Stem Cells For Parkinson's

By Amy Price PhD

Can Parkinson's patients benefit for stem cell therapy? The answer is likely that in the future this will be possible. Right now stem cells for orthopedic applications are a working reality and cardiac
applications are showing great success.

It was interesting to see a company with customer testimonials claiming success for Parkinson's . What happens is they are injecting stem cells intravenously and claiming these cell are migrating to the brain to "fix" Parkinson's. There are big problems with this...some cells migrate but the number of cells that would actually make it to the brain are fewer than finding a friend in a 50,000 seat foot ball stadium, the rest of the cells go the the lungs and then are reabsorbed by the body and filtered out through the liver and excreted by body wastes. Patients are paying thousands of dollars and travel expenses for cells they will end up flushing.

Think about it this way. If cultured cells could just fix things intravenously why would leukemia
patients even need bone marrow transplants? With Parkinson's the underlying cell structure in the brain has been compromised and unless that is restructured new cells will be taken over like ants on a chocolate cake. For stem cells to work treatment needs to be targeted and care needs to be given as to how to best treat the underlying problem.

So why are some Parkinson's "patients" saying it could be working for them?
First of all Parkinson's is a dopamine deficiency issue. Anytime we do something
that brings pleasure or excitement, dopamine is circulated. For a short period of time patient's actually feel better. This principle is biological not psychosomatic. Plus the cells have some anti inflammatory properties so this benefit is felt as a temporary relief from pain.

Just after Thanksgiving a family member ran over our cat in full view of three small children. Having done some veterinary work and some first aid I could see the cat was not long for this world. She was bleeding from her mouth and her lungs were filling with blood and yet I held her in my arms and my son and I drove to the vet in hopes that someone bigger and smarter could do something...they couldn't. I guess I would do the same for a person I cared about and so would a lot of people. This makes us vulnerable in spite of knowledge so even when a celebrity claims to be healed it may not be the whole story. About the Parkinson's stem cells.... no fMRI or electrical studies of before and after treatments are shown and a search on PubMed turned up nothing.

This is in stark contrast to stemcell company scientists who publish research results and actual case studies to show where and how treatment is progressing. One question to ask when you are considering a new medical treatment is do the people I am dealing with offer any other options in case of candidates that are not suitable for the procedure?

What can you do right now until stem cells catch up with the ability to treat
brain disorders? There are meds, deep brain stimulation and brain training
options that can all help. The love and care we surround people with also makes
maximum use of the dopamine available and can enhance the quality of life for a
loved one with Parkinson's.....keep posted as soon as we see safe viable
treatment it will be posted here!

Fibromyalgia Pain and Cognition

By Amy Price PhD

Photo courtesy of (Earthopod, 2009 )depicting pain areas in fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia (FMS) comes from three words, the Latin term for fibrous tissue (fibro) and the Greek ones for muscle (myo) and pain (algia). Another way of saying this is muscle knots tied by painful ropes. This condition is not amenable to the medical model so clinicians fell back on the old standby “It’s all in your head” implying the problem is generated by emotional instability rather than specific biological origins.


Fibromyalgia was tagged a syndrome (Fibromyalgia, com, 2008). Patients got mad. They refused to be stonewalled by ignorance or marginalized. Instead they formed strong lobby groups and started campaigning for funding and action (Fibromyalgia network, 2008). This resulted in research getting funded, better treatment options and social change. (CRISP lists 695 NIH funded projects since 2000)


Researchers are finding that FMS could be a disorder of the central processing system resulting in neuroendocrinal and neurotransmitter dysregulation (Bennett, 2008). The FMS patient experiences pain amplification because their pain sensors are slow to recognize pain but the pain they feel spreads across a wider area, lasts longer and is more severe than in a person without FMS ( Staud et al, 2008). Increasingly scientific studies demonstrate physiological abnormalities in the FMS patient including increased levels of substance P in the spinal cord (Helle et al ,1998), low levels of blood flow to the thalamus region of the brain (Kwiatek et, 2000), HPA axis hypo function (McBeth et al, 2007) low levels of serotonin and tryptophan plus abnormalities in cytokine function (Crofford, 1998). Abnormalities like these spell pain. This leads to losses in sleep quality, cognition and coordination, and to increased drug use susceptibility.


