Home » Cognitive Decline and Neurodegenerative Disease
We work with you on issues relating to cognitive decline – everything from subjective cognitive impairment to mild cognitive impairment to dementia.
Dr Mercuro is trained in the Bredesen Protocol. You can read about this protocol in the book “The End of Alzheimers” by Dr Dale Bredesen MD. The theory in this model of care is that there is not one single cause for cognitive decline but multiple factors and you must address many of them to make an impact on the progression of amyloid plaque.
We will work with you on helping to identify the possible causes including glucotoxicity (the inflammatory effects of sugar on the brain), atrophy relating to the withdrawal of hormone associated with aging, and the toxic type relating to exposure to heavy metals, chronic infections and mold toxins. If there is history of traumatic brain injury we can work on reducing inflammation from that as well.
For problems relating to cognition, we use targeted nutritional strategies, most often the ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet is a food plan that alters the macronutrients in the diet to include more fat and less carbohydrate. We look at micronutrient deficiencies (vitamins and minerals) and work to optimize these to support brain function. We test and optimize hormone levels and evaluate total toxic burden.
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There has been ongoing interest in a functional medicine approach to cognitive decline and dementia. Most of the papers published by Dr Bredesen and his team in the last ten years have been case reports and evidence has been largely preliminary and anecdotal.
PhenoAge is an algorithm that is used to give a measurement of biological aging. It takes into account basic lab data from your annual physical and estimates your phenotypic age- how old you are at a cellular and organ system level.
How to Improve Your MemoryBy Dr. Elisa Mercuro Do you ever feel that your memory is not as good as it used to be? I hear
Lifestyle Interventions to Improve Cognitive Decline Our brain function is important to the quality of life. Our brain allows us to learn new skills, enables our
We encourage lifestyle changes to promote increases in NEUROPLASTICITY –such as exercise, music and brain training.
These types of interventions work best for prevention and early cognitive changes.
