brain health - corticalmetrics insights (Page 3)

Sun Exposure and Brain Health

February 22, 2019

Sun exposure is linked to positive effects on brain function, but in order to quantify these benefits, you will just have to measure it for yourself.

Surely you are familiar with the warnings surrounding over-exposure to the sun and the potential danger of it's powerful UV rays. While we are constantly reminded by advertisements, doctors and worry-some parents to protect ourselves by wearing sunscreen, hats and clothing, we also know that sun exposure is essential to our well-being. Sunlight is required for us to produce Vitamin D, and low levels

Valentine's Day: The Health Benefits of Love

February 14, 2019

Here at Cortical Metrics, we are constantly looking for ways to improve health and brain function. With the Brain Gauge, we are able to measure how small changes in our lives impact our health - having the numbers to prove that the supplement you started taking last month is actually working makes it even more rewarding. This Valentines Day, you might find yourself indulging in chocolates, blushing at a bouquet of surprise flowers, or spending extra time with someone special. We discussed the benefits of chocolate in a previous post

What You Can Do to Stop Back Pain From Leaving You Sleepless

February 08, 2019

Pain and poor sleep will impact brain function.
Back pain can impact every facet of our lives. It makes the days seem longer and can leave little escape at night. However, if your back pain keeps you awake, there is some good news. There are steps we can take to alleviate our pain and get a good night of rest.

Change How You Sleep
The way you sleep, and what you sleep on, may directly influence pain levels. The more pain you have, the more often you'll wake up at

A Review of the Choco-Literature

October 31, 2018

It's Halloween, which means that in just a few hours parents across the country will have their hands full with children toting plastic pumpkins, grocery bags and pillowcases full of sugary treats.

For many parents, this is the scariest part about Halloween. Children who consume too much sugar are at risk for obesity, diabetes, and cavities. Binging on their Halloween haul can also lead to a harrowing sugar-crash hangover, and upon waking up for school the next day they might be even more terrifying than the night before.

Rationing your

The best types of exercise for your mental health

October 29, 2018

Exercise is an incredible medicine. It can lower blood pressure, prevent diabetes, and alleviate the debilitating symptoms of chronic depression and anxiety. It’s even been shown to promote better skin health, improve eyesight, and ward off the aging process of cells.

On the other hand, not exercising can lead to mood disorders, arthritis - and not surprisingly - obesity and cardiovascular disease. The CDC estimates that inadequate exercise accounts for 11% of total annual healthcare costs in the United States - that’s just over $130 billion each year.

Your child might need more time than you think to recover from a concussion

October 24, 2018

Children are resilient. They can often laugh off traumatic injuries that would send most otherwise healthy adults to the ER. For most of elementary school, there was more of my skin in tatters on the playground than on my knees or elbows, the result of daily high-speed bike crashes and padless tackle football games on the blacktop. (You might be wondering where my parents were during all this. Thank you, I appreciate your concern. They were usually at the doctor’s office with one of my brothers tending to an

Chronic Mold Exposure: Testing for Chronic Inflammatory Response

October 18, 2018

In the previous post, I explained an acute effect of mold on the nervous system, namely that toxins produced by mold act as a GABAA antagonist. But what happens when you have prolonged mold exposure? And what can you do about it? And how do you know if what you’re doing is actually helping?

The name given to mold/biotoxin patients completely explains what goes on when moving from an acute reaction to chronic problems. Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) is a well-documented condition with an impressive amount of

Mold Exposure: A Step-by-Step Guide to Tracking Recovery with a Brain Gauge

October 12, 2018

You may think of mold as a relatively harmless part of cheese that’s been in your fridge a little too long, or maybe as the penicillin that you take when you get an infection. But for some with genetic susceptibility, exposure to mold/mycotoxins and other biotoxins (like Lyme disease) can have extreme negative effects on their health and can cause symptoms as diverse as brain fog, fatigue, chronic pain, and/or debilitating psychiatric disorders. The large range of usually nondescript symptoms can leave those afflicted confused and frustrated

The test for aging dementia many people would like to avoid.

October 03, 2018

If you could take a test that predicts you are headed for a degenerative state, would you take it?

Over the past couple of years, I have had several interesting discussions with clinicians using the Brain Gauge revolving around the fact that some patients score poorly and don’t like their scores. These people generally fall into one of three groups:

People that declare that they feel fine and that there is nothing wrong. Doubtful if they will seek help.
People that are disturbed that their scores are poor, but

A sample step by step guide to use your Brain Gauge to monitor your brain health

September 28, 2018

One of the strengths of the Brain Gauge is that, when used correctly, it is able to detect changes in your brain function before those changes are large enough to cause physical symptoms. Early detection is paramount for slowing, halting, or even reversing the progression of any disease, which is why monitoring is so important, especially if you are at increased risk of developing a neurodegenerative disease. Monitoring could (and should) be done by a doctor, but it can also be supplemented with a Brain Gauge (we should note that