What everyday habits can support brain well-being? What innovations are at the forefront of the medical industry?\u00a0<\/p>\n
These are just a couple of questions that were addressed Tuesday evening at a panel discussion in Tampa. The topic was brain health for every generation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AdventHealth neurosurgeon Dr. Raul Olivera, St. Pete Cooking School founder and nutritionist Dr. Wendy Wesley, University of South Florida assistant professor Dr. Nicole Lampe, AdventHealth neurosurgeon Dr. Keaton Piper and Johns Hopkins All Children\u2019s Hospital pediatric neurologist Dr. Richard Kanoff were the panelists.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Olivera emphasized the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. He argued that smoking, drinking and a lack of exercise can take a toll on brain function.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are traumatic injuries, falls and fractures,\u201d he said. \u201cBut, there are also things that could have been avoided.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The panelists agreed that social relationships have a key impact on brain health.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To exemplify, Olivera discussed blue zones, which are areas around the world that have a higher percentage of centenarians or people who live to be 100. These men and women are often active and remain a part of their communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEach and every one of those individuals has a different diet and lifestyle,\u201d he said. \u201cSome of them eat Mediterranean diets. Some of them eat a lot of seafood. Some of them eat milk and bread. So, the most important thing that is a common factor is social relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIsolation equals depression,\u201d Olivera continued. \u201cDepression equals a decrease in your brain health.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kanoff emphasized that brain development is an interaction between caregivers and children. For example, he explained that the concept of \u2018skin to skin\u2019 for newborns is essential. Kanoff said that parents should read and play with their sons and daughters as they grow up. A lack of these activities, he argued, is a \u201cnegative for development.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout seven million people live with Alzheimer\u2019s\/dementia in this country and about 13 million are caregivers of persons living with dementia,\u201d Lampe added. \u201cWe currently live in a caregiver availability crisis in which older adults are increasingly aging alone or they lack quality or available social support in their lives.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She argued that caregiving can be difficult. As a result, it can cause mental challenges and stress-related physical health symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cImagine you\u2019re on a plane and the oxygen masks come down,\u201d Lampe said. \u201cThe hardest part is putting the oxygen mask on yourself first prior to putting the oxygen mask on your loved one. Oftentimes, caregivers overexert themselves or maybe feel like they\u2019re invincible and have everything under control.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really need to start thinking more critically about \u2018how do we care for caregivers?,\u2019\u201d she continued. \u201c\u2018How do we care for the folks who are vital to our economy here in Florida?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley emphasized the impact of diet and healthy eating on brain health. She advised that individuals eat foods that are from the Earth and that feature a variety of colors. Wesley argued that \u201cwhere you see color, you see fiber, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
If an individual wants to take proactive measures against brain-focused diseases such as Alzheimer\u2019s or dementia, she added, they should avoid refined flours and sugars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA cardiologist at a hospital that I used to work at said \u2018if you\u2019re not chewing your food, you may be driving forward chronic diseases,\u2019 meaning that ultra-processed food often requires very little mastication,\u201d Wesley said. \u201cSo, one quick and dirty tip is does your food require chewing? If it does, it is likely a nutrient-dense food.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Innovation was another major topic discussed at the gathering.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe area of genetics has really exploded in the last 10 years,\u201d Kanoff said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re getting down to now is finding out not just what symptom you have, but what\u2019s the cause, what\u2019s the gene and what does that gene do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This information leads to targeted therapy. Doctors can create a treatment plan that \u201creverses what that gene disorder does or fails to do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things about genetic testing to be aware of is there are different kinds of results,\u201d he added. \u201cNot all genetic testing is equal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Piper emphasized that genetic testing can only do so much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a classic example of nature versus nurture,\u201d he said. \u201cI use to treat a lot of patients with Parkinson\u2019s disease and people may get genetic testing and say \u2018oh, I don\u2019t have the gene that disposes me.\u2019 But, only about less than 20% of patients with Parkinson\u2019s actually have a gene associated with it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a result, Parkinson\u2019s disease is often caused by environmental factors.<\/p>\n
For Piper, the future of brain science is quite exciting. He explained that there are emerging technologies that can transform an individual\u2019s experience after a stroke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to see a lot in the next five to 10 years,\u201d Piper said. \u201cA lot of patients with locked-in syndrome may still have a functioning brain but they had a stroke at the connection from the brain down to the spinal cord so they can\u2019t talk or can\u2019t move their arms and legs. Maybe all they can do is actually blink.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, he explained, there are brain implants that can connect to a device or Bluetooth. Individuals \u201ccan actually speak through the computer just by their thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivera echoed the sentiment.<\/p>\n
When he began his training, treatment was very different. However, technology has made procedures less invasive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were basically taking all tumors out,\u201d Olivera said. \u201cIf you had an aneurysm, you would get a clipping. Today, for example, less than 5% of aneurysms actually get clippings.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The panel discussion was sponsored by AdventHealth. <\/p>\n
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