r/neurology

Hey, I’m wondering if anyone here has experienced something like sudden recovery long after a Traumatic Brain Injury.

I’m not referring to gradual improvement through rehab (like relearning skills over time), but a sudden return - almost like a light switch, where an ability comes back all at once.

I’ve experienced this twice: once around 11 years post-injury, and again around 15 years post-injury. I had a severe TBI at 15 that required surgery due to swelling and blood clots, with most of the damage in my frontal and temporal lobes.

In both cases, abilities that had been impaired suddenly came back (smell/taste and temperature sensation). One instance happened while I was awake, and the other occurred during sleep.

During the second experience, what stood out was that the sensation didn’t feel “new” or relearned - it felt familiar, like something that had always been there and just came back online, rather than a newly developed workaround.

Has anyone else experienced something like this, or heard of similar cases?

It's Neurodiagnostic Week starting April 20th! This field is still so under appreciated (underpaid) and so many still misunderstand what the job entails. But techs are an important part of the Neurology team. They sit with the patient and talk with them. Even with video - there is a benefit to being able to watch the patient while the test is running. It may seem like it's just slapping on electrodes, but it is NOT. Some cases are very difficult and a good tech knows how to get the test done clearly, with limited impudences. And because they see so many tests everyday - they can be a valuable resource on reading, especially for doctors that do not read EEGs, and have to wait for off-site monitoring providers to read and write up the report.

Anyway, stop and just say thanks to your techs. It is a free way to boost moral and show someone that they are appreciated. Be kind - it goes a long way.

I’m an highschool student and I would like to be a neurosurgeon what should I major in while going to college?

IMG who, by the grace of god matched into a strong academic program. No research year or hands on clinical experience in the US. I feel a little anxious about preparing myself for residency. What should I be doing now to feel more prepared for residency ? I feel underprepared compared to my very competitive peers ? (Imposter syndrome hitting hard too)

how involved should we be getting in the management of substance use disorders that cause patients to seek neurological care? if for example there was an outpatient whose heavy use of alcohol was thought to be the cause of their neuropathy, would you feel comfortable advising this patient on how to cut down their intake? referring them to addiction medicine if they’re interested? prescribing medications to reduce alcohol consumption yourself? how about pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation in patients with a stroke history?

Hey I was wondering if overall including residency if Pediatric Neurology or Pathology would be more accessible for a wheelchair user (mainly from pain and pots) and a service dog handler (mobility service dog so doesn’t have to always be with me). I’m willing to do the work and make it happen I just wanna know what may be more available to me. I’m also willing to look more into adult neurology.

Debating between Neuro IR vs. Vascular fellowship alone, is there a huge salary difference between these two specialties in east coast metro areas (NYC, Boston etc.)

I’m a final year medical student at an international medical school, and last year I was able to present a study of mine at the AES Conference. I met a ton of amazing people, and contacted many of them when I got back.

One particular mentor from a very good institution in the US reached back to me and was happy to include me in a network meta analysis project he had going on. I was so glad to finally have a really strong mentor to help me out since I plan to apply for the neurology in a few years.

The issue is I have had a tough time this year, with constantly being sick for some reason, and preparing for step 1 and other exams. Due to which I have been wildly inconsistent with my contribution. There are maybe 20 or 30 people working on this project, and I probably have pretty low contributions to the project than I would have liked. On top of that, he had given me a project but asked me to check in with his research assistant, except we never got the chance to do that.

Now I’m close to giving my step 1, and I’m losing my mind over the fact that I might have ruined my chances with this very kind mentor. I want to work with him, and more consistently this time, but I have no idea how to approach him. I accept that the mistake was mine, but what should I do now??

Hi guys I’m an incoming pgy-1 and I have a question for the neurology attendings on this sub who didn’t do a fellowship. What does your schedule look like and specifically for the outpatient docs do you do any telehealth? And what’s your salary. Thanks!

Hi! I’m a high school senior interested in becoming a neurologist or neurosurgeon, with a strong interest in research and developing new treatments, not just clinical practice.

I’m currently deciding between:

• Neuroscience +med school
• Engineering (possibly biomedical) + med school
• A direct 6-year medical program

For those in neurology/neurosurgery, how do these paths compare in terms of:

• Preparation for residency
• Research opportunities and academic careers
• Long-term flexibility

Also, on a personal note, I’m very introverted and find constant social interaction draining. I understand medicine is very people-focused, so I’d appreciate insight into how that plays out in neurology or neurosurgery training and day-to-day work.

I am providing a link to my Substack blog post. I carefully researched the Cochrane study and wrote a post about the concerns of the study.

Hello everyone,

I have a question regarding a potential trend. Over the past few years, have you noticed an increase in the number of young patients (roughly 20-40 years old) coming to your clinics with muscle fasciculations, perceived muscle fatigue, and a strong fear of ALS?

These patients often present with symptoms typical of Benign Fasciculation Syndrome (BFS) paired with significant health anxiety about motor neuron disease.

If you have seen an influx of such patients:

To what extent has this increased in your practice?

Could you please share which country or state you are located in?

I would really appreciate your observations. Thanks!

Hey everyone,

yesterday the Cochrane library posted a systematic review on Amyloid-beta-reduction therapy for Alzheimer’s and the results are that it has little to no effect. I was aware of the little effect based on CDR-SB score and all the stuff that was published when they got FDA/EMA approved. As somebody who treats these patients and uses this substances for a handful patients this is a rather shocking review and makes me wonder if FDA/EMA will take steps after this.

What is your opinion on this?

FYI I am a clinician on Europe

Lately almost all of the patients who are coming to me and eventually get diagnosed with FND (based on inclusion criteria) either have a pre-existing diagnosis of POTS, or are being worked up for POTS.

I was wondering if: 1. others are seeing this link in their clinics and 2. what do we think the underlying mechanism is here?

My theories are:

1. both diseases have a psychosomatic basis. however, this doesn't seem to be widely accepted with POTS. in any case, patients with POTS may be hyper-aware of bodily sensations which may manifest as FND symptoms?

2. POTS symptoms are triggering FND symptoms/episodes due to the distress they cause. this actually seems possible - many of my patients are reporting the cardiac sx prior to FND episodes.

3. FND symptoms are triggering POTS-like symptoms of dysautonomia.

I would love for this to be a productive discussion that would help me in understanding and explaining this link to patients moving forward. I know working with psychosomatic disease can be frustrating (trust me...I KNOW.) But the purpose of this thread is not to be complaining or invalidating patients with psychosomatic symptoms, so please keep it respectful!