I Remember Better When I Paint

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

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

 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 ,

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?

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

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

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."