizure to happen. It really did for us, was that seizure was stalking us, always waiting, we never knew when it was going to happen, kind of narrowed it down to that might be at night or coming out of her sleep when waking up, like on the way to school. But it really held you hostage. You weren't able to, we weren't able to go anywhere. You always had to think of where you were gonna go and plan things out. And your friends and family kind of abandoned you be just because they don't know what's going on. They don't understand what your family's going through. And I think a lot of parents see that also as, people just don't understand what it is you're going through when you have a medical problem. And so, when she did get this device that changed everything. And the number one thing that it did was it finally allowed our family to sleep, which we hadn't been doing for years. I mean, it was really same with my daughter. She wasn't able to sleep. So then she's not able to really concentrate at school. The school didn't understand, and they thought she was just being lazy rather than she has epilepsy. And so it's always there trying to advocate for your child. It's still doing that, still dealing with school things where I'm having to advocate for her. And that's just what you're doing as a parent is trying to do the best for your child. [00:05:24] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Oof. Yeah. Thank you for sharing more about that and painting a picture for us. And then, so in your research, in thinking, there's got to be something out there. I would imagine as a parent going, "There's got to be a solution. There's got to be something out there." Did that research eventually lead you to the company that you now help speak about and whatnot? [00:05:45] Mike Knox: Yes. And that was, and I always tell people this too, is don't rely 100 percent on the medical system, meet them halfway and do your research. Cause a lot of it is, it's what I realized is, just a lot of it is failure. It's constantly failing and failing. And we went to different doctors in different hospitals and the insurance would say that it doesn't cover this, but we kind of bypassed the insurance to get to where the doctor that we wanted to. It took us about five years to get a diagnosis, to find out what was happening, to find the right doctor cause there were a lot of horrible doctors. And then you have to understand that, because I never really was in and out of hospitals, and I never really understood what, what the policy, every hospital is different. Every doctor is different and different doctors don't know. We were going to doctors thinking that they knew what epilepsy was, and they didn't. They weren't going to say anything, but they were a primary doctor or they were a specialty doctor. They didn't know what epilepsy was. And so researching and finding out, and then we had read about VNS, Vegas Nerve Simulator. And our doctor at the time had said, "No, it won't work." Well, that wasn't true because it's worked. And a lot of it is the drive is pharmaceuticals and you're kind of experimenting. That one doctor, she was doing fine on one medication and he wanted to change it and that caused her to have all these crazy other seizures. And you got to let go of this kind of grudge that you have, and the kind of anger, which we did for a lot of medical, you kind of got to look positively at the ones who are helping you. I really found out that a lot of the nurses were a lot more helpful, where I always thought the doctor's the one that's going to have the knowledge. And a lot of it was the nurses that had the knowledge, not that the doctors don't, but there were more nurses that were more helpful. And I always, my number one thing was compassion. You as a parent coming in there wanting compassion for your kid. At least that's what I was looking for. [00:07:25] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, and so okay, so you found this device or you found this technology and you go, "Okay I think maybe this could help my child. The doctor is a little skeptical, but we don't really know the reasons behind that. Maybe they just don't have the experience to understand how it could help. And there's new technology coming out all the time." But so, so that happened. And then what got you to a yes, where you could actually try this and see the impact that it could have for your daughter? [00:07:52] Mike Knox: A lot of it was desperation. We had left one doctor after just years there and kind of figuring out, he has no idea what he's doing, and we can never call him on that. Went to another doctor and what you're doing with epilepsy is you're trying to find out where the seizure is coming from. So they do an EEG, and so they're attaching all these leads to your head and we were in the hospital for eight days the first time. No seizure, you know, you're off the meds. They're trying to induce a seizure, nothing happened. So the new doctor said, "We've got to do the same thing again." It's just exhausting because you're like, "I don't want to put my kid through that." But you have to, so we went through another EEG, caught a seizure, saw that they were coming from three different ways. Cause we were first looking at brain surgery and then her seizure was coming through three different areas of the brain. So now you can't do that. And then that doctor showed us the Vegas Nerve Stimulator, which at the time we had just come to my daughter having this horrible seizure in the hospital. Her recovery was really bad at the time. So I was just overwhelmed with this doctor showing me this small device that looked like a silver dollar and it just was too unbelievable for me at the time, but I knew that we had to do something for my daughter because it was the last resort. We didn't really have we'd run out of all options. It had been years of hospitals and doctors and back and forth. And so really, to me, it was our only option. And It just seemed so unbelievable because it was such a small device and, I think a lot of it was, nobody else had ever talked about it before. And so I had to go back and like look and go, oh, at the time, it'd been around 20 years. And then I also looked at-- I mean, I was a horrible student-- but I looked mathematically at, "Wow, this percentage of-- it's not a cure, but she could have a life that's 80 percent better. Well, I got through college with all C's. I'll take those numbers." And so it was pretty much at the time it was a no brainer just because everything was just so horrible that it was just, it was-- another chance was given to us. We had run out of options. We didn't have any. [00:09:46] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, of course. So you take this risk and you go, "Well, you know, if it has the percentage potential of maybe it'll improve her life this drastically," it was worth the risk, I would imagine, from both your perspective and your daughter's perspective. And then, so you do this surgery, you've got this implant. Now what is life like these days? Can she travel? Can she do much more than she was able to do before? [00:10:11] Mike Knox: Life is great. I just want to talk about the surgery itself, was that was another fear. I didn't want to put my daughter through the surgery, how horrible it was. It was so easy. It was, we went in and out. It's an outpatient surgery. It took maybe about an hour. It was so simple and a lot of it was just me as a parent being afraid. I was so afraid of everything watching my kid go through so much that that's what I tell everybody now. It was so simple because she's on her second battery because it needs to be replaced. So the first one lasted almost about eight years. So she's on her second one. And the second time around was even simpler because now they've got, at the time we got ours, I think she was only the eighth, in Los Angeles that got it, so the protocol wasn't in place. Now the protocol is in place. So they'll kind of get you in and out real quick and they all kind of know what it is, where at the time when my daughter first had it they didn't know what it was, so a lot of strides have taken place and now the hospitals know exactly what to do. So it's very simple. Whereas, and I run into a lot of parents that are afraid to give that the surgery and kind of all the things that go along with the surgery. And it's so simple and you never, you don't really. Nobody really knows. Now her life is absolutely wonderful. I mean, she went from not being able to keep up in school to now. Shockingly is cause I was such a horrible student. Gets straight A's and she, I mean, to me, that's the amazing part of, I really saw this device propel her and she was learning, which she couldn't do before because she was having seizures and her You know, she couldn't think, she had brain fog, she had all these kind of things that we all kind of, kind of take for granted that we don't really know, but that's what I mean by she, when she was a zombie at the age of eight was that she just couldn't think because she was having so much brain activity from her seizures, and a lot of times she's having seizures you couldn't even see them just as a parent you would instinctively know, oh, this isn't good, I've got to get her out of these, you know, I've got to take her home or I've got to give her medication. You know, that was another fear of mine too, was that, you know, when she's at school or she's with, you know, I'd come to school a couple of times where she would, I'd had them at school, but the school wasn't aware I found her on the play yard. I found her in the classroom and the school just, none of the schools are equipped because they're by law, they don't have to be. And so what I love about the Vegas nerve simulator is it's her bodyguard. It's with her 24 hours a day. It's somebody watching over her and it allows her just to do the things that we all take for granted. And. You know, like she's able to go to school and I feel comfortable now that she's a teenager, which was another thing was growing up. I want her to have her independence. You know, and now I can feel comfortable where she doesn't text me through the day because she's just a teenager forgets that she has it. And that's the best part to me about it. [00:12:47] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, that's incredible. Wow. That's an amazing story. Thank you so much for sharing that. And I'm curious now. So you got to a point where you saw the incredible difference it made in your daughter's life and then of course your family's life. And you're obviously very passionate about this device itself and the company. So now you are helping to spread the word. Can you share more about your advocacy and your work for that? [00:13:11] Mike Knox: I just felt nobody was there to talk to me about it, and so if there's ever any parents or kids that are looking at it, and it's, again, it's just fear of the unknown. So I go and advocate and talk about this great device. I probably get four or five calls. Most people don't want to talk about it, but I probably get four or five calls a year from parents, then they just have all sorts of curious questions. Number one, "Is it going to hurt? Am I going to be able to," one kid asked me the other day, "Am I still going to be able to ski?" And I said, "You're probably going to be able to ski a lot better because you're going to be able to focus on that." And I just tell him basically my story, which going back to, because it's not a cure, you have to wait. And so in the beginning when she first got it, it was about six months of no seizures, which was great. But then she had about five, but the vagus nerve stimulator comes with a magnet. And you can swipe that over your chest and that'll stop the seizures most of the time. And so I saw that progressing. And so I was always kind of writing down stuff and seeing that progress. And it was really at the six month mark where we all slept through the night. And I said, "Oh wow, she's sleeping." She never slept through the night before. She was always a lot of insomnia and stomach pain and I'm just getting up through the night. So she slept like a good 12 hours. And I was like, "Oh wow, that's huge." That, beyond the seizures, is huge. And then there was a morning where she got up, dressed herself, which she could never do; made her lunch, which she never did; made her breakfast, ate breakfast. So while my wife and I were sleeping, she did all this stuff on her own, which she could never do. You always had to tell her, like you literally had to tell her, "Okay, it's time to get up out of the bed," and you'd have to tell her several times. It's not just being a kid. She just wasn't processing. Just like she couldn't process sarcasm or humor, which was very hard for me as a father 'cause I wanted to joke around with my kid. And then she put together this Lego set, read the directions, which she could never do before. So you can really see like, wow, the Vagus Nerve Simulator has got her basically mind on track and she's being able to focus, which she could never do before, always distracted about everything. And then on the way to school, driving her, she was joking with me, and you could see like that spark in her eye that I had seen when she was younger, but hadn't seen in a long, probably six years. And, so beyond the seizures I was like, "Oh wow, this is working." So it really doesn't matter if it's working 100 or not. Something is happening here, and it's for the betterment of my child. And that's what I run into also is, people want that quick fix. They want 100 percent. They just want a cure. That's not what this is, but it's a heck of a lot better than where she was eight years ago, almost 10 years now. That's another thing. It really flies by because she got her first one at the age of eight and then she got her next one at 16. And, that is another positive about it, because life kind of stands still when you're in this crisis from anything medical, and now she's just able to live her life and be a kid. And that's the amazing part about it. [00:15:54] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for sharing. You mentioned early on something that stood out to me is, it's often difficult, I think, when there's a medical diagnosis or some pressing medical issue. It makes it hard for people outside of the family to understand what's going on, and therefore they might feel uncomfortable, and they're not quite sure how to offer to help or to just be there for you. And I'm curious, since you experienced some of that loneliness and distance, going through this difficult time, as a parent and now as an advocate, is there just some general advice you might share with people who might be in a situation where they have a family member or friend struggling with something, but they're not quite sure how to be there for that person? [00:16:40] Mike Knox: Yeah. I think the easiest thing is send them a card and just let them know. 