Beverly Hills 90210 Actress Shares Her Brain Scan and Memory Worries

When you think of memory loss, you probably think about elderly people in nursing homes with Alzheimer’s disease. But forgetfulness can affect younger people too. It’s not uncommon for people in their 30s or 40s to start feeling the effects of faulty memory. That’s what brought actress Jennie Garth to Amen Clinics. Jennie is the co-host of a podcast about Beverly Hills 90210, the wildly popular 1990s TV show she starred in with her podcast co-host Tori Spelling, as well as Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, and the late Luke Perry. The 90210MG podcast has earned a healthy following, but it has brought to light an uncomfortable truth for Jennie: “My best friend who’s doing it with me can remember everything, and I can’t remember anything. And it’s really frustrating, and it’s upsetting to me.” Throughout her long career, the actress has had to memorize thousands of scripts, which requires an excellent recall. But like many of the younger or middle-aged people who come to Amen Clinics for memory issues, Jennie says, “I feel like my short-term memory has taken over for my long-term memory.” “I can’t remember anything. And it’s really frustrating, and it’s upsetting to me.”—Jennie Garth, actress, and 90210MG podcast co-host, who visited Amen Clinics for a brain scan to learn what’s causing her memory problems.

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WHAT JENNIE GARTH’S BRAIN SCANS REVEAL

To address her concerns about her memory, Jennie had brain SPECT imaging studies at Amen Clinics, the global leader in brain health. As a way to help others who might be experiencing forgetfulness, the actress shared a video of her scan experience and evaluation with Daniel G. Amen, MD, the founder of Amen Clinics and 12-time New York Times bestselling author. SPECT is a technology that measures blood flow and activity in the brain that shows 3 things:

• Areas in the brain with healthy activity
• Areas in the brain with too little activity
• Areas in the brain with too much activity

Jennie underwent 2 SPECT studies, including a surface scan that shows blood flow, and an active scan that reveals activity levels throughout the brain. Here surface scan looked “beautiful” according to Dr. Amen, but it did show evidence of a possible head injury (perhaps from a past accident or fall?) and slightly lower blood flow near the hippocampus (an important region involved in memory). The actress’s active scan, however, revealed a very busy brain with too much activity in areas such as the basal ganglia (a region associated with anxiety). What does all of this mean in terms of memory?

CAUSES OF MEMORY LOSS IN YOUNGER PEOPLE

As Dr. Amen explained in his evaluation with Jennie, some things that can cause memory problems and brain fog regardless of a person’s age. Here are some of the most common.

• Long-term chronic stress: Being overly stressed actually shrinks the hippocampus. In the healthy brain, 700 new nerve cells are created every day in the hippocampus, which is critical for memory formation. But being bombarded by stress can disrupt neurogenesis (the process of new cell growth), so you don’t make as many new nerve cells as you should.
• Overactive basal ganglia: When this area of the brain works too hard, it is associated with anxiety and frequently feeling tense or keyed up. When emotional circuits are heightened, it can interfere with the formation of long-term memories.
• Head injuries: Experiencing one or more traumatic brain injuries—with or without loss of consciousness—is a major cause of memory problems in younger people. Some of the most common causes of concussions and other types of head trauma include falls (off a ladder or a bike), playing contact sports, repeatedly hitting your head (such as heading soccer balls), getting into a motor vehicle accident, violent attacks, or explosive blasts.
• Hormonal imbalances: If you’ve suffered a head injury, be sure to have a physician check your hormone levels, including thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA. Head trauma often damages the pituitary gland, which regulates hormone production. Hormonal imbalances are associated with memory problems in younger people.

SOLUTIONS FOR EARLY MEMORY PROBLEMS

In younger people who are experiencing brain for or memory issues, the following strategies may help.

• Practice stress-management techniques: Meditation, prayer, exercise, and deep breathing strategies can help alleviate chronic stress.
• Calm the brain: Nutritional supplements, such as 5-HTP, and saffron, can help calm a busy brain.
• Heal traumatic brain injuries: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can speed the healing process in areas that have been damaged by past head trauma.
• Balancing hormones: Checking your hormone levels and optimizing them if they are off can be beneficial for recall.

Memory loss, chronic stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your relationships and symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.