Building Brain Potential

Magnesium...Is it the new Lyrica or a Memory Booster

2010-02-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

By Amy Price PhD

In the spinal patient community patients have been unofficially using bio-active magnesium and benfotiamine (along with a multi B and C supplement) for relief of CNS nerve pain along with piracetam or aniricetam to assist cognitive functioning. There is also considerable discussion on the merits of a heart healthy diet inclusive of lots of green vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins for improving cognitive function, cell repair and pain levels after spine and head injuries. Some of us have found supplementing glucosamine chondritin along with vitamin C, E and fish oil to be helpful as well, for the vegetarians flax seed oil seems to do the trick. The diet rich in magnesium may seem counterintuitive due to the brain's demand for glycogen and sweets cravings induced by chronic unremitting pain and brain fog but many have found good results with a change in diet and supplementation. In light of this, the following information about research on magnesium was an interesting find.

New Israeli Research: How To Boost Memory and Avoid Memory Loss

by Baruch Gordon

(IsraelNN.com) Those who live in industrialized countries have easy access to healthy food and nutritional supplements, but magnesium deficiencies are still common. That's a problem because new research from Tel Aviv University suggests that magnesium, a key nutrient for the functioning of memory, may be even more critical than previously thought for the neurons of children and healthy brain cells in adults.

Dr. Inna Slutsky of TAU's Sackler School of Medicine published results of a 5-year probe which has significant implications for the use of over-the-counter magnesium supplements.

"We've been able to show that today's over-the-counter magnesium supplements don't really work. They do not get into the brain," says Dr. Slutsky.

Dr. Slutsky advises people to get their magnesium the old-fashioned way — by eating lots of green leaves, broccoli, almonds, cashews and fruit. The effects on memory won't appear overnight, she cautions, but with this persistent change in diet, memory should improve, and the effects of dementia and other cognitive impairment diseases related to aging may be considerably delayed.

"Our results suggest that commercially available magnesium supplements are not effective in boosting magnesium in cerebro-spinal fluid," says dr. Slutsky. "Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, but today half of all people in industrialized countries are living with magnesium deficiencies that may generally impair human health, including cognitive functioning."

The research focused on developing a new magnesium supplement, magnesium-L-theronate (MgT), that effectively crosses the blood-brain barrier to inhibit calcium flux in brain neurons. Begun at MIT as a part of a post-doctoral project, Dr. Slutsky's probe evolved to become a multi-center experiment with cooperation of researchers from Tel Aviv University, MIT, the University of Toronto, and Tsighua University in Beijing.

Published recently in the scientific journal Neuron, the new study found that the synthetic magnesium compound works on both young and aging animals to enhance memory or prevent its impairment.

In the study, two groups of rats ate normal diets containing a healthy amount of magnesium from natural sources. The first group was given a supplement of MgT, while the control group had only its regular diet. Behavioral tests showed that cognitive functioning improved in the rats in the first group and also demonstrated an increase of synapses in the brain — connective nerve endings that carry memories in the form of electrical impulses from one part of the brain to the other.

"We've developed a promising new compound which has now taken the first important step towards clinical trials by Prof. Guosong Liu, Director of the Center for Learning and Memory at Tsinghua University and cofounder of Magceutics company," she says.

While the effects were not immediate, the researchers in the study were able to assess that the new compound shows improved permeability of the blood-brain barrier. After two weeks of oral administration of the compound in mice, magnesium levels in the cerebral-spinal fluid increased.

"It seems counterintuitive to use magnesium for memory improvement because magnesium is a natural blocker of the NMDA receptor, a molecule critical for memory function. But our compound blocks the receptor only during background neuronal activity. As a result, it enhances the brain's 'plasticity' and increases the number of brain synapses that can be switched on," says Dr. Slutsky

I Remember Better When I Paint

2010-01-27T12:22:00.003-05:00

By Amy Price PhD

All people have value. Dignity, respect and inclusion are gifts we can offer regardless of where life takes us. The first Alzhiemer's group I worked with along with colleagues at Sparks of Genius opened my eyes to how much can be done to restore identity, quality of life and initiate healing. Our group was classified as high functioning and indeed they were in the past, we had former heads of multi national corporations, advisors to past president, diplomats, and former CIA. They were all later stage alzhiemer patients looking at us hopefully quite aware of their limitations but still with the undeniable need to be loved and belong.

When an individual is brain challenged there is a part of the brain (hippocampus/amygdala) that is extremely vulnerable when they are hurt or marginalized. They don't fight back for a long time if at all because they are paralysed with self doubt and shame. The brain plays negative events over and over while the brain tries to connect the dots. This stress leads to an inflammation spiral that produces greater cognitive losses. I couldn't do that to them so I moved forward to accept them and they me.

I wanted to run or hide behind a lack of qualifications or diagnostic fatalism but thier eyes and vulnerability drew me in. They knew about stem cells, gene therapy and international policy but could not spell their names, draw a clock or find their way back from the bathroom alone. Together we found ways to communicate, conquer fear or anger and learn. I gave them my mind and they gave me thier trust and experience. Together we grew and I understood the strength of the human spirit and how brain potential can be tapped. They learned to work as a group to protect each other with collective memory and without blame. Their ability to communicate and function improved. We used art, computers, music, books, dance and diaries to help them learn to re-love themselves and connect with their families. We gave family workshops. I did power point presentations on the illness until they understood it for themselves and could walk away with hope.

They were the difference between reality and experimental theory. There is scientific evidence for memory improvement while painting. There is a part of the brain (striatum) that needs to update for learning, learning brings a need for consolidation where the brain reclassifies the input into working units. Positive environments and rich sensory experience can trigger the brain and the body to heal and connect from the inside out.

Many great scientists are also artists relating that as they paint or play music the mind consolidates and inspriation and patterns flow together. Release the genius within with art and music and remember that when there is envy and strife there is confusion and blame but where love lives it will never fail, fade out or become obsolete. I too remember better when I paint!

Suicide Interactive Screening Initiative

2010-01-18T22:39:00.001-05:00

Posted from American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Each year, 1,100 college students die by suicide, more than die from any other cause except accidents. Almost all suffered from depression or another serious but treatable mental disorder. But an estimated 85 percent hadn’t sought any type of treatment because they were mistrustful of involving a stranger in their problems, feared the judgment of friends, didn’t know where to go or were just too overwhelmed to seek help. To stop this tragic loss of young lives, AFSP developed the Interactive Screening Program, a web-based system that connects at-risk students to a campus counselor and facilitates anonymous online exchanges to resolve barriers to treatment.

If you, or someone you know, is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

ISP has been recognized as a Best Practice for Suicide Prevention based on published evidence of its effectiveness in encouraging at-risk students into treatment. Our Big Idea is to ensure that college students get the help they need by making this secure, anonymous and effective program available to schools in every state

Vote Now and Help AFSP Win $1 Million

Facebook Users Click Here to Vote for AFSP

Thanks to the thousands of people concerned about suicide prevention, AFSP placed in the Top 100 -- out of 500,000 charities -- competing in the Chase Community Giving Campaign. As a Top 100 winner, AFSP will receive $25,000. The Chase Community Giving Campaign is a ground-breaking funding strategy that allows Facebook users to vote on which charities Chase will support in 2010.

The Top 100 charities are now competing for the $1 million grand prize.

The one million dollars would enable AFSP to expand our innovative, highly successful program to identify college students at risk for suicide -- and make it available to colleges in every state in the country. Learn more. Voting is now open and ends Friday, January 22.

All you need is a Facebook profile. If you’re already on Facebook you can vote for AFSP here.

If you’re not on Facebook, don’t worry, signing up is easy and will take just a minute or two. Simply go to www.facebook.com and look for the green "SIGN UP" button. You’ll enter some basic information, and when Facebook sends you an email confirmation, your profile will be set up and ready to vote for AFSP. (You’ll be asked if you want to add friends or photos, but this is optional; and if you don’t want to be on Facebook after the challenge is over, no problem, you can easily delete your profile.)

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students -- help us make a real difference in the lives of these young adults.

NOW IS THE TIME TO END THE STIGMA SURROUNDING SUICIDE. PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW -- FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, CLASSMATES.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO MAKE SUICIDE PREVENTION A NATIONAL PRIORITY.

Thanks to the thousands of people concerned about suicide prevention, AFSP placed in the Top 100 -- out of 500,000 charities -- competing in the Chase Community Giving Campaign. As a Top 100 winner, AFSP will receive $25,000. The Chase Community Giving Campaign is a ground-breaking funding strategy that allows Facebook users to vote on which charities Chase will support in 2010.

The Top 100 charities are now competing for the $1 million grand prize.

The one million dollars would enable AFSP to expand our innovative, highly successful program to identify college students at risk for suicide -- and make it available to colleges in every state in the country. Learn more. Voting is now open and ends Friday, January 22.

All you need is a Facebook profile. If you’re already on Facebook you can vote for AFSP here.

If you’re not on Facebook, don’t worry, signing up is easy and will take just a minute or two. Simply go to www.facebook.com and look for the green "SIGN UP" button. You’ll enter some basic information, and when Facebook sends you an email confirmation, your profile will be set up and ready to vote for AFSP. (You’ll be asked if you want to add friends or photos, but this is optional; and if you don’t want to be on Facebook after the challenge is over, no problem, you can easily delete your profile.)

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students -- help us make a real difference in the lives of these young adults.

NOW IS THE TIME TO END THE STIGMA SURROUNDING SUICIDE. PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW -- FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, CLASSMATES.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO MAKE SUICIDE PREVENTION A NATIONAL PRIORITY.