New research strengthened by the advent of physical evidence such as SPECT, PET, FMRI and QEEG is confirming fibromyalgia is a biological problem that may cause psychological distress rather than a psychosomatic hysteria pioneered by women as appears to be insinuated by Mcdermid et al, (2008)

New hope may come for some FMS sufferers in the discovery of the brain’s ability to regenerate dendrites a process known as neuroplasticity (Toates, 2006). It is possible that targeted brain and body training may alleviate the severity of chronic pain and cognitive dysfunction associated with FMS (Leurding et al, 2008)


Leurding et al (2008) demonstrates that in fibromyalgia both white and grey brain matter is compromised. Brain imaging studies in FMS patients point to alterations in regional cerebral blood flow (Mountz et al., 1995), in cerebral processing of sensory and nociceptive stimuli (Gracely et al., 2002; Cook et al., 2004) also in dopamine response to pain (Wood et al., 2007). Leurding (ibid) used these imaging studies as a foundation for neuropsychological tests to show that the changed state of brain matter leads to “brain fog” rather than psycho-social maladaption, drug induced confusion, or loss of sleep as primary factors.


Patients offered cognitive rehabilitation tools may improve mental function when these tools are offered before significant white and grey matter dysfunction appears. Neuroplasticity can still be of benefit after damage occurs but progress is slower (Saczynski, 2004)
Brain areas responsible for proprioception damaged in fibromyalgia may be modified by body awareness training according to a pilot study carried out by (Kendall et al, 2000). Targeted body awareness physiotherapy programs led to patient improvement in pain levels and functional capacity even when patients were retested eighteen months after treatment (Kendall et al 2000).
Kendall et al (2000) were dismissive of positive effects realized by stress reduction, hypnosis or neurofeedback training but other researchers such as Meuler et al, 2001 found these treatments were beneficial. FMS is not one size fits all (Bennett, 2006).


A trial of cognitive rehabilitation synergised with neurofeedback and cognitive rehabilitation is underway to determine how combining passive and active therapy can multiply positive effects. Participants will be tested at timely increments and their ongoing level of progress studied.


Another option is to decrease pain to restore function. This is where regenerative medicine can help with therapies like adult stem cell treatment and prolotherapy. Another option is a treatment called IMS where overly sensitized nerve points are reset using a medical system similar to acupuncture.



Bennett, R. (2006) Understanding Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia: A Review of Recent Discoveries Oregon Health Sciences University, National Fibromyalgia Association. A non-profit 501 (C)(3) organization 2121 S. Towne Centre, Suite 300, Anaheim, CA 92806 714.921.0150 Copyright ©1997-2008 National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) http://www.fmaware.org/site/PageServer?pagename=fibromyalgia_science (accessed 12/01/2008

Buckelew S, Conway R, Parker J, Deuser W, Read J,
Witty T,. Hewett J, Minor M, Johnson J, Van Male L, McIntosh M, Nigh M, and Kay D, Biofeedback/Relaxation Training and Exercise Interventions for Fibromyalgia:A Prospective Trial Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia. Submitted for publication June 16, 1997; accepted in revised form October 13, 1997.
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Cook DB, Lange G, Ciccone DS, Liu WC, Steffener J, Natelson BH.Functional imaging of pain in patients with primary fibromyalgia.J Rheumatol 2004; 31: 364–78.

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CROFFORD LJ. Neuroendocrine abnormalities in fibromyalgia and related disorders.American Journal of the Medical Sciences 1998;315(6):359-66. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0680, USA

Fibromyalgia.com http://www.fibromyalgia.com/ (accessed Dec 01,2008)

Fibromyalgia Network, P.O. Box 31750, Tucson, AZ 85751 (800) 853-2929. http://www.fmnetnews.com/about-philosophy.php (accessed Dec 04,2008)

Gracely RH, Petzke F, Wolf JM, Clauw DJ. Functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence of augmented pain processing in fibromyalgia. Arthritis Rheum 2002; 46: 1333–43.

