After looking at the brain scans of more than 100 active and retired NFL players, it is clear to me that playing professional football causes long-term brain damage. Our study’s initial findings led us to a question that had much more implications outside of football.  “Could we rehabilitate brains that have been damaged by chronic trauma?”

The answer might surprise you. Read more in my latest blog on the Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-amen-md/can-brain-trauma-in-nfl-p_b_651123.html

In March, I wrote about how the National Hockey League (NHL) and Players Association had agreed that they needed to ban hits to the head.

Well, they have made good on their promise.

The committee has agreed on a new penalty for headshots. Starting this season, a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct—the suspension of a player for the rest of that game—can be issued for headshots. The penalty will include the potential for supplementary discipline as well.

I am hopeful that this will reduce the number of concussions for hockey players.

After working with the more than 100 former professional football players in our retired NFL players study, I understand just how life-changing these concussions can be. Many of the players in our study have cognitive impairment, memory loss, problems with addiction, obesity, and more.

The NHL is making a smart move, and I applaud their efforts to ensure the brain health of their players.

Now it’s time for other sports to follow their lead.

Arnie's drinking-damaged brain

Lucy, a well respected scientist and entrepreneur in her early fifties from Boston came to see me after selling her company.  Even though she was financially set for life, there was so much stress associated with the sale that she had trouble sleeping, was wracked with anxiety and had obsessive tendencies that she thought she had left behind in her 20s.  As part of our evaluation we performed a set of brain SPECT scans.  Her husband, Arnie, came along and got scanned, in his mind, just to support his wife.  He was just curious.  I looked at her brain and saw the trouble I had expected and recommended a course of treatment.  When I looked at Arnie’s 56-year-old brain it brain looked like he was 80.  I asked him what he was doing to hurt his brain.

“Nothing, Dr. Amen,” he said with a look of disbelief.

“Really?” I said, feeling a little confused as to why his brain looked so bad.  “How much do you drink?”

“Oh, not very much,” he replied.

“What’s not very much,” I asked.  Through the years I have learned to always ask this follow up, clarifying question.

“Oh maybe I have 3-4 drinks a day.”

“Every day?” I said.

“Yeah, every day.  But its never a problem.  I never get drunk.  I have never gotten into trouble with it,” Arnie said with anxiety.

“Why do you drink everyday?” I asked.

“Since my daughter went off to college I have this empty nest thing going on.  The time I used to spend with her, I now spend at a local pub, seeing my friends.  It’s a social time, kind of like the show Cheers.

“Well, you are poisoning yourself,” I said.  “You’re 56 and you’re brain looks like its 80.  If you keep this up, pretty soon your brain is going to look a lot worse, and with comes trouble with everything in your life.”

Arnie was shocked that his brain looked as bad as it did.  As we talked, I could see he was beginning to develop “brain envy.”  After learning about his brain it was clear he wanted his to function better.  I gave him a very specific brain healthy plan that included abstinence from alcohol, regular exercise, mental exercise, vitamins, supplements and fish oil.  Four months later he wrote me saying that he mentally felt like he was 20 years old.  His energy and memory were better, he felt smarter, more articulate.  His work as a business consultant had also improved, and he started writing a book about his work, something he had wanted to do five years earlier, but could never find the time or motivation.

For years, I have been warning my patients about the link between artificial food coloring and behavioral issues in children.

The dangers of food dyes, which are used in everything from candy to canned soups, also pose risks of cancer and allergies.

According to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), about 15 million pounds of artificial dyes go into our foods each year. And we are eating about five times the amount of food coloring we consumed in 1955.

The CSPI is urging the FDA to ban all artificial food dyes, and I couldn’t agree more.

I certainly hope the FDA will listen to the CSPI and eliminate these harmful dyes, but until they do, it is up to you to take control of your own health and the health of your children. Read nutrition labels and do NOT buy foods that contain artificial food coloring.

I know it can be difficult because many of the foods containing these dyes are marketed to children, who love the bright, eye-catching colors.

I would suggest teaching your children from a young age about brain health. In our home, we play a simple game with our six-year-old daughter called “Is this good for my brain or bad for my brain?”