Medicine, Compassion, and Human Courage

2010-01-08T09:42:00.001-05:00

By Amy Price PhD

This is a wonderful example of how people from merging cultures worked together despite personal risk and adverse conditions to bring life and dignity to another human being. I received this story in my inbox after enduring a horrific ordeal involving some who claim to practice medicine. I am sharing this visual demonstration of unselfish kindness so that each of us can remember people that really matter and focus our hearts and minds on them. I want to say a special thank you to people who were there for me at a time when I could not advocate for myself. Thank you for your time, your kindness and your professional help which was given with little hope for a return and who looked past the confusion and injury to value the real person inside and to treat her with dignity.

The story is about US Army Pvt. Channing Moss, who was impaled by a live RPG (rocket propelled grenade) during a Taliban ambush while on patrol. Army regulations say that MEDEVAC choppers are never to carry anyone with a live round in him. Even though they feared it could explode, the flight crew said forget the protocol and flew him to the nearest aid station. Again, regulations say that in such a case the patient is to be put in a sandbagged area away from the surgical unit, given a shot of morphine and left to wait (and die) until others are treated.

Again, the medical team ignored the protocol. Here's a seven-minute video put together by the
Military Times, which includes actual footage of the surgery where Dr. John Oh, a Korean immigrant who became a naturalized citizen and went to West Point , removed the live round with the help of volunteers and a member of the EOD (explosive ordinance disposal) team.

Moss has undergone six operations but is doing well at home in Gainesville, GA. This is one of the most amazing stories. I think you'll find the video pretty remarkable. Our military faces situations we can no even imagine without great financial rewards or much acclaim. I am so thankful that such men and women of grace and courage are representing our country.

Brain Development A Human Right ,

2009-12-18T12:47:00.002-05:00

By Amy Price PhD

Clicking on Train Your Brain , Save Your Mind here will take you to a fascinating short video on the power of personal brain optimization and contains a clinically validated assessment tool. This video is presented by Dr Evian Gordon of Brain Resource Company and speaks to the highly acclaimed wellness program, My Brain Solutions. It is well worth investigating, in less than 15 days I showed improvement on several measures of cognition. If you would like to sign-up for MyBrainSolutions please email me ….read on for why training your brain matters… If you have difficulty signing up or have questions please post a comment and I will be happy to help you with this.

Research on cognition that shows transfer of training and increase in quality of life is dependent on carefully assessing individual differences with clinically accepted tools which provide personalized training to meet these perimeters[1,2,3,4,]

Learning and novelty are partners yet many brain fitness programs offer rote repetition of weak areas without variation in task or content in a bid to target learning, However research shows us this is not the way meaningful learning occurs. Tasks must be individually challenging to hold engagement and yet structured enough to be doable. Ideally tasks will adapt to changing learning curves to build neuroplasticity. The best learning capitalizes on emotional and intellectual strengths already present while strengthening areas of weakness in a positive atmosphere. For example, teaching a university student mnemonics and concept mapping may make the memory more efficient however teaching an individual with organic damage or early dementia how to remember names and faces with a mnemonic is an exercise in futility.

Specific training alone can lead to plastic changes in the brain as demonstrated by expert Braille readers who show an enlarged hand area and smearing of finger representations in the somatosensory cortex. This result was observed in expert, but not in novice Braille readers suggesting that the training and not the blindness which leads to the changes in cortical representation [5]Similar domain specific results were noted in London taxi drivers and expert violinists. Kramer et al [6] states recruitment of additional brain regions helps performance only if the recruited area complements processing of the task in question. This is likely why rote memorization fails to increase working memory whereas training that targets attentional networks and processing speed increases working memory limits. We are incapable of processing in depth what we have not attended to and our capacity for material attended to is limited by the speed at which we process stimuli.

My Brain Solutions has an inviting Dashboard where you can Empower Your Own Life....See you at the Dashboard!

1. Posner, M., & Rothbart M. Educating the human brain. Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association.; 2007:189-208. doi:10.1037/11519-009

2. Jaeggi SM, Buschkuehl M, Jonides J, Perrig WJ. Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2008;105(19):6829-33. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18443283

3. Willis SL, Tennstedt SL, Marsiske M, et al. Long-term effects of cognitive training on everyday functional outcomes in older adults. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association. 2006;296(23):2805-14. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17179457

4. Gordon E, Arns M, Paul RH. Research Report THE INTEGRATE MODEL OF EMOTION, THINKING AND SELF REGULATION: AN APPLICATION TO THE “PARADOX OF AGING”. Thinking. 2008;7(3):367-404.

5. Greenwood PM. Functional plasticity in cognitive aging: review and hypothesis. Neuropsychology. 2007;21(6):657-73. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17983277

6. Kramer AF, Bherer L, Colcombe SJ, Dong W, Greenough WT. Environmental influences on cognitive and brain plasticity during aging. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 2004;59(9):M940-57.: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15472160.

Does Platelet Rich Plasma Really Work?

2009-12-03T23:20:00.003-05:00

By Amy Price PhD

What is Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment (PRP)?

PRP has been around since the 1980s but mostly as an adjunct to surgical or dental procedures. PRP patients have a small amount of their own blood removed and then processed through a centrifuge machine. The high speed rotation separates red blood cells from the platelets. A teaspoon or two of the clear platelet rich concentrate (3 to 10 times that of regular blood) will be returned and injected into damaged areas to catalyze the growth of new cells.

Various methods are now commercially available for preparing PRP and a similar material called “autologous growth factor,” which is PRP plus the white blood cell buffy coat obtained during PRP preparation. As a result, assessment of these strategies in clinical orthopedic practice has accelerated.

The platelet rich mixture can be injected where the area does not normally have a rich blood supply and has the advantage of not triggering a clotting response. Patients are their own donors so there is little risk of rejection, allergy or transmissable infections Some stem cell companies are combining PRP with stem cell therapy to increase healing results. The theory and technique behind PRP is similar to that of Prolotherapy (proliferation therapy). Typically Prolotherapy treatments are offered first, and mostly resolve musculoskeletal problems. When results from traditional Prolotherapy treatments are not adequate, PRP may be employed. PRP and Prolotherapy, are office procedures.

How does PRP therapy help?

The body’s responds to injury by mobilizing platelet cells. Platelets are packed with multiple healing and growth factors which initiate repair while attracting stem cells the bodies built in construction managers. PRP intensifies the body’s healing efforts by delivering concentrated platelets. The technique appears to help regenerate ligament and tendon fibers, which shortens rehabilitation time.

How long will it take?

One to two hours, including preparation and recovery time is the average time for the procedure. Advantages include pain relief and speedy healing without the risk of surgery, Many individuals can return to work right after the procedure.

How often can a person have PRP done?

The norm is three injections within a six-month time frame, two to three weeks apart. Relief is usually recognized after the first or second injection.

What are the expected results?

Initial improvement may be seen within a few weeks, gradually increasing as the healing progresses. Some doctors describe PRP as a growth factor cocktail. MRI images after PRP have shown definitive tissue repair. It seems to work better on soft tissue areas like tendons and ligaments, in bone injury it may even slow healing. Results are donor dependent and certain health conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disease or habits like smoking and heavy drinking may hinder the effectiveness as can hormone deficiencies. Younger patients and athletes have more growth factors resident in platelets so this makes them better overall candidates Research into the effects of platelet-rich plasma therapy has accelerated in recent months, with most doctors cautioning that more rigorous studies are necessary before the therapy can emerge as scientifically proven. Even with a 20-40% failure rate many researchers suspect that the procedure could grow in attractiveness treatment for reasons both medical and financial. PRP is about 2000.00 dollars, stem cell therapy is about 8000.00 per site plus travel, diagnostics, preparation and time whereas surgery is much more expensive with extensive recuperation time. PRP has also been used to augment surgery with promising results.

References

1. Rai B, Oest ME, Dupont KM, Ho KH, Teoh SH, Guldberg RE: Combination of platelet-rich plasma with polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate scaffolds for segmental bone defect repair. J Biomed Mater Res A 2007;81:888-899.

2. Sipe JB, Zhang J, Waits C, Skikne B, Garimella R, Anderson HC: Localization of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs)-2, -4, and -6 within megakaryocytes and platelets. Bone 2004;35:1316-1322.

3. Kark LR, Karp JM, Davies JE: Platelet releasate increases the proliferation and migration of bone marrow-derived cells cultured under osteogenic conditions. Clin Oral Implants Res 2006;17:321-327.

4. Gruber R, Kandler B, Fischer MB, Watzek G: Osteogenic differentiation induced by bone morphogenetic proteins can be suppressed by platelet-released supernatant in vitro. Clin Oral Implants Res 2006;17:188-193.

5. Ranly DM, McMillan J, Krause WF, Lohmann CH, Boyan BD, Schwartz Z: Platelet-rich plasma: A review of its components and use in bone repair, in Akay M (ed): Encyclopedia of Biomedical Engineering, vol 5. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006, pp 2804-2815.

6. Ranly DM, Lohmann CH, Andreacchio D, Boyan BD, Schwartz Z. Platelet-rich plasma inhibits demineralized bone matrix-induced bone formation in nude mice. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2007;89:139-147.

7. Schwartz Z, Somers A, Mellonig JT, et al: Ability of commercial demineralized bone allograft to induce bone formation is donor age-dependent but not gender-dependent (abstract). Trans Orthopaed Res Soc 1997;22:230.

8. Weibrich G, Kleis WK, Hitzler WE, Hafner G. Comparison of the platelet concentrate collection system with the plasma-rich-in-growth-factors kit to produce platelet-rich plasma: A technical report. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2005;20:118-123.