Helle H,, Førre R , Kåss E, Terenius L (Jan 1988). "Elevated CSF levels of substance P and high incidence of Raynaud phenomenon in patients with fibromyalgia: new features for diagnosis". Pain 32 (1): 21–6. doi:10.1016/0304-3959(88)90019-X

Kendall S, Sog¨ ren, B Gerdle B, and Gustav K, Henriksson, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine,
Faculty of Health Sciences, Linko¨ping, and Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, University Hospital Linko¨ping, Sweden; and Kerstin
Brolin-Magnusson, Fysioteket, Billdal, Sweden.Submitted for publication January 20, 2000; accepted in revised form June 17, 2000.
© 2000 by the American College of Rheumatology.

KWIATEK R, BARNDEN L, TEDMAN R, JARRETT R, CHEW J, ROWE C, and PILE K REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW IN FIBROMYALGIA,Single-Photon–Emission Computed Tomography Evidence of Reduction in the Pontine Tegmentum and Thalami ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Vol. 43, No. 12, December 2000, pp 2823–2833© 2000, American College of Rheumatology

McBeth J, Silman AJ, Gupta A, Chiu YH, Ray D, Morriss R, Dickens C, King Y, Macfarlane GJ. (2007). "Moderation of psychosocial risk factors through dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis in the onset of chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain: findings of a population-based prospective cohort study.". Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Jan;56(1):360-71.. 56 (1): 360-71

MCDERMID A. J. (1) ; ROLLMAN G. B. (1) ; MCCAIN G. A. (2) ; Author(s) Affiliation(s) (2008) Generalized hypervigilance in fibromyalgia : evidence of perceptual amplificationAuthor(s) (1) Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C2, CANADA(2) Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital, London, Ontario, N6A 5A5, CANADA, Publisher, Elsevier, Amsterdam, PAYS-BAS (1975) (Revue) Published 2008 http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3210987 (accessed 12/01/2008)

Mountz JM, Bradley LA, Modell JG, Alexander RW, Triana-Alexander M,Aaron LA, et al. Fibromyalgia in women. Abnormalities of regional cerebral blood flow in the thalamus and the caudate nucleus are associated with low pain threshold levels. Arthritis Rheum 1995; 38: 926–38.

Mueller H, Donaldson C, Nelson N, Layman M, Treatment of Fibromyalgia Incorporating EEG-Driven Stimulation: A Clinical Outcomes Study JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 57(7), 933–952 (2001) © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Saczynski, J., Margrett, J., Willis, S. “Older Adults' Strategic Behavior: Effects of Individual versus Collaborative Cognitive Training.” Educational Gerontology. 2004 Aug; 30(7): 587-610.
Staud R, Craggs J, Perlstein W, Robinson M, Price D, Brain activity associated with slow temporal summation of C-fiber evoked pain in fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls a Department of Medicine, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States Received 22 May 2007; received in revised form 13 December 2007; accepted 2 February 2008
Available online 25 March 2008

Toates, F. (2006) Biological Psychology, Pearson Education, Harlow. UK

Wood PB, Schweinhardt P, Jaeger E, Dagher A, Hakyemez H, Rabiner EA, et al. Fibromyalgia patients show an abnormal dopamine response to pain. Eur J Neurosci 2007; 25: 3576–82.

Your Brain On Trauma

By Amy Price PhD

Brains have axons. These are tiny fibers that are like an electronic circuit board. Axons make brain communication possible. If these are stretched past ten percent of their length they can not function and the connection is broken. To put this in perspective you can stretch your hair sixty percent beyond its length before it breaks. Broken connections mean lost function. Hair can be broken simply by running a brush through it. We seldom question the news when we are told the ninety pound teenager shook the baby to death. Yet when an adult brain is shaken by the impact of a 2500 pound car people think this could not happen. The injured are often asked if they were unconscious. The sad truth is that most brain injured people will not know if they were unconscious and will just say no.

The brain...you can build it a team can help!

Dr. Gail Denton author of the best selling book Brainlash states the Brain Injured person needs a team to restore their potential. Dr Denton wrote the first addition of this book after she sustained a brain injury. She is a successful artist, author and therapy consultant. She is presently working on research to determine the optimal brain diet and has contracted with her publisher to produce a new book featuring food for the brain and great recipes. Brain Injury does not have to be a death sentence! For helpful strategies for yourself or others take a look at this book!