'Cause I think a lot of people are thinking, "Oh, just text, but I don't know what to text them. And I don't want to say like, 'If there's anything I could do,' cause there isn't anything I could do." And that's a lot when you have like with epilepsy, there isn't anything anybody could do. And then people, they're giving you bad advice because they see it on TV. Like I would always get advice about, "Have you tried smoking weed with your kid?" And I'm like, "She's two. Yeah, I'm not going to smoke weed with my kid." So that's why I say a card, because then you can think about what you're going to say, and what I think is nice is, send some food or something or send a gift card, because for my wife and I, we were at home all the time because we couldn't leave. And I think a lot of people didn't realize that. I could not go to the store because if I leave the house, she's going to then have a seizure and I'm not going to be there for the seizure. So it was debilitating because I'm having to watch her 24 hours a day and nobody else understood that. I just say a card so that people at least know you're thinking about them or something like that. And most people just don't do that. I mean, I think people are thinking that people are going to, I think you see on TV shows, people rally behind you or whatever. They don't. I mean, most people are living their life. And for you as the person that's sick or with the family that's sick, just know that the people still love you and they care about you. They're just doing their own thing, but so you have to then understand that and not be upset with them. I'm not upset with my family that just, my family and friends that just abandoned me, you know? And I think that's life also. It's like, you have to repeat yourself over and over again when you're sick or have a sick kid too, and you'll hear the same stuff like, "Oh, I didn't know your kid was sick," even though you told him a thousand times. You know, "I never knew she had epilepsy." And I just think that's human beings. I think you have to have the compassion for other people also. And that's just, I think you go through all those phases in the beginning. You're going through all that grief and regret and all that stuff. And you just have to kind of let it go. Because people don't know how to deal with it, nor did I as a parent. I had no idea. So I had that crash course in dealing with it. But I think we as a family came out the other side of it. So I am very thankful at the outcome. And all I have is gratitude for where we are now, very thankful that she's in a great place. [00:18:40] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. And now I'm a little curious. So coming back to you and your story and your career trajectory, which sounds like it's had some fun twists and turns in it over the years, but so how has this experience affected both your professional life when you were in law enforcement, and then now as a comedian, are you able to use some of that platform to help even sort of process and then maybe inspire or educate other people through that? [00:19:09] Mike Knox: Yeah, and I look at it like it's all like with my comedy. I use the epilepsy. It's not making fun of epilepsy. It's informing. And I have people that come up to me and talk to me. "Hey, I have epilepsy. I'm so glad you talked about this because there's such a stigma." And I meet so many people and I'm gonna do it again next week where they didn't want to come because they're afraid, they're getting bullied. They don't know how to talk about it. They don't know how to approach it. A lot of families look down on it. There is a huge stigma for some reason. They're embarrassed that their family member has it or their child or whatever it is. And I really think that starts with state laws. So there was a law that was just passed in California where the schools have to identify seizures and everybody needs to be trained and that passed. And that took about five years and I worked on that. And that's where it starts with trying to educate people and starting with that one on one, you going and talking about it. But I do believe that only laws are going to change things and change people's mind. There's a lot of fake seizure videos that are on YouTube, a lot on TikTok, under the guise of comedy. And I don't agree with that. I don't think it's comedy at all. It's not something that I do. And that's something that I try to educate people on also is, it's not funny. There's people that are dying from epilepsy. And so just getting out there and talking to people. When I get that information, I just write that down and categorize it and see where the problems are. And it all goes back to just misinformation and people not talking about it. And that goes back to the funding and how the world works. Can people make money out of this? That's the only way that they look at it. If I had tons of money, I think you could solve it a lot quicker. I just take it day by day, and who I can talk to, and who I can show compassion to, again, because I think that's what people are looking for. And people just want a voice. They want somebody to talk to and you, and listen to other people. You know, I, that's kind of how I approach it also is listening to other people's stories because they feel unheard. And I think that's important. And through my older jobs and this job. And I think all you can kind of do is laugh at it 'cause it gets so overwhelming and so crazy. And you can't force people to see the way that you see things. So you kind of just got to laugh at it. And I think that's, I think that's healing in a way, a lot of people also, and especially with comedy. I mean, people come there, they know why they're coming there. They're coming there to laugh. A lot of it is they're coming from their horrible life, coming there for an hour or two to get away from it all. So I think it is beneficial to a lot of people. [00:21:27] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. So what is your hope for the future or your excitement for the future as things continue to progress and more awareness is in place, more legislation to help with responses to this kind of situation? What are you looking forward to or potentially excited about? [00:21:46] Mike Knox: So I just look forward to a day where I don't have to do this anymore. Not going to happen, but I do see a lot of great technology and I see a lot of great strides within the last five to 10 years in the medical field with medical devices. And that's what I hope for. I hope for something, like with the vagus nerve stimulator, they're looking at having a rechargeable battery or not having to replace the battery. And that's what I hope for. And I hope for, that I never have to hear anything about seizures or epilepsy. I know that's not gonna happen, but for my daughter and everybody else I would love to find a cure for it. And anybody that has to deal with any kind of medical device, hopefully, you know, we can put more funding into it and have more cures. And I think we are at a great time for so much success in, I mean, we're living longer, we're living better. These next couple of generations are, I mean, my mom's 88. People are living a lot longer and a lot healthier, and so I guess if I have to be positive, that's what I'm positive about. [00:22:41] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Well, that's good. That's taking the challenge with the opportunity and saying, "Okay, let's see what happens from it." So, you know, it's a step in the right direction for sure. All right. So, pivoting the conversation just for fun. Imagine that you were to be offered a million dollars to teach a masterclass on anything you want. It could be something that you've been working on from your career so far, so a skill set you've developed over time, but it could be completely unrelated. What would you choose to teach and why? [00:23:13] Mike Knox: It would have to be comedy because I've done so much comedy for free. I think that I can understand to teach that to other people and to tell them kind of all the traps of comedy. And it is just, comedy is consistency. It's getting your, you know, five minutes is really four minutes 'cause you're going to have about a minute of laughter if you're funny or not, but getting consistent and embracing the failure of it. And to me, those are the components of comedy because you've got to stand up there. A lot of it is you got to stand up there and embrace the darkness of being up on stage, which a lot of people don't want to do. And then you've got your material and you've got to be able to care. You've got to get new material and carry that material. So if you can, what I've seen, if you can get past that first five minutes and get 10 minutes and 15 minutes and so on, you're going to be okay. And so if I were to get a million dollars, I think that's the masterclass that I could teach. [00:24:00] Lindsey Dinneen: I love it. I love it. Okay. Awesome. And how do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:24:07] Mike Knox: To me, it's just that I did good. I think that to me, that's important. Do good and be good. ' Cause we see so much negativity all the time and we see so many people that it's like, you know, "Oh, I scammed this person out of that, but they deserved it." And there's kind of like no moral compass. So, when I was a, when I worked in law enforcement before, you know, people that you didn't even think that you touched their lives at all would say, "Hey, thank you. You made me recognize something different." And I think that's what life is all about. You've changed somebody's life or done some sort of kindness. It doesn't even matter. I think that's what a lot of it is these little things in life where you didn't even know that you did something to somebody. And it's that spider web of life where you your life intertwined with somebody. You weren't even aware of what you did but that impacted that person's life so much. And I think that's what we're here for is you're always trying to help other people. I mean, that's the whole point. [00:24:59] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, I agree. Yeah. Okay. And then final question. What is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:25:08] Mike Knox: Definitely seeing the vagus nerve simulator working; anything with my daughter. I think being in crisis for so long, and just like yesterday, my daughter made cinnamon rolls. She likes to bake. So watching her make something from scratch and then having her happy and excited that she made something-- that, that to me is happy. Well, that always makes me smile. So it is those little things that always make me smile. [00:25:35] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Excellent. Well, this has been an incredible conversation. Mike, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate your time and I really appreciate your commitment to sharing the word and being a positive helper in this situation. So if folks would want to get in contact with you, maybe because they have some questions or whatnot, or they want to follow your work, how could they do that? [00:25:59] Mike Knox: Sure. On all platforms, I'm Mike Knox, at Mike Knox comedy, or I have a website at mikeknox. com. [00:26:05] Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. Excellent. Well, thank you so much again for your time today. We are so honored to be making a donation on your behalf as a thank you for your time today to Save the Children, which works to end the cycle of poverty by ensuring communities have the resources to provide children with a healthy, educational, and safe environment. So thank you so much for choosing that charity to support, and also thank you for continuing to work to change lives for a better world. [00:26:35] Mike Knox: Thank you so much for having me. [00:26:38] Lindsey Dinneen: Of course, absolutely. And thank you also to our listeners for tuning in. And if you're feeling as inspired as I am at the moment, I would love if you would share this episode with a colleague or two, and we will catch you next time. [00:26:53] Ben Trombold: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium. Velentium is a full-service CDMO with 100% in-house capability to design, develop, and manufacture medical devices from class two wearables to class three active implantable medical devices. Velentium specializes in active implantables, leads, programmers, and accessories across a wide range of indications, such as neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, cardiac management, and diabetes management. Velentium's core competencies include electrical, firmware, and mechanical design, mobile apps, embedded cybersecurity, human factors and usability, automated test systems, systems engineering, and contract manufacturing. Velentium works with clients worldwide, from startups seeking funding to established Fortune 100 companies. Visit velentium.com to explore your next step in medical device development. And we just wish you the most continued success as you work to change lives for a better world.