9. Thibault L, Beausejour A, de Grandmont MJ, Lemieux R, Leblanc JF: Characterization of blood components prepared from whole-blood donations after a 24-hour hold with the platelet-rich plasma method. Transfusion 2006;46:1292-1299.

10. Li H, Zou X, Xue Q, Egund N, Lind M, Bunger C: Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with carbon fiber cage loaded with bioceramics and platelet-rich plasma: An experimental study on pigs. Eur Spine J 2004;13:354-358.

11. Weiner BK, Walker M: Efficacy of autologous growth factors in lumbar intertransverse fusions. Spine 2003;28:1968-1970.

12. Muschler GF, Nitto H, Matsukura Y, et al: Spine fusion using cell matrix composites enriched in bone marrow-derived cells. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2003;(407):102-118.

13. Muschler GF, Matsukura Y, Nitto H, et al: Selective retention of bone marrow-derived cells to enhance spinal fusion. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2005;(432):242-251.

14. Brodke D, Pedrozo HA, Kapur TA, et al: Bone grafts prepared with selective cell retention technology heal canine segmental defects as effectively as autograft. J Orthop Res 2006;24:857-866.

15. Murray MM, Spindler KP, Ballard P, Welch TP, Zurakowski D, Nanney LB: Enhanced histologic repair in a central wound in the anterior cruciate ligament with a collagen-platelet-rich plasma scaffold. J Orthop Res 2007;25:1007-1017.

Keep Todays Memories For Tomorrow-Free Screenings

2009-11-08T21:20:00.000-05:00

Sparks of Genius Brain Optimization Center to Hold Free Memory Screenings

National Event Stresses the Importance of Proper Detection and Treatment

Boca Raton, FL— Consumers who want a status check on their memory can take advantage of free, confidential screenings on November 17 as part of National Memory Screening Day, an annual initiative of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) designed to promote proper detection of memory problems and strategies for successful aging.
Memory screenings are a significant first step toward finding out if a person may have a memory problem. Memory problems could be caused by Alzheimer’s disease or other medical conditions.
Now in its seventh year, AFA’s National Memory Screening Day coincides with National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, which takes place during November.
On November 17, Sparks of Genius Brain Optimization Center will hold memory screenings at 7777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, from 10 am – 3 pm. Please call 561-859-4060 for more information or to make an appointment. You are also welcome to stop by. Refreshments will be provided.
At Sparks of Genius we offer cognitive training program which can slow down the progression of memory loss or delay it’s onset.
AFA suggests memory screenings for adults concerned about memory loss or experiencing warning signs of dementia; whose family and friends have noticed changes in them; or who believe they are at risk due to a family history of Alzheimer's disease or a related illness. Screenings also are appropriate for those who do not have a concern right now, but who want to see how their memory is now and for future comparisons.
The event features a face-to-face screening, which takes only about five to ten minutes, and consists of a series of questions and tasks. Screenings will be conducted by Dr. Rohn Kessler, Dr. Amy Price and Ninah Kessler, LCSW. The results do not represent a diagnosis, and AFA advises those individuals with below-normal scores or those who have normal scores but are still concerned to follow up with a qualified healthcare professional.
Eric J. Hall, AFA’s president and CEO, is urging consumers “to be proactive about brain health.”
”We pay so much attention to the health of our bodies, but we should be equally concerned about the health of our brains,” he said. “National Memory Screening Day offers the opportunity to find out how your memory is now and to learn how to protect it in the future.”

For more information about National Memory Screening Day, visit www.nationalmemoryscreening.org or call 866-AFA-8484.

Telomeres, Telomerase and The Graduate Student

2009-11-01T19:39:00.000-05:00

By Amy Price PhD
Carol Greider was still a graduate student when she started work on a project that along with Elizabeth Blackburn and Jack Szostak won this year's Nobel prize for medicine. These US-based researchers discovered how the body protects the chromosomes housing vital genetic code.

Genetics intrigue me because they are beautifully ordered and I have wondered and asked how the telomeres and telemorase are sequenced. When the telemeres are shortened life span is reduced whereas if there is uncontrolled growth cell corruption occurs. These scientists did more than ask they worked together to find answers.

Elizabeth Blackburn, of the University of California, San Francisco, and Jack Szostak, of Harvard Medical School, discovered that a unique DNA sequence in the telomeres protects the chromosomes from degradation.

Joined by Johns Hopkins University's Carol Greider, then a graduate student, Blackburn started to investigate how the teleomeres themselves were made and the pair went on to discover telomerase - the enzyme that enables DNA polymerases to copy the entire length of the chromosome without missing the very end portion.

Some inherited diseases are now known to be caused by telomerase defects, including certain forms of anaemia in which there is insufficient cell divisions in the stem cells of the bone marrow. Apparently elevated telomerase can be a biological marker for malignancy and there is research underway to see if vaccines can be developed to arrest the defects.

The Nobel Assembly at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, which awarded the prize, said: "The discoveries... have added a new dimension to our understanding of the cell, shed light on disease mechanisms, and stimulated the development of potential new therapies."

Disease and Genomic Advances

2009-10-25T23:24:00.000-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

Until recently only a geneticist Francis Crick and one other individual have had their genome read. Apparently Dr Crick did not wish to know if he had a specific dominant gene for dementia but was happy to know all other variants. No one knows the public impact in the face of fullscale genetic information and there are ethical concerns as genetic engineering has not enjoyed a widespread safety or success rate but it appears the tide may be shifting.

A 5 month old male baby from Turkey was critically ill. Scientists and doctors teamed together from multiple nations to enable the reading of his genome quickly and were able to work out that he had a wrong diagnosis. This was reported in 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'. The analysis only took ten days and determined that the boy suffered a genetic mutation that coded for a gut disease that eventually destroys other organs including the kidneys. Additional clinical tests determined that the boy had the rare disease and he is now recovering.

The boy's physician sent a blood sample and Dr Lifton of Yale Medical school along with teams in Beirut and Turkey decoded the DNA to reveal a diagnosis. The scientists did a follow up study with 39 patients who had the same condition the boy was originally thought to have and found that five them had the same genetic mutation. For practical reasons, the initial concentration is on the small percentage of the genome which codes for proteins rather than the non coding DNA.

Rather than the usual method of looking one gene at a time hoping to guess which was the right gene causing the problems, a new method was utilized where they could look at all the genes in the genome simultaneously. They identified a specific allele which had mutations on both copies and which causes the sufferers not to be able to absorb water or electrolytes through the gastrointestinal tract.

This is a turning point in personalized predictive medicine. Professor Mike McCarthy, a geneticist at Oxford University commented, "This is an interesting study - lots of groups are now using the power of new methods for sequencing the human genome to find DNA changes that underlie rare diseases (and increasingly for common diseases too)".

There is tremendous potential for Genomics to pave the way for diagnostic breakthroughs.

Brain Optimization For The Job You Want!

2009-10-01T22:01:00.001-04:00

By Ninah Kessler, Brain Fitness Coach

Can an economic downturn be good? Can it help you to recreate your life at a higher level? It can if you have the right mindset. That’s why it’s so important to teach your brain to think positively. But we also have to take care of the machinery of the brain itself. We need brain fitness.

The experts used to think that we all had a limited number of neurons in our brain. Then in the 1990’s, the decade of the brain, neuroscientists discovered that we could develop new neurons and new neuronal connections at any age. If we want to succeed in this new millennium, it behooves us to strengthen our brains.

Without help, our brains reach their peak in our twenties and then start deteriorating. By our 40’s we can usually notice a difference. It’s really very similar to what happens to our bodies. On the cognitive level, names disappear and our brains slow down. Multitasking becomes more challenging. The technical term for this is age related cognitive decline. It’s normal, but it’s not nice.

The good news is that there are things that we can do to slow down and reverse this process.

I’d like to give you an analogy from the physical world. In the 2008 Summer Olympics Dara Torres beat out women half her age to bring home silver medals. How did she do that? It wasn’t luck or chance. She created a professional training team to supercharge her body. On the everyday level, if you want to create a functional aesthetically pleasing body, you have a better chance if you work with a professional trainer or at least take a class. If you are extremely motivated, you can create your own program, but most of us do not have this level of commitment.

The key to training our brains is to expose ourselves to new and novel stimulation, continually challenging ourselves to take it to a higher level. Now we can all do this on our own to a certain degree. Crossword puzzles and suduko are good, and Nintendo DS, bridge, golf and bananagrams are even better. Traveling is great, especially if you learn a language, and playing a new musical instrument is a great neuronal enhancer. And don’t forget to eat a healthy diet, get physical exercise and decrease stress.

But the experience is enhanced with the expertise of a brain fitness coach. It is brain science to know that there are many different abilities that need training – logic, memory, attention, processing speed and mental flexibility, to name a few. Creating a training program that compensates for your weaknesses and enhances your strengths is an art.

When you’re looking for a job, you need your brain to be at its best. You need mental flexibility to figure out where the jobs are and how to format your old job qualifications into skills sets that will take you where you want to be. You need auditory processing ability and processing speed to answer questions in an interview. The best way to get these skills is with a brain fitness coach. You can even increase your brain fitness even if you’re dyslexic, have adult ADHD or a brain injury. Those with cognitive challenges often benefit the most.

A brain fitness coach can help you with stress too. It’s so easy for our thoughts to take a negative direction especially when we are looking for a job. Do you really have the luxury of wasting long periods of time in an unnecessary funk?

