Links & News

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Dr. Ruth Myers & Dr. Scott Davies 2019

Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak is a rare cause of headache, resulting in debilitating neurological effects

Kranz, PG, Gray, L & Amrhein, TJ 2018, ‘Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension: 10 Myths and Misperceptions’, Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, vol. 58, no. 7, pp. 948–959.

D. Wilhour M.D.

Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Brain Foundation urging awareness of often under-diagnosed cerebrospinal fluid leaks - Jasime Hines, 2022

• Danya Hodgetts spent four years trying to get a diagnosis for her spinal fluid leak
• The condition causes headaches and other neurological symptoms
• The Brain Foundation says while the condition is rare, more community awareness is needed

Epidural Basics: What they are and why they fail

A talk by Dr. Ian Carroll on “Epidural Blood Patch Basics” at the Bridging the Gap Conference on November 11, 2023, presented by the Spinal CSF Leak Foundation in partnership with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Standford Medicine article & video

The 'headache from hell' that was a sign of something more serious

Dr. Norman Swan - Host

Dr. Scott Davis - Neuroradiologist, Neurological Intervention and Imaging Service of Western Australia

Sophie Mickel - Patient

A retired Townsville nurse suffering from debilitating headaches has received a procedure to fix a fluid leak in her spine.

Intracranial hypotension affects an estimated five in 100,000 people but doctors believe it is widely under-diagnosed.

How a ‘normal carry’ put brakes on rugby convert’s dream in ‘scary’ spinal blow

Titans rugby union convert has opened up on the rare back condition that has him sidelined indefinitely, putting the brakes on a potential NRL debut.

The 24-year-old was battling with uncontrollable back spasms and nasty headaches after a seemingly harmless moment in January.

After testing it was revealed Gordon had suffered a cerebrospinal fluid leak, which he admitted ”was getting a little bit scary” before a diagnosis was finally made.

Andrea Buchanan lost her mind while crossing the street one day. Suffering from a horrible cough, she inhaled the cold March air, and choked. She was choking on a lot that day. A sick child. A pending divorce. The guilt of failing, as a partner, as a mother. Relieved when the coughing abated, she thought it was over. She could not have been more wrong. 

When Andrea coughed that day, a small tear was ripped in her dura mater, the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord. But she didn't know that yet. Instead, she went on with her day, unaware that her cerebrospinal fluid was already beginning to leak out of that tiny tear. What followed was nine months of pain and confusion as her brain-no longer cushioned by a healthy waterbed of fluid-sank to the bottom of her skull. 

There was brain fog and cognitive impairment to the point where she could not even make sense of the most basic concepts. At a time when she needed to be as clear-thinking as possible, she was trapped by her brain.

The mind-brain connection is one of the greatest mysteries of the human condition. In some folklore, the fluid around the brain is where consciousness begins. 

Here, in the pages of The Beginning of Everything, Andrea seeks to understand: Where was "I" when I wasn't there?

Many people who suffer with chronic migraine live with symptoms that are mysterious, unexplained, and undiagnosed — headache, nausea, neck stiffness, ringing in the ear — and all of these symptoms worsen as the day goes on and the individual spends more time in the upright position. However, symptoms improve as long as they are lying down. Such patients may be diagnosed with POTS, Chiari, chronic migraine, new daily persistent headache (NDPH), or even concussion. Ian Carroll, MD, discusses an often-overlooked diagnosis that can be effectively treated — spontaneous intracranial hypotension (CSF leak).