General Stroke Information

• Stroke Education – Mayo Clinic
  Very clear, organized presentation about stroke causes, effects, diagnosis and treatment.
• Stroke Health Center on WebMD
  Thorough overview about stroke and up-to-date news articles.
• Stroke Information Guide
  National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH.
• BBC Stroke Guide
  Layperson introduction to stroke from the British Broadcasting Corporation.
• MedicineNet
  Excellent general and detailed stroke information for patients.
• Neuro Patient Resource Center at Montreal Neurological Hospital
  Includes patient fact sheets, diagnostic testing descriptions and links.
• Patient’s Guide to Stroke
  From the Heart Information Network.
• Stroke: Warning Signs and Tips on Prevention
  Patient guide from the American Academy of Family Physicians
• Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease
  A guide for patients and their families from the Stanford Stroke Center.
• What is a Stroke?
  From Intelihealth and the Harvard Medical School.

Stroke Tutorials and Illustrated Guides

• Blood Supply of the Brain
  Informative presentation from Dr. Eric Chudler, University of Washington. (This is a companion site to the fabulous Neuroscience for Kids.)
• A Primer on Brain Tumors
  Nicely illustrated and annotated guide to understanding the brain from the American Brain Tumor Association.
• Carotid Artery Disease
  Carotid Artery Disease, Stroke, Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs)

Condition Specific

• Transient Ischemic Attack
  TIA is a serious warning sign of potential future stroke.
• About Carotid Endarterectomy
  Thorough presentation with excellent graphics, on the risks and benefits of this surgical procedure, from YourSurgery.com. Uses technical language.
• Arterio-Venous Malformation
  Informative explanation of of AVMs from the Cerebrovascular Center at Columbia University.
• Guide to Lowering High Pressure
  From the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
• What Are? Tutorials
  Learn the basics of brain aneurysms, brain arteriovenous malformations and cavernous malformations of the brain from the Toronto Brain Vascular Malformation Study Group at the University of Toronto.

Stroke Support Groups

Finding and participating in a support group is a very important part of stroke recovery. The links provided on this page are provided as merely a starting point in beginning a search for a suitable group.

Finding Stroke Support Groups

• Brain Foundation, Victoria, Australia
  Includes stroke information, personal stories, and support groups in Australia.

Support Groups for Childhood Strokes

• Children’s Hemiplegia and Stroke Association
  Support for children with hemiplegia, hemiparesis, and/or pediatric stroke.
• Pediatric Stroke Network
  Devoted entirely to stroke in children.
• HemiHelp – UK
  HemiHelp provides information and support for children with hemiplegia and their families and aims to increase public and professional awareness of hemiplegia and its associated conditions.

Internet Discussion Groups

• Aneurysm and AVM Support Group
  An excellent message board for the exchange of narratives about aneurysms and other neurologic disorders.
• Different Strokes
  A UK charity for childhood stroke survivors.
• Generation S
  A unique new site that offers stroke information and resources for younger stroke survivors.
• The Stroke Network
  Links to many support groups, chat rooms, and bulletin boards.
• SAFE – Stroke Awareness for Everyone
  A very nice resource that features email support and message boards for stroke patients and caregivers.
• Stroke Discussion List
  This is an e-mail discussion group sponsored by the Stroke Program of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.

Stroke Survivor Stories

• Brain Aneurysms Narratives
  Dozens of moving stories from brain aneurysm patients or their families.
• Brain Attack- The Journey Back
  A unique collection of creative writing about stroke recovery. Publication available online.
• How to Conquer the World With One Hand…And an Attitude
  by Paul E. Berger and Stephanie Mensh
• Stroke Family
  Barbara Dean Schacker helped her father go from 9 words to 700 after he suffered a massive stroke.
• Who Stole My Other Side?
  The personal and often poignantly funny story of Sheila Sanders, who suffered a stroke at age 38.
• Stroke Survivors International
• Stroke Survivors Association of Ottowa

Sickle Cell Disease

• Information Center for Sickle Cell and other Thalassemic Disorders
  By: Kenneth R. Bridges, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School — Provides accurate and up-to-date information on hemoglobin disorders, particularly sickle cell disease.
• Pediatric Hydroxyurea in Sickle Cell Anemia (BABY HUG)
  A trial to determine if hydroxyurea (a medicine used to treat some types of cancers and to control painful episodes of sickle cell anemia) can prevent the onset of chronic end organ damage in young children with sickle cell anemia.
• Sickle Cell Disease Association of America
  A site that addresses the issues faced by sickle cell diseased individuals, strives to make the quality of life for them easier and raises funds and awareness for promoting a cure.
• Sickle Cell Society
  Located in London — provides quality care to all people with sickle cell disease through outside funding. Provides a great deal of information about the disease and it’s care.
• Silent Infarct Transfusion (SIT) Study
  A clinical trial to determine whether blood transfusion therapy will decrease further neurologic morbidity in children with silent cerebral infarcts, and if so, the magnitude of this benefit.
• Stroke Prevention Trial in Sickle Cell Anemia (STOP)
  Gives a synopsis and evaluation of the STOP Trial.
• Management of Sickle Cell Disease
  Provides an overview of the reason why strokes happen in sickle cell diseased individuals, and possible treatments with references.
• Student BMJ: Managing Sickle Cell Disease
  British Medical Journal Publishing Group. Provides short overview of the disease and the effects on the body along with possible management of the symptoms.
• Wikipedia – the Free Encyclopedia
  Hemoglobin. Describes hemoglobin and what goes wrong with the hemoglobin to cause diseases like sickle cell disease and other blood disorders.