At Sparks of Genius, we’ve been training people to get the most out of their brains since 2001 and we have been cited as a brain fitness leader in The Wall Street Journal. You can work with your own personalized fitness coach or be part of a group. One day brain fitness coaches will be as popular as life coaches or personal trainers. But for you, that day can be now.

Ninah Kessler, LCSW, Brain Fitness Coach. SparksofGenius.com 561-859-4060

TBI and Hypothyroid Connection

2009-09-16T23:00:00.001-04:00

Thyroid problems may make you fat and moody
By Amy Price PhD

People who have sustained head or serious neck injuries can also damage the thyroid as well. Sometimes people who are diagnosed with whiplash later develop thyroid issues. Many of the symptoms of hypothyroid are the same as those as those for people who have dealt with a brain injury so they tend to be ignored. This is tragic because low thyroid levels can eventually lead to cognitive damage and even dementia. The thyroid can be damaged even if you are thin. It is not always true that people gain massive amounts of weight with this kind of condition just as it is not true that people with a past brain injury need to be constantly exhausted or depressed. The video above will tell you about symptoms and what you can do about this disorder

Your thyroid gland weighs less than an ounce and is located in the front of your neck just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid acts as a feedback mechanism for your metabolism so when it is too slow or too fast this can upset a lot of body functions The thyroid gland takes iodine and converts it into thyroid hormones. Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body which can absorb iodine. These cells combine iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to make T3 and T4. T3 and T4 are then released into the blood stream and are transported throughout the body where they control metabolism (conversion of oxygen and calories to energy). Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism.

Get this checked by your doctor. It takes a simple blood test and oral medication. This disorder can show up years after an injury so be aware.

Symptoms of a slow thryroid include

•Fatigue, Depression

•Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight, or loss of appetite

•Coarse, dry hair, thinning hair or outer portion of eybrows thinning out

•Dry, rough pale skin,

•Cold and heat intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)

•Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches, weakness

•Constipation

•Depression, Irritability

•Memory loss, lack of focus, reduced coordination

•Abnormal menstrual cycles, decreased interest in sex

Hip Replacement Alternative

2009-08-31T17:58:00.001-04:00

By Amy Price PhD
My husband underwent adult stem cell therapy in hopes of staving off hip replacement. The technique in the USA was in the early stages and his hip degeneration was acute. In the end he underwent bilateral hip resurfacing in the UK. The procedure was successful and gave him his life back. The UK surgeons were most interested in stem cell therapy and they were working on getting stem cells federally funded particularly for revision surgery which happens when the artificial hip wears out after about fifteen years.

It was exciting to learn about six hip patients who underwent a very creative stem cell procedure in Spire Hospital, Southhampton UK. This procedure could prevent thousands of people from needing to have an artificial hip fitted.

Here is a short breakdown on how they are doing this. Surgeons are using the patient’s own stem cells to rejuvenate the affected bone and donor bone to speed the process. The stem cells are extracted from the patient’s pelvis, purified and cultured in an organic mixture that promotes growth. When the cells had multiplied they were mixed with cleaned, ground-up hip bone from other patients who had hips replaced.Surgeon then excised dead tissue from the ball of the hip and filled the cavity with the mixture of stem cells and donated bone.

Professor Richard Oreffo of Southampton University explains that stem cells send out chemical signals to attract blood vessels. "Bone is a living vibrant tissue. These stem cells generate new tissue and drive new blood vessel formation to bring in nutrients," he said.

Dr Dunlop is hopeful that this therapy will fix the hip for life. Early reports look promising with good results in 5 out of 6 study participants. The television footage on this was stunning. One patient who had his procedure a year ago looked like he had never experienced a hip problem.
Scientists and doctors are working together to expand this study and to explore the viability of using artificial bone. This would eliminate the problem of donor generated deficits being passed on although I suspect those already in need of new body parts are happy to take their chances.

This news is hot on the heels of research by scientists in New Jersey USA who have successfully isolated nerve growth factors in mesynchemal stem cells and grown them out as published in the latest issue of the Journal of Neurochemisty. Cell biology and Genetic engineering advances may soon provide real answers for those with untreatable neurodegenerative conditions and even those who have sustained brain injury.
Scientist and doctor teams are now considering how this therapy could be applied to other degenerative conditions.

Predictive Medicine

2009-08-22T20:24:00.003-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

Predictive medicine can change our tomorrows today. Regenerative medicine can replace artificial body parts with lab grown technologies while genetic breakthroughs can save families from generations of genetic disability. It is possible that new knowledge of human genetics and cell biology is likely to transform medical practice. Three likely scenarios could evolve:

•Genetics will lead to the classification of diseases on the basis of the underlying genetics or biochemistry, rather than by symptoms alone leading to preventive rather than crisis orientated treatments.
•Genetic information will identify people who are likely to respond to drugs, or to be harmed by them (pharmacogenetics). This is already possible with certain psychotropic drugs on an experimental level but has not trickled down into mainstream medicine.
•Genetic variation will be a new ‘susceptibility factor’, permitting monitoring and early treatment or, perhaps prevention, of an increasing proportion of common, multifactorial diseases, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Even stress management can be amplified with knowledge of individual genotypes

It is the genetic variation susceptibility factor which is considered to be the change maker for the advent of predictive medicine. This could lead to regenerative medicine on a cellular (somatic) level or even in vitro gene manipulation (germ line therapy) which could prevent intergenerational transfer of genetic disabilities.
Predictive medicine, when it comes, will be based on a much wider use of genetic testing, at present the gap between what the healthcare system is geared up and trained to deliver and what is scientifically viable is huge. For example there are treatments approved for traumatic brain injury that are effective but most be given within a couple of hours of trauma. This can’t happen now because emergency room personnel are not adequately trained or equipped to diagnose MTBI... As with any new technology applied to health in the context of a complex delivery system, implementation is not going to be simple.

First, of course, there needs to be demand from medical personnel and the general public. Typically wide spread change will only take place after the following criteria are established:

•Demonstration of clinical effectiveness and patient safety – through statistically valid clinical trials
•Cost-effective for general use – through economic analysis of trials and other data;
•Standardization of technology, and quality control – generally through outside regulation of suppliers and laboratories;
•Allocation of resources;
•Recruitment and education and training (or retraining) for health workers – including specialists, MDs, nurses, counselors and technicians. For instance a surgeon who makes a good living performing spinal fusions and cervical repairs will need significant convincing, retraining and motivation to become an early adopter of treatment that makes the previous way of doing business obsolete.

Predictive, regenerative medicine may be the wave of the future. History teaches us that the way to greatness is to find a way to serve many. My dream is to witness a generation of scientists and medical professionals join in unity with a foundation of integrity to build a tomorrow for the patients and public who have make their careers possible.

References:

Materials adapted from Open University Course Materials (accessed july,2009)

I Need Stem Cells!

2009-08-18T23:54:00.005-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

Adult stem cell viability is on many minds. I have had queries from UN ambassadors to children of only nine asking me about stem cells. The curiousity is international but the questions are the same. People are not sure who to trust and they need stem cells now. Many can not travel to other countries because they are too ill and others lack funding for private stem cell clinics. Some of these feel the FDA or the NHS is unreasonable in thier demands for testing while others feel patient testimonials should be outlawed. My own training is in mental health/psychology so patient to patient information is all I can offer.

I personally like patient testimonials especially when they are accompanied by forums where people discuss how and if the treatment worked and what the hurdles were in getting treatment. I have often learned more from groups of patients with an experience than from professionals with just a theory. Forums are not meant to be professional research, they are peer to peer information only. Google stem cell or regenerative medicine forums and you will get many choices.

I agree clinical trials and time are important to assess treatments but realistically it will be 15 or 20 years before long term results are on the table for clinical trials. There are some companies that have obtained FDA approval for trials, others are listed at clinicaltrials.gov It may be useful to look at this Doctor's description of FDA off label drug use for drugs to understand how the rules were set up and to get an inkling of how this could all translate to cell biology.

My concerns are that engineering any living object is not a simple process and what looks simple from the outside in a needle in/needle out sort of process is very complex from a laboratory perspective and all the answers may not be in. Some clinics are reputable, give good patient care and patients are reporting good long-term results. Some patients are fortunate enough to get into a university sponsored trial that is tied to a major research hospital. Other clinics are still using methods that were proven ineffective many years ago. Patients are vulnerable and need protection sometimes even from themselves. I can no longer count the number of friends I have lost to questionable therapies after spending family fortunes in a quest for a cure. There are no easy answers...

Having said this and knowing from personal experience the agony of chronic unrelenting pain and the sadness of life lost because of disability I would not likely wait until the votes were in but would join in the age old clamor of patients trapped by pain "Just fix me!" The International Society for Stem Cell Research has released guidelines which are helpful to use when considering any new therapy. The PDF is available here

Instant stem cells...Freeze Dried Anyone?

2009-08-18T23:09:00.006-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

I recently shared some posts on umbilical cord banking information. Dr Fran Verter of the Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation shared with us how this works. It seems storage and transport can introduce complications so I wondered what would happen if we eliminated those high tech freezers and freeze dried the stem cells instead. Could they be reconstituted and retain the integrity needed to reproduce?

I located a journal article on Plos One along with others who are using these techniques. Apparently the first generation reproduced DNA accurately which is no surprise as this is a forensics basics but the other portions of the cell needed for healthy growth didn't survive. They are now getting success rates in the 90% range for cells they have reconstituted and then reproduced. The University of Rochester, Image above, is showing some interesting research on using freeze dried cells for bone repair and tissue engineering

This solves a lot of storage problems, should reduce costs and cells could last for years. The ones used in the studies were three years old and over. It is anyone's guess how long this could take to become a viable option for human adult stemcell storage but what a great concept...Stemcells To Go

The Spinal Injury Blues!

