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A [GlycoMode glucose formula](http://www.vw-bus.org/index.php?title=The_No-sugar_Challenge) note from Dr Fitzgerald: "I couldn’t be more delighted and proud to see the results that our own Dr. Litwin and our Nutrition Team are achieving in addressing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s Disease. The scale of the cognitive decline problem that medicine faces today is unprecedented: it is one of the top 10 causes of death and has no effective treatment within conventional medicine. Functional Medicine, however, DOES have answers here, which Dr. Litwin outlines in this article. It’s important to note that this Fx approach isn’t limited to just later stage cognitive decline. This approach is ideal for anyone interested in optimal brain and total body health, for life! Did you miss our presentation? Webinar: Detoxification & Cognitive Decline Risk. As a 25-year-old 4th year medical student, I truly enjoyed my Neurology rotation. I applied knowledge learned as a Neuroscience major at Oberlin College to actual patient care, learned the art of neurological examination from experienced Attending Physicians, and improved my ability to diagnose brain and nervous system-related conditions.
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In other words, I practiced "identifying the lesion," a skill that neurologists refine over many years of seeing patients. Looking back, I now see that the standard workup for cognitive decline learned during med school only serves as a starting point. It provides important data but does not change the course of the disease or influence treatment. Only years later, after I began using Functional Medicine, did I see cognitive function actually improve using advanced lab assessments and personalized protocols addressing underlying mechanisms from a holistic perspective. These are powerful tools. When used in conjunction with the Bredesen Protocol®, they are incredibly effective for preventing and even reversing cognitive decline. Let’s look at the standard conventional approach used for evaluating neurological symptoms, so we can highlight where gaps exist. A neurologist examines a patient with specific neurologic problems and carefully notes what is found on physical exam. This helps determine exactly where the problem area, or "lesion" is located within the nervous system, even without doing expensive testing such as CT scans or MRIs.
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This is "old school" neurology, like it should be done. In the case of cognitive decline or dementia, this process of "[identifying](https://slashdot.org/index2.pl?fhfilter=identifying) [GlycoMode glucose formula](http://www.playersunity.fr/forums/topic/understanding-glyco-mode-blood-sugar-a-comprehensive-overview/) the lesion" helps determine the area of the brain most responsible for the symptoms and disease. In the next step towards making a diagnosis, the physician matches physical findings with the patient’s history. Getting details about symptoms and creating a "timeline" of when they developed is essential for making an accurate diagnosis. Cognitive testing, including basic testing like the MoCA or more extensive testing such as CNS Vital Signs or a full neuropsychological exam are also useful in determining the diagnosis and the severity of the cognitive problem. Blood tests, CT scans, MRIs, and even evaluation for markers in the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) with a spinal tap may also be used to rule out other potential conditions which can look like Alzheimer’s but aren’t. It wasn’t apparent to me back in medical school that all this investigation, while necessary for diagnosing someone correctly with Alzheimer’s, never led to any differences in treatment or outcome.
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Sadly, even in the 25 years since medical school, this is still true. The drugs available are basically the same as they were back then, with a few minor variations. None have ever been shown to slow the progression of the disease. At best, the medications can help slightly with some Alzheimer’s symptoms. At worst, the medications are a waste of money and represent false hope for patients looking for something to slow their decline. What has been lacking all these years in the treatment of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s has been any attempt to identify and address the underlying causes in a comprehensive, effective manner. It is clear to me now that using Functional Medicine, which at its core investigates root causes of diseases and symptoms, is the only way to prevent, slow, and reverse cognitive decline. What Do Functional Medicine Practitioners Do? Several years ago, I was introduced to Functional Medicine by a colleague. It completely transformed the way I "do" medicine.
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