ARCHIVE

Content updated from previous publish date. Popular sports figure, TV commentator, and all-around beloved public personality, Terry Bradshaw spoke somberly and candidly about the toll his many football-related concussions have taken on his brain health and talked about his time at Amen Clinics. Bradshaw is one of nearly 200 football players from 27 teams and all positions who have undergone brain SPECT imaging at Amen Clinics to investigate the association between playing football, brain damage, and cognitive and mental health issues. Terry Bradshaw is one of nearly 200 football players who have undergone brain SPECT imaging at Amen Clinics to investigate the association between playing football, brain damage, and cognitive and mental health issues.

Click to tweet

HOW HEAD TRAUMA AFFECTS MEMORY AND MORE

The brain-imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that traumatic brain injuries—even mild head injuries that aren’t diagnosed as a concussion or that don’t cause a loss of consciousness—are a major cause of psychiatric illnesses, cognitive issues, and memory problems. However, few people know this because the field of psychiatry virtually never looks at the organ it treats—the brain. Four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, says he sustained more than six concussions over his lengthy NFL career. He has spoken openly about problems with his short-term memory, as well as his hand-eye coordination, and depression—all symptoms that are commonly seen in people with sports-related and everyday brain injuries. One of the many brain-imaging studies Amen Clinics has conducted on football players was published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. For this study, evaluations included detailed histories, cognitive testing, brain SPECT imaging, and qEEG studies on each of the players. The results were very clear: Playing football damaged multiple areas of the brain in greater than 90% of the players. In particular, there was persistent damage to the following areas of the brain:

Prefrontal cortex (judgment, planning, forethought, and impulse control)
Temporal lobes (learning, memory, and mood stability)
Cerebellum (mental agility and processing speed)

CAN FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYERS IMPROVE BRAIN HEALTH?

You may have heard of “boxing dementia.” Now we are looking at “gridiron dementia.” The good news is that with a brain-health program, it is possible to repair, rehab, and reverse some of the brain damage that occurs in head injuries. For another study that appeared in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 80% of former football players who followed a brain-health program at Amen Clinics showed significant improvement in blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, as well as improvements in overall cognitive functioning, processing speed, attention, reasoning, and memory.

5 WAYS TO REHAB THE BRAIN AFTER HEAD INJURY

Whether or not you are a former football player, here are five things you can do to help nourish and care for your brain today if you have experienced a head injury:

1. Take brain-smart supplements.

Nutraceuticals that are especially good for improving any brain, but particularly for damaged or aging brains include:

A multivitamin Our food supply has been processed to the point where we have removed many of the nutrients. Plus, 91% of Americans do not eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day—the minimum required to get the nutrition that you need. Everyone should take a multivitamin.
Omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3 fatty acids are critical to building healthy cell membranes, which are crucial for all our cells to work and essential for our brain cells to make the trillions of connections that enable peak cognitive, mood, and behavioral performance. Low omega-3 fatty acids are associated with heart disease, cancer, skin problems, diabetes, obesity, depression, and dementia.
Vitamin D Vitamin D used to be considered just a bone vitamin, but intensive research established that the body converts it into a hormone that also helps regulate brain, cardiovascular, immune, muscle, lung, joint, and kidney functions. Vitamin D is important for the brain’s early development and ongoing renewal, and in clinical trials, it promotes healthy mood management and cognitive functions.
A combination of brain-directed supplements Ginkgo biloba (supports healthy blood flow), acetyl-l-carnitine (supports mitochondrial energy), huperzine A (supports acetylcholine), N-acetyl-cysteine and alpha-lipoic acid (antioxidant support), and phosphatidylserine (for nerve cell membrane support) are all critical for optimal brain function.

In the NFL study, the players used all these supplements to support overall brain health, circulation, memory, and concentration.

2. Check your HbA1C and fasting blood sugar levels.

High blood sugar levels impair healing. In a study from UCLA, mice that were given sugar after a head injury had delayed healing. Skip the Gatorade and rehydrate with water or opt for a sugar-free beverage that delivers essential electrolytes.

3. Check your thyroid, DHEA, and testosterone levels.

Because of its location within the skull, the pituitary gland (the master hormone gland) is often damaged in head injuries. Testing and optimizing hormonal imbalances is a critical part of the healing process after a concussion or TBI.

4. Try hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

HBOT is a non-invasive therapy that uses the power of oxygen to accelerate the healing process. A study in Plos One showed that HBOT improves post-concussion syndrome.