2009-08-11T23:54:00.004-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

With spinal injuries and head injuries it is often the secondary damage to the neurons that causes big problems especially when that swelling and inflammation is in the spinal cord or the brain. The worst damage shows up several hours to many days later. Now, scientists in Rochester, New York, have discovered a simple way to stop a lot of this secondary damage in its tracks...at least in mice by using that old familiar blue food dye that gives M&Ms, blue bubble gum and blue raspberry popsicles their color. Patients with spinal injuries could escape with vastly reduced loss of function if this works in people but they'll turn bright blue in the process.

Much secondary damage is caused by adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. This chemical can go into overkill with trauma and cause neurons to fire until they burn out and die leaving inflammation and sludge to trip up the neurons behind them causing an unhealthy destructive cycle. With spinal trauma, the area around the injury is flooded with ATP, which causes otherwise healthy neurons to fire out of control until they die of exhaustion. It also increases the swelling around the wound. Swelling around an injury site is a positive healing factor in many parts of the body, but because the spinal cord is encased in a narrow column blood supply gets cut off and cells die. But a study published in July 28's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) seems to show that it's possible to block the actions of ATP and greatly reduce the severity and permanence of spinal injuries - using the same type of food dye that gives blue M&Ms their color, a food dye called Brilliant Blue G, or BBG.

BBG can be administered intravenously with no need to inject directly into the injury site. It has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which then gives it access to the spinal cord. BBG binds to the same neuroreceptor (P2X7) as the ATP binds to but it has a stronger affinity for the receptor than ATP has and gets there first so it effectively blocks the action of the ATP at the injury site.
Only one problem....patients turn blue ! It is temporary and is sure better than having a serious injury. You wear the injury but the blue die wears off.....All I can say is color me blue for spinal injury.

See the full method of the experiments here (PDF). BBG has been a food dye approved by the FDA since the 1920s but would this be considered off label use like the cholesterol lowering of Cheerios cereal. While all the rats were severely injured, the BBG-injected rats showed a greatly improved ability to support their bodyweight on their hind legs, control their bladders, and even walk in some cases. The blue skin coloring eventually faded as well, and no side effects were noted.

Human testing would be required before BBG can be moved forward into clinical use. It would be a terrific tool for ambulance drivers and paramedics. They could begin treatment right at the site of the incident, It is cheap and easy, even hospitals can use the blue stuff as soon as they get the patient hooked up and ready to go.

The kids must have known best when they told me blue ice cream was good for me ...As for me...I will stock up on blue Gatorade and drink it down just in case it could make a difference!

Scar Care Hints and Tips

2009-08-07T22:44:00.004-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

Scar care can make a difference in how you heal. In Europe and Canada scar aftercare is taught following an injury or surgery. It is important that the scar is allowed to heal shut before any attempt is made to cover it with silicone or massage it.

Your doctor is the best one to advise you about the best time to start. If the scar becomes hot, oozes, or bleeds a lot get medical attention. If the area turns black, is extremely painful or very dark, smells,or has dark lines leading way from the wound get it checked by a doctor. Remember some emergency rooms have as high as a 30%return visit ratio so being seen in emergency does not necessarily mean all is well.

If dissolving stitches were used to repair the wound follow your doctors advice for care. The surgeon who repaired my hand and wrist suggested using antibiotic ointment with Zinc oxide until the wound healed and using hand sanitizer for the areas that contained pins. I was urged not to get it wet because the pins go into the bone and infection can become systemic if bacteria is allowed to enter.

Once the wound has healed gentle massage using cream, vitamin E, olive oil, evening primrose oil will keep the area lubricated and help soften it. I was advised to use small circular motions in both directions to break up adhesions and to promote circulation. Gentle but firm consistent pressure is needed. Getting over enthusiastic can re-injure tissue and cause inflammation.

Silicone pads cut to the wound size are very effective in taking away redness,and to reduce raised scars. It does take a few weeks to show results so be patient. The silicone pads can be bought as washable reusable patches that last about a month or as disposable patches that you use and throw away.Best results come from leaving the patches on about 12 hours at a time. They should not be used on open wounds because of the risk of infection. First aid tape can be used to keep the scar sheet in place. Avoid getting it wet. If you are allergic to silicone there are polymer patches that work the same way.

Silicone gel is good to use on areas like knuckles, elbows or the face. It is very important to protect the scarred area from sun exposure for at least two years to avoid damage to skin.

If you are unfortunate enough to experience a road rash scar keep it covered and moist until the skin underneath heals. Burn dressings available at a pharmacy work quite well. Keep it clean with saline and antibiotic ointment rather than using hydrogen peroxide or other harsh disinfectants that will burn and damage the skin underneath. If it is a large area using a cut up tube sock over the dressing can protect it. Remember to keep the dressing and the area clean to promote healing.

Diet makes a difference this is a good time to eat fruits and vegetables plus sufficient protein. Fish oil, vitamin C and antioxidants will help to promote healing.

This Post is for educational patient to patient purposes only and is not meant to treat, diagnose or take the place of medical care or advice.

Diabetes Type 1 and 2 Adult Stemcell Trials Underway

2009-07-30T21:57:00.006-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

The Journal of the American Medical Association, reported on a study of young adults with newly diagnosed diabetes. These young people were treated with their own stem cells. 20 out of 23 reduced or ended dependence on insulin as their bodies took over production of insulin. Twelve patients stayed off insulin for extended periods, while eight relapsed and returned to low-dose shots. Three didn’t respond. The average time individuals avoided insulin shots was 31 months

The concept driving the research is as follows. In type I diabetes, the patient’s immune system turns on the beta cells that produce insulin, the hormone that breaks down the glucose we eat in food. Eventually, the immune cells will virtually eliminate all of the body's beta cells, and glucose levels will start to climb. Researchers considered if they wiped out the original immune system and replaced it with stem cells it could reset the person’s immune system with disease free cells.
Patients are fist treated with chemotherapy to reduce overactive immune system. Stem cells extracted from the patient’s own blood are grown out and later returned through intravenous injection. This procedure is carried out within six weeks of initial diagnosis for best chance of recovery.

The procedure is certainly not risk free as complications of the stem-cell treatment included pneumonia in two patients, low sperm counts in nine of the 17 men in the study, and endocrine dysfunction in three patients.

Levels of C Peptide were measured as this substance shows up when cells are making insulin. 20 out of 23 participants showed improved insulin production.

Julio Voltarelli, and colleagues at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, with colleagues in the U.S. worked on this project. Voltarelli's team has managed to show that the stem cells can give long-lasting beta cells a chance to grow — at least ones that can produce insulin for about three years. Other researchers are pursuing intriguing new stem cell options, including stem cells that can be grown from a patient's own skin, which would eliminate the need for extracting immune stem cells from bone marrow.

No one considers this a cure yet but it is a step in the right direction “A cure is needed, but it will probably not come from a single breakthrough,” wrote Christopher D. Saudek of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, in an accompanying editorial. "I wouldn't use the word cure," says Dr. Richard Burt, one of the co-authors from Northwestern University. "But it appears we changed the natural history of the disease. It's the first therapy for patients that leaves them treatment-free — no insulin, no immune suppression for almost five years."
"Every door that we open leads to another door," says Burt. "All research is built by sitting on the shoulders of other studies. This trial is something that will contribute to and move the field of stem cell therapy forward." It is, as Burt says, a start. For a Julio Voltarelli and colleague webcast click here

A study using donor adult bone marrow stem cells has garnered FDA approval with a company called Osiris Approximately 60 patients will be enrolled in this trial. Male and female patients are eligible and must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. Patients must have been diagnosed with T1DM based on the ADA criteria and must be screened for clinical trial eligibility between 2 and 16 weeks from initial T1DM diagnosis.

If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with T1DM and you would like more information, please contact us at Diabetes@Osiris.com.

There is also a study underway as of March for type 2 Diabetes. The university of Miami in conjunction with other sites are starting clinical trials combining adult stem cell therapy with hyperbaric oxygen as this combination was quite promising in an initial pilot study. As of January 2009 Researchers were planning to recruit patients between the ages of 45 and 65 who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after age 40 and have had the disease for more than five but less than 15 years. The media contact for this research is below. You can read more at http://www.diabetesresearch.org/Newsroom/NewsReleases/DRI/oxygenstemcells.htm
Media Contact:
Jeanne Krull
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
305-243-4853 / 305-812-6668
jkrull@med.miami.edu

The image is borrowed from a blog with a really concise nicely done diabetes information site http://kirstyne.wordpress.com/2007/09/03/another-reason-to-keep-your-weight-in-check-diabetes/
More information can be found at http://www.diabetes.org/

Inflammation, Alzheimers, NSAIDS and Balance

2009-07-26T09:26:00.005-04:00

Image from Harvard.edu

By Amy Price PhD

There is some information on the internet declaring Alzheimers is more common in people who take NSAIDS. I have watched people do things like take vicodin instead of an antiinflammatory or discontinue baby aspirin therapy suggested by a cardiologist to deal with sticky platelets. Some will not take an antiinflammatory because bone fractures don't heal as well if one is simultaneously taking this class of medication.

Getting drug addicted,setting up the CNS for chronic pain sensitivity by not treating inflammation,or letting excess platelet aggregation continue doesn't help cognition either and in may ultimately set you up for the very condition you are trying to avoid.

There is research reporting specific use of antiinflammatory agents may reduce Alzheimers. It could be chronic pain and inflammation that aggravate loss of cognition rather than the NSAIDS taken to alleviate the symptoms.

