Episodes
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What if what we thought to be the primary cause ofAlzheimer'swas not true? Dr. NateBergman delves into a research article published by Dr. Weaver to assess if the primary cause of Alzheimer's can be limited to only the amyloid area.
For years it has been believed that the main causes of Alzheimer’s disease are the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around the brain cells. The main toxic protein involved in this is called the amyloid beta which accumulates and builds up like plaque around the brain cells. However, in recent times, the hypothesis that originated in 2006 and was believed by many was brought into question leading to research being done on the alternative hypotheses and waiting on funding to expand the area of study accessible. The role of amyloid beta has been kept in focus when planning and prescribing Alzheimer's disease treatment to patients suffering from it. However, it is essential to understand that one person's Alzheimer's is not the same as another’s. Thus, one treatment cannot be the answer for everyone. Such observation requires that this matter is dissected further to evaluate what is the core cause of the disease, how it varies, and what Alzheimer’s treatment can prove to be effective against the disease.
For more information about your assessment options for cognitive issues or Alzheimer's, contact Kemper Cognitive Wellness in Cleveland, Ohio.
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://kemperwellness.com/
Phone: (216) 337-1400.
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In This Episode You Will Learn: Where are you in your career right now?
Neuroscience research is fascinating. Dr. Ted is most interested in attention, perception, and memory. These three things work together harmoniously because you can’t remember something you ignore, and it’s difficult to notice something if you don’t perceive it in the beginning.
Dr. Ted studied how the brain encodes beats. He uses music perception to enable people to pay attention, listen, and remember information. He worked with Adam Gaza and researched aging's attention, memory, and perception. Their research indicated that some memory issues stem from attentional issues, inhibiting irrelevant information. How does this process change as we grow?
It’s not a problem with memory capacity; it’s more on the intentional filtering issue. When you add distraction (in a lab setting), adults will show deficient memory performance compared to young adults when you test them on the content they were told to remember. But if you test them on the content they were supposed to ignore, older adults remember the better.
The research now is more on assessing the different potential therapeutics to help people focus their attention and improve their memory performance. There are two ways: musical training to facilitate attention to memory performance and noninvasive neurostimulation using a magnetic field of electrical currents to retrain neuro oscillation that underlies attention to memory processes and rescues the brain’s cognitive abilities to mediate age-related problems.
What aspects of perception do you focus on?Dr. Theodore focuses on perceiving or experiencing things such as the sound of one’s voice or picture. Dr ted is focused chiefly on vision and audition. That’s humans’ ability to see and ability to hear. The brain has a region dedicated to visual processing and another region for auditory processing. These regions are highly connected.
The brain can ramp out or tune out noises. Like a radio equalizer, the brain controls the volume to either ramp up a particular sound to hear more or tune out from other background noise. You can focus on one person’s voice even in a noisy crowd.
Why is brain oscillation significant?Brain oscillation means the frequencies at which the brain and neurons are firing. They become active at different frequencies. When you sleep, you get these slow bursts of activities. We call these delta waves.
The neurons can burst in a range of thousand hertz. The brain oscillates at lower frequencies, but the other neurons pick up the slack. If you record a large group of neurons, you will get high frequencies.
Dr. Ted uses EEG or fMRI to look at large swabs of the cortex. It includes hundreds of thousands of neurons in one group. When you get that number of neurons synchronously firing together, you get temporal resolution and can detect oscillations. While you can’t get the resolution you need for an individual neuron, you can get a lot of exciting information from 70 Herts and below.
What would the program look like?The research is mainly on assessing how attention, memory, and perception. We are looking at the interaction of these things across the lifespan, how it degrades potentially as people get older, and how we might be able to remediate that. In studying the brain, they’ve identified specific mechanisms for specific interventions.
The frontal theta activity seems to be involved in the complex cognitive function of one’s multitasking ability. For example, one study looked at how people multitask. Research shows that people peak at multitasking in their twenties, which declines as they age. The process was a little car simulation where respondents had to drive a car and respond to street signs.