Do you know your “remnant cholesterol”? It could be better than LDL for predicting your risk of having a heart attack or stroke; Vagal nerve stimulation for seizures—could adding a keto diet help? Exoskeletons that help runners, hikers, and cyclists have hit the consumer marketplace for recreational athletes; RFK Jr's HHS launches program to improve infant formulas; Insurers bilk taxpayers for billions by double-charging Medicaid.

Many patients with epilepsy are unable to acheive optimal seizure control with medical therapy. Palliative surgical procedures, neurostimulation devices, and other nonpharmalogical treatments can lead to a meaningful reduction in seizures and improved outcomes. In this episode, Teshamae Monteith, MD FAAN, speaks with Daniel Friedman, MD, MSc, author of the article “Surgical Treatments, Devices, and Nonmedical Management of Epilepsy,” in the Continuum® February 2025 Epilepsy issue. Dr. Montieth is a Continuum® Audio interviewer and an associate editor of Continuum® Audio and an associate professor of clinical neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. Dr. Friedman is a professor (clinical) of neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at NYU Langone Health in New York, New York. Additional Resources Read the article: Surgical Treatments, Devices, and Nonmedical Management of Epilepsy Subscribe to Continuum: shop.lww.com/Continuum Earn CME (available only to AAN members): continpub.com/AudioCME Continuum® Aloud (verbatim audio-book style recordings of articles available only to Continuum® subscribers): continpub.com/Aloud More about the American Academy of Neurology: aan.com Social Media facebook.com/continuumcme @ContinuumAAN Host: @headacheMD Guest: @dfriedman36  Full episode transcript available here Dr Jones: This is Dr Lyell Jones, Editor-in-Chief of Continuum, the premier topic-based neurology clinical review and CME journal from the American Academy of Neurology. Thank you for joining us on Continuum Audio, which features conversations with Continuum's guest editors and authors who are the leading experts in their fields. Subscribers to the Continuum Journal can read the full article or listen to verbatim recordings of the article and have access to exclusive interviews not featured on the podcast. Please visit the link in the episode notes for more information on the article, subscribing to the journal, and how to get CME. Dr Monteith: This is Dr Teshamae Monteith. Today, I'm interviewing Dr Daniel Friedman about his article on surgical treatments, devices, tools, and non-medication management of epilepsy, which appears in the February 2025 Continuum issue on epilepsy. Welcome to the podcast. How are you? Dr Friedman: I'm well, how are you? Dr Monteith: Thank you for your article. Dr Friedman: Thank you for the opportunity to talk today. Dr Monteith: Why don't you introduce yourself? Dr Friedman: So yeah, so I'm Dan Friedman. I am a professor of neurology here at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and I am the director of the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. I'm primarily an adult neurologist and I treat teens and adults with hard- difficult-to-treat epilepsy, including surgical treatments for epilepsy. Dr Monteith: And I know you see a lot of patients because I did my residency there. And so, when you graduate, you get a lot of it, like I think many, many residents. What inspired you to choose epilepsy as a profession? Dr Friedman: I came to neurology through my interest in neuroscience. I was a neuroscience undergraduate. I was very interested in the brain and brain function. Particularly, I was interested in how neurons communicate and organize to entrain and rhythms and that encode information. And through that interest and through my experiences in the laboratory, I actually became interested in how they do that in pathological circumstances like seizures. And so, I started reading about epilepsy, and then when I started seeing patients with epilepsy, you know, I decided this is the specialty for me for a lot of reasons. One is it combines inpatient and outpatient care. You get to establish long-term relationships with patients. For many of my patients, I'm probably the doctor that they see most often. You see people across the lifespan. And what I'm going to talk about today is for some people, you actually get to cure their disease, which at the time I was coming into neurology was something pretty rare. Dr Monteith: Yeah, that's great. Why don't you tell us, what were you thinking when you started writing the article? What did you set out to do? Dr Friedman: What I really wanted to do is to educate neurologists out there about the options that they have for their patients with epilepsy, especially those with difficult-to-treat or drug-resistant epilepsy, and give them the tools to communicate those options. Especially for them to understand the rationale, why we choose the interventions that we do as epileptologists, how to appropriately refer patients and have them be partners in that discussion with patients and families. One of the things that we have known for a long time is that the time to referral for things like epilepsy surgery is too long. You know, the average patient with drug resistant epilepsy who undergoes epilepsy surgery waits about twenty years. And for patients who could have curative therapy, you know, become seizure free, that's a lot of life years lost. If we can get patients to that potentially life-altering therapy earlier, that'd be great. Dr Monteith: Yeah, that is really impactful as you think about it. So why don't you tell us what the essential points of your article? Dr Friedman: The central point of my article is really that when patients have drug-resistant epilepsy, which means that our available anti-seizure medicines are not controlling their seizures to the degree that they need, there are other treatment options. Some of those are what we call curative, which means that they could stop their seizures entirely; and some of them are palliative, they could reduce the frequency or severity of seizures and improve quality of life and other outcomes. The other thing that I wanted to highlight was, in addition to these types of therapies, there are other tools we have at our disposal that can improve the quality of life and safety of our patients with epilepsy, including devices for seizure monitoring. Dr Monteith: And how do you define drug-resistant epilepsy? I feel like that could be a moving target. Dr Friedman: The International League Against Epilepsy actually set out to define it about a decade ago, and they defined it as patients who fail at least two appropriately selected anti-seizure medicines due to lack of efficacy. Then they're still having ongoing seizures. What does that mean? So, that means that the medicine that was chosen was appropriate for the type of seizures that they have, whether it's focal or generalized, and that it didn't work because of a lack of efficacy and not because of side effects. And we know from multiple studies that once patients fail two medications, the likelihood that the third, fourth, fifth, etcetera, medicine will control their seizures becomes smaller and smaller. It's not impossible, but the rates fall below five percent. And so we call those patients drug-resistant. Dr Monteith: So, it sounds like despite newer therapies, really things haven't changed in ten years. Dr Friedman: Yeah, unfortunately, at least when the concept was first investigated back in 2000 by Quan and Brody, they found that a third of patients were drug-resistant. When they went back in the mid-2010s to relook at these patients, despite the introduction of many new medications, the rate of patients who were drug-resistant was essentially unchanged. There may be therapies that are emerging or in development that may have better odds, but right now we don't really understand what makes people drug resistant and how we can target that. Dr Monteith: But you do raise a good point that this is about efficacy and not tolerability. And at least for some of the newer medications, they're better tolerated. If you stop the medicine because you had some side effect, that might change how that person has classified better-tolerated treatments. Dr Friedman: It's true. And better-tolerated treatments, you can potentially use higher doses. One of the things that is not in the definition of drug-resistant epilepsy, but as a practicing neurologist, we all know, is that the patients have to take the medicine for it to be effective. And unfortunately, they have to take it every day. And if the medicine makes them feel bad, they may choose not to take it, present to you as drug-resistant, when in reality they may be drug-sensitive if you got them on medicine that doesn't make them feel bad. Dr Monteith: So why don't we talk about patients that are ideal candidates for epilepsy surgery? Dr Friedman: The ideal candidates for epilepsy surgery… and I'll start by talking about curative epilepsy surgery, where the goal of the surgery is to make patients seizure-free. The best candidates are patients who have lesional epilepsy, meaning that there is a visible MRI abnormality like a focal cortical dysplasia, hippocampus sclerosis, cavernoma in a part of the brain that is safe to resect, non-eloquent, and where you can safely perform a wide margin of resection around that lesion. It helps if they have few or no generalized tonic-clonic seizures and a shorter duration of epilepsy. So the ideal patient, the patient that if they came to my office, I would say you should get surgery right now, are patients with non-dominant temporal lobe epilepsy of a few years' duration. So as soon as they've shown that they're not responding to two medicines, those are the ideal patients to say, you would have the most benefit and the least risk from epilepsy surgery. We know from studies that patients with temporal lobe epilepsy do a little better with surgery. We know patients who have a visible lesion on MRI do better with epilepsy surgery. We know that patients who have infrequent secondarily generalized seizures do better. But all patients with drug-resistant epilepsy should be considered for some form of surgery because even if they're not candidates for a curative surgery, there may be some palliative options, whether it's surgical resections that lessen the severity of their seizures or neurostimulation devices that reduce the frequency and severity of seizures. Ideal candidates, the ones that you would push through sooner rather than later, are those who have the likelihood of the best outcomes and the least risk of neurocognitive decline. Dr Monteith: So, you mentioned that there may be other candidates that still benefit, although maybe not ideal. You mentioned neuromodulation. What other interventions are available? Dr Friedman: For patients who are not candidates for resective surgery, there are several neurostimulation options. There's vagus nerve stimulation, which has been around the longest. It is a device that is implanted in- under the skin near the clavicle and has a lead that goes to the left vagus nerve and delivers stimulation, electrical stimulation to the nerve. For reasons we don't fully understand, it can reduce the both the frequency and severity of seizures. Seldom does it make people seizure free, but the reduction in seizure frequency for many patients is associated with improved quality of life, reduced risk of injury, and even reduced rates of SUDEP. We also have two intracranial neurostimulation devices we use for epilepsy. One is the responsive neurostimulator. So, this is a device that- it has leads that are implanted directly into the seizure focus and sense electrocortical brain activity and deliver electrical stimulation to attempt to abort abnormal brain activity. So functioning kind of like a cardiac defibrillator for the heart, but for seizures in the brain. And because these devices have two leads, they can be used to treat people with more than one seizure focus---so up to two---or be used in patients who are not candidates for resection because their seizure focus is in language cortex, motor cortex, things that would be unable to resect. And the RNS has somewhat better efficacy in terms of percent reduction in seizures compared to the VNS, but obviously because it's an intracranial device, it's also a little riskier. It has more potential for neurosurgical adverse effects. There's also a deep brain stimulator for epilepsies, the same exact device that we use to treat movement disorders. We can implant in the thalamus, in either the anterior nucleus of the thalamus or now, for some patients, into the central median nucleus of the thalamus, and deliver open loop stimulation to treat epilepsy and reduce the frequency and severity of seizures as well. Unlike the RNS, you don't have to localize the seizure focus, so you don't need to know exactly where the seizures are coming from. And you could treat patients with multifocal epilepsy with seizures coming from more than two locations or even generalized seizures. Dr Monteith: So, it sounds like there are a lot of options available to patients. I think one of the things I find challenging is when we have patients that may have some cognitive dysfunction, especially in the hospital, and they've had some seizures that are very obvious, but then there are these, maybe, events that you wonder are seizures. So, what is the utility of some of these seizure detection devices? Dr Friedman: The development of seizure detection devices started out primarily with the observation that a majority of cases of sudden unexpected death and epilepsy, or SUDEP, occurred following tonic-clonic seizures. And there was a need to be able to monitor for convulsive seizures, especially that occur at night when people were otherwise unattended. And so, the first generation of devices that were developed came on the market, essentially detected convulsive seizures, and they alerted caregivers nearby who are able to come to the bedside, provide basic seizure first aid, turn people on the side. And theoretically all this---this hasn't been shown in studies---prevents SUDEP. And so, the ones that are currently available on the market are focused on the detection of convulsive seizures, mostly generalized tonic-clonic seizures, but some devices can also detect other seizures with very prominent motor components. What we don't have yet available to us, and what people are working on, are devices that detect nonconvulsive seizures. We know that patients who have focal impaired aware seizures are often amnestic for their seizures. They don't know they had a seizure if family members aren't there to observe them. They may never report them, which makes treating these patients very difficult. How do you quantify disease burden in your headache patients, for instance? You say, how many headache days did you have since we last met in the clinic? Your patients will be able to report on their calendar, this many days. Well, imagine if the patients had no awareness of whether or not they had a headache day. You wouldn't know if your therapy is working or not. In epilepsy, we need those types of devices which can tell us whether patients are having seizures they're unaware of, and that may be more subtle than convulsions. Dr Monteith: Oh, that'd be great for headache, too. You just gave me an idea, but that's the next podcast. So, you mentioned SUDEP, really important. How good are surgical interventions at reducing what we would think the prevalence of SUDEP? Dr Friedman: For me that is one of the primary motivations for epilepsy surgery in patients who are drug-resistant, because we know that if patients who are candidates for epilepsy surgery have high SUDEP rates. Estimates range from six to nine per thousand patients per year. If surgery is successful, their mortality rates go down to the general population level. It literally can be lifesaving for some patients, especially when you're talking about curative epilepsy surgery. But we also know that the biggest driver for SUDEP risk is tonic-clonic seizures and the frequency of those tonic-clonic seizures. So even our palliative interventions, which can reduce the frequency and severity of seizures, may also reduce the risk of SUDEP. So, we know in study- observational studies of patients with VNS and with RNS, for instance, the rates of SUDEP in patients treated with those devices are lower than expected for the drug-resistant epilepsy population. Dr Monteith: Let's talk a little bit about some of these prediction models. And you have a lot of great work in your article, so I don't want to get into all the details, but how do you use that in the real world? Do you communicate that with patients? How do you approach these prediction factors? Dr Friedman: There are two places where, I think, clinical prediction tools for epilepsy surgery have a role. One is, for me, in my clinic where I'm talking to patients about the risks and benefits for surgery, right? You want to be able to accurately communicate the likelihood that the surgery is going to give you the desired outcome. So patients and their families can make educated decisions, be weighing the risks and benefits. I think it's important to be realistic with patients because surgery, like- you know, any surgery is not without risk, both acute risks and long-term risks. You're removing part of the brain, and, you know, every part of the brain is important. That's where I use prediction tools. But I think it's also important for the general neurologist, especially trying to triage which patients you are going to be aggressive with referring to a comprehensive epilepsy center for evaluation. Where you may use your limited time and capital with patients to counsel them on surgical treatments. Where a healthcare system with limited resources prioritizes patients. So, there's a significant need for having prediction tools that only take the input that a general neurologist seeing a patient in the clinic would have at hand. You know, the history, an MRI, an interictal EEG. Dr Monteith: I guess part of that prediction model includes adverse outcomes that you're communicating as well. Dr Friedman: Certainly, for me, when I'm discussing surgery for the patient in front of me, I will use prediction models for adverse outcomes as well that are informed by the kind of surgery we're proposing to do, especially when talking about things like language dysfunction and memory dysfunction after surgery. Dr Monteith: So, you mentioned a lot of great advances, and certainly since I was a resident, which wasn't that long ago. Why don't you tell me how some of these interventions have changed your clinical practice? Dr Friedman: Thinking about epilepsy surgery, like other surgical specialties, there's been a move to more minimally invasive approaches. For instance, when I started as an epilepsy fellow fifteen years ago, sixteen years ago, most of our surgeries involve removing a large portion of the skull, putting electrodes on the brain, doing resections through big craniotomies which were uncomfortable and risky, things like that. We now do our phase two or intracranial EEG monitoring through small burr holes in the brain using robotically placed electrodes. For many of our patients, we can actually treat their epileptic focus with a laser that is targeted through a small catheter and MRI guidance. And patients are usually home in two days with, you know, a lot less discomfort. Dr Monteith: Well, that's great. I didn't expect that one, but I do think that translates to many areas of neurology. Really just this idea of meeting their goals and personalizing their care. My last question is, what out of these advances and what you know about the future of epilepsy, what makes you the most excited and what gives you the most hope? Dr Friedman: I think there are a lot of exciting things in epilepsy. Last count I heard, there's something like over a hundred biotech companies developing epilepsy therapies. So that gives me hope that people are still interested in meeting the unmet needs of patients with epilepsy. And some of these therapies are really novel. For instance, there's a trial of stem cell treatments for drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy that's ongoing now, where inhibitory interneuron progenitor cells are implanted in the brain and kind of restore the brain circuit disruptions that we see in some of these epilepsies. There are combinations of drug and device therapies or gene therapy and device therapies that are in development, which have a lot of promise, and I think we'll have much more precise and targeted therapies within the next decade. Dr Monteith: Awesome. I really appreciate our conversation, and thank you so much for your wonderful article. I learned a lot reading it. Dr Friedman: Thank you. Dr Monteith: Today I've been interviewing Dr Daniel Friedman, whose article on surgical treatments, devices, tools, and non-medication management of epilepsy appears in the most recent issue of Continuum on epilepsy. Be sure to check out Continuum audio episodes from this and other issues. And thank you to our listeners for joining today. Dr Monteith: This is Dr Teshmae Monteith, Associate Editor of Continuum Audio. If you've enjoyed this episode, you'll love the journal, which is full of in-depth and clinically relevant information important for neurology practitioners. Use this link in the episode notes to learn more and subscribe. AAN members, you can get CME for listening to this interview by completing the evaluation at continpub.com/audioCME. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio.