Every brain injury is unique. Recovery usually does not mean returning to who and how you were before, but rather finding a new relationship to your abilities and your world. Lisa sustained a brain injury in 1993. She used her recovery to create a remarkable tool for individuals and families that struggle with brain injury. The kit was developed with Sandra J. Knutson, CRC, CDMS, CCM, Lisa’s former brain injury caseworker, and a thirty-year veteran in the brain injury recovery community. The Brain Injury Recovery Kit™ (BIRK) was created by Lisa Keller.

Try the complimentary 39 Point Learning Assessment to see if you can be set free from brain fog and live in the land of clarity! Try some free brain games to help with brain fog. CDC has published a helpful guide about what to do if you or a loved one has experienced a head injury with or without loss of consciousness. It is free http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/tbibook.pdf

'Peace is not the absence of war....it is a deposition for benevolence, confidence and justice' (Francis Bacon)

Open Access..Key to Knowledge?

In January 2007 Five leading European research institutions launched a petition that called on the European Commission to establish Open Access which would require all government-funded research to be made available to the public shortly after publication. Despite scant media attention, word spread like wildfire through scientific and research communities and more than 20,000 signatures, including multiple Nobel Prize Laureates and 750 organizations. In response, the European Commission committed more than $100m (£51m) towards facilitating greater open access Read Full Article

From a social change perspective this is good. As reading increases and rights to access are enforced, society is enriched and autonomy is increased.

At present institutions access funds for research, Academics and Scientists submit materials for 'peer reviewed' publication. The journals sell this content back to subscribers and institutions at hefty prices. There is also serious concern for bias. Journals are known to present their view free of charge but yet charge upwards of thirty dollars for each access to rebuttals effectively subverting the scientific process. Many journals now sell ads which further subverts the objective process.

The journal argues peer reviewing is costly and they can not afford to create open access. It seems to me that paying for something that has already been paid for by the various universities and grants is like graft. Furthermore some journals are triple dipping. They get the research for free, have advertisers, and sell subscriptions.

In answer to the journals position that they are paying big money for peer reviewers...I asked around. It seems most peer reviewers do this as a part of a job or in some cases because of political demands. They are expected to lend their time and name to make publishers fat and if they don't do it they are excluded politically.

The old argument that research is complex and the scientifically uneducated majority will read to their own harm is as old as the religious dogmas refusing access of the Bible to common people. This kind of exclusionary power led to the crusades where people were unjustly executed in the name of God to further political agendas.

Let's not forget the search engines in all of this. They have no obligation to disclose search sources so are also potentially huge political players in the area of research and access.
It is important for society at large to see the original research. This way they can go to medical appointments fully prepared. I have personally accessed treatment not available to others because I laid out research to support my position. With access individuals can monitor the sources for funding and learn how statistics can be adjusted or ignored because of a journals bias....They are also less likely to fall prey to inaccurate media reports and agree to treatments that are not in their best interests. Knowledge is power and journals want to keep it ...well my view is Open Access can open dialogue and lead to expanded knowledge we are all working let them pay their fair share and hold up their end of the piano!

Dopamine in the Human Brain…Increases With Sleep Deficit

Even one night without sleep can increase the amount of dopamine in the human brain, according to new imaging research in the August 20 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Dopamine and endorphins are keys to promote pain relief in the human body. On one hand, when endorphins are released in response to pain, dopamine seems to be triggered to move into the frontal lobe of the brain, neutralizing the feeling of pain.

On the other hand, when dopamine levels are too high, they tend to reduce the amount of endorphins available for pain relief. That may be why antidepressants that are designed to reduce dopamine levels sometimes relieve chronic pain--they allow endorphin levels to stay higher than when excessive dopamine is present. Vigorous exercise and sweets can increase Dopamine, moderate exercise releases endorphins. Because drugs that increase dopamine, like amphetamines, promote wakefulness, the findings offer a potential mechanism explaining how the brain helps people stay awake despite the urge to sleep.

The study also shows that the increase in dopamine cannot compensate for the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation. Given this research it seems that depression, brain fog, chronic pain, weight gain and insomnia may be trauma related rather than social psychological factors as previously imagined

Is There A Teen Driver in The House

Are you concerned with your teen driving a car? This concern is likely valid as teens have the highest injury and mortality rates and crashes are the leading cause of accidental death, disability and head injuries for this age group. USA today in an article last week quoted research which shows that teens with attention problems are five times as likely to get in an accident as the rest of the population.