The goal was to assess how w brain can multitask by driving a car and responding to streetlights simultaneously. Younger adults were better at it, but a month into playing the simulation paradigm, older people were able to improve their multitasking abilities.
It shows that frontal data is related to one’s ability to focus your attention and remember objects.
Another study was done to shorten the brain’s improvement to multitask. They had young adults at their peak, stimulating their brains at six Herts. It’s what they call theta stimulation. Results showed that after an hour, this group improved this multitasking ability as opposed to those who could feel the stimulation but didn’t get the total dose.
This method was then replicated in older adults. The session ran over an hour initially. But for the older adults, the protocol was done in three days.
The VariablesThere are a lot of individual variabilities here since not everyone responds the same to the treatment. Even then, we can now estimate the conductivity and resistivity of the skin, the scalp, the cerebral spinal fluid, the gray matter, and the white matter in the brain.
But, to do that, we needed to have an actual picture of each brain. Dr. Ted and his team brought the respondents for an MRI to take a high-resolution picture of their heads, including the scalp, the brain, and the CSF. The results allowed them to assign resistance to all the tissue types. Eventually, they were able to get into each person’s brain.
It’s helpful to know that the efficacy of stimulation can be affected by one’s anatomy. As a person ages, the brain degenerates and shrinks a bit. The more it does, the less current is likely to go into the brain. When dealing with an aging population or people with neurodegenerative disorders, that's important. When dealing with an aging population or people with neurodegenerative disorders, that's important.
People with more atrophy will likely need a higher dose of stimulation for the current to reach the brain. This result helps us understand the individual differences of people. Other brains work faster, so they need fewer pulses per second for the current to reach the brain. It means people won’t function as efficiently when stimulated at the inaccurate Hertz level. This means that brains need to oscillate at a frequency that matches.
What does this mean for people with neurogenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's?Intensity is an important question here. They tried different intensities, showing that the higher the intensity, the more effective it is. However, they still saw some improvements in memory, even with lower intensities. Lowered beta-load is one of the biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s. With the stimulation, we saw an increase in microglia. These neurons help clear the amyloid plaques.
TACS is a more practical solution than other types of neurostimulation requiring complicated electronics. If this demonstrates the efficacy, it can be used with other treatments for Alzheimer's. The study is still in the research phase, but still, this is a practical solution.
What’s great about this neurostimulation is that if you stimulate a node of network regions that are functionally connected, you can manipulate brain activities. Even if the stimulation doesn’t reach the hippocampus, if they’re able to hit a region of the cortex that communicates with the hippocampus, then it’s believed that it can impact the hippocampus and fire out activities in the rain.
TACS StimulationIt’s hard to hit a specific quadrant in the brain and stimulate it. It takes some time before the stimulation can start seeing real effects. Right now, it’s still in its early stages. So, it’s just about seeing what works, understanding the why, and looking for answers.
Everything comes at a cost. There are activities that people do that affect how the brain functions and be stimulated. The same is accurate with the hertz and other frequencies. The stimulation and work may impact the brain at a specific frequency. People could be doing other things to improve multiple functions, but at the moment, science is doing this, and hopefully, it bears good results.
About the Guest:
Dr. Theodore Zanto
Director of Neurology at Neuroscape and Assoc Prof at UCSF.
He specializes in brain imaging and non-invasive studies on the brain, especially on attention, perception, and memory studies.
For more information about your assessment options for cognitive issues or Alzheimer's, contact Kemper Cognitive Wellness in Cleveland, Ohio.
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://kemperwellness.com/
Phone: (216) 337-1400.
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Episodes manquant?
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6 Effective Ways of Heart Disease Prevention
Anyone who wishes to optimize health by protecting the heart and brain must listen to this!
Dr. Marwan Sabbagh and Joe Piscatella combine the six most effective principles for heart disease prevention. They unfold valuable heart and brain facts in their new book Strong Heart, Sharp Mind, which are equally beneficial for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease. In a way, they open hope for effective heart disease treatments, dealing with Alzheimer's, and other brain ailments with a multidisciplinary approach.