We’ll ask her about all kinds of foods, and she’ll answer “Good” or “Bad”:

Jelly beans? Bad.

Guacamole? Good.

Red licorice? Bad.

Red bell peppers? Good.

Chocolate chip cookies? On this one, she hesitates for a moment, and then finally says, “I guess they’re bad.”

It’s a great game you can play at home with your children.

It was a bike accident that damaged sixteen-year-old Jason’s brain and destroyed his life. Before the collision, Jason was a good student and a kind teenager who had a girlfriend he adored. After the crash, he became very angry and irritable, making it tough for his friends, family, and girlfriend to be around him. His girlfriend couldn”t take his outbursts anymore and broke up with him.

When Jason found out that she had started dating another guy, he flew into a rage. He headed over to her house and when he found her with the “other man,” Jason tied up the new boyfriend and raped his ex-girlfriend. The police showed up and arrested suicidal Jason.

I received a call from Jason’s attorney asking me if we would scan the young man’s brain. His scan showed the effects of trauma from the bike accident, with severe damage to his left temporal lobe, which is involved in temper control. I put Jason on two medications—Depakote and Effexor—to treat the problem, and he improved tremendously. His anger diminished, and he felt remorseful for his actions.

At Jason’s trial, the judge wasn’t interested in hearing about how Jason’s personality and behavior had changed drastically after his bike accident or that he had improved while taking medication. The judge sentenced Jason to eleven years in prison. Like the judge, the prison psychiatrist also didn’t believe that Jason had behavioral issues due to the accident, so he took him off the medications I had prescribed. Four months later, Jason hanged himself in jail.

This tragic story reveals just how harmful head trauma can be. Even though Jason’s injuries were considered “mild” by medical standards, they completely ruined his life and the lives of their loved ones.

Unfortunately, these types of head injuries are far too common. In my practice, I see many people who are troubled by the lasting effects of a brain injury (or two or three). Most of them never notice the link between the injury and the subsequent changes in their lives.

To minimize the consequences, it is absolutely imperative for anyone who has suffered brain trauma to get on a brain healthy program.

As most of you know by now, I’m a huge Lakers fan. I was lucky enough to be at Game 7 against the Boston Celtics, and it was one of the most thrilling games I have ever seen.

What thrilled me even more though was watching the post-game shows on TV and seeing Ron Artest, a guy who gained notoriety for starting a brawl with fans in the stands while playing for the Indiana Pacers, thanking his psychologist for helping him achieve a new sense of calmness.

I thought it was wonderful that he would mention that on the air. It helps de-stigmatize mental health disorders.

There was a great article about this in the sports page of the Los Angeles Times the other day. It’s worth a read.

Click here to read the artcle:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0630-erskine-20100630,0,6588972.column

Mary's healthy brain

Katie's damaged brain

Mary and Katie are identical twins. They share the same genes, the same parents, and the same upbringing. Yet their lives—and looks—are very different.

Mary, who is very fit, is a successful journalist in a long-term happy marriage with three great children.

Katie, who is overweight, barely finished high school, suffered with depression and a bad temper, and went from job to job and relationship to relationship. Their lives and looks are nothing alike.

When I scanned them, Mary had a very healthy brain, while Katie had clear evidence of a brain injury, affecting her prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes. At first, when I talked with the twins together, Katie didn’t remember a head injury.

Then Mary spoke up saying, “Don’t you remember the time when we were ten years old and you fell off the top bunk bed onto your head? You got knocked out and we had to rush you to the hospital.” The injury likely caused Katie to have less brain reserve, which may be why she was always more vulnerable to stress than her sister.

At conception, most of us have the same amount of brain reserve. From that point on, though, many things can boost or reduce our level of reserve.

For example, if your mother smoked marijuana and drank a lot of Jack Daniels while she was pregnant with you, it is likely that she lowered your level of brain reserve. If you fell off the roof as a teenager, were the victim of domestic violence as a child, or abused drugs and alcohol in high school, you probably decreased your own reserve.

Basically, any behavior that harms the brain erodes your brain’s reserve.

Are you tired of struggling to lose weight? Have you gone on diet after diet only to lose weight and then gain it all back… and more? Have you been contemplating bariatric surgery as a last resort?