There is equipment that can test your teen’s attention levels and improve their ability to resist distraction and stay on task. One of the programs used simulates road conditions to improve reaction time with practice before your teen gets on the road. Other programs help teens recognize their attention levels and teach them to self correct so they do not ‘space out’

They will not learn these skills in driver ed. This is a great way to equip the young driver in your household or restore skills to older drivers who see themselves as losing focus. Information about safe cars, saving your neck and how to adjust the headrest are available for free through the courtesy of the Save Your Neck Program sponsored by The Spinal Injury Foundation. Please click here for more info: http://spinalinjuryfoundation.org/neck.htm

For more information on programs to help driving skills an a free 39 point learning assessment you can take online click here

http://www.sparksofgenius.com/screens.html

Making Choices

One simple way we can sort out what choice is best is to create a plus and minus column.
Put in the advantages and disadvantages of your proposed choice. Number each choice on an “important to me” scale of one to ten. Add up both columns or get a friend to help.

Still undecided? Separate your thoughts into three sections I feel this way, I think this about this and I sense or remember this could happen. The first method gives you the “what” of the story while the second method gives you the “why.”Now you need the “when.” This you can get by asking your self “Why is this a good time for this choice?” What can I gain by waiting, deciding immediately or not choosing at all”? For the where of this story consider if this is the best place or would a change of location make a difference. Also ask your self is there any knowledge missing I need to make this choice.

Many Genius made major discoveries after a nap! Sleep on your decisions and listen to the voice on the inside. Often you will sense a green light, a red light or a yellow proceed with caution.
Our minds have amassed countless categories and can assess in a moment of time what you could take months to think about actively. Many genius minds got their inspiration after napping or a good night’s sleep. It can work for you too

Mathematicians have determined we can make informed choices by following what are called axioms. They use numbers to explain things but we will use life examples to share these ideas.
There are 5 principles or axioms for making decisions

• Comparability
• Transitivity
• Dominance
• Independence
• Invariance

The first principle is called “comparability.” For this you need to know you prefer apples to bananas or banana to apples or that you dislike or like both bananas and apples.

Axiom two is called “transitivity,” which means if you prefer apples to bananas and bananas to carrots you must prefer apples to carrots.

“Dominance” is axiom three. Here is how it works, a choice is dominant and must be preferred if when it is compared to an alternate choice it is best in at least one respect and better in all other respects. Dominated or lesser choices are not to be preferred.

Axiom four is called “independence.” This says “no outside data should affect your choice.”

The last axiom, number five, is “invariance.” Different scenery involving the same choice scenario should not affect the choice. Another way of saying this is your choice preference should remain independent of how it is described.

When any of these axioms are not met there are several possibilities. The choice was not yours to make. In this case move on. You can not take responsibility for other peoples’ choices.
Zig Ziglar says ‘Life is like the movies …You produce your own show!”
Happy people live nineteen percent longer. Make a good investment. You can invest in worry or you can invest in you.There was not enough information available to make an informed choice or you were not given the power to make the choice. Life happens and life cycles, what goes around comes around. Think out a strategy for next time or watch for something effective another individual is using to negotiate the issue.

You are a champion. Experience and coaching will help you win. Experts practice and watch for doors of opportunity. Novices give up because they see an event as defining them.
Failure is an event and not an identity.Any novice can become an expert. Failure is an event and not an identity. Failure looks for servants, refuse to serve it!

Your choice was clouded by a cultural mindset or political manipulation and does not represent you.For this scenario you will feel dissatisfied even when the choice is beneficial to you because you can not own it without changing your identity.

• Think about how you can change your world one step at a time.
• The way you see yourself is the way others will treat you.
• Change your words and determine your destiny.
• Your words will build you or destructure (destroy) you.

Go back to the chapter that suggests you decide what you would do if only you could. Find a way to take one step towards your destiny and do it!

Memory Help

In MVA involving injury memory deficits can become an issue. Pain and lack of sleep contribute to this as do many of the medications prescribed to make it go away. There is anxiety and grief over financial loss or changed status. This compounds the issue. Each year more money is spent on pet food than for treatment to restore survivors of mild traumatic brain injury. Eighty percent of individuals diagnosed with mild brain injury have needs pertaining to the injury that are not presently met by current legislation. Treatment is described as too little, too late.

