Dr. Amen's Blog

I would like to take a moment to tell you about a fascinating documentary film I participated in called After the Last Round. The film exposes the not-so-sweet side of the sport known as the “sweet science” — boxing. It reveals the serious and often irreparable damage boxing can do to the brain.

Among the many boxers featured in the film are former junior middleweight champion Denny Moyer and his brother Phil, who both fought in the 1950s and 1960s. Like so many boxers, the Moyer brothers sustained long-term brain injuries that have changed their lives forever. Their injuries weren’t the result of a devastating knock-out punch, but rather the cumulative effect of years of blows in the ring.

Once agile and athletic, Phil is now wheelchair-bound while Denny uses a walker to help him shuffle ever so slowly through the halls of a nursing home. The pair, who are barely able to communicate, appear to be ghostly shells of the vibrant men they once were.

Phil and Denny aren’t alone. I’ve scanned the brains of several champion boxers, and I can tell you that their brains are a mess. What else would you expect when you’ve spent your life taking repeated blows to the head? Boxers are susceptible to a particular form of severe brain injury called dementia pugilistica. This results in impaired mental and physical abilities, including dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

Despite the fact that boxing is a bad brain sport, it continues to fascinate audiences and entice athletes to enter the ring in spite of the risk.

After the Last Round is currently making the rounds at film festivals and is earning tremendous accolades. You can check out the trailer at www.afterthelastround.com or at www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcZPxFQlxvg. Stay tuned for screenings to be announced.

An article in a recent issue of People magazine reports that Susan Sarandon is such a big fan of table tennis, also known as ping-pong, that she’s opening her own club in New York City called Spin NYC.

In the article, Sarandon says table tennis is “fast, fun, inexpensive and it’s almost impossible to get hurt.” She adds, “I find it’s better for sharpness of mind than crossword puzzles.”

Wow! I couldn’t have said it better. I’ve been an avid tennis table player for years and think it’s the world’s best brain sport. Here’s why.

Table tennis is highly aerobic and gets both the upper and lower body moving in every which way — twisting, bending down low, reaching up high, and shuffling from side to side. Plus, it gives your brain one heckuva workout.

It’s great for hand-eye coordination and reflexes (cerebellum and parietal lobes). You have to focus (prefrontal cortex) so you can track the ball through space (parietal lobes and occipital lobes), figure out spins (parietal lobes and occipital lobes), and plan shots and strategies (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum). Then you have to follow through and execute those tactics successfully (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum).

All the while, you have to stay calm so you don’t get too nervous on game point (basal ganglia). And you can’t dwell on that point you blew a few minutes ago (anterior cingulated gyrus) or blow your top when you make a mistake (temporal lobes).

It’s like aerobic chess.

Ms. Sarandon, I wish you the best of luck with your new club. May I challenge you to a match?

Well, this has been quite a week.

After I posted my blog on Lamar Odom’ suagr addiction last Sunday I sent a copy of the blog to the Los Angeles Times Sports section.  Mike Penner quoted my article in his column on Monday.  Then ESPN radio interviewed me on Monday morning, and the hosts of the radio show then played part of my interview to Lamar Odom that afternoon.  

Of course, like most addicts, Odom was in denial, even though he eats more than the equivalent of 600 suagr cubes a week. He said “How could it be a problem since I played so well in game 5, 6, and 7.” 

The problem with his answer was that there was no game 7. The Lakers won the series against Denver in 6 games.

This morning I was on Good Morning America talking about “The Candy Man” controversy. Basically, this was my message.

At the Amen Clinics, where we have performed more than 50,000 brain scans, we have seen that a healthy brain equals a much more effective life, including in sports performance.

Being addicted to anything can seriously ruin an athletes’ performance.

Sugar promotes inflammation in the body and puts people at risk for heart disease, diabetes, depression, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Lamar uses sugar now NOT just for the high he gets but more importantly to PREVENT the withdrawal symptoms he invariably feels. That is why he says that he wakes up in the middle of the night and eats candy.

Here are 4 tips to help Lamar break his sugar addiction — it may help the rest of you as well.

1. Break denial – wake up to the fact that your behavior is more trouble than it is worth.

2. Deal withdrawal – there may be some early discomfort, but in the long run you will feel better.

3. Substitute healthier behaviors – a great brain healthy diet, such as lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, plus a multiple vitamin and fish oil are just smart things to do. If you need help with the obsession 5HTP can give you a serotonin boost. If you are struggling with anxiety the supplement GABA may help. If you are dealing with cravings N-acetyl-cysteine or glutamine may help.

4. Support – the Lakers organization should have plenty of healthy food nearby to deal with Odon’s hunger. One of my favorite, brain healthy treats, is banana or apple slices with almond butter.

Rats will work for sugar water the same way they will work for cocaine. We need to take addictions seriously.

Again, I am a huge Lakers fan and even wore my Lakers’ shirt under my sports jacket for the interview. I want what is best for the Lakers’ star, and what is best for all of us starts with a healthy brain.