Did you know that stapling your stomach is working on the WRONG organ?

Most weight problems occur between the ears…
…in your brain.

It is your brain that pushes you away from the table telling you that you’ve had enough, or it is your brain that gives you permission to have that second bowl of ice cream, making you look and feel like a blob.

If you want a better body…

…the first place to always start
is by having a better brain.

It is time to take brain-centered approach to weight loss with the Change Your Brain, Change Your Body weight-loss program at the Amen Clinics.

Our 10-week brain centered weight-loss program, which is offered in person at our clinics and online, is a huge success.

The best thing about the program is that you can keep on losing weight after the 10 weeks because we give you all the tools you need to…

…lose weight and keep it off
for the rest of your life.

So far, the average weight loss is 10 pounds in 10 weeks (note: individual results may vary). But some participants have lost much more than that.

For example, Dan lost more than 50 pounds after participating in two cycles. He feels great, no longer has cravings, and has more energy than ever.

Did you know that not all overeaters are the same? Based on our brain imaging work…

…we have identified five types of overeaters
based on brain type.

Giving everyone the same diet plan will make some people better, but a lot of people worse.  Knowing about your own specific brain will make losing weight and keeping it off a whole lot easier.

With our program, you’ll get to take our Change Your Brain, Change Your Body Questionnaire to…

…determine your individual brain type
so you can find the best weight-loss strategies for you.

When you sign up for this life-changing program, you will also receive:

• Change Your Brain, Change Your Body book — offers the tools you need to optimize your brain so you can get a better body

• Change Your Brain, Change Your Body Daily Journal — helps you track your daily progress so you stay motivated (some of our participants say this is one of the most helpful parts of the whole program

• Change Your Brain, Change Your Body DVD — gives you step-by-step instructions on how to boost your brain for a better body

• Change Your Brain, Change Your Body Cookbook 2 CD Set — contains OVER 60 recipes for delicious, brain healthy breakfasts, lunch, dinner, snacks, soups, salads, and even desserts so you can start making brain healthy meals tonight

• BMI Wheel — so you can see your progress as you lose weight

The next 10-week brain-centered weight-loss program
starts August 17—don’t miss out!

This is your chance to change your brain, change your body, and change your life! A better brain, a better body, and a better life can be yours for only $500. Compare that to the $18,000 (or more!) you would pay for gastric bypass surgery.

Are you ready to start changing your brain and body? Sign up today!

Call now to reserve your spot. Space is limited so act now.

Email: marketing@amenclinic.com

or

Call Jaclyn Fratalli at 949-266-3710

Starts August 17, 2010

Every Tuesday at 5:00 PM

$500 in person at the Amen Clinics Newport Beach or online

A few years ago, I received a call from an attorney named John asking me if our brain imaging work could be of any help to one of his clients. He explained that his client, Joshua, had already been arrested ten times for violence, but he added that Joshua only got violent when he was drunk.

John then told me about Joshua’s latest run-in with the law. Joshua had been sober for six months when his girlfriend broke up with him. He couldn’t handle the emotional stress of the breakup and went out and got drunk on a fifth of Peach Schnapps and a forty-ounce of St. Ides Malt Liquor.

Joshua then got into a car, drag raced his friend down the street, got into an accident, and left the scene of the accident. He flagged down a cab and drove around San Francisco for about half an hour. He thought, “I’m really in trouble now, so what the heck” and pulled a gun on the cabbie and stole $25 from him. The next morning, Joshua turned himself in.

His attorney John told me that the prosecutor wanted to put Joshua away for eleven years. John asked if I would help him. I told him that I would do it, but only on two conditions:

1. Let me scan Joshua’s brain.
2. Let me do a second brain scan while Joshua was drunk.

John laughed and said, “They don’t let inmates get drunk!” I told him if he really wanted my help, he would have to find a way to work it out. A couple days later, John called and told me he couldn’t believe it, but the judge had said, “Okay.”

So we scanned Joshua while he was sober, and his brain scan showed a pattern we call the Ring of Fire, in which there is overall increased activity in the brain. Joshua came back a second time wearing his orange jumpsuit with shackles and leg irons, and I proceeded to get him drunk. I had gone to the liquor store earlier and had bought the exact same brands of alcohol he had been drinking that fateful night. So he started drinking the fifth of Peach Schnapps and the forty-ounce St. Ides Malt Liquor.

