Missing Memories

Most doctors think once a memory is “lost,” it’s gone forever. That’s proving to not be true.

I’ve seen patients recover memories their families thought were gone forever using a breakthrough treatment called transcranial laser therapy.

A recent study from Boston University School of Medicine backs up what I’ve seen at my clinic…

Researchers followed a group of patients suffering from mild to severe cognitive decline. For 12 weeks, they were treated with transcranial laser therapy — or what I call halotherapy. After three months, the participants were given two exams to test their mental function.

The researchers reported “significant improvement in cognition in mild to moderately severe” cognitive impairment — with absolutely no side effects.1 Halotherapy works in different ways:

  • Boosts brain oxygen. Cognitive decline is characterized by decreased cerebral blood flow that leads to the brain cell destruction. Researchers found that halotherapy stimulates the release of nitric oxide — a major neuron signaling molecule that widens blood vessels — allowing more oxygen to get where it’s needed.2,3
  • Increases brain metabolism. Halotherapy increases production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the basic fuel every cell in your body needs to make and transport energy. Higher levels of ATP boost your brain metabolism at the cellular level. Low ATP levels in the brain can trigger diseases like dementia.
  • Acts as an anti-inflammatory. Many diseases of the brain can be traced to chronic inflammation. Halotherapy reduces COX-2, the enzyme responsible for inflammation.4
  • Reduces beta-amyloid buildup. Gamma brainwaves are used by the neurons to pass information quickly and easily. This is what helps us recall old memories. But amyloid buildup in patients with cognitive decline disrupts these waves. Halotherapy helps restore normal gamma waves to reduce beta-amyloid deposits.5

If you are interested in more information about halo laser light therapy, please call the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine at 561-784-7852. We’re happy to answer your questions.

3 Additional Ways to Restore Missing Memories

I believe in the brain’s power to restore itself — if you give it the proper nutrients. I’ve seen it happen many times over the years.

  1. Supplement with this amino acid. Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) promotes brain health by restoring the function of nerve growth factor (NGF). NGF is a protein in your brain that controls the growth and maintenance of neurons.

     
    NGF goes down as you age, leading to a major drop in the way brain cells perform. And the loss of this growth factor can cause degenerative brain diseases. ALC helps reverse this drop.6 I suggest taking at least 500 mg every day on an empty stomach.

  2. Add this brain protection. Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a key building block for the billions of cells in your brain. In a recent study, patients with cognitive decline who took this supplement twice a day showed improvement in mental function after eight weeks.7

     
    The best foods for PS are organ meats. Other good sources include herring, tuna and pasture-raised chicken. But it’s hard to get enough from your diet. I recommend taking 100 mg three times a day.

  3. Increase acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter is directly involved in memory. But levels decline with age. Fortunately, you can rebuild your reserves by supplementing with CDP-choline.

     
    In an MIT study, 95 people took 1,000 mg of CDP-choline or a placebo for three months. The patients with poor memory made gains in their recall.8 At 2,000 mg daily, patients improved verbal memory. I recommend you take 1,000 mg per day, but you can go up to 2,000 mg.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD, CNS

1. Saltmarche AE, et al. “Significant improvement in cognition in mild to moderately severe dementia cases treated with transcranial plus intranasal photobiomodulation: Case series report.” Photomed Laser Surg. 2017;35(8):432-441.
2. Wang, et al. “Interplay between up-regulation of cytochrome-c-oxidase and hemoglobin oxygenation induced by near-infrared laser.” Sci Rep. 2016;6:30540.
3. Naeser MA, et al. “Transcranial, red/near-infrared light-emitting diode therapy to improve cognition in chronic traumatic brain injury.” Photomed Laser Surg. 2016;34:610-626.
4. Lim W, et al. “Modulation of lipopolysaccharide-induced NF-kappaB signaling pathway by 635 nm irradiation via heat shock protein 27 in human gingival fibroblast cells.” Photochem Photobiol. 2013;89:199-207.

5. Saltmarche AE, et al. “Significant improvement in cognition in mild to moderately severe dementia cases treated with transcranial plus intranasal photobiomodulation: Case series report.” Photomed Laser Surg. 2017;35:432-441.

6. Pennisi M, et al. “Acetyl-carnitine in dementia and other cognitive disorders: A critical update.” Nutrients. 2020;12(5):1389.

7. Heiss WD, et al. “Long-term of phosphatidylserine, pyritinol, and cognitive training in Alzheimer’s disease. A neuropsychological, EEG, and PET investigation.” Dementia. 1994;5(2):88-98.
Arab L and Sabbagh MN. “Are certain lifestyle habits associated with lower Alzheimer disease risk?” J Alzheimers Dis. 2010;20(3):785-794.

8. Alvarez X, et al. “Citicoline improves memory performance in elderly subjects.” Meth Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 1997;19: 201-210.