Did the first part of the 30k giveaway. 2 more massive GAWS will occur in the next two weeks. We discuss Sebenza 31's, S35VN having 10 less VNs than S45VN.

Can technology transform the way we approach health and healing? In this episode, we explore the intersection of neuroscience, innovation, and the mind-body connection with Dr. Brennan Spiegel from Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Spiegel challenges the long-standing myth that the mind and body function separately, revealing how our thoughts, emotions, and physiological responses are deeply intertwined.We take a deep dive into alternative therapies that go beyond conventional treatments, including vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and its impact on relaxation, well-being, and potential applications in treating health conditions. From implanted devices to non-invasive, direct-to-consumer options, we break down how VNS works and its role in the parasympathetic nervous system (think: rest and digest). We also discuss percutaneous electrical nerve field stimulation (PENFS), a distinct yet related therapy offering new opportunities for managing gastrointestinal disorders.But the innovation doesn't stop there. We explore the growing role of virtual reality (VR) in healthcare, examining its influence on physiology, pain management, and patient outcomes. Backed by research from leading institutions like Cedars-Sinai and the Mayo Clinic, we uncover how VR is shaping modern medicine. Also, Dr. Spiegel shares fascinating insights on how gravity affects the body and how cutting-edge technology provides immersive healing experiences for patients in need. Join us as we navigate this exciting frontier where technology and health converge, offering fresh perspectives on how VNS, VR, and the power of the mind-body connection may revolutionize medicine.Tune in now and discover how these advancements could change the future of healthcare and well-being. This podcast episode is sponsored by Ardelyx.References:Vagus Nerve StimulationTherapeutic Efficacy of Neurostimulation for Depression: Techniques, Current Modalities, and Future ChallengesNeurostimulation for abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders in adolescents: a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trialResources mentioned by Dr. Brennan Spiegelwww.virtualmedicine.orgSynerGI - IBS VR Program available through research studiesXaia - VR support program available through Apple Vision ProTripp VR - Immersive meditation program on mobile and VR devices Vagustim - Vagus nerve stimulation product mentioned by Dr. SpiegelLearn more about Kate and Dr. Riehl:Website: www.katescarlata.com and www.drriehl.comInstagram: @katescarlata @drriehl and @theguthealthpodcastOrder Kate and Dr. Riehl's book, Mind Your Gut: The Science-Based, Whole-body Guide to Living Well with IBS. The information included in this podcast is not a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider before starting any new treatment or making changes to existing treatment.

Video Games. For years, we have wondered: What are they? Where do they come from? And what do they want from us? Today, we have answers for you... answers that would delight even that strictest of industry philosophers: Sonic the Hedgehog. These are shorter games, far less hardware intensive than the latest AAA titles, and made by passionate developers. In fact, the only thing that might not satisfy Sonic's demands is that indie developers aren't always paid more to work less, but maybe by telling you about these Indie Visual Novels we played, we can encourage more people to send some money toward these incredible games. This month, as is our semi-annual tradition, Sara and Runa each talk about a handful of indie visual novels they've played recently, each with its own incredible style, story, and impact. Some of these games are too short to warrant a full episode of the show, but honestly it's a struggle to keep ourselves from talking about each one for a full hour because they're just that good. In these Indie Game Compilation Track episodes, which we do at least twice each year, we want to highlight some of the incredible indie VNs we've played recently and get people excited about the things happening in Indie Visual Novel development spaces. We want to not only showcase the amazing breadth of work coming from Indie developers but also talk about some of our favorite games, many of which touch on subjects, characters, and experiences we rarely get the chance to see in games from larger studios. You can find a list of each game we played below and we encourage you to play along with us, and go searching for other Indie visual novels as well!  Most of these games are free and if not, fairly cheap (though please tip the creators if you are able), and you can read most of them inside of an hour or two. In fact, we want YOU, dear listener, to pick at least one of these games to play after you listen, and then tell us about it! Games included in this episode:Stillwater by Studio Clump (00:04:30)May I take Your Order by Alexis Royce (00:10:27)Someone Stole MY LUNCH by Studio Clump (00:17:35)Mushroom Musume by Mortally Moonstruck Games (00:24:05)Penultima by Zetareishi (00:34:43)Doomsday Dreamgirl by Nadia Nova (00:46:35)Sink Your Teeth by SuperBiasedGary (00:54:36)He Fucked The Girl Out Of Me by Taylor McCue (01:01:10)Bad Faith by Mado (01:14:07)Dahlia by Crystal Game Works (01:23:06)And we also mentioned...Rituals in the Dark by ebi-hime (01:30:20)Life after Magic by Chiraishi Games (01:29:21)

Welcome back to the Health Upgrade Podcast!In this episode, we're joined by special guest Peter Staats to explore the exciting world of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). We'll take a look at how his interest in neuromodulation began in the 1990s and how it led to amazing advances in noninvasive VNS technology—also called a "digital drug."Peter shares how this technology has developed into a non-surgical option for managing stress, inflammation, pain, and even improving focus. You'll hear fascinating patient stories and learn how VNS can help with conditions like asthma, while also offering potential anti-aging benefits.We also talk about the journey to get FDA approval and how this groundbreaking technology is changing healthcare today.If you enjoyed this episode, share it with friends, family, or your doctor. Help spread the word about the power of vagus nerve stimulation to boost mental clarity, reduce pain, and support overall health!-----Truvaga Discount Code: UPGRADE30Link: https://www.truvaga.com/upgrade-----Contact info:Dr. Navaz HabibEmail: podcast@healthupgraded.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrNavazHabib/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drnavazhabib/LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/drnavazhabibJP ErricoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-errico-097629aaPeter StaatsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-staats-md-mba-1692231/

Is Long COVID wreaking havoc on your nervous system? In episode 110 of The One Thing Podcast, Dr. Adam Rinde interviews Dr. Robert Groysman, an anesthesiologist (MD), and pioneer in treating dysautonomia (autonomic nervous system dysfunction) and post-viral illness. Discover groundbreaking therapies, including: * **Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS):** Learn how affordable, transcutaneous VNS can help regulate inflammation and calm your nervous system , * **Stellate Ganglion Blocks:** Understand how this procedure, initially used for PTSD, is now offering relief from Long COVID symptoms., * **The EAT Procedure:** Discover a novel Japanese therapy (epipharyngeal abrasive therapy) targeting the root causes of inflammation, even stubborn conditions like tinnitus and Eustachian tube dysfunction. Dr. Groysman shares his unique approach to treating Long COVID, focusing on four primary causes: dysautonomia, mitochondrial dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, and mast cell activation (histamine issues). He also discusses the importance of the vagus nerve in inflammation management and why standard treatments for POTS might not be enough to address the full scope of dysautonomia. **If you're struggling with Long COVID, chronic fatigue, brain fog, or other post-viral symptoms, this episode is a must-watch!** 0:00 - Intro: Long COVID, Dysautonomia, and the Autonomic Nervous System 1:07 - Introducing Dr. Robert Groysman and His Journey 3:24 - Dr. Groysman's Medical Background and Interest in Long COVID 5:03 - Stellate Ganglion Blocks for PTSD and Connection to Long COVID 7:20 - How Dysautonomia Drives Long COVID Inflammation 9:19 - The Four Primary Causes of Long COVID11:18 - Inflammatory Mediators and Brain Fog 12:25 - Defining Dysautonomia and the Role of the Vagus Nerve 14:28 - The Vagus Nerve and Its Anti-Inflammatory Pathway 16:43 - Vagal Nerve Stimulation as a Treatment for Inflammation 17:55 - Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) Devices 19:16 - Accessing the Vagus Nerve Through the Ear 21:55 - How VNS Works in the Brainstem 23:40 - Vagal Nerve Dysfunction in Long COVID 24:29 - Anesthesiology Background and VNS Therapy 26:30 - Research Supporting Vagal Nerve Stimulation 27:25 - Ear vs. Cervical Vagus Nerve Stimulation 29:30 - Choosing the TENS 7000 for tVNS 31:28 - Real-World Patient Response to tVNS 32:45 - Measuring Dysautonomia: Heart Rate Variability and Resting Heart Rate 34:15 - Orthostatic Readings and POTS 35:38 - Pre-Selecting Patients for Vagal Nerve Stimulation 36:50 - VNS as part of an Integrative Treatment Program 38:35 - Dr. Groysman's Four-Pillar Approach to Long COVID 41:10 - Long COVID Centers and Lack of Root Cause Treatments 42:48 - Introducing the EAT Procedure (Epipharyngeal Abrasive Therapy) 45:18 - How the EAT Procedure Cleans Inflamed Nasal Tissue 47:00 - Diagnosing the Need for the EAT Procedure 47:55 - EAT Procedure Success Stories: Voice Changes 49:10 - The Connection Between Vocal Cord Problems and the Vagus Nerve 50:15 - LPR (Laryngopharyngeal Reflux) and Potential Connection to Vagus Nerve 51:19 - Dr. Groysman's Practice, Telehealth and Treatment Approach 53:03 - Unique Combination of EAT and Stellate Ganglion Blocks 53:37 - Final Thoughts on Vagal Nerve Stimulation & Education 55:01 - Outro and Podcast Info Links: Show notes: https://onethingpod.com/110-vagal-stim Dr. Groysman's facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/longcovidsgb Dr. Groysman's clinic https://covidinstitute.org/about-dr-groysman/ **#LongCOVID #Dysautonomia #VagalNerveStimulation #VNS #StellateGanglionBlock #EATProcedure #PostViralSyndrome #ChronicFatigue #BrainFog #Inflammation #TENS7000 #AutonomicNervousSystem #RobertGryan #DrAdamRindy #FunctionalMedicine #RootCauseTreatment** --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/onethingpod/support

What if the key to treating chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis wasn't drugs but a tiny electrical device? That's the promise of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), a groundbreaking therapy that holds the potential to transform how we approach conditions like asthma, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even depression and other mental health issues. On this 20-Minute Health Talk, we explore the fascinating science and remarkable potential of VNS with two leading experts: Kevin Tracey, MD, president & CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and the founder of bioelectronic medicine; and Murthy Simhambhatla, PhD, president & CEO of SetPoint Medical, a company pioneering cutting-edge VNS devices. Together, they discuss the history of VNS, its applications today and the potential to address a wide range of other inflammatory conditions, from multiple sclerosis to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They also dive into the early results of a SetPoint-led study using VNS to treat rheumatoid arthritis, which Dr. Tracey believes could be the tipping point in this over 30-year odyssey. More on vagus nerve stimulation Vagus nerve stimulation and mental health Could vagus nerve stimulation help you live longer? Inflammation 101 Vagus nerve stimulation: a weight-loss medication alternative? Using a "neural tourniquet" to control bleeding

An emerging approach to stroke recovery involves an outpatient neurosurgical procedure that implants a device capable of stimulating a nerve found to be central to the brain's ability to learn. Dr. Christopher Conner in UConn Health's Brain and Spine Institute is the first neurosurgeon in Connecticut to implant this device, which can make the brain more receptive to intensive occupational therapy. Dr. Conner explains vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and describes its early success. (November 2024, Dr. Christopher Conner, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco) Dr. Christopher Conner https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Conner-Christopher Connecticut's 1st VNS device implant (UConn Today, May 2024) https://today.uconn.edu/2024/05/first-in-connecticut-ischemic-stroke-survivors-have-renewed-hope-with-the-vagus-nurve-stimulation-device-now-available-at-uconn-health/ Treating movement disorders with deep brain stimulation (UConn Today, May 2024) https://today.uconn.edu/2024/05/deep-brain-stimulation-changing-the-quality-of-life-for-those-with-parkinsons-disease/ UConn Health Brain and Spine Institute https://health.uconn.edu/brain-and-spine-institute/ UConn Health Stroke Center https://health.uconn.edu/stroke-center/ UConn Health Neurology Deep Brain Stimulation Program https://health.uconn.edu/neurology/clinical-services/movement-disorders/parkinsons-disease/ UConn Health Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center https://health.uconn.edu/parkinsons/  

Are you wondering what vagus nerve stimulation is all about? What does it do? How does it work? Pulsetto are sharing all this and more in their new guide to vagus nerve stimulation & VNS devices at https://pulsetto.tech/pages/faq Pulsetto City: Vilnius Address: 3 Aludarių gatvė Website: https://pulsetto.tech/

Episode Resources:JWOCN article: Assessment and Identification of Skin Disorders in Skin of Color: An Integrative ReviewAbout the Guests:Kathleen Francis, DNP, FNP-BC, CWOCN, is a registered nurse with over 45 years of diverse experience, including acute care, perioperative, critical care, long-term care, home health care, and wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nursing. Board-certified as a WOC nurse since 2008, she completed her WOC education in 2007 and has been an active member of the WOCN® Society, serving in various volunteer roles within the Society and the Northeast Chapter of the WOCN. Dr. Francis has worked as a CWOCN at VNS, Maimonides Medical Center, and is currently employed at NYU Langone Brooklyn. Her DNP project, completed in 2016, focused on the assessment and identification of skin injuries in individuals with darker skin tones. She has since published her project findings and continues to write and present on this critical topic at conferences. Additionally, she has contributed numerous journal publications and poster presentations to advance the field.