About halfway through, he looked at me and with slurred speech, said, “This is the weirdest experience of my whole life. My doctor is getting me drunk while these two goons (the two police officers who had accompanied him) are watching.”

Joshua’s drunk scan showed a dramatic decrease in activity compared to his sober scan. There was low activity in his left temporal lobe, which is associated with violence. There was also low activity in his prefrontal cortex, which is the area associated with impulse control and planning, so he basically had no judgment.

The attorney, judge, and prosecutor came to my office to review the scans and reached a plea agreement. Joshua would have to serve three years in jail and then see an outpatient counselor every month for the next eight years. If he missed a single month, he would have to serve the whole eleven years in jail. The agreement addressed his responsibility for his actions but also took into account his illness. If we had never looked at his brain, we never would have known how much alcohol affected his behavior.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Western Conference on Behavioral Health and Addictive Disorders in Newport Beach. The theme of this year’s conference was “Unchain the Brain” to go with the release of my new book and 10-CD course, Unchain Your Brain, which I co-authored with Dr. David E. Smith.

In the morning, I spoke about:

• How addictions get stuck in the brain and how to get them unstuck
• Not all addicts are the same—there are six types of addicts based on brain type
• Balancing the brain is the key to recovery and preventing relapse
• Why treatment centers need to take a brain-centered approach to treatment

The response to my talk was incredible. When I went back to the exhibit room to our Amen Clinics booth, there was such a throng of people picking up copies of Unchain Your Brain and other books and tools, I could barely find a space to sit so I could sign copies of the book.

I am so excited that the addiction treatment community is starting to understand that brain-centered treatment is the key to helping their patients recover and prevent relapse.

A growing number of treatment centers, including Sierra Tucson and the Hanley Center, are already using SPECT brain imaging in their facilities and sending the brain scans to us at the Amen Clinics for interpretation. Looking at the brain helps them better diagnose and treat their patients.

As I always say, how do you know unless you look?

Anna's healthy brain

After years of scanning patients who were struggling with various disorders, I decided that I should build a large database of healthy brains for comparison purposes.

I started inviting seemingly normal, healthy individuals everywhere I went to be screened. In one of the graduate courses I teach, I asked for volunteers for the healthy brain study. One of my students approached me after class and said, “You have to scan my 82-year-old grandmother, Anna. She is one of the most normal people I know. You will love her.”

With Anna’s consent, we screened her and found that she met all the criteria for the study. Anna appeared to be a model human being—she was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother who had been married for 58 years.

She was sharp, had a lot of intellectual curiosity, and was very active in her community and at church. She enjoyed many long-term friendships that spanned decades. I was very excited to see her brain, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Anna’s brain, as you can see, is drop dead gorgeous, one of the healthiest I have ever seen. It has full, even, symmetrical activity. No wonder she has had such a wonderful life!

I scanned Anna’s brain several years ago, and since then we have scanned thousands of people as part of the Amen Clinics Healthy Brain Study.

Do you think you have a healthy brain?

To be in our study you have to meet the following five criteria:

• No psychiatric illness at any point in their lives (that eliminates about 49 percent of the population)
• No significant head injuries
• No substance abuse
• No neurological problems
• No first-degree relative (mother, father, sibling, or child) with a psychiatric illness, including substance abuse problems

In addition, participants are thoroughly interviewed about the above issues, given a structured psychiatric screening test, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), which is a test of personality, and a memory-screening test.

Only about one in 23 people who think have a healthy brain actually meet our criteria.

Learn more about the Healthy Brain Study by clicking here:

http://www.amenclinics.com/clinics/healthy-brain-study/

Pop Quiz!

True or False: Today’s college students are less empathetic than students in the 1980s and 1990s.

Answer: True

According to a University of Michigan review of 14,000 students over the past 30 years, today’s students are about 40 percent lower in empathy than students 20 or 30 years ago.

“Many people see the current group of college students—sometimes called ‘Generation Me’—as one of the most self-centered, narcissistic, competitive, confident and individualistic in recent history,” said Sara Konrath, a researcher at the U-M Institute for Social Research, in a news release.

