by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN As part of its Breakthrough Devices Program, the FDA authorized marketing for the Brain Trauma Indicator, the first blood test to evaluate mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adults.1 What is TBI? TBI, also known as “concussion,” occurs following a bump, blow or jolt to the head or penetrating head injury that disrupts the brain’s normal functioning. TBI can cause short- and long-term impairments in thinking, memory, movement, sensation (e.g. vision or hearing) and…

by Lewis Chang, PhD  It has been suggested that oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system affecting movement. As antioxidants may offset oxidative stress and damage to neurons, scientists have been interested in whether antioxidant consumption would reduce the risk of PD. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden) and University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) set out to investigate the association between antioxidant intake and PD risk…

Abnormally high blood sugar in individuals with type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is associated with impaired cognitive performance, a Dutch epidemiological study finds.1 Hyperglycemia is known to cause various long-term complications such as damage to retina, nerve and kidney, cardiovascular disease, and infections. Dutch researchers from the Department of Internal Medicine at Maastricht University Medical Centre and Department of Neurology at University Medical Centre Utrecht were interested in whether differences in glucose metabolism status were associated with cognitive performance, in patients of…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP Across the world autism spectrum disorder (ASD) rates vary greatly; making it difficult to confirm definitive numbers particularly in many countries that do not actively track rates or publicly report their statistics. However, data from countries such as Poland where it is reported that 3 in 10,000 children are diagnosed with ASD, or Hong Kong where ASD afflicts 327 in 10,000 children and in the US where in 2015 there were 222 in 10,000 children…

A team of Swiss researchers report on a novel therapeutic approach for migraine reduction: ketone supplementation.1  One in seven American adults suffer from migraine headaches, but effective therapies are lacking.2 Females, especially during reproductive years, are disproportionately affected by migraines, with a migraine prevalence of approximately 20% in females vs. 9% in males.2 Migraines are a leading cause of outpatient and emergency room visits.2 The personal disability and public health burdens from migraines are obvious, but solutions for migraine prevention and treatment are more elusive. Exogenous ketone…

A meta-analysis including 12 studies that included > 280,000 participants found that both obesity and underweight are associated with an increased risk for migraines.1 Prior research had indicated an association between higher weight and migraines and while exact mechanisms are not known, it has been postulated that overweight individuals may have increased adipose tissue secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, increased adipocytokines, and increased circulating sex hormones all of which may play a role in migraine development and severity. Studies have also shown patients…

In this video presentation, Dale Bredesen, MD presents on advances in Alzheimer’s disease research. He proposes that we are entering the era of treatable Alzheimer’s disease. He also discusses mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), conditions that can be precursors to Alzheimer’s disease. Indeed, the opportunity exists to improve our cognition regardless of if these conditions are present. First, Dr. Bredesen discusses some “shocking truths” about Alzheimer’s disease that have come from his 25+ years of research:…