Want to get the most out of your vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) sessions just like top biohacker Bryan Johnson? Then you need Pulsetto's guide at https://pulsetto.tech/blogs/blog/bryan-johnson-tips-vagus-nerve-stimulation-device-to-increase-hrv Pulsetto City: Vilnius Address: 3 Aludarių gatvė Website: https://pulsetto.tech/

Are you a stress dominant individual looking for a quick way to reduce anxiety & nerves right before your big game, board meeting or a high stake activity? Then vagus nerve stimulation may be the answer.  In today's episode, Nick Hool, founder and innovator of Hoolest, unfolds the truth about the vagus nerve stimulation & just how crucial your vagal nerve tone & condition is when it comes to your reactions to stress. Discover how he developed a device targeting the vagus nerve that promotes relaxation & reduces stress in under 60 seconds. You'll learn all that & more in this episode on “Innovating Vagus Nerve Stimulation” Meet our guest Nick, a former competitive golfer, shifted his focus to studying stress responses in high-performance individuals after developing debilitating performance anxiety. He earned a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at ASU, where he explored neuromodulation technologies and discovered the benefits of vagus nerve stimulation for calming the nervous system.  To improve user experience, he developed VeRelief, a portable, high-strength vagus nerve stimulation tool designed for busy professionals seeking effective stress relief. VeRelief is now used by first responders, executives, athletes, doctors, and other high-stress professionals nationwide. Thank you to our partners Outliyr Biohacker's Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a roundup article of all the best current deals on technology, supplements, systems and more Gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus with the FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course The simple, guided, and actionable Outliyr Longevity Challenge helps you unlock your longevity potential, slow biological aging, and maximize your healthspan Key takeaways There are many ways to stimulate the vagus nerve, each with slightly different effects The vagus nerve connects the brain to the body and helps calm the nervous system during fight-or-flight states Electrical stimulation is faster and more effective for vagus nerve activation Stimulating the trigeminal nerve can reduce headache pain and prevent future migraines Auricular nerve stimulators can be used for 10-20 minutes; simply adjust them until you hit the right spot for effectiveness Vagus nerve stimulation can reduce stress and anxiety Vagus nerve stimulation can distract your mind from stress by focusing your attention on the sensation Sleep issues often have a stress component, such as overthinking, mental chatter, or negative thoughts Auriculovagus nerve stimulation increases neuroplasticity, enhancing the brain's ability to learn and retain new information Using vagus nerve stimulation before practicing a skill improves memory retention and performance If you have low vagal tone, start gently with electrical stimulation, as it can be overwhelming at first Visualization can help reduce stress by mentally rehearsing scenarios, making the brain feel like it's already experienced them Effective visualization requires time and focus—an hour a day of undistracted practice is necessary to see real benefits Daily vagus nerve stimulation strengthens emotional regulation, reducing negative responses to future bad memories Episode Highlights 03:06 Everything You Need to Know About The Vagus Nerve 07:01 Benefits & Risks of Vagus Nerve Stimulation 09:04 Vagus Nerve & Stress Relief Stimulation Modalities 18:49 Effects of VNS on Chronic Illness, Cognitive, & Performance Enhancement 47:41 Vagus Nerve Stimulation Studies Links Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kw1vqd_ABC4  Full episode show notes: mindbodypeak.com/180 Connect with Nick on social media Instagram Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Easy ways to support Subscribe Leave an Apple Podcast review Suggest a guest Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you! Be an Outliyr, Nick

Trouble sleeping? Try Pulsetto's at home vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) device. Discover the science behind how VNS can help you get the best quality sleep of your life in the comfort of your own bed at https://pulsetto.tech/pages/science Pulsetto City: Vilnius Address: 3 Aludarių gatvė Website: https://pulsetto.tech/

In this episode, we have a special guest, Dr. Navaz Habib, who delves deep into the wonders of the Vagus Nerve and its critical role in promoting better health. Join Dr. Jill Carnahan and Dr. Navaz Habib as they discuss the importance of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) and how it can be a game-changer in managing various health conditions. From addressing chronic issues like mold-related illness and Lyme disease to tackling autoimmunity and depression, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss. Key Points ✅ Tips and tricks to support the vagus nerve for better parasympathetic tone, decreased stress levels, improved mental health, and a better immune system system ✅ Why vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) may be a powerful tool for your to improve your health in MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome), mold related illness, Lyme disease, autoimmunity, and depression, anxiety and insomnia  ✅ How the vagal nerve got to be so popular and its connection to optimal gut health and support in inflammatory bowel disease.  https://www.truvaga.com/   USE CODE DRJILLPLUS for $30 off Dr. Navaz Habib Dr. Navaz Habib, is the bestselling author of ‘Activate Your Vagus Nerve', and the newly released ‘Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve' He is also the host of ‘The Health Upgrade Podcast'.   After graduating as class valedictorian from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2010 and went on to practice traditional chiropractic for years, until he utilized the power of functional medicine to transform his own health.   Dr. Habib is the founder of ‘Health Upgraded' an online functional health consulting clinic, supporting optimal health by elevating the awareness and function of the Vagus nerve. https://drnavazhabib.kartra.com/page/HUhome  https://www.drnavazhabib.com/UpgradeVNbook 

Pulsetto's FCC-certified vagus nerve stimulation device is the easiest, fastest way to achieve all the benefits of VNS at home. Melt your stress and anxiety away in minutes and get the best night's sleep ever. Go to https://pulsetto.tech/products/meet-pulsetto Pulsetto City: Vilnius Address: 3 Aludarių gatvė Website: https://pulsetto.tech/

Are you tired of the never-ending cycle of stress that negatively impacts your daily life? Whether it's working in the office, running a marathon or even resting at home, you might not know that you are in the sympathetic (stressed out) state. Our guest, Vitalijus - a sleep expert, dives deep into how your stress levels lies in the condition of your vagus nerve & how you can stimulate it using easy at-home methods or technology to lessen your cortisol levels naturally & experience life stress-free. Watch & learn more about the vagus nerve in today's episode, Pulsetto.  Meet our guest Vitalijus Majorovas is a sleep biohacker, geek, certified sleep & recovery coach, & certified Buteyko clinic breathing instructor who spent more than 10 years in the sleep products industry. In those 10 years, he conducted a 200-night experiment testing more than 70 sleep hacks – & invented a neuromodulation device. His journey from corporate burnout to biohacking pioneer is truly inspiring. Vitalijus has developed a groundbreaking vagus nerve stimulator, Pulsetto & is now scaling rapidly, hitting $1M monthly revenue. Thank you to our partners Outliyr Biohacker's Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a roundup article of all the best current deals on technology, supplements, systems and more Gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus with the FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course The simple, guided, and actionable Outliyr Longevity Challenge helps you unlock your longevity potential, slow biological aging, and maximize your healthspan Key takeaways You can activate the vagus nerve at home without any technology HRV basically represents the vagus nerve strength or tone The biggest problem with drugs is addiction, & there are significant numbers of overdose deaths, especially in the US because of the opioid epidemic. With electric stimulation, there are no side effects & no risk of addiction If you're able to keep your heart rate down, especially as the pressure is increasing, whether it's on the field for sports or in the boardroom on the job, you're going to do better overall at whatever task it is It's very normal during the day to switch between the fight-or-flight response & rest-and-digest mode. It's impossible for you to always be in the parasympathetic nervous system Episode Highlights 13:55 10 3 2 1 method 15:22 Supplements/strategies for better sleep 22:09 How the vagus nerve works as your body's Wi-Fi 41:22 Real-world results of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) 56:42 Effect of VNS on hormones 58:00 Heightened senses from using VNS 59:25 Why VNS has become so popular in recent years Links Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PycU9vhp0Pw  Full episode show notes: mindbodypeak.com/166 Connect with Nick on social media Instagram Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Easy ways to support Subscribe Leave an Apple Podcast review Suggest a guest Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you! Be an Outliyr, Nick

The Science of Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation with Dr. Navaz Habib, Pt. 2The realm of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) offers groundbreaking opportunities for healthcare providers and patients alike. In Part 2 of our series on vagus nerve stimulation, our guest instructor, Dr. Navaz Habib will unpack compelling case studies and vagus nerve exercises you can use with your patients, diaphragmatic breath work and dietary changes you may not be aware have vagus nerve, and vagus nerve exercises to bring about positive change. Plus, we'll explore the promising effects of music therapy on vagus nerve activation and dive into detailed mechanisms involving macrophages, cholinergic pathways, and neurotransmitters.Key Themes in Today's Episode: The role of diaphragmatic breathing and neural exercises in activating the vagus nerveCase studies showcasing significant health improvements through vagus nerve stimulationPractical recommendations for managing stress and promoting parasympathetic state activitiesInsights into Dr. Navaz Habib's upcoming book and additional resources for learning about treatment applications involving the vagus nerveThis Episode Sponsored by: Southeast Professional Education GroupFAKTR Podcast listeners can take $100 off of any certification program using promo code PODCAST83 now through July 15th.  Be sure to click the link below to view all of our certification programs and register before this offer expires: https://tinyurl.com/podcast84-SPEGcertsJoin us for our next FAKTR webinar on Thursday, July 31st. Click the link below to register for free:https://tinyurl.com/podcast84-JulywebinarLINKS:Join our Email List: https://faktrperformance.com/join-the-list-5776

Dear Listeners,Like the inevitable woe of an ancient curse, Summer is upon us once more. We're awash in refreshing recipes for strawberry rhubarb shrub, homemade swamp coolers, and the perfect accompaniment for a day indoors during a rainstorm: Indie Visual Novels. With huge bundles such as the annual Queer Games Bundle on itch, you're bound to find something that speaks to the most particular desires of your heart. Today, we're once again inviting you to explore the delightful space of Indie Visual Novels, and we've even brought some of our dear Patrons along to help us tell you about no fewer than Thirteen Indie VNs today! This episode is the third in our Indie Game Compilation Track series, in which Sara and Runa explore the depth and breadth of indie visual novels, covering games that might be too short for a full episode but still warrant our full attention and praise. We want to not only showcase the amazing breadth of work coming from Indie developers but also talk about some of our favorite games, many of which touch on subjects, characters, and experiences we rarely get the chance to see in games from larger studios. You can find a list of each game we played below and we encourage you to play along with us, and go searching for other Indie visual novels as well! In these Indie Game Compilation Track episodes, which we do at least twice each year, we want to highlight some of the incredible indie VNs we've played recently and get people excited about the things happening in Indie Visual Novel development spaces. You should check out all the games mentioned here, but more than that you should go look around, find and follow creators, and discover small indie games that you can love with all your heart. Most of these games are free and if not, fairly cheap (though please tip the creators if you are able), and you can read most of them inside of an hour or two. In fact, we want YOU, dear listener, to pick at least one of these games to play after you listen, and then tell us about it! Here's the full list of games we played, and games our Patrons told us about, along with more information on where you can find them: Runa and Sara played...Blood & Play: 00:01:49Co-Pilot: 00:11:01  Gender-Wrecked: 00:30:49Airtime Media: 00:16:37Bloom into Frost: 00:39:53Saint Spell's Love Guide to the Magical Student's Spellbook: 00:51:5031st March, Midnight: 1:08:44Patron SubmissionsCel by Date: 00:08:27 (Sent in by Ioyful Knight)Reckless Sympathy: 00:14:05 (Sent in by Emrys)My Father's Long Long Legs: 00:23:54 (Sent in by Meowgon)Love and Dehumanization: 00:35:06 (Sent in by Case Deerly)Needy Streamer Overload: 00:46:45 (Sent in by KT Kelly)Misericorde, volume 1: 1:00:20 (Sent in by SuperBiasedGary)