There are many cardiac patients who took part in a Canadian study 25 years ago. They were encouraged to take a baby aspirin, vitamin C, and calcium buffered with vitamins K and D rather than be placed on beta blockers and more heavy duty cardiac meds. For many of these individuals this regimen solved the problem.

Drug addiction doesn't always come from illegal street drugs. There are multitudes who became addicted just trying to stop the long term pain. These drugs work by altering nerve and brain messengers and overtime this leads to imbalance in the way the brain works.
As for the bones? Studies show that in eostrogen deficient or aged persons aspirin use may protect bone density. Research also shows fracture healing can be slowed by antiinflammatory use but this effect is temporary and if you stop taking them the fracture will heal at a normal rate.

In conclusion it is all about balance...

Save This Brain

2009-07-13T22:50:00.002-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

There have been multiple articles featuring brain and serious neck injury stating how people have overcome cognitive obstacles despite adversity. I celebrate these articles as I know from personal experience the tolls that this road takes and the cost to family members and supporters. One mother was explaining how one minute her brain injured son could do complex algebra and the next he could not tell a red diamond from a black spade in a deck of cards. I too remember those days.

The cognitive inconsistencies are joined by emotional areas. Sometimes the brain will forget what we want it to remember and play over and over like a broken tape those areas we only want to put behind us. The other day I found some practical help in the way of videos and research on how to navigate the initial trauma. These outline what to expect in the emergency room, how to protect yourself in the event of a crash and ways you can help yourself get the best medical care. I thought I would share them here. If you go to the web site you can download the material as MP3 or as PDF files. This is a brilliant solution as watching a video makes it tough to pick up the references which are the key to deeper study...Enjoy!

In the next few posts there will be strategies for overcoming brain fog and getting the sharp mental edge back

Immediate Post Surgery Wound Care Hints

2009-07-12T10:55:00.011-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

After surgery wound care could be better addressed. The advice is usually to ice the area for twenty minutes at a time and don't get it wet for 48 hours to 21 days depending on the procedure because of infection risks. Who are they kidding...After bleeding, being washed down with iodine and being touched,probed,cut and stitched by hands I have no personal relationship with all that I want is a bath or a shower!

The risk of infection is serious as it can travel to your bones or become systemic and cause more damage than the original problem. It can travel through open places in the wound or through the stitching which acts as a wick. Until the area has healed over it is best not to swim or use a hot tub because of bacterial risks. It is important to follow your doctor's advice for changing dressings etc. If the area becomes hot to the touch, swells rapidly,starts pulsing or you start to run a fever get your doctor's advice.

To shower after spine and cervical surgery I purchased a silicon swim cap as this is completely waterproof and less irritating than latex. I cut generous pieces which I placed over the wound and taped it in place with duct tape. For arms and legs I used umbrella bags, big ones for leg and smaller for arm areas. I placed them over top of the dressing and bandage and taped this in place. You will still need to exercise care and try not to get the area wet...a bath could be a bad idea! If it gets a little damp in spite of all precautions gently dry the area, put on topical antibiotic and replace the dressing.

If this was an emergency room visit remember emergency rooms will only stabilize you, they have no obligation to provide treatment beyond this. An emergency room visit needs follow up with a doctor. At emergency if you have tendons exposed insist on being seen by a specialist on call. I had three fingers all with tendon avulsions stitched up with no repairs. It took a year of occupational and physical therapy to get the function back. A word to the wise...if you have broken something and they have splinted, cast or wrapped it and it starts to smell bad or the exposed areas turn dark and lumpy go back to the hospital. They don't mean literally black, if it darkens substantially, swells and get worse rather than better have this checked out. With a temporary cast the swelling can cut off the circulation and the tissue starts to die. I almost lost a hand this way as I was told if it turns black come back, since it cost me 10,000 dollars for the emergency room appearance and 273 dollars for a bandage available at the dollar store.I really wasn't up for a repeat visit!

The ice is easy in principle but not so easy for the drugged and injured to apply. Some people travel for surgery and it is a considerable time before they are at home to ice. Do yourself a favor and buy some instant ice at a pharmacy before your procedure or get the surgery to supply you with a couple of extra packs for the trip home. The ice takes down swelling and eases pain while helping your body heal. At home consider the wound site. An awkward area like the elbow,knees or shoulders may be best with a bag of frozen peas which will bend to the shape. A posterior neck surgery may benefit from an emptied and refilled with water large soda bottle (don't freeze the soda it explodes). Ask a family member or friend to do ice duty day and night. If you are like me and don't want to ask anyone for anything consider that you can buy them a gift, take them to dinner or return the favor. It is an investment in your healing. Be nice to those who care enough to be available, they do not benefit from you getting an attitude because you feel bad that you need the help and being thankful can go along ways towards preserving relationships

There will be a follow up post on scar care soon. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. That is your doctor's assignment.

Two Hearts, The FDA and Stem cells

2009-07-04T15:02:00.004-04:00

By Amy Price PhD
My email informs me people are hungry for real help on finding medical providers who can offer stem cells. They want to know are stem cells a viable alternative, Can you find me quality information instead of hype, and what is your view on the FDA in this regard?

This field is moving very rapidly and what was not possible only a year ago is happeneing today.I have sen great and not so great results for orthopedic, heart, blood and some wound healing applications but it is important to realize that this therapy is still in experimental stages and there are no guarantees.

A few pioneers have moved through the opposition and fear of new therapies to pave the way for university hospitals who are now offering up stem cells in the way of research. One good example is new heart tissue grown out in Los Angeles "We seek to actually reverse the injury that has been caused by the heart attack, by re-growing new heart muscle to at least partially replace the scar that's formed," says Dr. Eduardo Marban of Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute

Watch CBS Videos Online
A tale of two hearts summarizes this nicely. Both hearts were damaged. The first heart was in a young man whose parents are dedicated medical professionals. They waited eagerly for FDA clearance so they could take their son for a legal stem cell repair. The wait was too long and emergency surgery ensued. The young man lived but sustained brain damage and paralysis. This heart could have been repaired with adult stem cells. A company that developed the stem cell technology was less than one hour from them. The cultural mindset opinion that procedures performed outside of North America because of FDA restrictions were too risky cost them deeply.

On the other spectrum was a banker friend well known in the diplomatic community? His heart was damaged and he was urged to change his lifestyle and lose weight. He picked up over the counter diet pills later banned by the FDA and marched to the treadmill like a soldier in boot camp to the acclaim of family and treating professionals. Noticing his lips and finger tips had an ominous bluish tinge, I asked to see the pills. They contained amphetamines in the form of herbs. We urged him to see his cardiologist and to stop the pills but he chose to soldier on until a month later he collapsed on the treadmill and was taken to hospital where his chest was sawed open and major heart surgery took place as it was the only way to save his life.
The FDA found a niche because when humans are physically vulnerable they will pay or do almost anything for survival. They keep us safe from predators in the marketplace. They help us with food labels and medical warnings. Dieters have been known to ingest tapeworms, destroy their stomachs, livers, kidneys, hearts and intestines to lose a few pounds. Doctors who see patients on whom they conduct treatment for a fee will say I have to be honest with you the chances aren’t great but if it is your choice we can proceed. They are applauded for their ‘honesty’ whether the treatment succeeds or not. We say go ahead because even false hope is better than none at all. Likely none of us would hire a roofer who said I will work on your roof but because of pre-existing structural damage it likely won’t work out! The FDA has a tough job and emotional stakes run high.

On the other hand the FDA is a bureaucracy with allegiances and political agendas, not because they are necessarily evil but because this is a given for group behavior. They are shaped by society and moved by mass public opinion. They also make mistakes and if some of the lifesaving drugs we have today would have needed FDA approval masses would be dying while wars were fought that have little to do with how well something works.

Do I think most people or their doctors have enough medical training to make an informed choice about stem cells? No…but I am not sure the FDA is in a position to make this choice for the best interests of the people and I would welcome some of the transparency they have promised.

Would I consider not having FDA approval for a therapy before using it on myself or family? I would not consider a banned or illegal substance but I would have non FDA sanctioned treatment or off label use of pharmaceuticals. It has in the past improved my quality and likely my length of life. I would not consider a choice like this lightly. The risks need to be weighed against the benefits and I would have to know and trust the doctor involved whether in this country or somewhere else on the globe.

Your Own Stem Cells Cultured On Contact Lens Can Restore Sight

2009-06-13T11:09:00.003-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

“The procedure is totally simple and cheap,” reports UNSW’s Dr Nick Di Girolamo (lead author of research study), “Unlike other techniques, it requires no foreign human or animal products, only the patient’s own serum, and is completely non-invasive. This preliminary trial was conducted on three people, two with extensive corneal damage resulting from multiple surgeries to remove ocular melanomas, and one with the genetic eye condition aniridia. The patient with aniridia had damage in both eyes so stem cells were taken from the conjunctiva area. Because stem cells have not yet differentiated into specific cells they could grow into the cells that were needed. Each patient’s sight improved significantly after only a couple of months

Here is how it works. Less than a millimeter of tissue is taken from the ocular surface of the patients own eye. It takes a couple of hours to prepare the eye and put the contact lens with the baby cells in place and the patient goes home. The stem cells are cultured on a post surgical contact lens which is then placed onto the damaged cornea for 10 days, during which time the cells are able to re-colonise and heal the damaged eye surface. Apparently it took some experimentation to find a lens that could be successfully used as a scaffold for the cells.