The researchers mentioned numerous possible reasons behind the drop in empathy, including:

• The increasing exposure to violent media is numbing
• The rise of social media, which allows students to tune out when online friends need sympathy
• An increasingly hypercompetitive environment and an emphasis on success
• Our fast-paced society

I think all of these things are contributing to a lack of empathy not only in college students but in adults and adolescents as well. And empathy isn’t the only negative consequence of these changes in our society.

All of these things are detrimental to brain function. They are wearing out the brain’s pleasure centers. Whenever we do something enjoyable, it’s like pressing a button in the brain’s pleasure centers to release a little bit of dopamine to make us feel pleasure.

If we push these pleasure buttons too often or too strong, we reduce dopamine’s effectiveness. Eventually, it takes more and more excitement and stimulation to feel anything at all.

This can also lead to problems like shorter attention spans, impulsivity, and poor judgment in addition to lack of empathy.

To keep your brain’s pleasure centers healthy:

• Limit TV time and avoid too much violent and high-excitement programming
• Schedule times to check your email, cell phone, Facebook, and Twitter pages rather than checking them every minute of the day
• Learn to take pleasure in the smaller things in life
• Give yourself time to relax and re-energize

Ruth's brain—before treatment

Ruth's brain—after treatment

Ruth came to see us for anxiety and irritability. She said her husband was very upset with her because she snapped angrily at him and the children on a regular basis. She had suffered nervousness and feelings of panic ever since she could remember. She usually felt on edge, keyed up, and tense. In addition, she suffered from headaches and an upset stomach.

Her mother had a Valium addiction, and Ruth wanted to avoid prescription medication for fear of addiction and side effects.

Her SPECT scan showed excessive activity in the basal ganglia. We put her on GABA, which is found in our GABA Calming Support (which also includes vitamin B6, magnesium, and lemon balm). In addition, she was taught in therapy to talk back to the many negative thoughts she had and to do relaxation exercises.

Some of the relaxation exercises we recommend for anxious patients include:

• Deep breathing
• Meditation
• Hand-warming techniques
• Prayer
• Hypnosis

Within two weeks, she reported that she felt calmer and more under control. Her headaches and upset stomach were much better too.

Are you having trouble getting your kids to behave? Are you frustrated that you have to ask your kids what seems like a hundred times to do something before they actually do it? You’re not alone. As the father of four children, I know just how difficult parenting can be.

Would you like to learn some sure-fire strategies to get your children to:

• Get out of bed in time for school
• Stop bickering
• Help with chores without an argument

Then the Amen Clinics seven-week parenting course designed by Love & Logic® is for you.

This parenting program, which is being offered at our Newport Beach clinic, is designed to provide practical tools and techniques that help you achieve respectful, healthy relationships with your children and help you prepare your kids for the real world.

This program is already in progress, but you can join it at any time. Here are the details:

When: The group meets every Thursday from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm.

Where: The Amen Clinics 4019 Westerly Place #106, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Cost: $50 per class

To sign up or get more information:

Contact Kaitlyn Brumleu at 949-266-3759 or kbrumleu@amenclinics.com

You can also download a flyer about the program by clicking here:

http://www.amenclinics.com/Flyer/love.pdf

Video games are a threat to the brain’s pleasure centers. Brain imaging has shown that video games work in the same area of the brain as cocaine and methamphetamine.

Video games increase the amount of dopamine being released in the brain, so when kids play video games, they really like it! And when you try to take those games away from them, they get really upset. In fact, some even go through withdrawal symptoms when they aren’t allowed to play.

The problem with video games is that they release so much dopamine that there isn’t enough of the chemical available for the little things in life. Other activities and relationships that would normally make your children happy leave them feeling nothing at all.

In my practice, I have found that kids tend to get hooked on their favorite games and play so much that other areas of their lives start to suffer. It can damage their performance at school and work as well as their relationships. They can also become irritable and confrontational, especially when parents try to make them stop playing.

Excessive video gaming is bad enough. Playing violent video games is even worse. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine say that brain scans of kids who played a violent video game showed an increase in emotional arousal and a corresponding decrease of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, inhibition, and attention.

