Author | Lightnews

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · 15h

Oh totally understood! Take your time and don't overexert yourself.

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · 16h

I believe Adriana should have my email (if not DM me). I've been working on a short draft throughout the day and happy to incorporate other perspectives/get folks to sign on.

1 1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · 17h

Would some members be interested in signing on to or collaborating on a letter to the ombudsperson?

1 2

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · 18h

Thanks for tagging me. I spotted this the other day and in all likelihood, will be sending an email to the CBC ombudsperson.

bsky.app/profile/spic...

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · 1d

CBC is platforming unproven pseudoscientific brain retraining programs for #LongCOVID. In reality, some people recover others do not, no matter what they try.

This approach lays the blame on patients who don't get better because they're not trying hard enough.

2 2

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · 22h

I might send them something later this week. This fits with the whole way that Long COVID is being underfunded. Recent guidelines also soft endorsed exercise/CBT. If brain retraining is propped up as a solution, then you can justify not funding innovative research.

thesicktimes.org/2025/07/08/e...

Experts call new Canadian Long COVID guidelines “contradictory” and “deeply concerning” - The Sick Times

Guidelines recommend exercise and therapy as treatments, following attempted influence from Paul Garner.

thesicktimes.org

1 1 3

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · 1d

CBC is platforming unproven pseudoscientific brain retraining programs for #LongCOVID. In reality, some people recover others do not, no matter what they try.

This approach lays the blame on patients who don't get better because they're not trying hard enough.

3 16 59

Reposted by Simon Spichak

Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · Sep 18

As an overall note, people can say shit that sounds good but do absolutely nothing to improve people's quality of life. Take that into consideration on everything you hear.

1 3 17

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Sep 10

For a story in @beingpatient.bsky.social, I'm looking to speak with #neurologists who've had healthy patients come to them because they believed they had Alzheimer's after taking a direct-to-consumer Alzheimer's blood test.

DM me or get in touch at simon (at) beingpatient (dot) com

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Sep 5

Working on a story for @thesicktimes.org about the quality, utility, and risks of exercise trials in Long COVID (and how often they mention/measure PEM). Looking to speak with anyone that's participated in these trials and experienced PEM/other negative side effects as a result.

4 20 34

Reposted by Simon Spichak

Ian Kremer @leadcoalition.bsky.social · Aug 27

Digital Cognitive Tests: How AI Tools Could Transform Alzheimer’s Diagnosis and Care beingpatient.com/digital-cogn... by @spichaksimon.bsky.social @beingpatient.bsky.social

#Alzheimers #dementia #AI #ArtificialIntelligence

Digital Cognitive Tests: How AI Tools Could Transform Alzheimer's Diagnosis and Care | Being Patient

AI-powered digital cognitive tests like Cognivue, Linus Health, and Altoida aim to detect early dementia and speed up Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

beingpatient.com

2 4

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 29

There's a suite of new AI-powered digital cognitive tests coming to market.

The goal: Speed up the assessment and spot people who might benefit from more extensive testing sooner.

My latest for @beingpatient.bsky.social

beingpatient.com/digital-cogn...

Digital Cognitive Tests: How AI Tools Could Transform Alzheimer's Diagnosis and Care | Being Patient

AI-powered digital cognitive tests like Cognivue, Linus Health, and Altoida aim to detect early dementia and speed up Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

beingpatient.com

1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 25

Read the full article for more details on why the study may have failed and what it means for the idea that the herpes virus could cause Alzheimer's.

6/6

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 25

The trial used valacyclovir, an antiviral drug for herpes infections. Ultimately, the study found valacyclovir failed to slow cognitive decline in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early Alzheimer’s over 78 weeks.

5/6

1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 25

At the 2025 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, Dr. Davangere P. Devanand, a psychiatrist and director of geriatric psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, presented data from the first randomized clinical trial to test this theory.

4/6

1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 25

But so far, supporting evidence has come only from observational studies of electronic health records, and from animal or cell-based lab experiments, which don’t always translate to clinical care.

3/6

1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 25

For decades, scientists have speculated that a common infection — the herpes virus — might contribute to, or even cause, Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

2/6

1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 25

Can antivirals against herpes treat early-stage Alzheimer's? At #AAIC2025, researchers presented data from a clinical trial showing no effect.

My latest for @beingpatient.bsky.social

beingpatient.com/cold-sore-vi...

1/6

Cold Sore Virus Concept for Alzheimer’s Takes a Hit in Drug Trial | Being Patient

A long-standing theory linked herpes to Alzheimer’s — but the first clinical trial of an antiviral herpes drug found no benefit.

beingpatient.com

1 1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 24

Thanks for reading - I've followed up with the Ministry to get more info and the number of people affected

1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 22

Delayed Disability Benefit Leaves Canadians Struggling, Facing Bank Fees They Can't Afford

Customers with TD and BMO are affected but it isn't clear how many or when the situation will be fixed.

My reporting on the #CDB delay.

simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/canada-dis...

Delayed Disability Benefit Leaves Canadians Struggling, Facing Bank Fees They Can't Afford

Customers banking with TD and BMO are affected but it isn't clear how many or when the situation will be fixed.

simonspichak.beehiiv.com

1 1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 18

The vast majority of studies aren't breakthroughs and that's ok! Even negative findings, that might contradict what you expected, can be valuable if the study is conducted well.

11/11 🧵

2

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 18

Research is exciting - but overhyping and overselling the findings is not helpful for anyone.

Things that might help cells in a dish or mice probably won't translate to people. And biology doesn't always come with a neat, easy-to-understand story.

10/n 🧵

1 2

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 18

Some studies only have one or two statistically significant findings. Despite most of the data being negative, and a high likelihood their only positive finding may have occurred due to chance alone, the abstract/discussion may spin it as a success.

9/n 🧵

1 1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 18

A lot of times these studies might propose an elegant biological idea in the introduction or discussion. And they can cite studies that support the idea and make it sound like a sure-thing. But these ideas, not matter how alluring still need to go through validation!

8/n 🧵

1 1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 18

And then we also have multiple studies that find slightly different effects. It is important to see whether other studies looking in other groups of people see something similar.

7/n 🧵

1 1

Simon Spichak @spichaksimon.bsky.social · Aug 18

These are a great way to look for potential things to test. But these studies come with a lot of confounding factors, like socioeconomic status, that influence the data. Often, when the drug or nutrient that reduces the risk in observational studies, it fails in trials.

6/n 🧵

1 2