NeurOptimal® and Dementia

Can the progress of Dementia be mitigated with NeurOptimal Brain Training?

What is dementia?

Using NeurOptimal®, caregivers, professionals and family, have access to one of the best ways to support a patient's journey with dementia. In order to do this, we first need to understand the neuro-biology of dementia. Dementia is an illness that causes a progressive decline of cognitive ability and memory. Dementia is a loss of mental functions including memory, reasoning, orientation, judgment and ability to communicate. The term “dementia” describes the loss of multiple mental functions. It may occur due to brain damage or disease such as due to Alzheimer's disease, a vascular disease called vascular dementia, a drug or substance abuse or a psychiatric disease called delirium. Some forms of dementia are progressive, meaning that the brain loses functions more rapidly and others are degenerative, meaning that the brain loses functions at a slower rate. The average age of onset of Alzheimer's disease is 75 years. However, it is important to remember that there is no way to know whether someone has dementia until they show signs of impairment in memory and other areas of the brain. There is no cure for dementia. Currently, treatments aim to slow down the decline of cognitive function and provide symptomatic relief.

Our Brain

As we know, the brain is a network of neurons, which connect to each other through synapses. Neurons are connected by dendrites, which carry the signal, and the axon, which sends the signal. There are millions of neurons in the brain, and they communicate through chemical and electrical signals.

Neurons and synapses are continually forming and changing throughout a person's life. At any given point, there is a pattern of activity going on in the brain. This pattern is called a neural code. Every person has a unique neural code, which represents the way their brain functions at any given time.

Neurofeedback has been shown to increase the strength of the connections between brain cells. There is a strong relationship between the amount of activity in a person's brain and the strength of their neural connections. This is why it is important to focus on keeping brain cells as active as possible in order to optimize the connections in the brain.

There is evidence that shows that when we become aware of our own brain patterns, we can actually change those patterns. This is the basis of neurofeedback. By using NeurOptimal®, we can work to change the brain pattern that leads to dementia, and therefore, decrease the symptoms associated with the disease.

So to answer the question...

Absolutely!

Neuro-plasticity allows us to change the structure of the brain neuron by neuron. With NeurOptimal® we are using the information we are learning from the EEG to re-program the brain to think differently. NeurOptimal® can be thought of as a way to train the brain to function differently.

The Brain is not a static structure. It is a dynamic, ever-changing, self-organizing system. We are all born with brains that already have a lot of neuro-plasticity. Neuro-plasticity means that the brain is always changing. It is continuously developing and changing through the use of neurofeedback. Neurofeedback can change how a brain functions. Neurofeedback is the best way to change the way that a brain functions. Neurofeedback is not only an important adjunct to pharmaceuticals but it is the very best medicine.

It is important to understand that the brain is a complex and dynamic system that can change in a myriad of ways, some of which will be positive and some of which will be negative. This dynamic system of the brain can also be trained.

As individuals, we all have the potential to change the structure of our brain and to change its function. We can do this by changing our diet, our habits, our beliefs, our thought patterns, our emotions and the way we manage stress. These are all things that will allow us to better support our own brain.

The best way to describe NeurOptimal® is that it is a neuro-systemic approach. It does not do anything to your brain, it does not do anything to your thoughts, it does not do anything to your emotions, it is not a drug, it is not a therapy, it is not a treatment, it is not a diet, it is not a meditation, it is not a religion, it is not a philosophy, it is not a treatment plan.

NeurOptimal® is a way to support the intrinsic wisdom of the central nervous system. It is a way to support the CNS in its drive towards optimization. It just provides information to what the brain just did microseconds ago. NeurOptimal is a brain training programme that promotes brain plasticity. The program dynamical Neurofeedback® is an advanced software process using a set of proprietary mathematical algorithms to provide information to the brain (like a mirror) to remind the individual to move away from discomfort. This feedback help users become more aware of the activity in their own brains, and to become more efficient at using the areas of the brain that they use most. The goal is to get the user to the highest level of brain efficiency.

NeurOptimal® is about neuro-plasticity. NeurOptimal® can help keep the brain's neural circuits flexible, resilient and young-looking. It can also help keep the brain's neurons growing, and help mitigate the effects of aging. And consequently, it can help improve the blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain and prevent brain shrinkage.

But it is not a cure-all

NeurOptimal® is not a cure for dementia or Alzheimer's Disease. It does not stop the progression of any of these diseases. It does not stop the degeneration of the brain.

It is just one small piece of a very large puzzle. It is a tool to help the brain work better and to make it more resilient.

If you look at the research on Alzheimer's and other form of dementia, there is much more than a single cause of these diseases. There are multiple causes. Some of the causes are genetic, some of the causes are the type of diet and the amount of food you eat.

What can be expected since it is not a cure?

We have observed that people who have done NeurOptimal® training are more aware of their surroundings and have lighter moods. They have a new found spirit that was gradually disappearing before. A lot of family and care givers say that they see an improved quality of life in a loved one who has taken the NeurOptimal® program. We are not saying that everyone who takes the NeurOptimal program will be less depressed or anxious immediately. It is possible that the person who is more responsive to NeurOptimal® are more likely to get off their medication. It is very individualized. Care givers and family are less stressed and happier because they see their loved one involved in their own little ways, back into their surroundings and with people they had forgot around them.