Another study on the effects of violent video games on children found that playing a lot of violent video games is related to having more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Even more disturbing is the fact that these findings were just as common among children who were non-aggressive as for those who already had aggressive tendencies.

The good news gleaned from this study is that when parents limit the type of games and the amount of playing time, children were less likely to display aggressive behaviors.

This is why I encourage parents to “just say no” when children want to play video games. As I tell my patients, no more than 30 minutes a day.

Katie—before

Katie—after treatment

Katie was brought to our clinic for tantrums that were out of control. She was defiant, argumentative, and very negative.

She took no delight in activities that other seven-year-olds enjoy and was extremely fearful of being left with anyone other than her mother. She worried about the doors being locked at night and she had to wash her hands several times before each meal to keep the germs away.

She was afraid to sleep in her bed and was adept at forcing her way into her parents’ bed. When things did not go the way she expected, she would cry and carry on for hours. Teachers complained about her behavior, and she had few friends because she was so bossy.

On her seventh birthday, her parents surprised her by taking her to Disneyland. Because she didn’t know about it ahead of time, she threw a tantrum in the parking lot. It was two hours before her parents could calm her down and go into the park.

Katie’s parents initially gave in to her demands in an attempt to soother her and stop the tantrums. They soon realized that this didn’t work. By giving in, Katie’s parents were actually making her behavior worse. Katie appeared to be resistant to any form of discipline. Spanking didn’t help, lectures seemed worthless, and no amount of praise was helpful.

Her mother had grown up in an alcoholic home and struggled with issues of anxiety and depression. Katie also had an uncle who had obsessive compulsive disorder.

Katie’s SPECT series showed markedly increased anterior cingulate gyrus, basal ganglia, and deep limbic activity on her concentration and baseline scans. Activity in the ACG increased during concentration.

The scans helped Katie’s parents gain a better understanding of her problems and follow-through with treatment. Katie’s treatment included the natural supplement St. John’s wort, biofeedback for self-control, and an exercise regimen.

Additionally, through parent training, we helped her parents be more effective with her. The treatment helped Katie relax and feel happier and less anxious. Over time, she became more compliant. A follow-up concentration scan several months later showed nice improvement.

As most of you know by now, I love combing the medical literature for the latest studies on the brain. I came across one study the other day that was so unusual, I just had to share it with you. It addressed a topic I have never seen covered before in a medical journal.

What was this out-of-the-ordinary topic? Headbanging.

That’s right, in an issue of BMJ, Australian researchers investigated whether headbanging could result in mild traumatic brain injury or neck injury.

If you have ever been to a heavy metal concert, you have probably seen people headbanging—rocking their heads back and forth or side to side in rhythm with the music. The action can range from mild head bobbing to more violent motions.

Sure, it looks painful, but can it really cause mild traumatic brain injury?

According to the researchers, yes! They found that when the tempo of the song is about 146 beats per minute and the range of motion is greater than 75 degrees, injury can occur. At higher tempos and greater ranges of motion there is also a risk of neck injury.

If your teens are into heavy metal music, encourage them not to headbang. It could damage their brain.

I received a very funny email the other day that was a very sad commentary on the American culture. I think you’ll enjoy it too:

A bit of cultural news for a welcome change.

David is to be returned to Italy.

After a two-year loan to the United States, Michelangelo’s David is being returned to Italy.

View from the top shows decreased parietal activity

Underside view shows decreased temporal lobe activity

Stacey was a 54-year-old schoolteacher who was brought in by her husband and daughter for an evaluation. Stacey didn’t believe she needed an evaluation, but her husband and daughter had insisted.

They were worried because Stacey had been having trouble teaching her usual classes, was having angry outbursts for seemingly trivial problems, and was starting to alienate her children and colleagues. She also forgot meetings with her other teachers, was late paying bills (very unlike her), and got lost twice in a town she had lived in for 32 years.

Stacey attributed these problems to a lifelong history of anxiety combined with stress due to the loss of her father, who had recently died of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Her family doctor agreed that stress was the cause of Stacey’s problems.