What is good for your heart is good for your brain and ultimately contributes to your overall healthy lifestyle. This episode guides listeners to optimal well-being using a 6-Step Brain-Body Balance Program. In this discussion, he adds that the mechanism that underpins heart disease symptoms considerably overlaps with the symptoms of Alzheimer's. Therefore, aggressively managing the cures for one has two or more benefits.
How Is Heart Disease The # 1 Cause Of Death Worldwide?
Researchers agreed that cardiovascular arrest, high blood pressure, and cholesterol are risk factors for many other diseases like Alzheimer's. High blood pressure is one of the mechanisms overlapping Alzheimer's and heart disease symptoms, making it the most deadly disease of all time.
Dr. Sabbagh believes aggressively managing cholesterol and high blood pressure might considerably help heart disease prevention through natural anti-inflammatory processes. He adds that saturated fats are bad for the brain, which triggers amyloid (an unhealthy protein in the brain), hindering ongoing heart disease treatment.Is High Blood Pressure A Contributor to Heart Disease?
National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicines analyzed the whole shebang, including diet, cognitive stimulation, exercise, health conditions, etc. They came up with their thorough and expert analysis that blood pressure management, mental stimulation, and exercise were the only three things that showed sufficient evidence to recommend them in clinical practices.
Several other health organizations are researching, concluding that high blood pressure management is the ultimate risk reduction strategy for the heart and brain.What Are Neurobics?
Neurobics are brain exercises that aid in healthy mental activities and prevent severe diseases such as Alzheimer's and heart disease. Dr. Sabbagh suggests Neurobics as a way of simultaneously doing physical activity and cognitive stimulation. In the book, the author outlines the perfect Neurobics that can improve heart function and blood vessel health.
Transforming The American Diet into A Healthful Way to Eat
According to Berkeley Wellness Letter, Nutrition Actions, and Tufts Newsletter, modest dietary changes can help fight heart disease symptoms. Similarly, one fish meal a week, two berries a week, and two vegetables a day can reduce Alzheimer's disease risk.
Managing Alzheimer's with A Good Sleep Regimen
Sleep apnea is a huge risk for heart attacks as well as a considerable risk for cognitive decline. Quality sleep is the procedure by which your brain removes the amyloids. That's why Dr. Sabbagh refers to sleep as an easy fix to our mild cognitive illness.
Exercise during the daytime, regular meal times, waking up, and going to bed are far more beneficial than sleeping pills. Also, there is a link between inadequate sleep quality, plaque building, and high blood pressure.
How Stress Management Is Vital To Defeat Heart Diseases
A person's mental health can positively or negatively impact their physical health, and the risk of heart failure may increase with high blood pressure. So, they refer to a phenomenon called 'hippie genetics,' which has secondary benefits in dealing with stress and reducing risks for heart disease. As said, you are more likely to be stress-free if you are physically active and socially connected, leading a healthy lifestyle.
Keep your heart pumping and passions alive by knowing what is good for you. If you have people that support you and share the same bond, you are more likely to be mentally healthy.
The people who practice cognitive stimulation are the people who exercise and eat right and ultimately lead a healthy lifestyle. However, it is more important to practice mental stimulation even if you have heart disease symptoms or Alzheimer's. The book gives you a great plan to follow that.
About the Guest:
Marwan Noel Sabbagh, M.D, formerly the Director of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health at Cleveland Clinic, is internationally known for his expertise in the brain and vascular disorders like Alzheimer's and related dementias.
For more information about your assessment options for cognitive issues or Alzheimer's, contact Kemper Cognitive Wellness in Cleveland, Ohio.
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://kemperwellness.com/
Phone: (216) 337-1400.
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The conversation had on this episode is a little complex but is an excellent review in how science is done and "how the sausage is made" in terms of medical evidence in peer review for Alzheimer's treatments.
We discuss the results of the AMBAR trial - The Alzheimer Management by Albumin Replacement - where people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's showed significant improvements after having their blood plasma exchanged in addition to receiving either IV Albumin as well as IVIg (in some of the experimental groups).
