In traditional medicine, cases of dementia are most commonly attributed to underlying blood vessel disease (blockages to the blood vessels in the brain), or Alzheimer’s Disease (the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain). Sadly, none of the medications aimed at getting rid of the Alzheimer’s ‘plaques’ seem to work, and millions have been spent on the development of hundreds of failed drugs (some with very serious possible side effects).
However, the work of Dr Bredesen turned the typical approach to Alzheimer’s on it’s head. Instead of trying to destroy the amyloid plaques developing in the brain (a kind of scar tissue developing to protect nerve cells from various insults), he turned his attention to the underlying problems which caused the plaques to form. In his efforts to find clinicians who were willing to engage with this root-cause approach, Dr Bredesen found his home among Functional Medicine practitioners.
This approach is the only method which has shown to have any lasting success in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Dr Bredesen’s well-established work shows that, when given the correct metabolic and nutritional support, the brain can heal and even re-grow!
After reading about this phenomenon in Dr Bredesen’s seminal text ‘The End Of Alzheimer’s’, I immediately wanted to learn more and bring hope to the patients who I had previously believed to be beyond any meaningful medical assistance.
I have been fortunate to be able to see the same results that Dr Bredesen has recorded in my own patients and have developed our specialist clinic, run by Bredesen-trained Psychiatrist Dr Rosie (who previously specialised in old-age NHS psychiatric care), to offer hope and support to as many patients in need of this ground-breaking work as possible.
While you might assume that the Functional Medicine ‘Protocol’ for treating cognitive decline might be similar for everyone, the underlying causes of brain malfunctioning can come from a very wide range of disorders.
In order to effectively treat the individual patient, we need to understand their specific problems and deliver a bespoke care package.
Our multi-factorial approach includes changes to diet and exercise, holistic support for sleep, stress management and nutritional optimisation. As well as essential changes to existing medication with hormonal and detox support where needed.
The lack of access to the clinician time and in-depth testing to support this approach, makes this approach unfeasible in the current constraints of our healthcare system. At Functional Nexus, we have a long history of helping patients with complex needs and our longstanding work in the area of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has many parallels with the treatment we offer for cognitive decline and dementia.
A Root Cause Approach to Cognitive Decline –The Bredesen Protocol
So what will I need to do? The joy of Functional Medicine is that, on the whole, the task of our clinical team is to investigate, educate and motivate the patient to make changes in diet and lifestyle for themselves. No special drugs or hospital care is generally needed, and the testing and treatment can all be done at home.
Your Personalised Treatment Plan
Our doctors will interpret your test results and write detailed and bespoke treatment plans for you to optimise diet, nutritional and hormonal status, movement, sleep and stress levels.
Lifestyle Interventions
Our Therapist team specialise in helping you to make these treatment plans practical, actionable and support you in creating new healthy habits.
While the interventions we offer are often simple, they are not always easy to put into practice and do require practice, motivation and discipline. This has to be something that the patient themselves has a willingness to try.
On the whole anyone embarking on the Bredesen Protocol needs a strong support team at home to work alongside them – as well as support from our expert clinical team.
You can read about a day in the life of a successful patient following this protocol HERE
To learn more about how Functional Medicine can help with memory and cognitive problems, BOOK an appointment with our patient care team to discuss what we can offer.
