Sacramento State held its first-ever Brain Attack Conference in the University Union on Sept. 14.

The two-day interdisciplinary conference, which focused on detection, effects and prevention of strokes, was put together by Carolyn Van Couwenberghe, Sac State professor of Pharmacology, Sac State students, and numerous volunteers. Students from fields such as nursing, social work and physical therapy worked hard to put the event together.

“The students did a wonderful job,” Van Couwenberghe said. “They worked very well together.”

Carol McCall, a Sac State nursing major, was one of five students who helped put on the Brain Attack Conference.

“Working in a hospital with stroke patients made me realize the need for this conference,” McCall said.

Communication was McCall?s initial interest in helping to put this conference together. Brain Attack was the first conference that McCall helped out with, and she says it will not be the last.

“It’s great to interact with students from other departments; I loved it,” she said.

Von Couwenberghe, Kathleen Jarvis, a professor of Pathophysiology and Sac State Alumna Christi Delemos, a research nurse at Mercy Hospital, were speakers for the event. They discussed topics ranging from the key elements a stroke, to some of the symptoms that cause a stroke to occur, such as sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg.

The conference primarily focused on available prevention and treatment programs. Uncontrollable risk factors such as aging and gender and controllable risk factors such as high blood pressure and stress were also discussed during the event.

“You?re usually so exhausted after putting on such a big event, but I honestly can’t stop thinking about the next one,” Von Couwenberghe said. “It was so nice to work with people outside of Nursing.”

The conference also included drawings for prizes as well, which included five $100 gift certificates to the Hornet Bookstore, five $50 gift certificates to the UC Davis Medical Center Bookstore and many gift certificates for free dining on campus.