September 25, 2009 – 2:21 pm
How many times have you dieted and lost weight only to gain it back again? What makes some people able to keep the weight off while other people continue to struggle? The answer appears to lie in the brain.
According to a study using a brain-imaging technique called functional magnetic resource imaging, there is a difference in brain activity patterns in people who successfully maintain weight loss and those who don’t. The study appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed images of high-calorie and low-calorie foods as well as nonfood objects to three groups of individuals: people who had lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least three years, obese people, and normal-weight people.
Compared to the obese and normal-weight groups, the successful dieters were more likely to engage areas of the brain involved with inhibitory control and visual attention while viewing the images. This indicates that being able to control behavior and exhibit restraint when eating may be keys to long-lasting weight loss.
In my experience, you can boost your frontal lobes through physical exercise, meditation, hypnosis, and goal-setting exercises.
Change your brain, change your body. It will be a theme for my work in the coming years.
September 20, 2009 – 6:35 pm
A new study out of Germany represents a major advance in neuroimaging, and in particular highlights the effectiveness of brain SPECT imaging in helping predict treatment response to antidepressant medication. SPECT is the study we use here at the Amen Clinics.
Several previous studies have concluded that SPECT scans are helpful in diagnosing brain disorders, such as depression. But this trial is one of the first and largest to examine SPECT’s ability to predict whether or not a patient with depression will respond to a particular antidepressant.
The study, which appeared in the prestigious journal Psychiatry Research, involved nearly 100 participants with major depression. Their brains were scanned at the outset of the study and again four weeks later after treatment with an antidepressant. The research team concluded that SPECT is indeed highly effective in predicting treatment response.
When the prefrontal cortex works too hard, the medication Celexa was effective in calming it down and treating the depression. When the prefrontal cortex was normal or low in activity, Celexa was not helpful.
These findings are very consistent with the literature from the QEEG literature as well. I have noticed this exact same effect for nearly 18 years since I began using SPECT scans in my practice in 1991. The most important part of brain imaging is being able to predict treatment response. At the Amen Clinics, brain imaging helps us zero in on the best treatments for our patients, whether they have depression, ADD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or any other brain problem.
September 6, 2009 – 11:33 pm
Is eating chocolate good for your heart? According to a study in the Journal of Internal Medicine, it is. Researchers found that eating chocolate at least twice a week lowered the risk of heart-related death following a heart attack by 66 percent.
The scientists examined the chocolate consumption of 1,169 first-time heart attack victims for one year and then followed them for eight years. They found that survival rates increased with higher chocolate consumption.
What is good for your heart is good for your brain, so pay attention to this study. Although it didn’t differentiate between dark chocolate and milk chocolate, I can tell you that dark chocolate contains more brain-friendly antioxidants than milk chocolate.
September 2, 2009 – 4:38 pm
Recently, I wrote a blog about a study showing that being fat makes you stupid and lazy. Now come reports that overweight and obese people have less brain tissue than lean people.
Scientists used brain scans to determine the amount of brain tissue in 94 people over the age of 70. Their findings appear online in the journal Human Brain Mapping. They found that obese individuals had 8 percent less brain tissue and their brains looked 16 years older than the brains of people at normal weights. Overweight people had 4 percent less brain tissue and their brains appeared eight years older.
The loss of tissue occurred in several important areas of the brain. In obese people, losses affected the following areas:
- Frontal lobes: Critical for planning, follow-through, and impulse control. Losing brain tissue here makes it harder for people to stick with a diet, which may explain why some people just keep getting fatter.
- Anterior cingulate gyrus: The brain’s gear shifter, allowing you to go from thought to thought. When this area is out of whack, it can cause you to get stuck on certain thoughts or compulsive behaviors, such as bingeing on chocolate chip cookies or double-decker burgers.
- Hippocampus: This is where long-term memories are processed.
- Temporal lobes: One of the brain’s memory centers.
- Basal ganglia: Sets anxiety level and is involved with movement.
In the overweight crowd, brain loss occurred in the following areas:
- Basal ganglia: See above.
- Corona radiata: White matter that speeds communication between different areas of the brain.
- Parietal lobe: Involved with sense of touch and direction.
Overall, the loss of brain tissue puts people at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other brain disorders. This doesn’t bode well for the 66 percent of Americans who are considered overweight or obese. About one-third of Americans fall tip the scales in the obese category.
The good news is that you can do something to improve brain function and help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other types of brain problems. Getting your weight under control with a brain healthy diet and regular exercise can greatly reduce your risk. Don’t lose your brain!