The scientists on this research project see this therapy as a simple way to restore sight for eyes damaged by scarring, chemotherapy and a range of other disorders. They suggest that all is needed is a simple lab and qualified medical personnel putting it within reach of even third world countries

Di Girolamo, Nick; Bosch, Martina; Zamora, Katherine; Coroneo, Minas T.; Wakefield, Denis; Watson, Stephanie L. A Contact Lens-Based Technique for Expansion and Transplantation of Autologous Epithelial Progenitors for Ocular Surface Reconstruction. Transplantation, 2009; 87 (10): 1571 DOI: 10.1097/TP.0b013e3181a4bbf2

Justice-for-All? Amy Price PhD

2009-05-25T15:19:00.008-04:00

Illusory statements and human error can set context that overthrows justice. In my life I have seen the guilty walk and the innocent executed based on what passes for science. Probability and statistics are used as weapons promoting authority over individuals unlearned in the field with little regard for the human carnage and heartbreak that follows.
Want to see the power of optical illusions? They are not as powerful as those that can be created by illusory context. Illusions are the gap between perception and processing, they operate in all senses and we are all susceptible
I recently enjoyed a forensics experiment where we were given a cursory fingerprinting class and then were given prints to compare for accuracy. There is a commonly held 16 points of accuracy that until recently was used to determine probability...plenty of room for error, even though Sir Francis Galton says mathematically the chances of identical fingerprints are 60 billion +.
I was interested in the case of a Scottish police officer who because of mistaken identity, lost her job, reputation and was driven to near bankruptcy because her accusers needed to be right more that they cared about justice. The officer later settled for 1.75 million pounds without the agency admitting guilt. I shudder to think how little she would have recovered for personal use after all the 3 ds (denial,delay and) were exercised. In fact those that brought faulty evidence were later exonerated by the department. Of course a 273 page document explaining how to do it better was produced but I doubt the officer gets royalties...
Dr Itiel Dror shared in an interview with the BBC how he engaged forensic specialists in a study where he linked context with perception during fingerprint analysis. There was a large error rate. The video and study is worth viewing. He shows how the stage can be set for seasoned professionals to make errors
In another case a Lawyer was held in Oregon as a terror suspect, his life was derailed and finally with the words "regrettably there was an error" he was released. I doubt that fixed much for him or bought him back time that was stolen in the prime of his life. He will likely be remembered as the 'Terror Suspect" rather than for other contributions he makes.
In the experiment most of us correctly identified these prints as not matching his. What went wrong? Try it for yourself

What is the take home message? Before you render judgement or accusation really listen with a mind to hear. Your 'facts' may be clouded by context and false perception. At any rate we can choose a blame free course where together we fix the things that are broken and produce unity instead of destruction

Parkinson's Disease Stem Cell Sequel

2009-05-17T12:41:00.005-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

I found an interesting addition to the Parkinson's post's in the form of an article from Nature. Many thanks from helpful individuals at the Open University in the UK for passing this on.

In the article in Nature Suchowersky O. Transplantation therapy for Parkinson disease: the good, the bad and the enigmatic. Nature clinical practice. Neurology. 2008 Sep;4(9):465
Parkinson disease (PD) affects an estimated 1 million cases in North America . Motor symptoms in PD initially
respond well to dopaminergic replacement medications, but because PD progresses the drugs gradually lose effectiveness after about 10 years resulting in gait dysfunction and complications such as dyskinesias
PD is not just a disorder of the dopaminergic system but involves other neurotransmitter systems which inform autonomic dysfunction, mood disorders, fatigue, pain, sleep disorders and cognitive function. Dopaminergic cell replacement, even if successful is thought capable of treating only motor symptoms.
Over 20 years ago, transplantation of fetal ventral mesencephalic cells into the putamen was
performed on a small sample of participants with reportedly good results. Regrettably further studies with larger participant pools failed to confirm the initial reports (Freed CR et al. [2001] N Engl
J Med 344: 710–719). PET and pathological analyses revealed adequate survival of grafted
neurons, and there was untreatable runaway dyskenesia. However clinical benefit was seen in
a small subset of patients, 16 years on autopsy results are available Mendez et al. showed survival of
grafts without PD pathology for 14 years in five patients (Mendez I et al. [2008] Nat Med14: 507–509). Another patient showed good clinical improvement l 5 years plus, before gradual worsening of motor function and development of gait and balance problems (Kordower JH et al. [2008] Nat Med 14: 504–506). Autopsy results from this patient 14 years after transplantation showed great graft survival but grafted neurons had pathological
changes typical of PD, including Lewy bodies and activated microglia (cell scavengers) were seen in large numbers
Liet al. reported similar graft pathology in three patients up to 16 years after transplantation (Li JY et al. [2008] Nat Med 14: 501–503). These results indicate that for stem cell therapy to be effectual long term in D research needs to be initiated to investigate the spread to youn grafted neurons and determine strategies to resolve this issue. I would hope that advancement in the area of Adult Stem Cell research will make this possible in the near future.

I am finding the stem cell story is not so new. I did hear about a very young women stricken with metasticized spinal cancer who was treated at Sloan Kettering with grown out adult stem cells taken from her own bone marrow over fifteen years ago. She is now a successful professional with no trace of malignancy in her body. I also remember twenty five years ago in Canada I knew three terminal patients who underwent adjustments to the bone marrow transplant protocol that involved growing out their own bone marrow cells. One person enjoyed a year free from blood cancer and then relapsed but the other two lived. It is strange that when I go to Pub Med , Google Scholar or even the University library there is no trace of this research performed for "humanitarian reasons"

There is also a lot of interest in the London Project where stem cell trials are close to human trials for those with macular degeneration. Pfizer is quoted as expected to announce backing of stem cell therapy, apparently with joint labs in Cambridge Mass and Cambridge UK but on the Pfizer site I didn't see this in place.

Individuals are reporting encouraging success for adult stem cell treatment where they are thier own donors particularly for orthopedic and cardiac applications. These treatments are largely privately funded. It would be great to see this in the mainstream covered by insurance and available for people regardless of income levels

A Pill For Memory? Piracetam Revisited

2009-05-17T11:10:00.014-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

One significant problem in traumatic brain injury is that secondary cell death occurs when the injured cells block the path for the other cells to get oxygen. One product that is used extensively in other countries but not the USA is Piracetam. It is interesting that research in pub med is showing promise for efficacy in human trials. There have been rat, rabbit, and fruit fly trials available for years but there is a lot that can differ between these and seeing actual human benefit.

I used this product to good effect many years ago without side effects and am encouraged to see studies supporting its effectiveness. The alternatives available to many people with TBI as far as psychotropic meds to restore some measure of function are concerned can sometimes have unexpected reactions or be of no effect.

Piracetam has been shown to alter the physical properties of the plasma membrane by increasing its fluidity and by protecting the cell against hypoxia. It increases red cell deformability and normalizes aggregation of hyperactive platelets according to Winnicka K, Tomasiak M, Bielawska A (2005) They are saying treatment with piracetam improves learning, memory, brain metabolism, and capacity by the interaction of this molecule with the membrane phospholipids to restore membrane fluidity . The draft below is from smart publications

The positive therapeutic effects of piracetam on cognitive (memory, attention, executive functions) and motor (coordination) functions as well as the speed of cognitive and motor performance were demonstrated in a study done by Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2008 for adolescents who sustained TBI's.

Its efficacy is documented in cognitive disorders and dementia, vertigo, cortical myoclonus, dyslexia, and sickle cell anemia according to Winblad B (2005).

The results of a meta-analysis Waegemans T, Wilsher CR, Danniau A, Ferris SH, Kurz A, Winblad B. (2002) demonstrate a difference between those individuals treated with piracetam and those given placebo, both as significant odds ratio and as a favourable number needed to treat. While there may be problems in meta-analyses and the interpretation of the statistical results, the results of this analysis provide compelling evidence for the global efficacy of piracetam in a diverse group of older subjects with cognitive impairment.

This post does not in any way constitute any medical advice or recommendation. These posts are educational only to share with others some of the direction research is taking. Any medical information gained online should be supported and endorsed by your own doctor.

References:

[The consequences of closed traumatic brain injury and piracetam efficacy in their treatment in adolescents]
Zavadenko NN, Guzilova LS.
Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2008;108(3):43-8. Russian.
PMID: 18427539 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Related Articles

Piracetam--an old drug with novel properties?
Winnicka K, Tomasiak M, Bielawska A.
Acta Pol Pharm. 2005 Sep-Oct;62(5):405-9. Review.
PMID: 16459490 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Related Articles

Piracetam: a review of pharmacological properties and clinical uses.
Winblad B.
CNS Drug Rev. 2005 Summer;11(2):169-82. Review.
PMID: 16007238 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Related Articles

Clinical efficacy of piracetam in cognitive impairment: a meta-analysis.
Waegemans T, Wilsher CR, Danniau A, Ferris SH, Kurz A, Winblad B.
Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2002;13(4):217-24.
PMID: 12006732 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Related Articles

More Than a Wheel Chair

2009-05-06T09:42:00.006-04:00

I recently enjoyed a great flight with a group called Paralysed Veterans of America. People of all shapes, sizes and conditions along with dedicated physicians and carers formed a mighty team. These men were on their way to Aspen to ski and they were fun to be with. Even with missing legs,arms, spine injury, blindness, deafness or brain injury their zest for life and care for others was an example of power and unity at work.