It was once thought that if there was no improvement in cognitive status in the first six months following an injury further progress would be minimal. Advances in science show this is no longer an absolute. Progress is possible.Every year Traumatic Brain Injury causes 20 times more disabilities than AIDS, Breast Cancer, Spinal Cord Injuries, and Multiple Sclerosis combined. Traumatic Brain Injuries have claimed more lives than all U.S. wars combined since 1977. Approximately 1.5 million Americans sustain a Traumatic Brain Injury each year. Traumatic Brain Injury is the number one cause of both death and disability in children and young adults.

WHAT IT DOES & HOW IT WORKS

Do you need help fixing your broken brain? Even if you don’t this article contains great strategies for improving memory skills and coping with life.
Want help with your memory? Let us look together at where the problem might be so we can suggest solutions. Information is first filtered through the senses (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling) or sensory memory. The sensory input combines with what we already know as the brain attempts to classify the information before it is encoded into our memories. Before it can be encoded accurately we have to pay attention or attend to it. The brain has only a few seconds of what is called working memory to encode material. When the information is needed we call on it to come out. This process is called retrieval.

POSITIVE STRATEGIES FOR A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS

Retrieval can be enhanced by rehearsal. The most common kind of rehearsal is saying something like a phone number over and over until it sticks in the brain. This is a problem for a person with memory deficits as by the time they get to the last number they forget what it is! In this case there is an unorthodox but useful strategy called chunking, instead of remembering numbers digit by digit such as 301 5700 think of three hundred one, fifty seven hundred. There are other solutions, write information down while repeating it to your self or ask someone else to write it for you. This is most useful when someone is giving you directions. The next step is to read the information back to who ever you got it from and ask them if your version is correct. This is also good for reinforcing understanding in conversation as sometimes what someone says to us is different to what we heard them say or is not what they meant.

To deal with problems of losing things here is some help. Pick places where you are comfortable storing things like keys, licenses etc. Make it a habit to always put them back in those places only. Write down where these places are and put it somewhere you will see it everyday in case you forget. When you go to a store only take something that can be attached to your body, forget about the purse that could be left in the shopping cart or car keys you carry in your hands.
When the memory is less than stellar even a parking lot can seem like a hopeless maze. Most cell phones have voice recorders on them as do many other devices. Record where you parked the car, for example the car is at exit c parking lot level three, third car down. Pay attention to which store you enter and what is close to the door, for example Macy’s, men’s shoes. This way if you get lost you can ask someone where these landmarks are and find your way.

Here is another strategy A piece of paper/card with a grid (kids math jotter paper with the little blocks) with place for a couple of stores names around the periphery or a land marks/monument, a McDonalds or a gas station and make an X in the block of the area where you best estimate your car is. A good place to put ID, credit card, money, parking lot stubs is in a 'fanny pack'. If you can not remember how to get somewhere or get home buy a turn by turn GPS or phone a non judgmental friend.

There are many kinds of memory, visual auditory episodic, semantic, conceptual and more. This is good news because it means that you can use another kind of memory to enhance which ever kind is not working for you right now.

Here are some useful strategies. To remember an event think about what else you did, where it happened, the conditions around the event, ask your self how you felt that day, who was with you even what you did afterwards. Anyone of these can release a cue to help you remember.
To remember Peoples' names, think about where you first met the person or go through the alphabet mentally, sometimes it helps to recall their significant others’ names or occupation. Just one piece of information can trigger the missing link. If all else fails ask them for a business card and read it or ask how they spell their names.

Learning something?-To remember something you need to learn, teach it to someone else, read your notes on tape and play them as you walk or at the gym, create a mind map or make the information into a story. Trouble finding words, look up a word that means the same in a good dictionary usually the synonyms will be displayed and your missing word will show up. A good dictionary can also show you how to pronounce words you have forgotten how to say. Forget how to spell it and spell check is not bright enough to figure it out? Break the word into syllables and spell the part you can figure out, from here spell check may pick it up or you may remember the whole word.