5. Protect your head.

One of the best things you can do is avoid future head injuries. Always wear your seatbelt, wear a helmet when riding a bike or skiing, hold the handrail when going down stairs, and avoid playing contact sports. The most important thing our brain-imaging research on football players reveals is that even if you have been bad to your brain and have injured it, you can change your brain to make it better. And with a better brain comes a better life, better moods, and a better memory. Head injuries and the mental health, cognitive, and memory issues associated with them can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. Did you know about 60% of the solid weight of your brain is FAT—yes, fat. It’s a scientifically proven fact: Your brain and your body NEED healthy cholesterol and fatty acids to function optimally. High cholesterol is obviously bad for the brain and body, yet low cholesterol has been associated with homicide, suicide and severe depression. To be healthy, you need to get enough of the right types of fats daily.

Fat is Key

Fat plays an important structural role in your brain cell membranes. In fact, the essential fatty acid DHA makes up a full quarter of all brain fat, and it’s the brain’s preferred fat for building membranes.

Your Brain, DHA & Fat

When your brain doesn’t get adequate amounts of DHA through the diet, it’s forced to use inferior fats, such as saturated and trans fats. Brain cell membranes become more rigid with these inferior fats, which can slow information processing and overall brain function. • Healthy young adults whose diets were low in DHA found that supplementation helped support healthy memory and reaction time. • DHA also benefits seniors experiencing mild memory problems associated with aging. After one year, elderly subjects taking a DHA-concentrated fish oil supplement showed significant improvements in short-term and working memory compared to those taking placebo. • And memory is just one aspect of cognitive function that Omega-3 supplementation supports: A meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials found that it helps maintain an ideal attention span and quick processing speed too!

But let’s not forget about EPA:

• Although it doesn’t play the structural role that DHA does, it helps support mood and emotional balance. • It’s thought that EPA may also support a healthy response to inflammation in the brain, by helping to maintain healthy metabolic pathways. • In this regard, EPA appears to be more effective than DHA for mood support. • Omega-3 supplementation has also been found effective in people who are prone to mood swings and supports a healthy response to occasional, everyday stress.

What to remember when getting the goods

• Because fish can accumulate toxins such as mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB), it’s extremely important that the product be highly purified. • Fish oil spoils easily; look for a product that is manufactured according to the highest quality standards. • Choose a product that has a 60/40 ratio of EPA to DHA, starting with at least 500 mg of DHA. Some inferior quality brands are lacking in one or the other or sometimes both. This is good news because it means that you possess the power to change your brain! There are many ways to become sick, but there is a clear path to wellness and it’s more simple than you think. If you are ready to transform your life, we can help you.

Improve Your Brain Health

At Amen Clinics, we have spent decades helping people just like you improve their brain health. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit. Did you know that six percent of the population will have a significant mood disorder sometime in their life? Only 20 to 25 percent of these people ever seek help. This is unfortunate, because mood disorders are treatable. And treatment can be further enhanced by supplementing with omega-3 fish oils. Let’s dive in!

The History of Inherited Omega-3 Deficiency

Multiple findings directly correlate with the rise in ADHD and other mood disorders since the 1990s. Many parents of today’s teens were born in the 1960s and 1970s, a time period in which farming methods and dietary values shifted significantly for the worse.

During the 1960s and 70s:

• Omega-3-deficient oils like corn and soy oil became prevalent. • Farm animals moved from eating grass to grain. Since omega-3s are present in grass and algae, much of today’s grain-fed cattle contain less of these essential fatty acids. • Processed convenience foods (which are high in omega-6s) gained popularity.

The Future of Omega-3 Deficiency

Although many infant formulas are now fortified with DHA, an important omega-3 fatty acid for brain development, many American children eat a consistent diet of processed convenience foods that are completely void of omega-3 fatty acids and extremely high in poor-quality omega-6 fatty acids. Diets lacking omega-3 fatty acids can have worsened effects over consecutive generations. This means that we may very well see a continued, and even elevated trend of cognitive impairment conditions in both the young and old over time. In general, Americans eat 11 to 30 times the amount of omega-6s as compared to omega-3s. When this ratio is out of balance, omega-6s promote inflammation within the brain and other tissues in the body. Foods such as: • Vegetable oils • Baked goods • Crackers • Cereals are high in omega-6 fatty acids. Furthermore, high heat and processing de-stabilizes these oils, making them even more pro-inflammatory. Do your best to limit omega-6s – the brain health of your grandchildren may depend on it. But the good news keeps coming. Unlike psychiatric drugs, the side-effects of Omega-3 fatty acids tend to be positive. Omega-3s are good for multiple areas of the brain and body, such as: • Heart • Skin • Hair • Nails • Overall health Our experienced staff will help you learn more about your brain. If you’re ready to take control over your future, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit our website to schedule an appointment.