Are you a fan of lifestyle guru, Dave Asprey? Thinking of trying vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for better health? Get top biohacking tips on how to get the most from your VNS experience with Pulsetto at https://pulsetto.tech/blogs/blog/dave-asprey-tips-vagus-nerve-stimulation-device-to-increase-hrv Pulsetto City: Vilnius Address: 3 Aludarių gatvė Website: https://pulsetto.tech/

Pulsetto are suggesting methods of relief from depressive symptoms as part of their latest report into the effects of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and exercise work. The report is published as part of the company's educational blog series. Read the report at https://pulsetto.tech/blogs/blog/vagus-nerve-stimulation-for-depression-do-exercises-non-invasive-treatment-work Pulsetto City: Vilnius Address: 3 Aludarių gatvė Website: https://pulsetto.tech/

The interaction between the mind and body was first put forward in the west about 500 years ago by the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes. Descartes believed that the mind was non-physical and permeated the entire body - interacting via the pineal gland, (also known as the ‘third eye'). And indeed we now know that the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is stimulated via the Vagus Nerve through its different fibres, kind of like octopii tentacles- to release cortisol by the adrenal glands. Um… this last piece of information has already sent my mind into a new place of wonder and a thousand questions - so imagine how we're all going to be feeling after an hour with Dr. Camilla? The pineal gland/ third eye bursting wide open I imagine. Vagus is the latin word for wandering, due to its meandering nature, as it travels from the brainstem down to the abdomen, reaching into most of the body, including our throat, lungs, heart, stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidney, and gut (both the large and small intestines), and is the largest organ in the body's autonomic nervous system. It has also been described as the Home of the Soul, or SOUL NERVE. My guest today Dr Camilla Cameron is the only Japanese Acupuncturist in Australia who is also trained in non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation. Dr. Camilla is the founding Director of Happy Healthy Clinic, an allied health clinic based in Brisbane. She has 23 years experience as a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, coupled with 6 years expertise in vagus nerve stimulation. With a remarkable track record, Camilla has administered over 30,000 Japanese Acupuncture treatments and 9,000 Vagus Nerve Stimulation Treatments. Camilla truly believes VNS is the missing link in many patients' health recovery. VNS has become her ultimate passion, and has developed a comprehensive at-home VNS system, which has been utilised by over 500 patients worldwide. Camilla is one of Australia's most experienced & respected natural Women's Health experts. Visit Dr Camilla's website: happyhealthyclinic.com.au/vns-home-program/ Click here for the Toxic Silence playlist.

Chime In, Send Us a Text Message!Episode 73: We're excited to continue our partnership with Vivistim as part of a  Know Stroke Podcast spotlight series for May! Today's  interview  is with Tim Blinten, a young stroke survivor from Massachusetts who shares his story and a #strokethriver and real world experience with Vivistim. In our first episode of this series we spoke with Teresa Jacobson Kimberley, PT, PhD, FAPTA. She walked us through the science behind vagus nerve stimulation and her research findings with the Vivistim technology.Thank you again  Vivistim for your support  in this stroke awareness month spotlight series!You can get in touch with Tim here:Email - tblinten@starsofma.orgInstagram - @timblintenDisclaimer: “The MicroTransponder® Vivistim® Paired VNS™ System is intended to be used to stimulate the vagus nerve during rehabilitation therapy in order to reduce upper extremity motor deficits and improve motor function in chronic ischemic stroke patients with moderate to severe arm impairment. Do not use if you have had a bilateral or left cervical vagotomy. Risks may include, but are not limited to pain after surgery, hoarseness, bruising, swelling, coughing and throat irritation. While not observed in the Vivistim studies, infection leading to explant is a risk associated with any device surgery. For full safety information, please see www.vivistim.com/safety. Individual results may vary.”Regulatory note: In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved paired vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for patients with moderate-to-severe upper extremity motor impairments following chronic ischemic stroke. Support Our Show! Thank you for helping us to continue to make great content. We appreciate your generosity! Support the Show.Show credits:Music intro credit to Jake Dansereau. Our intro welcome is the voice of Caroline Goggin, a stroke survivor and our first podcast guest! Please listen to her inspiring story on Episode 2 of the podcast.Connect with Us and Share our Show on Social:Website | Linkedin | Twitter | YouTube | FacebookKnow Stroke Podcast Disclaimer: Our podcast and media advertising services are for informational purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Chime In, Send Us a Text Message!In this SnapCast we recapped a great day out at the Trillium Spring 5K running alongside our friends from Tufts Medical Center Stroke and Young Adults (SAYA) program and past guest Jenna Muri-Rosenthal from Fit to Function Recovery.We're excited to continue our partnership with Vivistim as part of a  Know Stroke Podcast spotlight series for May! Last episode we spoke with Teresa Jacobson Kimberley, PT, PhD, FAPTA she is the Director of the Rehabilitation Science PhD Program School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences MGH Institute of Health Professionals.  She is also the Director if their Brain Recovery Lab.  She walked us through the science behind vagus nerve stimulation and her research findings with the Vivistim technology.Dropping next is an interview  with Tim Blinten, a young stroke survivor from Massachusetts who will speak to his real world experience with Vivistim. Thank you again  Vivistim for your support  in this stroke awareness month spotlight series!Disclaimer: “The MicroTransponder® Vivistim® Paired VNS™ System is intended to be used to stimulate the vagus nerve during rehabilitation therapy in order to reduce upper extremity motor deficits and improve motor function in chronic ischemic stroke patients with moderate to severe arm impairment. Do not use if you have had a bilateral or left cervical vagotomy. Risks may include, but are not limited to pain after surgery, hoarseness, bruising, swelling, coughing and throat irritation. While not observed in the Vivistim studies, infection leading to explant is a risk associated with any device surgery. For full safety information, please see www.vivistim.com/safety. Individual results may vary.”Regulatory note: In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved paired vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for patients with moderate-to-severe upper extremity motor impairments following chronic ischemic stroke.New show supporter CTA for 2024-Mike Garrow For more information about joining our show or advertising with us visit: https://enable4us.comSupport the Show.Show credits:Music intro credit to Jake Dansereau. Our intro welcome is the voice of Caroline Goggin, a stroke survivor and our first podcast guest! Please listen to her inspiring story on Episode 2 of the podcastConnect with Us and Share our Show on Social:Website | Linkedin | Twitter | YouTube | FacebookKnow Stroke Podcast Disclaimer: Our podcast and media advertising services are for informational purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Chime In, Send Us a Text Message!May is Stroke Awareness MonthWe're excited to announce our partnership with Vivistim as part of a  Know Stroke Podcast spotlight series for May! Throughout the month of May we'll be bringing you two episodes highlighting the breakthrough technology of Vivistim to improve arm and hand function in stroke survivors impacted by chronic ischemic stroke.On our first episode in this May spotlight series we'll be speaking with Teresa Jacobson Kimberley, PT, PhD, FAPTA she is the Director of the Rehabilitation Science PhD Program School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences MGH Institute of Health Professionals.  She is also the Director if their Brain Recovery Lab.  She's walk us through the science behind vagus nerve stimulation and her research findings with the Vivistim technology.We'll follow this episode later in May with an interview  with Tim Blinten, a young stroke survivor from Massachusetts who will speak to his real world experience with Vivistim. Thank you again  Vivistim for your support  in this stroke awareness month spotlight series!Disclaimer: “The MicroTransponder® Vivistim® Paired VNS™ System is intended to be used to stimulate the vagus nerve during rehabilitation therapy in order to reduce upper extremity motor deficits and improve motor function in chronic ischemic stroke patients with moderate to severe arm impairment. Do not use if you have had a bilateral or left cervical vagotomy. Risks may include, but are not limited to pain after surgery, hoarseness, bruising, swelling, coughing and throat irritation. While not observed in the Vivistim studies, infection leading to explant is a risk associated with any device surgery. For full safety information, please see www.vivistim.com/safety. Individual results may vary.”Regulatory note: In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved paired vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for patients with moderate-to-severe upper extremity motor impairments following chronic ischemic stroke.New show supporter CTA for 2024-Mike Garrow For more information about joining our show or advertising with us visit: https://enable4us.comSupport the Show.Support the show:Become a monthly subscriber for as low as $3 per month.Click here to subscribe.Be sure to give the show a like and share, & follow plus connect with us on social or contact us to support us as a show sponsor or become a guest on the Know Stroke Podcast. Visit website to to learn more: https://www.knowstrokepod.com/Show credits:Music intro credit to Jake Dansereau. Our intro welcome is the voice of Caroline Goggin, a stroke survivor and our first podcast guest! Please listen to her inspiring story on Episode 2 of the podcastConnect with Us and Share our Show on Social: Website | Linkedin | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook

Listen in with Founder of Hoolest Performance Technology - leaders in the vagal nerve stimulation space. Learn more about PEMF and VNS as it pertains to health and calming the nervous system. GET YOUR VNS HERE!

As requested by those of you who follow me on social media, in this episode of the podcast I am sharing my experience so far, of using a fitted vagus nerve stimulator (VNS). I have aimed to answer all of the questions you guys asked me. I have given some information on the VNS, how it is fitted, what it does and how I am finding it at this point, including any symptom improvement. I touch upon alternatives for stimulating the vagus nerve and what the suggested benefits are with using vagus nerve stimulation. I feel positive, and I hope this episode of the podcast is useful for you.  As always #onedayatatime take care, see you on the next podcast.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govMy Links:https://linktr.ee/joulesthttps://twitter.com/julieTa58407536https://www.facebook.com/livingwithlongcovid/https://www.instasgram.com/julietaylor9545https://amzn.eu/d/9v9MP4vhttps://amzn.eu/d/1QVK8zn - Return to work plannerhttps://amzn.eu/d/a1Safxc - well-being planner https://www.julie-t.com/ - Julie Taylor life coaching websiteLong Covid Clinic (Julie Taylor & Dr Binita Kane - contact; longcovidclinic@howellmedicalgroup.co.uk for more information

Neurons are cells that contain mitochondria. Photobiomodulation energizes neuronal mitochondria, triggering a cascade of beneficial cellular functions. Potential benefits are neuroprotective effects, self-repair mechanisms and enhanced functionality. Vielight's patented intranasal stimulation technology and microchip LED technology is an innovative tool for brain photobiomodulation developed by Vielight. My guest today is Vielight's CEO Dr. Lew Lim. Intranasal photobiomodulation is the most efficient method for light energy to reach the brain. Different from electrical and magnetic stimulation, photobiomodulation uses light energy (or photons) of specific wave lengths and power density to simulate cellular function.    Vagus Neuro Duo The Vielight Neuro Duo is is the result of years of engineering and research. Clinical research with our technology has produced improvements in cognition, memory and blood flow. The Vielight Neuro Duo comes with both Alpha and Gamma modes. Gamma (40Hz): focus, memory, brain energy.Alpha (10 Hz): relaxation and sleep improvement. Vagus Device Recently introduced is Vielight's Vagus device which enables non-invasive stimulation of the vagus nerve (VNS) via photobiomodulation (PBM). This device was engineered to enhance brain-gut connectivity.  For more information visit: https://www.vielight.com Enter Coupon Code healing4me to claim a 10% discount.   