In the kitchen-For kitchen memories….don’t leave the room or be otherwise distracted when you have a pot on the stove. The same people that distracted you will remind you over and over about how you forgot something again! Do one thing at a time until your memory is healed, your ability to multitask will usually return. Buy appliances that turn off automatically, this may be expensive initially however it is cheaper than a house fire! Discipline yourself to use timers.
Often individuals forget steps of a process/task. In this case it is useful to lay everything out ahead of time. Think through what steps you need to take to complete a process/task. If this is difficult get someone to help you and write it down or record it for yourself.

For schedules…got an appointment write it down, put it on the computer, in the day timer or on a PDA. Another method is to call your telephone answering service and leave your self messages as they come up. Alternately make a list and number it for priorities then cross them off when you are finished. Too busy to prioritize…you are too busy! Make changes or you will get buried.
I Hope this helps some, nobody remembers everything so don’t beat yourself up. Keep working at it slowly and surely the more you use your brain the better it will get.

Change Your Mind With Nintendo DS

Professor Kawashima followed his dream. When he was a boy he saw himself putting his brain on a computer system. He believed that if he could represent mental functioning on a computer, he would be able to understand how people’s brains worked. On his journey he created the Nintendo DS brain training games. These games are inter-generational tools that are entertaining to people of all ages. Dr. Kawashima studied brain response with pet scans. He found when people simply watch television, brain zones that handle sound and sight respond. When playing a video game, zones that deal with motion and color respond. The part of the brain that really helps us think is called the prefrontal cortex. It is not stimulated with either of these activities.

Difficult math does not light up this part of the brain either, but simple math done under speed conditions makes a big difference. Reading silently does not use this part of the brain as much as when we read out loud. Dr. Kawashimi developed games that stimulate the prefrontal cortex. So the principle is to work out with your brain and have fun!
He came under fire because a British newspaper quoted him as saying videogames harm the brain. This is not actually true. He said videogames de-activate the prefrontal cortex. Professor Kawashima has four children. He let them all play video games but only for one hour every day. His reasoning was that sometimes the brain just needs to rest and video games were not harmful. He has done tests on elderly Japanese people. What he found was that solving mental puzzles can often arrest cognitive decline. Dr. Kawashimi says ‘I cannot comment on whether the illness of dementia is cured or not, but with these methods symptoms of dementia certainly improve”.

Other virtual activities that were once exclusively the domain of the young are being used with increasing success to rehabilitate older adults and bring them quality of life. In some senior centers card games and crossword puzzles are being replaced with virtual reality bowling or tennis. Crossword puzzles and sudoku are played in groups with computers and a mouse. These are much easier to navigate than small pieces of wood and studies have shown that simulated activities are almost as useful for practice as the real thing.

Some other scientists are jealous and treat his work with disparaging remarks such as there has not been enough time to test this or there is little empirical evidence. Other scientists like Dr. Posner are finding exciting results after only a few sessions with brain fitness tools. Scientists are testing brain games and finding increased brain fitness from the very old to the very young. Some say Professor Kawashimi is in it for the money. This is sad as all the royalties from the games and the books he wrote about the mind go entirely to the University. Dr. Kawashimi feels as a scientist it is his obligation and the obligation of others to return the results of our research to society.

This story is adapted from an article by Richard Lloyd Parry of the Times newspaper, London UK

MRI News and Views

contrast mriMRIs have gone through a lot of changes and improvements in the last few years. A first class radiologist is the best way to get an accurate diagnosis but great equipment helps too. People ask us at SIF how can I know that my radiologist does quality work? The best way is to ask who others consider the best. Ask at your Doctors, at physio and at the hospital. Soon you will find some names come up over and over again. It is important to find out what kind of MRIs they are best at reading. Some specialize in the brain, tumors, or spines. all radiologists are not considered equal so choose with care! For an explanation of how they work and the history of MRI click here

Before you agree to an MRI it is good to find out who will be explaining the results and the technical terms in your report to you. At SIF we get multiple requests to explain results of MRIs. We can not help with this as an MRI is only a part of the picture, diagnostics are made in conjunction with detailed physical examinations and patient/physician consultation. If you come across an unusual term in your MRI you can try the Read My MRI feature in the members section of SIF


MRI machines work with magnets and the strength is measured by Tesla. The Tesla strength can vary anywhere from .046 to 8 Tesla. Before you book an MRI ask what the strength is of the machine they will use for your scan. The strongest Tesla in common use outside of research settings is a 3 Tesla. The stronger the Tesla the clearer the image. Large herniations can be seen with an .02 Tesla. Using a 3 Tesla even ligament damage is quite visible. Click here It used to be thought that 7-8 Teslas would not be safe for patients because of the radio frequency but these fears proved groundless click here and this Tesla strength is used for revealing vascular structure and for detailed brain scans.