The study doesn't offer an explanation of the mechanisms around why Albumin and IVIg might have been effective, but a robust conversation about the research and the durability of the positive results ensues.
Our guest is an international leader in Alzheimer's, Mercé Boada Rovira MD, PhD founder and director of the ACE Alzheimer's Center in Barcelona, Spain. Dr Boada has led and published results of over 100 Alzheimer's prevention and treatment trials over the many decades of her career.
This episode was co-produced and co-hosted by, Brett Graham, MD. Brett is a 2nd year neurology resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
What is plasma exchange?
Also called plasmapheresis or PLEX. A procedure in which a machine is used to separate the liquid part of blood from the blood cells and then filtered similar to dialysis except that in plasma exchange big things like protein and antibodies are removed whereas in dialysis smaller molecules and electrolytes are the target. Because proteins are removed from blood in the process they are usually replaced with something like albumin afterwards. This treatment is mostly commonly used in treating certain autoimmune diseases like myasthenia gravis, Guillan Barre Syndrome, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) but it is also used in diseases where too much of a particular substance builds up in the blood such as in multiple myeloma or familial hypercholesterolemia.
What is albumin?
Albumin is the main protein component of blood that serves to balance concentration gradients between the blood and tissues as well as shuttle many other molecules through the bloodstream. This is removed during plasma exchange and so must be at least partially replaced after a session.
What is IVIG?
IVIG stands for intravenous immunoglobulin and is basically pooled antibodies from blood donors, which when administered to a patient have a variety of effects, many of which are still not fully understood, but you can basically think about these antibodies non-specifically binding to and neutralizing autoantibodies and other bad stuff in the blood. Again, this is most commonly used to treat autoimmune diseases.
For consultation or evaluation by Dr Nate Bergman call, 216-337-1400 or visit our website www.Kemperwellness.com
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In July 2021, the journal Frontiers in Neurology reported on "groundbreaking research" out of Tulane pointing to the relationship between Lyme disease and Alzheimer’s dementia.
But since the 1980s our guest on this episode, Dr. Alan MacDonald, was stirring up the scientific debate by publishing and presenting data from his pathology laboratory that the bacteria - Borrelia Burgdorferi often synonymous with what's called Lyme disease, because of its association with its US origins in the town of Lyme, Connecticut.
Dr. MacDonald graduated with an MD from Columbia University. He has completed 35 years of research in Borrelia and Lyme disease and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on the pathology of Lyme and its role in Alzheimer's, dementia, and other diseases.
This show is dedicated to my mother, Susan Bergman MD, the #1 fan and supporter of the show - who was the first and coolest pathologist I’ve ever known.
For more information on how you can prevent or push back against Alzheimer's and other dementias visit Kemperwellness.com or call (216) 337-1400. We have support programs, virtual classes, and many other options.
Consider supporting the Evolving Past Alzheimer's podcast at patreon.com/evolvingpast so we can continue to bring you the information most helpful to you.
3:00 - What is a pathologist?
9:35 - Why Alan believes some of Alzheimer's cases have microbial origins
15:07 - Why has it taken so long to recognize chronic Lyme disease?
24:34 - What percentage of Alzheimer's patients have microbes like Lyme in their body?
28:42 - How to get a diagnosis with Lyme
42:12 - The possibilities for the treatment of Lyme disease
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This is a more theoretical episode that gives us some idea about what might be happening with the rhythms of an Alzheimer's or POST-COVID brain. Our guest, Dr Thom Cleland, is a professor of theoretical and systems neuroscience at Cornell University. His research is particularly focused on the mammalian olfactory system and on the emergent dynamical networks that govern communication and information transfer among brain areas. We talk about brain circuits, neuronetworks and how this relates to our sense of smell and Alzheimer's in general.
For more information on how you can prevent or push back against Alzheimer's and other dementias visit Kemperwellness.com or call (216) 337-1400. We have support programs, virtual classes, and many other options.
Consider supporting the Evolving Past Alzheimer's podcast at patreon.com/evolvingpast so we can continue to bring you the information most helpful to you.
