This will be presented at the Integrative HealthCare Symposium in February, 2010
Neurogenesis, Neuroplasticity, and Your Future Brain
By David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM
The concept of the fixed immutable human brain has now been relegated to the archives of ideas once believed. Current neuroscience validates the concept of an ever dynamic brain from both structural and functional perspectives with preservation of plasticity as well as the process of generating new and fully functional neurons persisting throughout the human lifespan.
This presentation will first detail the history of the paradigm shift to this new and revolutionary understanding of the human brain. It will then explore the various modifiable influences including caloric restriction, physical and mental exercise and specific nutrients which, through amplification of BDNF expression, enhance the process of neurogenesis, the growth of new brain cells. The inhibitory effects of stress in this process will also be presented. Neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to rewire itself, will then be explored with an in depth discussion of the functional changes imparted in areas of the brain thought to subserve such human attributes as empathy, compassion and intuition brought about by the practice of meditation.