As the topic of mental health has gained attention over the past several years, you've no doubt heard a couple of related phrases you're not familiar with. One is the vagus nerve. The other is heart rate variability. Here, we'll delve into the vagus nerve and what it's all about. What is the Vagus Nerve? The vagus nerve, also known as the 10th cranial nerve or cranial nerve X, is the longest and most complex of the cranial nerves. It is also known as the "wanderer nerve" due to its long, winding course through the body, connecting various organs and systems. It is a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls involuntary body functions such as digestion, heart rate, and immune response.“Vagus Nerve: What It Is, Function, Location & Conditions.” Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22279-vagus-nerve. Accessed 6 Feb. 2024. The vagus nerve originates in the medulla oblongata, a part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord, and extends down through the neck to the vital abdominal organs.Segal, Dayva. “Vagus Nerve: What to Know.” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/brain/vagus-nerve-what-to-know. Accessed 6 Feb. 2024. It contains both motor and sensory fibers, which means it can send and receive information.Kenny BJ, Bordoni B. Neuroanatomy, Cranial Nerve 10 (Vagus Nerve) [Updated 2022 Nov 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537171/ The vagus nerve carries signals between the brain, heart, and digestive system. It is responsible for various bodily functions, including digestion, heart rate, and breathing. It also plays a role in controlling mood, immune response, and the regulation of food intake, satiety, and energy homeostasis.Breit S, Kupferberg A, Rogler G, Hasler G. Vagus Nerve as Modulator of the Brain-Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders. Front Psychiatry. 2018 Mar 13;9:44. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00044. PMID: 29593576; PMCID: PMC5859128. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a treatment method that uses electrical impulses to stimulate the nerve. It's used to treat some cases of epilepsy and depression that don't respond to other treatments. Damage to it can lead to conditions like gastroparesis, where food does not move into the intestines, and vasovagal syncope, a condition where people faint from low blood pressure. Vagal Tone Vagal tone is often used to assess heart function, emotional regulation, and other processes that alter or are altered by changes in parasympathetic activity. A higher resting vagal tone means you have a reserve capacity for stress. You're more stress resilient.Laborde S, Mosley E, Thayer JF. Heart Rate Variability and Cardiac Vagal Tone in Psychophysiological Research - Recommendations for Experiment Planning, Data Analysis, and Data Reporting. Front Psychol. 2017 Feb 20;8:213. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00213. PMID: 28265249; PMCID: PMC5316555. Vagal tone is typically measured indirectly by heart rate variability (HRV), which is the variation in time between each heartbeat. HRV is considered a marker of the body's resilience and adaptability to stress, with higher HRV (indicating greater variability in the intervals between heartbeats) generally associated with better health and fitness, greater resilience to stress, and lower risk of disease. The Vagus Nerve and the Gut-Brain Axis The vagus nerve plays a pivotal role in the gut-brain axis, a complex communication network that links the central nervous system (CNS) with the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This bidirectional pathway allows for the exchange of signals between the gut and the brain, influencing a wide range of bodily functions, including mood, immune response, digestion, and heart rate. Here's how the vagus nerve affects the gut-brain axis: Direct and Indirect Sensing The vagus nerve can directly or indirectly sense a variety of signals from t...

In the last episode of this miniseries, the Daisies react to the gut-wrenching finale of The Traitors UK (s2). They talk through the twists and turns leading up to the final result, and share what they've discovered about Harry from social media deep-dives. They also chat about what else they've been watching and look ahead to the next series of Doing the MAFS.Send us messages and VNs via Instagram (@daisykrg & @daisyroseflynn) or email daisygrantproductions@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Daisies break down Episodes 10 & 11 of The Traitors UK (s2). They start with some CRUCIAL intel about Evie and Charlotte, before discussing Ross's untimely departure and the rise of Jazatha Christie. They look ahead to the grand finale and question whether Harry can really win this - and if he does, will he spend his winnings on a big curry?!Send us messages and VNs via Instagram (@daisykrg & @daisyroseflynn) or email daisygrantproductions@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SYNGAP1 is complex, we need to partner with our clinicians to improve care & get ready for repurposing.    #S10e131   Three patient stories… with the same conclusion, we don't know enough about this disease.   - VNS, very few meds.  If that is appealing, look for the VNS parents. www.facebook.com/groups/syngap1vns/ - Little lady on Kepra finally getting a new drug. - Big man getting really odd care, based on EEG   These kids are so complicated and the system is just not ready.  We can help by supporting the studies I mentioned in #S10e128   1 - NEW!!! GLOBAL -  Every english speaking caregiver on earth: Rochester survey, 15 minutes, online. https://redcap.link/NDDCaregiverSurvey   2 - GLOBAL - Multiple Languages - #SRFunded - Every caregiver of a patient 17 years or older: Andrade Adult Surveys. Ilakkiah.Chandran@uhn.ca   3 - GLOBAL - #SRFunded. Every english speaking caregiver on earth: Tom Frazier, eye tracking study, at home, 20 minutes every 3 months for a year. KHuba@jcu.edu   4 - USA: https://ciitizen.com/syngap1/srf/ as always!  This data is critical and being used by multiple partners. Sign up/refresh!   5 - USA, East of the mountains: ENDD@chop.edu free natural history study!  #S10e105 https://youtu.be/qy5YrPIlH0I?si=4sl_IaLCA7YA6WpM West of the mountains, we are setting up at Stanford and Colorado.  Please get in there ASAP.   6 - Texas: QEEG at Cook Childrens.  Email Corey. All studies are on https://curesyngap1.org/studies/    REPURPOSING Also, repurposing is coming fast. 4PB is going into kids in the US and doctors in the Netherlands, Poland and Turkey are paying attention.  We have a hit from Chow that we are validating.  Rarebase validation is coming soon… The question is how and what to measure. The other question is cost, stay tuned here. Grinspan https://youtu.be/Rwwdifsu1g8?si=jZSIiguKLMJv5nSh Rarebase https://youtu.be/z0BdjDaWiMs?si=eTNo0R7kG321XQ8_  Chow https://youtu.be/TphYC3o2BJQ?si=_W66T0SqzE0AQJWm   I'm heading to PMWC tomorrow, really excited to share about SYNGAP1 with Justin, Yael and Nasha.  https://pmwcintl.com/session/gene-and-cell-therapies-in-rare-diseases-track_2024sv   New Things to Know about!   CHANGES STUDY New study in Edinburgh - “Changes Study” - Sydni Weissgold & Dr. Andrew Stanfield with Patrick Wild Centre, the University of Edinburgh - questionnaires, interview, & EEG on child; ages 2-15 with SYNGAP1 diagnosis or no neurodevelopmental diagnosis (for comparison); test is in Edinburgh, follow-up 1 year later Changes Study - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GQDl2qFHy0AH1I_z9Fl98wESdnurJPwO/view All Studies: https://curesyngap1.org/studies/   UCB USA Family Epilepsy Scholarship - https://Syngap.Fund/UCB24 Application deadline March 15 Same org that is giving away Sibling & Caregiver support kits - https://curesyngap1.org/sibling-support/   New blog about our YouTube channel & what you'll find there - https://Syngap.Fund/YT24 - 368 videos organized into 25 channels - S10, 5 years of Roundtables (Engl & Span), Events, Caren, hidden gems from long ago   Rare Disease Day What is Rare Disease Day & why is it the last day in February? You Should Represent SYNGAP1 During Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill   Fundraising Get Ready for Sprint - save the date 4/27/24 Getting organized: MDBR 6/8 2nd annual Golf Tourn in Canada 6/8 3rd annual Scramble 10/5 4th annual SRF Gala honoring Caren Leib 10/18 3rd SYNGAP1 Conference, hosted by SRF in LA - pre-register to receive updated info when it's ready https://Syngap.Fund/24Pre New webpage - Ways to Give - small ways to encourage our network to give to SRF to fund research: https://Syngap.Fund/Ways   Give all three of our podcasts 5 stars everywhere.   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/syngap1-podcasts-by-srf/id6464522917    This is a podcast subscribe! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/syngap10-weekly-10-minute-updates-on-syngap1/id1560389818 Episode 131 of #Syngap10 - January 23, 2024 #epilepsy #autism #intellectualdisability #id #anxiety #raredisease #epilepsyawareness #autismawareness #rarediseaseresearch #SynGAPResearchFund #CareAboutRare #PatientAdvocacy #GCchat #Neurology #GeneChat

The Daisies react to the most adrenaline fuelled week of The Traitors yet as they talk through episodes 7-9 of Series 2. They mourn Diane, share their final thoughts on Paul and discuss Andrew's precarious new position. They also wax lyrical about some new boy crushes and question whether Harry has usurped Paul as King of the Castle.Send us messages and VNs via Instagram (@daisykrg & @daisyroseflynn) or email daisygrantproductions@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Daisies talk about episode 6 of The Traitors UK (series 2). They discuss Jaz's shocking revelation, Diane's suspicions about Ross, and the high drama of the poison chalice. They also ponder whether Paul's “little chat” with Jaz might have blown Harry's cover!Send us messages and VNs via Instagram (@daisykrg & @daisyroseflynn) or email daisygrantproductions@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Daisies discuss eps 4&5 of The Traitors series 2 (UK). They share what they've learnt about Paul Gorton's time on Deal or No Deal from the Chatabix podcast, and they speculate on how long he can survive as a traitor. They chat about Ash's demise, the dungeon drama, and the traitors' tears. They also reflect on the Jonny tragedy and try to predict the traitors' next murderous moves.Send us messages and VNs via Instagram (@daisykrg & @daisyroseflynn) or email daisygrantproductions@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Daisies are giddy with excitement to discuss episodes 1–3 of The Traitors UK. They talk campery, Carols, and the complexity of Paul. They also delve into the Diane revelation, and Daisy F reveals why she would have been a secret weapon on this week's bird-themed task. Send us messages and VNs via Instagram (@daisykrg & @daisyroseflynn) or email daisygrantproductions@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Daisies are kicking off the new year with a bonus mini-series on the The Traitors. Watch out for our first episode dropping in the next few days, and then join us every week to obsess about this year's group of duplicitous strangers! Send us messages and VNs via Instagram (@daisykrg & @daisyroseflynn) or email daisygrantproductions@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hope you left out the milk, cookies and shrooms for Klaus! Guest host, Hayden Orr, joins the gang this week to go through the ol feedbag, discuss some holiday favorites and finish out our discussion of “Klaus: How Santa Claus Began!” Happy Holidays, you damn guys!  02:56 - Listener Feedback 12:55 - Whaddya See, Whaddya Say? 24:43 - Klaus 5-7 Please contribute to the GoFundMe to help my buddy, Demetrios, get his lifesaving VNS device!  https://gofund.me/01ac7234  Check out Hayden Orr's Podcast "Last Book On The Shelf"  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1917765  https://open.spotify.com/show/2LWwFOS47xNUmQA8S2NNmK  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-book-on-the-shelf/id1604416407  Social Media Banner by Matt Strackbein https://linktr.ee/TheLetterhack  Logo by Ross Radke, https://www.rossradke.com/  "Speed Racer theme," by Koshibe & Fernandez, "Unrest for Melancholy Men," and "Nutcracker: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" by J.J. Hrubovcak and "Christmas Spirits," by Sonata Artica used for educational purposes only.  opening and closing theme by https://onlybeast.com/ 

Nigel, wait for us! The bookclub gang is back this week to discuss all your listener feedback on "Koshchei in Hell," some holiday movie recommendations and our discussion of "Hellboy in Love: Goblin Night!" Now, lets go to a punk rock show!   03:39 - Listener Feedback 45:07 - Whaddya See, Whaddya Say? 51:08 - Hellboy in Love Please contribute to the GoFundMe to help my buddy, Demetrios, get his lifesaving VNS device!  https://gofund.me/01ac7234  Hell Notes: A Hell of a Love Life by Mark Tweedale http://www.multiversitycomics.com/annotations/hell-notes-a-hell-of-a-love-life/ Thanks Julian Xamo for the intro! Check out his links Julian Xamo Hellboy Reading Order!  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1g_6LwKE4T73xoIKnCj0X3d_b1aDRnzdLNun8gDqXOPs/edit#gid=0  Right Hand of Doom Book Club on Dischord!  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L4cLFgka8u75rRb3bIohWaBHlET5Fgs5YFjA_F0i_is/edit  Joy Division "Love Will Tell Us Apart," used for educational purposes only.   opening and closing theme by https://onlybeast.com/ 