1:42 - What we can learn from looking at brain waves
8:58 - The olfactory system and how it works
13:57 - What happens to people’s brain waves when they are experiencing dementia processes
24:43 - How the olfactory system connects to the memory and can help with dementia intervention
36:18 - Is losing the sense of smell a sign of neurodegeneration?
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In this episode, we go deep into the potential benefits of specialized meditation for our immune systems, brain-related proteins, Alzheimer's, cellular energy, and much more. Our guest, Dr Hemal Patel - is a full professor and serves as the Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of California, San Diego.
If you are skeptical about meditation I urge you to check out this episode so that you
Click here is a link to Dr. Patel's talk at a recent Joe Dispenza conference.
For more information on how you can prevent or push back against Alzheimer's and other dementias visit Kemperwellness.com or call (216) 337-1400. We have support programs, virtual classes, and many other options.
Consider supporting the Evolving Past Alzheimer's podcast at patreon.com/evolvingpast so we can continue to bring you the information most helpful to you.
12:47 - how cell membranes can cause or prevent Alzheimer's
15:52 - using meditation and other methods to strengthen cell membranes
28:31 - how you affect people around you by practicing meditation
37:23 - can meditation prevent you from contracting COVID-19?
44:16 - getting started with meditation
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Earlier this year, podcast episode #65 - we spoke to Lisa and her daughters Stacy and Natalie. They told us about how they were Living Well with Alzheimer's and improving using lifestyle and personalized approach. Her cognitive decline had stabilized and seen small, but significant improvements in brain function. This episode we review some of the elements that have led to their success:
1) Hiring a personal assistant for Lisa as opposed to a caregiver to force her to do things
2) Inspecting & moving out of a water damaged "moldy" home and why they did this
3) How they continue to iterate and push back against her Alzheimer's process, some tools and tricks that are working for them every day.
For more information on how you can prevent or push back against Alzheimer's and other dementias visit Kemperwellness.com or call (216) 337-1400. We have support programs, virtual classes, and many other options.
Consider supporting the Evolving Past Alzheimer's podcast at patreon.com/evolvingpast so we can continue to bring you the information most helpful to you.
4:44 - What has happened since we last spoke to Natalie and Stacey
7:27 - How Natalie and Stacey revolutionized typical dementia care through choosing a personal assistant over a caregiver
12:45 - What they discovered from mold tests in their mother’s home
29:15 - Navigating the process of moving their mother to a safer home
34:50 - What kept Lisa motivated to keep doing the work
41:48 - How is Lisa doing right now overall?
47:10 - The ins and outs of the system that keeps the family on track with the treatment plan
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“We’re actually able to change the brain, even in the face of things like Alzheimer’s disease.” This was the statement made by our guest for this show, Dr. Ben Hampstead. Dr. Hampstead is a professor at the Univ of Michigan and leads a lab that is doing several studies using transcranial direct current stimulation for mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's, and other forms of cognitive impairment. We talk about his work and compare it to some of our own results with our patients. Exciting and thought-provoking!
To learn more about the exciting work being done by Dr Hampstead
https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/benjamin-hampstead-phd-abppcn
To learn more about what we do in our clinical practice at Kemper Cognitive Wellness visit kemperwellness.com We are located in Cleveland, Ohio. Or call us at (216) 337-1400.
1:55 - How we are able to change the brain even in the face of Alzheimer's disease
9:00 - Technologies that can be used to treat cognitive decline
31:24 - Measuring the results of the non-pharmacological treatment methods
37:51 - Making medicine more personalized
47:22 - How these treatment plans can be used to prevent cognitive decline before it starts
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Halloween is here and the other holidays are just around the corner, so we need to discuss sugar. I share about a conversation I had with Dr. Dale Bredesen about the importance of eating right when trying to prevent cognitive impairment. It has been a long time where food and wellness was not included in the treatment plan for patients with Alzheimer’s and Dementia, but it’s such a crucial part of preventing and slowing the progression of cognitive decline.
