Ella Sofia, Habit Coach is a content creator at www.retrainyourbrain.ca. In January 2008, at age 14, Ella suffered a hemorrhagic stroke due to an AVM (arteriovenous malformation) rupture in her cerebellum. About 9 years after her injury, through a long process of self-care and self-reflection, she realized that mental rehabilitation is just as, if not more important than physical rehabilitation. Ella received a Master of Arts, Sociology degree from the University of Waterloo in 2018, and now spe...

Alexa Di Persio was 12 years old when she was diagnosed with a concussion. Now, six and a half years later, she has entered her second year at the University of Toronto in French and Drama, but still dealing with post concussion syndrome (PCS).Alexa talks about the challenges PCS has presented, both now as well as those during her high school and earlier years.Alexas talent can be seen via her Instagram @alexas_singing_account and her YouTube Channel! Subscribe and leave a review! Visit https:...

Dane is a former Mcgill University linebacker and recent grad who stopped playing football due to concussions. Dane now spends his free time running, playing volleyball, exploring new music and recipes.Concussion Chats is a podcast hosted by the McGill Students for the Concussion Legacy Foundation, with the help of Nick from Concussion Talk. This podcast is dedicated to providing hope and strength to those suffering from concussions through sharing experiences. Join us to hear recordings of our ...

Alexandra is a 2nd year student at University of Toronto and has been suffering from PCS (post concussion syndrome/persistent concussion symptoms/prolonged concussion symptoms) for 6 and a half years. Although she was forced to stop dancing, she has continued her love of performance by acting and singing in her room all the while trying to balance school, life, and her concussion symptoms. Alexa talks about her challenges and her questions about what the concussion and PCS could mean for her. An...

On the second episode of BRAINIAC, Edina Bijvoet, president of the University of Toronto chapter of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, will interview Nicola Bijvoet, a University of Toronto Rotman Commerce student. Nicola sustained a concussion 5 months ago and is still experiencing symptoms. She has been maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet with the intention of improving her concussion symptoms. Her experience with the diet, as well as the relevant research is discussed. Lastly having a concus...

Kristine is an mTBI survivor who found power in brain entrainment and alternative modalities. Part of her mission now is to help other TBI survivors on their journey to find strength in their new normal.Instagram: @tbithriverConcussion Chats is a podcast hosted by the McGill Students for the Concussion Legacy Foundation, with the help of Nick from Concussion Talk. This podcast is dedicated to providing hope and strength to those suffering from concussions through sharing experiences. Join us to ...

Welcome to the first episode of Concussion Chats - the podcast of McGill Students for Concussion Legacy Foundation. They hold concussion support groups twice weekly via Zoom; Monday at 7pm ET, Thursday at 10am ET . Anyone is welcome. Check out the podcast description for more info!Emily Fraser shares about the top 10 things that she has learned along her concussion recovery journey. Emily is an educator and the face behind the instagram account @post_concussion_support. Ever since her brain inju...

I completed Rosetta Stone Spanish (Latin America) in 2014, but geography, along with other circumstances, mean that my exposure to Spanish is limited, and I'm far from fluent. Nevertheless, it was a great course, I learned a lot, it wouldn't take long to get up to speed, and at the very least it's not indecipherable.That brings me to Episode 71 where Dr. Alejandra Merriman and Oscar Lopez Huerta, LAT, ATC will talk about concussion and how the essential communication between the injured person a...

Dr. Shannon Bauman, Medical Director of Concussion North (Barrie, ON) BS, BScN, MD, CCFP (SEM), Dip. Sport Med.Each patient’s journey to concussion recovery is different. The complexity of a concussion injury alone can be overwhelming and difficult for individuals to understand, let alone monitoring the trajectory of their recovery that can include several practitioners.Dr Shannon Bauman, Medical Director of Concussion North, joins the podcast to discuss how she has used her personal experiences...

On the first episode of BRAINIAC, Edina Bijvoet, president of the University of Toronto chapter of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, will introduce the podcast and interview Joseph Carere, a University of Toronto graduate.Joseph Carere has been living with post concussion syndrome for 6 years and has undergone numerous therapies and treatments in the efforts of reducing his symptoms. Joseph discusses how he became concussed, his regrets about how he dealt with the concussion, his symptoms, and h...

Meaghan Adams, PT, PhD (Neuroscience), Registered PhysiotherapistIndividuals with prolonged concussion symptoms may experience difficulties in busy environments with several different types of sensory stimuli (noise, light, crowds of people, etc). Subjective report of symptoms alone cannot characterize the underlying dysfunction in sensory processing and integration. The development of objective outcome measures will help improve clinical management of concussion.Meaghan joins Katie to discuss h...

Felicia and Allie from Keep Your Head Up @keepyourheadupKW share a segment that they have launched on their Instagram called TBI Through the Eyes of Others. Through this series, they aim to share insights from members of an individual’s circle of support following a concussion.In today’s episode Allie and Felicia discuss traumatic brain injury through the eyes of partners. For this segment, they asked partners to share their insights on what it was like supporting their significant others after ...