MRIs can be with or without contrast. A contrast MRI makes it easier for the diagnostician to see scar tissue that may have formed because of the injury. The contrast is a small amount of water soluble dye that is injected at the time of your MRI. MRIs can be static or functional (fMRI) fMRIs measure function. Oxford University has an interesting and informative site detailing how fMRI works and the strengths and perceived weakness of this approach click here


Technology combining MEG (measures brain's electrical activity) and fMRI are bringing hope for treatment in previously uncharted territory Click here Software can convert images into 3D For more info and to see axonal motion in 3D click here The software technology in detail click here
Stand Up MRIs are thought to show structural patterns more clearly and can signpost where a client is feeling pressure. Some ligament damage can also be shown more accurately with the stand up MRI. Click Here Research done on this method click here A new and promising technology is on the horizon to reduce MRI costs and also create a machine that can be used for those with metal implants or even to assist in surgery! Click here

Thought For Today “" “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”- Maria Robinson quote

Partnership...The Work of Champions

In work with people a team means everything. Self esteem and ways of relating are constructed by what is learned from team interaction. Even in graduate school students learn that the key to power for scientists is flexibility and cooperation.

Many experiments show success after numerous well planned failures. Sometimes it takes only a new way of seeing to trigger a break through. We can mourn the past or prepare for the future, we can not do both. Often weakness in one team member will trigger unknown strength in another so it pays to obey the three fs of creativity,. Fun, flexibility and favor.

Your family and friends are a team that cares about you. Remember them, be thankful for their care and treat them well

The future depends on what we do in the present ...Mahatma Ghandhi

The Artist and The Team

Many years ago there were two gifted artists. They were poor and scholarships went to the politically astute so they were on their own with talent and no money. They devised a plan. The one brother went into the mines to work and support the other while he went to graduate school.

This brother, spurred on by the help of his brother graduated with honors and became widely acclaimed. He went back to his brother with joy and said “I can put you through school with class”. The other brother without bitterness lifted up his hands to show them to his brother, they were broken and crooked from years in the mines. He said “I can not go, the mines have cost me my hands”

The artist did a sculpture of his brothers hands, they became his greatest work. Most of us know them as they became the image for the famous serenity prayer. In life sometimes we are the hands and at other times the artist. It is good to consider the cost to our team and provide feedback and favor before hands are destroyed. But even hands that seem to be useless have value. Who you are is more valuable than what you do

"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless" Thomas Edison.

Travel and Spine Help

Heightened airport security and serious luggage restrictions call for strategic measure for those in pursuit of spinal health. This section will cover tips and tricks that have worked for others. If you have an idea you would like to share please Click here to email

For long trips instant ice can be purchased at pharmacies, large discount stores or order online. These are disposable one use ice packs that are activated by squeezing them. If you have no grip strength, step on them or ask someone with working hands to activate them for you. Bring or buy epsom salts, they are an inexpensive way to ease stiffness. Just drop a handful into a hot bath and you are good to go!

An Electrical Accupuncture system such as ETPS is a great pain reliever. It will fit in hand luggage.

Transfer analgesic products like Bio-freeze into a small leak proof container. (empty hotel size shampoo containers work great) It is best not to try Zip Lock containers as these leak if the aircraft has air pressure variances plus TSA screening personnel have little respect for creative packaging and tend to confiscate them.

Forgot your neck pillow? Roll up a hotel hand towel and place it under your neck, letting the regular pillow take care of the rest of your head.

Need Fitness Options? Try a stretching work out with therabands. There are lots of good Yoga and Pilates DVDs available so a workout can be as close as your computer. If you miss the gym and the hotel gym is not great. Ask at the desk and you can usually find a gym that will let you be a guest for a small fee. If you belong to a chain of Gyms you can get privileges for other locations. If you stay where there is a pool you can bring portable swimming fins or resistance gloves to pack some power in your work out.

Want to jog or walk....ask the hotel staff where it is a good location and safe territory