Nikki Gould, a registered dietician at Kemper Cognitive Wellness is also joining us today to talk about what sugar can do to your brain and your overall health and how we can navigate the holidays with this information in mind.
6:39 - Is there a healthy amount of sugar?
11:05 - How sugar is hidden in the American diet
15:38 - Taking the first steps towards sustainable change
20:30 - Keeping sugar intake at a reasonable level during the holidays
25:04 - Supporting family members during the holidays if they are struggling with their health
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Untreated and unresolved trauma is now considered to be a risk factor and contributor to Alzheimer's dementia.
Trauma can be defined as any event that alters how we process, react to, and recall memories, by overwhelming the individual’s central nervous system. Additionally, trauma is defined as any event in which a person feels helpless and unsafe. It is not only an occurrence that happened in the past; instead, trauma is an event that leaves an imprint upon the body and the brain which persists to the present day.
Our guest for this episode, Dr. Ilene Naomi Rusk completed her PhD in Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology in the UK , and Fellowships in Neuropsychology. She has dedicated her career to studying novel treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s Disease and sees trauma as a root cause of many illnesses. She is the author of several peer reviewed articles. Dr Rusk co-founded the Brain and Behavior Clinic over 25 years ago and currently directs the Healthy Brain Program in Colorado.
4:20 - Defining trauma through reflecting on a patient story
7:26 - How trauma influences more than just the brain
16:06 - A trauma informed approach to treating neuro degeneration
21:50 - Identifying cognitive decline symptoms in patients who struggle with other mental illnesses or trauma
33:24 - Classic signs of unresolved trauma in the older generations
42:44 - How to deal with unresolved trauma in someone before it becomes cognitive decline
56:12 - How long does it take to see improvement when working with trauma-informed techniques?
Strategies to improve the brain and nervous system:
traditional talk therapy (eg with a psychologist) Simple deep breathing dance and movement waling Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Yoga other coregulatory exercisesDisasterShock.com is a resource for people struggling with the stressors and traumas. It includes:
opportunities for social connection/coregulation (including on-line) craft projects walkingFor more many more tools and strategies visit Ilenenaomirusk.com
To learn more about the BrainFit program at Kemper Cognitive Wellness visit kemperwellness.com
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Dr. Nate Bergman quickly summarizes the story up the FDA's recent "accelerated approval" of Biogen's - Aducanumab (brand named, Aduhelm). He ends off with surprise about why he is excited about the approval...and it's probably not what you think! A quick, but useful listen.
In this episode we talk about…
The terms of the approval of the drug What Aducanumab was able to accomplish in Alzheimer's patients The circumstances that led to Aducanumab being approved Some of the problems that arise with Aducanumab Why I am excited about Aducanumab -
In this episode, we talk with Lisa, a woman in her early 70s living with Alzheimer's. Lisa is a patient of Dr. Bergman at Kemper Cognitive Wellness. Lisa is joined in this conversation by her daughters, Stacy and Natalie. We discuss the successes and challenges they have had as a family living with Alzheimer's disease. Lisa shares her thoughts about being diagnosed as well as the hope and results they have had since starting on a journey of living well with Alzheimer's.
This episode is an important listen for anyone with doubts, reservations, or skepticism around a precision, functional medicine approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Note: names/identities were changed to preserve anonymity.
1:50 - what it was like to get diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and how the family responded
12:13 - living with Alzheimer’s during the events of 2020
14:33 - beginning treatment at Kempler Cognitive Wellness
19:05 - how patients can navigate the healthcare system to find the best treatment plan for their diagnosis
24:58 - implementing your treatment plan and navigating the necessary lifestyle changes
36:34 - results that this family has seen from this treatment plan
45:33 - maintaining motivation in a world where we don’t see a lot of people who are living their lives with Alzheimer’s
53:48 - processing the permanent lifestyle changes that are involved with Alzheimer’s treatment plans
55:44 - what “success” looks like with Alzheimer’s treatment
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In this episode, we hear the argument in favor of the new Alzheimer's drug, Aducanumab (Aduhelm). Dr. Marwan Sabbagh is a clinical and research leader at the Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. He was a doctor that saw patients in one of the trials that led to the FDA's Accelerated (provisional) Approval.