Melissa Biscardi, MSc, Registered Nurse, Osteopathic Practitioner Concussion SpecializationThe body of knowledge surrounding women’s health and brain injury is complex but is continuing to grow. Hormonal changes may occur after a concussion injury that may affect reproductive health, menstruation, and even cognition. Melissa Biscardi joins Katie to discuss her pathway from nursing, osteopathy, and into academia.As well, Melissa describes how her experiences in research have connected to her clin...

Michael Jorgensen PhD Student, MSc PsychExperiences and beliefs surrounding risk behaviours, reporting symptoms, and seeking care for sport-related concussion are shaped by more than just individual athletes. Sport culture and influential stake-holders may have significant influences on psychosocial behaviours of athletes.Michael Jorgensen joins Katie today to discuss how his experiences in varsity rugby and concussion have shaped his PhD research focus on primary prevention of concussion in spo...

Dr. Johanna Hurtubise, PhD, CAT(C)A concussion injury is incredibly complex. Understanding the foundations of neuroanatomy and function of the brain is crucial to develop practical interventions for rehabilitation. Dr. Johanna Hurtubise joins Katie to discuss her PhD research connecting cognition with movement (cognitive-motor integration) for assessment of concussion. As well as her journey as an PhD-clinician educator for students and clinicians to improve knowledge translation for understandi...

In this episode, Felicia and Allie from Keep Your Head Up @keepyourheadupKW share their insight on their experiences seeking support from their friends after their concussions. They share a segment that they have launched on their Instagram called TBI through the eyes of others. Through this series, they aim to share insights from members of an individual’s circle of support following a concussion. In today’s podcast, they discuss TBI through the eyes of friends. Subscribe and leave a review! ...

Neuroplasticity one of the first words I remember hearing from my physiotherapist, Jen Shears. Given the importance I place on her words, it is no surprise that "neuroplasticity" has been one of, if not the most recognizable rehab terms for me.Melissa Medeiros, Registered Occupational Therapist, and Clinical Operations Supervisor of Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic, as guest on episode 70, talks about neurplasticity, especially with regards to concussion (check out their impressive "Let's Talk Abou...

Brain injury and stroke survivors often have a difficult time in rehab for numerous reasons (some of which were described by Lauren in her latest podcast series on chronic pain). Motus Nova CEO David Wu, and Director of Clinical Research Nick Housley, are trying to address several of these reasons, such as; transportation to appointments which may be a long way away (or restricted due to COVID), financial accessibility (paying for more sessions), and practice, practice, practice.David and Nick j...

Lauren has done a three-part, Phoenix Concussion Recovery, series discussing chronic pain. This podcast series is for anyone whether or not they have experienced a head injury!In the third and final episode of the Chronic Pain series, Lauren talks about noisy neighbours (or, neighbors, as Lauren would spell it), cortisol, homunculus, use it or lose it, and summarizes the entire series! Check out part one & part two! Subscribe and leave a review! Visit https://www.concussiontalk.com/ for more! ...

June is Brain Injury Awareness in Canada and new co-host Tara Bradbury and I talk about all that entails with Michelle McDonald, Executive Director of Brain Injury Canada, and Marina White, President of the Board of NLBIA (Newfoundland and Labrador Brain Injury Association).We talk about the effect brain injury can have on those injured, their family, friends, and the community. The ramifications are widespread, effecting not only the health care system, but the justice system as well.The activi...

Mohammed Mall of Ryerson University in Toronto joins me for episode 67 to talk about spreading concussion awareness and education.Mohammed Mall is entering his 4th year studying Biology at Ryerson University. Experienced in child care and summer camp settings, along with coaching sports such as soccer, hockey, and basketball. To learn more about Mohammed’s interest and his involvement with the Ryerson CLF, you can reach him at mmall@ryerson.ca and on Instagram @mohammed_mall08 Subscribe and lea...

Lauren is doing a three-part, Phoenix Concussion Recovery, series discussing chronic pain. This podcast series is for anyone whether or not they have experienced a head injury!In the second episode, Lauren talks about gatekeepers, wet and dry brains, pain maps and meetings, and lions! Perhaps unsurprisingly, those terms all refer to how your body manages sensation.Listen to part one of the series wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and leave a review! Visit https://www.concussiontalk.com...

I've been doing this podcast since June of 2015 and, although I've interviewed many people, I haven't been joined by an actual co-host. That is where Tara Bradbury comes in! In 2011, Tara wrote a six-part series titled, The Wounded Brain (check back here for link) in the local newspaper, The Telegram, not only about brain injury and different neurological conditions, but about the people affected. Tara interviewed me for the final article in that series, and we've stayed in touch. On this podcas...

On this episode Felicia and Allie from @keepyourheadupKW (Episode 55) share their insight on how brain injury recovery has unexpectedly helped them to cope with the pandemic. They draw from their experiences to share tips and coping strategies they have found helpful and offer inspiration to anyone going through a challenging time. Subscribe and leave a review! Visit https://www.concussiontalk.com/ for more! Follow and subscribe! @concussiontalk on YouTube, Instagram & Facebook 2014 e-book, ...