Come enjoy some magic broth while it's still hot! Guest host, Hayden Orr, joins the bookclub this week to check out some listener feedback, share some holiday traditions and discuss the first four issues of “Klaus,” by Morrison and Mora! Now, keep your mouth shut wolf-man!  06:48 - Listener Feedback  19:44 - Whaddya See, Whaddya Say  29:18 - Klaus 1-4  Please contribute to the GoFundMe to help my buddy, Demetrios, get his lifesaving VNS device!  https://gofund.me/01ac7234  Check out Hayden Orr's Podcast "Last Book On The Shelf"  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1917765  https://open.spotify.com/show/2LWwFOS47xNUmQA8S2NNmK  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-book-on-the-shelf/id1604416407  Terence McKenna clips taken from:  Terence McKenna Talking about DMT Elves  https://youtu.be/ziPfLbvUcP4?si=d_P0scEbFTMZ5f8U  McKenna's Machine Elves  https://youtu.be/BkBtT7l4hlM?si=YJ1qLZwZj3LFqwPP  Social Media Banner by Matt Strackbein https://linktr.ee/TheLetterhack  Logo by Ross Radke, https://www.rossradke.com/  opening and closing theme by https://onlybeast.com/ 

Dear Listeners,The days are darkening swiftly, at least for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere. Spring's Tide and Winter's Tidings wash over the world as the year draws to a close, and limited time sales all entice you to buy this year's biggest AAA games at a rare moment of discount. In this corridor of time that is so often filled with scarce moments of calm, why not take a moment to relax with a smaller game, perhaps even one that you may already own? Today, we're inviting you to check out the vast space of indie Visual Novels, and we'll even tell you about seven of them that we've played and enjoyed recently.This episode is the second in our Indie Game Compilation Track series, in which Sara and Runa explore the depth and breadth of indie visual novels, covering games that might be too short for a full episode but still warrant our full attention and praise. We want to not only showcase the amazing breadth of work coming from Indie developers but also talk about some of our favorite games, many of which touch on subjects, characters, and experiences we rarely get the chance to see in games from larger studios. You can find a list of each game we played below and we encourage you to play along with us, and go searching for other Indie visual novels as well! In these Indie Game Compilation Track episodes, which we do at least twice each year, we want to highlight some of the incredible indie VNs we've played recently and get people excited about the things happening in Indie Visual Novel development spaces. You should check out all the games mentioned here, but more than that you should go look through itch, find and follow creators, and discover small indie games that you can love with all your heart. Most of these games are free and if not, fairly cheap (though please tip the creators if you are able), and you can read most of them inside of an hour or two. In fact, we want YOU, dear listener, to pick at least one of these games to play after you listen, and then tell us about it! Here's the full list of games we played, along with their timestamps and creators' store & social pages:Cannelé and Nomnom - Defective Agency: 00:04:10Game Page: https://pyrofoux.itch.io/defective-agencyCreators: Yazaleea, Younès Rabii, LSKR, ArisaeRetrace: 00:14:52Game Page:  https://spiderlilystudios.itch.io/retraceCreators: Spider Lily StudiosLove & Dehumanization: 00:23:05Game Page: https://aria-of-flowers.itch.io/love-and-dehumanizationCreator: Aria's GardenGod is in the Radio: 00:33:27Game Page: https://catsket.itch.io/intheradioCreator: catsketSecret Little Haven: 00:38:40Game Page: https://ristar.itch.io/secret-little-havenCreator: Victoria DominowskiStop Burying Me Alive, Beautiful!: 00:59:58Game Page: https://zephyo.itch.io/stop-burying-me-alive-beautifulCreators: angela he, robobarbie, destini islands, allie veraCom__et: 01:07:28Game Page: https://superbiasedgary.itch.io/com-etCreator: SuperBiasedGary

Ivan Cichowitz, M.D., explains the FDA approved VNS science to treat depression. He outlines the history, process, and theory, that it is used very often with medications, its increasing insurance coverage, how to know when and if it should become a treatment option, etc. VNS is a strong additional utensil in the treatment of resistant depressions. Learn and ask about this very promising mechanism.

As series 7 of MAFS UK reaches its chaotic conclusion, the Daisies discuss the stand-out moments from the final vows and the reunion. They chat about Jordan's stubbornness and JJ's sweetness, as well as the return of a true villain in Bradley. While the series has been far from full of star-crossed lovers, they agree that it has provided bucketfuls of drama!Send us messages and VNs via Instagram (@daisykrg & @daisyroseflynn) or email daisygrantproductions@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, the Daisies discuss the foreboding penultimate week of MAFS UK. They share their reactions to Ella's drunken outbursts, Peggy's creepy mansion, and the Rozz and Thomas heartbreak. They also ponder whether Arthur has put his foot in it a bit too deeply this time, and if there is any hope left for the remaining couples!Send us messages and VNs via Instagram (@daisykrg & @daisyroseflynn) or email daisygrantproductions@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, the Daisies chat about the this series' biggest fight its even bigger consequences. They also discuss homestays, Arthur's downfall, and a surprising Ella & JJ revelation.Send us messages and VNs via Instagram (@daisykrg & @daisyroseflynn) or email daisygrantproductions@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wellness + Wisdom Podcast Host and Wellness Force Media CEO, Josh Trent, shares why our gut is the second brain and: In this solocast, you will learn: How making decisions and judgments are related to our nervous system. What the enteric nervous system (ENS) is and why it is our second brain. Brain-gut connection through the vagus nerve. The new studies that are being done on the ENS and microbiome. What the function of neurotransmitters is in the ENS. How fermented foods positively affect our gut and therefore also the ENS, the vagus nerve, and the brain. What our gut feeling truly is and why it gives us false information if we have dysbiosis. How our mental health is involved in the enteric nervous system. The relation between serotonin imbalances and depression. What the consequences of our diet are on our mental health. How Ion Biome supplements support our gut health. Why we should avoid using sunscreen with aluminum. How breathwork stimulates the vagus nerve. Electronic stimulation of the vagus nerve. Why vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) through the ear makes a shift in your nervous system, and why you need to be in communion with your body to see results. Limited Edition: Gold Pumpkin Spice from Organifi Save 20% with code "WELLNESSFORCE" on everyone's favorite Fall treat is here! Pumpkin Spice is more than just a taste phenomenon: it's a portal directly into the nostalgia of fall. With Gold Pumpkin Spice, that taste can also help promote relaxation and restful sleep, nourish the body, and support nightly recovery from a hard day's work.  Click HERE to order your Organifi today including the Green, Red, and traditional Gold! Are You Stressed Out Lately? Take a deep breath with the M21™ wellness guide: a simple yet powerful 21 minute morning system that melts stress and gives you more energy through 6 science-backed practices and breathwork. Click HERE to download for free. Experience Red Light Therapy at HomeSave 10% on your SaunaSpace order with the code "JOSH10" Unlike the traditional methods, near-infrared light works with your body's biology to create radiant heat from the inside out. By using near-infrared's shorter wavelengths in a way that mimics natural sunlight, the light penetrates deeply to raise your core temperature faster. *Review The Wellness + Wisdom Podcast & WIN $150 in wellness prizes! *Join The Facebook Group   BREATHE: Breath & Wellness Program Get 33% off of the BREATHE: Breath & Wellness Program with the code PODCAST33 Boost your immunity and calm your mind with freedom from chronic stress in the modern world. A 21 day guided breath and wellness program using ancient wisdom to boost your immunity, calm your mind, and give you freedom from chronic stress in the modern world. Combining special breathwork infused with safe vape cannabidiol, BREATHE gives you everything you need to let go of old weight, de-stress, and build immunity so you can live your best life. In this special (limited time) offer, you will receive: - Lifetime access to BREATHE - Free upgrades to all future training modules - Free additional training modules - Special VIP coupons for safe vape, essential oils, CBD, nootropics and more - Private WF group access   Josh's Trusted Products | Up To 40% Off Shop All Wellness + Wisdom Approved Products SiPhox - Save 10% with code "JOSH" Holy Hydrogen - Save $100 with code "JOSH" SinuSonic - Use code "JOSH15" for 15% off Tru Kava - Use code "JOSH20" for 20% off MANNA Vitality - 20% off with the code "JOSH20" Mendi.io - 20% off with the code "JOSH20" Adapt Naturals - Save 15% with code "WELLNESSFORCE" BREATHE - 33% off with the code “PODCAST33” MitoZen – 10% off with the code “WELLNESSFORCE” Organifi –20% off with the code ‘WELLNESSFORCE' PLUNGE - $150 off with the code “WELLNESSFORCE" QI-Shield EMF Device- 20% off with the code "JOSH" SEED Synbiotic - 30% off with the code "JOSHTRENT" BON CHARGE - 15% off with the code "JOSH15" SpectraSculpt - 15% off with the code "JOSH15" SaunaSpace - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" Cured Nutrition CBD - 20% off with the code "WELLNESS FORCE" LiftMode - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" Paleovalley – 15% off with the link only NOOTOPIA - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" Activation Products - 20% off with the code “WELLNESSFORCE” SENSATE - $25 off with the code "JOSH25" BiOptimizers - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" ION - 15% off with the code ‘JOSH1KS' Feel Free from Botanic Tonics - $40 off with the code "WELLNESS40" Essential Oil Wizardry - 10% off with the code "WELLNESSFORCE" ALIVE WATERS - 33% off your first order with the code "JOSH33" DRY FARM WINES - Get an extra bottle of Pure Natural Wine with your order for just 1¢ Drink LMNT – Zero Sugar Hydration: Get your free LMNT Sample Pack, with any purchase Earth Runner Shoes - Save 10% with code "JOSH10"  

New developments in the treatment of mental health challenges have been painfully slow to arrive. Talk therapy, lithium, prozac, electroshock therapy have all developed in the past 150 years. There have been a number of new medications developed but each has its own profile of positive and negative benefits. And few are highly effective (i.e., help more than 50% of the population they are intended to serve). In the past 10 years, however, there have been some noticeable improvements from some unsuspecting sources. These include psilocybin, ketamine, vagal nerve stimulation, Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and MDMA. Tune in to this fascinating conversation with Dr. Rebecca Allen, who heads up the Seattle Neuropsychiatric Treatment Center which is comprised of 5 treatment centers throughout Washington. Recent research out of Johns Hopkins, published in the prestigious journal Nature, found that critical windows of learning were re-opened in mice for 2,3 and 4 weeks depending on which psychedelic drug they were administered (and no, I have no idea how you discover the proper dosage of psilocybin for a mouse!). The mice were given either ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, LSD or ibogaine. Ketamine kept the social reward learning period active for 48 hours, psilocybin and MDMA opened the critical learning window for two weeks, LSD for 3 weeks and ibogaine opened it for four weeks. This duration aligns loosely with the self-reported after effects of each psychedelic drug in humans. This post-treatment period could offer a valuable window of opportunity for maintaining the learning state. It appears that these drugs impact the RNA and thus, the genetic level, turning on or off genes associated with social learning. So these drugs seem to be impacting at a spiritual level, an interpersonal level, a cognitive level, a neurological level and at a genetic level. It is research such as this (as well as research in larger mammals, i.e., humans) that has heralded a new age in the treatment now called the Psychedelic Renaissance. Topics Covered In This Episode:Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). For which mental health diagnoses is this treatment used? What is its efficacy?Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). For which mental health disorders is this prescribed? What is its rate of success?Ketamine therapy. For what has it been shown to be helpful? Effectiveness rates?Psilocybin (magic mushrooms). What disorders show promising results here? What percentage of the population responds positively to them?Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS). What does this help?MDMA (Street names: ecstasy or molly). What about the recent excitement around MDMA for healing? What disorders are responsive to MDMA? About Dr. John's Esteemed Guest - Dr. Rebecca Allen:Dr. Allen is, among many other things,…Partner & Director of Neuropsychiatry and Research at the Seattle Neuropsychiatric Treatment Center Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington Vice President of the Clinical TMS Society and Past President of theWashington State Psychiatric AssociationFind out more at https://seattlentc.com.If you like what you've heard at The Evolved Caveman podcast, support us by subscribing, leaving reviews on Apple podcasts. Every review helps to get the message out! Please share the podcast with friends and colleagues. 

It won't be too long before electronic vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is helping to treat inflammatory illness, says bioelectronic medicine specialist Kevin Tracey.