Note: Dr. Sabbagh notes his disclosure as an advisor to Biogen, the maker of Aducanumab.
We discuss what Dr. Sabbagh noted in his own patients involved in the recent Phase 3 clinical trial of Aducanumab.
Controversy over the FDA's decision and why Dr. Sabbagh's 25+ years of diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's makes him optimistic about this drug.
Dr. Sabbagh talks through who he thinks might be a good candidate for Aducanumab, the drug's known practical side effects, and how people might get access to the medication in the near future.
Ultimately, Dr. Sabbagh sees people in the near future living with Alzheimer's like a chronic disease much like HIV or diabetes, or even cancer.
This episode presents a slightly different perspective than many of our listeners are used to. We hope you find it useful.
2:33 - what is this new drug and how does it actually treat Alzheimer's
5:28 - Why Dr. Sabbagh is optimistic about this new drug
11:43 - Reasons for some of the skepticism around the study
14:11 - Dr. Sabbagh’s observations of the people who have taken the drug
21:10 - What are the risks of taking the drug?
27:08 - Responding to the criticism of the drug
32:30 - Other promising drugs that may be available in the future for Alzheimer's patients
37:18 - How do people get access to this new drug?
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This week we will do almost a Part 2 from the last episode with Drs Dale Bredesen and Kat Toups. In that episode, we featured recently released results data on MedArchive from a clinical trial in which 84% of 25 patients with early Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment improved with a Precision Medicine approach.
With that in mind, we want to get another perspective from the other 2 physicians who led this ground-breaking clinical trial. This week we are joined by Doctors Ann Hathaway and Deborah Gordon.
We dive deeper into the details of testing, treatment, and people involved in this trial.
The study results (not yet available in a peer-reviewed journal) were released here
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256982v1.full.pdf
Precision Medicine Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease: Successful Proof-of-Concept Trial
5:07 - how the care for the patients in the study is different from the normal protocol
8:40 - getting the study group to work with the technology required for the study
19:07 - some of the reasons patients were not able to be successful
25:23 - how they helped their patients create sustainable lifestyle improvement
34:48 - viral infections that contribute to Alzheimer's and how they approached treating that
44:52 - why is hormone replacement so important for cognitive recovery?
51:15 - bacterial infections that can lead to cognitive decline
1:11:15 - criticisms they will apply to future studies
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Our guests today are Drs Kat Toups & Dale Bredesen.
Link to the study results just released online:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256982v1.full.pdf
Important to note, this has not yet been peer-reviewed yet.
25 participants in this group, underwent a 9-month trial.
21 people improved, 1 person no real changes and 3 people got worse to some degree.
2:32 - what is MedArchive and have these study results been peer-reviewed yet?
5:05 - the results of the study and what they learned about cognitive impairment
10:23 - how they determined the cutoff for the participants in the study
17:15 - lessons Dale brought into the study from his previous trial
23:53 - how they proved that environmental factors were leading to cognitive decline
31:03 - key attributes to people who are successful in improving during the study
35:07 - main factors that lead to exposure to toxicity
44:34 - the decision to study genetic factors of Alzheimer's and cognitive decline
50:26 - responding to criticisms of the trial
58:58 - plans for a follow-up trial
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Deborah Kan is a former executive producer with the Wall Street Journal. In 2017 she founded the website BeingPatient.com, a comprehensive website dedicated to Alzheimer's news, stories, and support.
This interview covers how Deborah sees the current world of Alzheimer's research and trends in brain health and wellness.