The conversation was full of hope for new treatments, medications, regenerative medicine and ways to improve life for their fellow man. They do research,create equipment to make life easier, and help others navigate paperwork so families can put their lives back together

As we talked I learned they do more than ski and race cars. They have lobbied congress on behalf of all of us who are disabled so we are able to use commercial transportation, be treated with courtesy and receive the assistance to get from one location to another. Getting the luggage and extra equipment a disability brings from the customs hall to the next flight, or negotiating airplane steps can appreciate the complications well timed assistance can bring.If you encounter problems travelling with a disability this site can show you what to do They mentor the newcomers on the way out of the old life before the trauma into a destiny where life is not over or lessened it is just different. I heard no useless platitudes like "Get over it, others are worse off" but rather things like "Buddy have you tried this?" or "It will get better, I will go with you".

I was empowered by the raw courage in the face of obstacles others had deemed impossible and their group willingness to give life another chance. Most of these men face daily pain, memories they can not lose and disability yet their indomitable spirits did not quit and they helped each other.

I saw courage and dignity more clearly than in a military parade or in troops ready for action...these men showed us how to live after the party is over and they did it well.

To find out more about them or to donate to make these kind of trips possible see this link I like to remember that their gift of service and the price they paid allows me to walk in freedom. Life is all about giving back to the foundation. When each of us does our part the foundation will be there for us and those who come after us

Parkinson's Adult stem cell Breakthrough and more

2009-04-19T02:29:00.010-04:00

More about Parkinson’s and stem cells….Keeping you posted as I learn too… The photo showing where damge occurs is from web MD (2002)

Would you be surprised that the technology to implant neural tissue in humans to alleviate Parkinson’s Disease was available as early as 2001 and in case studies has produced more successful remission than any drug on the market and with fewer side effects?

Michel F. Levesque, M.D., F.R.C.S.(C), F.A.C.S.Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Associate Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at the UCLA School of Medicine, and member of the UCLA Brain Research Institute applied for Phase 11 FDA approval in several years ago. This was granted but sponsor complications and new rules by the FDA have put this phase on hold until Levesque and company can jump through the new hoops and negotiate more sponsors. This is tragic for Parkinson’s patients who could die or degenerate significantly before help is available.

It seems that the FDA would apply the same standard to our own cells that they do to foreign drugs. Pharmaceuticals take a ten year, 750,000 million dollar investment on average to bring to market and to start to make a profit. I do wonder about the stability of stem cell companies that have not counted the cost or prepared a strategy and stored up ammunition for battle. What did they think was going to happen? Nevertheless it makes one long for the days when scientists bit the bullet and practiced on themselves and family members. The results produced their own script. It seems today the trend is to scorn the establishment while begging to get into ‘the inner circle’. This cannot in all fairness be blamed on the FDA but rather on the inconsistencies of human nature and the need to belong. It is tragic that ethics and human decency for ‘the little people’ are tossed aside in the parade of blind ambition that ignores the simple concept that if you take away from the foundation (those that have supported your growth) the structure will destroy you…but I digress, on with the story….

It does seem strange that it is a woman’s ‘right’ to terminate a child but it is not an individual’s right to choose their own stem cells. The right to terminate brings death and is endorsed but the right to life through the harvesting of our own stem cells is denied by an outside source.

It is not like the FDA is even particularly good at culling out the problem children in the industry or adding to medical knowledge. A simple Google search on major drugs and problems in approved FDA pharmaceuticals is an eye opener in politics and commerce rather than the mainstream of patient safety for which they purport to represent.

Levesque and his colleagues did a successful case study with a man suffering from Parkinson’s in 2001 and yet in 2009 Parkinson’s patients are still dying needlessly. The FDA is still a bureaucracy which people are distracted into attacking while Scientists followed by the masses line up on the adult stem cell or embryonic bandwagon instead of putting partisan economics and politics aside to join together as scientists to promote healing and answers for those without hope.Here is a little about the study below:
“MATURE NEURONS DERIVED FROM THE PATIENT’S OWN BRAIN CAN BE TRANSPLANTED BACK SAFELY AND IMPROVE SYMPTOMSWe recently presented the clinical outcome of our autologous method at the International Congress of Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorders in Rome. In accordance with our institutional review board, we transplanted a patient with advanced Parkinson’s disease with differentiated neurons derived from an initial needle biopsy. At three years post-operatively, the overall Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) improved by 81% while “on” medication and 83% while “off” medication. We demonstrated here the long-term clinical remission of Parkinson’s disease symptoms in a single patient.Because of their biocompatibility, safety and potential integration into the host striatum, autologous adult neural stem cells and stem cell-derived neurons represent an effective alternative to current cell therapy aimed at the restoration of dopamine neuronal loss in Parkinson’s disease. Under the guidance and supervision of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) office of Cellular, Tissues and Gene Therapies and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Treatment (CBER) we are about to begin Phase II trials using this promising cell therapy.
CONCLUSION
Degenerative and traumatic disorders of the brain represent an enormous burden to the patient, their family and health care providers. The current debate between the embryonic stem cell proponents and those who are opposed to their use distracts from other avenues with promising outcome, such as adult stem cell therapy. It also overlooks other important issues of resource allocation between basic and clinical research, health insurance, and patient care. Scientific knowledge has rapidly progressed in the last five years (written in 2004) and stem cell research and therapy remains a very promising field for treatment of neurological disorders. In a recent biotechnology industry meeting, a presentation had the approximate title: “Businesses are from Mars, Academics are from Venus”. What was forgotten there is that patients are from planet Earth and this is what should guide our efforts “ (Levesque, 2004)For the complete story read here and for an update on where things are today check out this link

Love S et al., Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor induces neuronal sprouting in human brain, Nature
Medicine 11, 703-704, July 2005
Slevin JT et al., Improvement of bilateral motor functions in patients with Parkinson disease through the unilateral intraputaminal infusion of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, Journal of
Neurosurgery 102, 216-222, February 2005
Gill SS et al.; “Direct brain infusion of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in Parkinson disease”;
Nature Medicine 9, 589-595; May 2003 (published online 31 March 2003)

Dyslexia FMRI implicates Cerebellum

2009-04-18T16:18:00.010-04:00

Dyslexic individuals seem to struggle with pattern learning. Reading is like pattern learning on steroids. Recent research compares a group of adult dyslexics with a control group of normal readers in the learning of a simple sequencing task. Participants pressed one of four buttons that corresponded to a visual stimuli that appeared in a predictable pattern during an fMRI scan. Previous studies had found that dyslexics are worse at learning this simple sequence and the researchers were interested in the differences in brain activity between the two groups.

The study found that there was a notable difference in brain activity between dyslexics and non-dyslexics. Significantly the cerebellum was more active in the dyslexics than it was in the non-dyslexics.

Research suggests that the cerebellum plays a key role in learning by comparing what the brain expects to happen with what actually happens. As the subjects learn the sequence, the difference between expected and actual results diminishes and the work load on the cerebellum reduces. In the non-dyslexic brains, the cerebellum is more efficient at this process so sequence learning and the corresponding drop off in cerebellum activity occurs sooner.

It is of interest that expert learners such as chess champions and experts at logic games can play with a lot less cognitive loading, thus freeing up other processing resources for memory, attention and learning. Even for experts this takes hours of practise. Perhaps a focus on effective categorization and efficient filtering rather than endless attention and working memory games could produce skills that would transfer to new areas of learning.

Gain Ground by Building Brain Potential

2009-04-07T05:58:00.007-04:00

By Amy Price PhD

Of the 1.4 million who sustain a TBI each year in the United States: 50,000
die; 235,000 are hospitalized; and 1.1 million are treated and released from an
emergency department. The number of people with TBI who are not seen in an
emergency department or who receive no care is unknown.

Major causes of TBI are: Falls (28%); Motor vehicle-traffic crashes
(20%); Struck by/against events (19%); and Assaults (11%). TBI costs the USA
approximately 60 billion dollars per year in care and lost productivity (Statistics supplied by BIAA)

Helmets are often proposed as a cure all. The problem is according to the statistical breakdown above over 50% of related injuries would occur from non helmet activities. Better immediate care and follow up would lessen the severity of impairment for a large proportion of survivors

TBI can cause a wide range of functional changes affecting thinking, language, learning, emotions, behavior, and/or sensation. It can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.

Survivors report the areas they most need help are: Improving memory and problem solving; Managing stress and emotional upsets; Controlling one's temper; and improving social and employment skills.
A mind is a terrible thing to lose...if you have sustained a head injury all is
not lost help is available .The links above in blue contain help and information.

We are often asked how do I find a good treating professional? Ask your local brain injury association. Word of mouth is good. Check with healthcare facilities, neighbors and friends. Find a professional who will work with you or your family member to get results rather than just tell you to learn to adjust to the problem.

Many individuals have run out of health care options. They ask what can be done at home. The Wall Street Journal has an excellent article about how people can be pro-active in retraining their brains. There is continuing research going on in this area. If you have a strategy or treatment that you have found helpful please let us know.

Here is a place where you can try brain games for free. This site is monitored by scientists from Stanford university who are collecting brain function data for a mega study.

Jig saw puzzles can help with spatial function. You can try these free from a simple six piece
puzzle to a 247 piece challenger. Crossword puzzles can help with language and reasoning

The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. - Albert Einstein

Stem Cells For Parkinson's

2008-12-27T16:16:00.009-05:00

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

2008-12-08T13:38:00.004-05:00

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.

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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

2008-11-24T21:19:00.004-05:00

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?

2008-10-06T09:37:00.007-04:00

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

2008-09-11T15:21:00.005-04:00

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

2008-08-20T21:48:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-11T22:36:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-11T22:23:00.005-04:00

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

2008-08-11T22:19:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-11T22:07:00.004-04:00

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

2008-08-11T22:00:00.004-04:00

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

2008-08-11T21:50:00.006-04:00

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

2008-08-11T21:10:00.003-04:00

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