Stacey’s husband, John, and her daughter, Jacqueline, were not convinced. They were far more concerned about Stacey’s behavior than she was. John’s biggest fear was that his wife had early AD, a common and serious cause of senility that has strong genetic underpinnings. Jacqueline’s greatest fear was that, if her mother had AD, it meant she was going to develop AD in the future.

Stacey was evaluated with a computerized screening battery and a standardized set of blood tests to diagnose treatable conditions that mimic AD. She also underwent a brain SPECT scan, a sophisticated study that evaluates brain activity.

The computerized screening battery and SPECT scan showed early signs of a serious problem. The SPECT scan showed decreased activity in the temporal lobes and parietal lobes (a hallmark finding for AD).

The temporal lobes, located underneath the temples and behind the eyes, are involved in short-term memory, mood stability, temper control, and language, among other functions. They are a part of the brain’s “what pathway,” because they help you recognize and name what things are. Trouble in the temporal lobes often leads to memory problems, mood instability, and temper problems, all of which are often seen in AD.

The parietal lobes, located toward the top back part of the brain, are involved with sensory processing, direction sense, and the ability to read maps. The “where pathway” in the brain, they help you know where things are in space, such as navigating your way through the kitchen at night. The parietal lobes are one of the first areas damaged by AD, which is why people with this disease tend to get lost.

Stacey was given a treatment strategy designed to improve her symptoms and delay progression of the disease. The recommendations included drug therapy with a cholinesterase inhibitor, low-dose vitamins E (200 IU a day) and C, daily physical exercise, and increased structure in her daily schedule.

Considering that Stacey had complained of lifelong anxiety, she was also given recommendations for reducing stress and anxiety using natural treatments like meditation, deep breathing, and hand-warming. She also learned techniques to deal with the worries and negative thoughts that often got stuck in her mind.

She followed the plan religiously and within two months, Stacey had dramatically improved in her ability to teach her classes and remember recent events. She also no longer had problems driving to new and old locations. In addition, the outbursts that were so uncharacteristic of her vanished. She was able to mend her relationships with her children and her colleagues at work.

Stacey’s confidence greatly improved. As she regained her faculties, she became more aware of the difficulties she had been previously experiencing. She had not noticed the subtle changes that had been occurring over time. She was very grateful to her husband and daughter for urging her to get an evaluation.

Her husband’s stress and concern were greatly relieved. Jacqueline and her siblings were counseled on their family risk factors for AD and given clear instructions on the best ways to fend off and delay AD.

An early diagnosis of AD presents both bad news and good news. The bad news is no one wants a diagnosis of this terrible disease with no known cure that erodes the brain, mind, and personality. The good news is that if it is caught in the early stages, prevention and treatment interventions have their best chance of working to delay the ravages of the disease.

Stacey’s case is not an uncommon example of what can happen with prevention and early diagnosis and treatment of AD. Unfortunately, 95 percent of mildly demented people, like Stacey, and 75 percent of moderately demented people are not detected by primary care physicians.

Furthermore, standardized diagnostic criteria are not used by 75 percent of primary care physicians, so you cannot simply rely on the family doctor to deal with this devastating problem. Awareness and embracing the concept of prevention through delay is key.

While a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s can be devastating, the earlier it is detected the more likely it is that, if it is treated properly, you and your family can avoid suffering the full-blown effects of this disease.

I recently read a study saying that people who work 10 or 11 hours a day are more likely to have heart problems than people who work only seven hours.

Uh-oh!

As many of you might imagine, I am so passionate about my work that I often put in long hours. A typical day for me might involve helping patients improve their brain health, working with the volunteers in our retired NFL players study, working on my latest book or public television special, filming free videos for our website, helping determine the best formulas possible for our nutritional supplements, speaking at an event, and… writing this blog.

Yes, it is a busy day, but I LOVE what I do so it never really feels like “work.”  I am dedicated to spreading the word about brain health, and am energized and excited by the opportunity to play a role in helping people change their brains and change their lives.

Luckily, I do many things that take great care of my brain and body health. Eating a brain healthy diet, taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements, and dealing with stress in brain healthy ways has helped put me at low risk for cardiovascular events, according to my latest lab values.

But just because I read that study, I’m going to sign off now and take a quick break.