5:42 - Being Patient and how it serves people who are taking care of loved ones with Alzheimer’s
8:35 - Early signs of Alzheimer’s that are often overlooked
17:17 - How the dementia space is evolving with the rise in early diagnosis
20:25 - Why there are more women diagnosed with Alzheimer’s than men
26:09 - The importance of prevention over curing
31:04 - Functional medicine in Alzheimer’s treatment for the people who can’t wait for the science
37:10 - Education and prevention for Alzheimer’s that everyone needs
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This is a really unique and important episode. We are witnessing a sea change in dementia. More people are being diagnosed, earlier and younger. And people are figuring out how to actually fight back against the disease and taking ownership of their condition. My guest this week on the Evolving Past Alzheimer's podcast, Chrissy Thelker, was diagnosed with Vascular dementia at age 57 and nearly 5 years later is still living on her own, driving, and living a life of incredible purpose... her story inspires, but she also gives useful information for anyone out there working through the early stages of the disease. This is one you're crazy not to listen to....an amazing episode!
2:00 - What it was like to receive a dementia diagnosis 6:22 - Why a dementia specialist refused to take Chrissy on as a patient 9:44 - How Chrissy followed the Bredesen protocol to slow her dementia symptoms and almost completely prevent herself from getting worse 14:56 - What it’s like to live with dementia 19:22 - How to balance fighting against the dementia with tending to your new needs living with the disease 21:22 - “You have to monitor yourself, and if we all learned from a younger age that it’s ok to rest, we would all be doing better in our health.” 23:37 - What does it mean to live with purpose after a dementia diagnosis? 29:45 - What it feels like to hear “you don’t look like you have dementia” 37:31 - How Chrissy thinks about the future 43:54 - Some major conversations happening in the DAI community and people living with dementia - the connection between sleep and brain health 48:33 - “Dementia is like a spider web. We need treatments to help manage the different aspects and symptoms rather than a cure.” 52:40 - Why organizations working towards treatments and cures need more people suffering from the disease at the table 1:00:00 - “Have those conversations early in receiving your diagnosis about your driving and other aspects of your independence.” 1:06:16 - How has COVID impacted her function as someone living with dementiaResources Mentioned
Chrissy's Book - For This I'm Grateful
Chrissy's Blog
Dementia Alliance International
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Some listeners have requested more personal stories of people improving and how they are doing it. In this episode, we want to introduce you to an amazing couple, Betsy and George Muller. George suffered a major brain injury as a result of his heart stopping about 4 years ago. Fortunately, he has successfully recovered from the brain injury and this is the story of how the Mullers did it!
If you're interested in more details of the Muller's journey, check out Betsy's book - The Comeback - An Energy Makeover Love Story (available on Amazon and Audible).
9:24 - What George and Betsy have learned about brain health and brain resilience from their experience
14:41 - How meditation can help anyone who is suffering from a cognitive issue or their caregiver
17:33 - Tapping into the power of routine to help someone recover cognitive function
18:44 - The connection between heart health and brain health
21:43 - How to deal with some of the challenges of navigating a loved one who needs a caregiver
26:59 - How to keep your brain as healthy as possible
Several Resources were mentioned that are relevant to folks with Alzheimer's and other dementias. Among them:
AlzU.org - comprehensive website for evidence-based, Alzheimer's education led by previous guest Richard Isaacson MD.
Lumosity Brain Training
Donna Eden Energy Medicine - Betsy recommends do this with your partner of someone with dementia you are caregiving for. It takes only about 6-7 minutes.
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We get many questions from listeners and people seeking Alzheimer’s prevention and early intervention about the risks and benefits of hormone therapies, such as estrogen and progesterone.
Our guest this episode, Felice Gersh MD and co-authors recently published an article entitled:
Postmenopausal hormone therapy for cardiovascular health: the evolving data
In this episode we talk about:
Hormone Therapy in this episode is referring to Estrogen (ie estradiol) and Progesterone. 4:29 We talk about the ideal forms to take 10:28 We discuss doses and the best way to monitor for safety and effectiveness according to the recent journal article. 15:55 - Hormone Therapy’s potential benefits to heart and brain of Estrogen. 21:15 - How estrogen might help the natural process of inflammation that occurs in women’s bodies after menopause. 40:28 - Why it might make more sense to start estrogen therapy earlier rather than later. 48:50 - Considerations for starting estrogen after age 60 or more than 10 years after menopause and how long it may take to see results. - Montre plus