Stroke Organizations

• The American Stroke Association
  The American Stroke Association is solely focused on reducing disability and death from stroke.
• National Stroke Association
  The National Stroke Association (NSA) is a national voluntary health care organization focusing on stroke prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, research and support for stroke survivors and their families. For information, call 1-800-STROKES (1-800-787-6537).
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
  • Know Stroke. Know the Signs. Act in Time.
  • Stroke: Hope Through Research
  • Stroke Risk Factors and Symptoms
  • Brain Basics: Preventing Stroke
  • Principios del Cerebro: Previniendo la Apoplejía
• MEDLINEplus
  Stroke Health Information – Links in many categories
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Cardiovascular Health Program
  • A Tool Kit to Prevent Senior Falls
  • Atlas of Stroke Mortality
• The Hazel K. Goddess Fund for Stroke Research in Women
  The Goddess Fund is dedicated to building awareness through media attention and public education of the risk factors, warning signs, acute treatment requirements and rehabilitation options for women with stroke.
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
  The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is a national voluntary non-profit organization whose mission is to further the study, prevention and reduction of disability and death from heart disease and stroke through research, education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
• American Medical Association
• National Stroke Association – United Kingdom
  The Stroke Association aims to prevent strokes by informing the public how to reduce the risk of stroke by providing practical support for people who have had strokes, their families and caregivers. They campaign and educate to increase knowledge of stroke at all levels of society.
• Chest, Heart & Stroke – Scotland
  Aiming to improve the quality of life for people in Scotland affected by chest, heart and stroke illness through medical research, advice and information, and support in the community. The CHSS funds research into all aspects of the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and social impact of chest, heart and stroke illness.
• Chest, Heart & Stroke – Northern Ireland
  Supporting the rehabilitation of stroke and cardiac patients through a network of 47 clubs based throughout Northern Ireland. The Association also offers funds stroke research and finances welfare services for stroke survivors on low incomes.
• National Stroke Foundation — Australia
  Patient level information on stroke, as well as links and contact information for stroke support groups throughout Australia.
• Stroke Foundation of New Zealand
  Helpful information and resources for stroke survivors and their families.
• We Move
  Excellent patient pages for many types of movement disorders.

Caregivers

• AARP
  An excellent site that features many helpful articles, tutorials, and links for caregivers.
• AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
  A useful and informative site from the American Geriatrics Society. Includes Eldercare at Home, a comprehensive online guide for family caregivers.
• Aging Solutions
  A comprehensive site including articles, checklists, and links to key resources.
• American Stroke Association
  The American Stroke Association is solely focused on reducing disability and death from stroke.
• Caregiver.com
  A thorough directory of caregiver support sites arranged by condition.
• ElderCare Online
  An excellent site featuring articles, links, message boards, caregiver stories and Tips on Being a Caregiver — a nicely written article on understanding your new role as a caregiver.
• Empowering Caregivers
  Message boards, original articles and many forms of support for caregivers.
• Family Caregiver Alliance
  Very professional site with plenty of relevant information, links, statistics and resources including the Caregiver’s Fact Sheet.
• Medical View
  Excellent short videos about caring for patients with dementia. (Listed under “Alzheimer’s disease.”)
• National Family Caregivers Association
  Excellent source of caregiving information, tips, services and support.
• SAFE – Stroke Awareness for Everyone
  A very nice resource that features e-mail support, message boards and a helpful Stroke Caregiver’s Handbook.
• Stroke Network
  A nice directory of resources and a network of online support groups specifically for caregivers of stroke patients.

Aphasia

• American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
  10801 Rockville Pike
  Rockville, MD 20852-3279
  actioncenter@asha.org
  Tel: 301-897-5700 800-638-8255
  Fax: 301-571-0457
• National Aphasia Association
  29 John Street
  Suite 1103
  New York, NY 10038
  naa@aphasia.org
  Tel: 212-267-2814 800-922-4NAA (4622)
  Fax: 212-267-2812
• Aphasia Hope Foundation
  2436 West 137th Street
  Leawood, KS 66224
  judistradinger@aphasiahope.org
  Tel: 913-402-8306 866-449-5804
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
  (NIDCD)
  National Institutes of Health, DHHS
  31 Center Drive, Rm. 3C35 MSC 2320
  Bethesda, MD 20892-2320
  Tel: 301-496-7243 301-241-1055 (TTD/TTY)

Long-term Care

• Eldercare Locater: from the U.S. Administration on Aging
  Provides an information and referral service for finding eldercare facilities.
• Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services
  Alternatives to nursing home care: this site provides information about choices in long-term care that Medicaid and Medicare may cover.
• Medlineplus: Nursing Home Information
  A complete list of sites that can be accessed to find information on cost, payment, types, and issues concerning long-term care placement.

Links and Directory Sites

• MEDLINEplus
  Stroke Health Information – Links in many categories.
• Neuroland
  Links to many neurological resources maintained by Dr. Charles Tuen.