The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona
by James Bogash
Is the mitochondrial permeability transition a viable therapeutic target against neuronal dysfunction and death?
Any regular readers of the updates know my position on neurodegenerative disorders, and the research continues to support this position. I do, however, wonder how long it really will be before clinicians in neurology begin to pick up on the concept that mitochondrial dysfunction the reason for seizures, PD, AD, ALS and the like. I’m putting my money on 30 years…
by James Bogash
Efficacy of coenzyme Q10 in migraine prophylaxis
Almost a 50% response with taking 300 mg CoQ10 per day. Not too shabby. This is yet another notch in the “mitochondrial dysfunction leads to neurodegenerative disorders” belt. The research is no longer questioning the association between altered brain behavior/pathology and oxidative stress–the research is now moving onto the deeper, more practical questions.
by James Bogash
Antidepressant-like effects of cranial stimulation w/in low-energy magnetic field in rats
This study raises some very interesting questions and concerns. First, there is the therapy aspect–might some form of electrical/magnetic stimulation positively affect our mood? Next, what about deleterious effects of cell phones, microwaves, headphones, diagnostic testing, etc…?
I personally think that, when all the chips fall, in 30 yrs or so we will find that cell phone use has increased the risk/rate of some conditions like ADD/ADHD, brain tumors, seizures, Alzheimer/Parkinson’s.
by James Bogash
While most sufferers consider them separate entities, migraines and seizure share many common characteristics and the underlying problem with the cells of the brain are also similar. What contributes to or triggers a migraine headaches can also trigger seizures, such as lack of sleep, stress and skipping a meal. In the short term, both of these conditions dramatically affect quality of life. Even more concerning is what these conditions due to the brain in the long run.
by James Bogash
Platelet membrane fluidity and peroxynitrite levels in migraine patients during headache-free periods
Two things to mention here. First, we are seeing a sustained movement towards the concept that migraines, just like the seizures that clinicians are not yet willing to throw in the same category, is strongly related to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.
This article adds more fuel to this concept by evaluating the peroxynitrate levels in migraine and headache patients in between attacks. Levels were elevated, indicating either that oxidative stress contributes directly to the headaches, or that the headaches induce oxidative stress that persists long after the headache.
Also, I personally feel that migraines are constantly over-diagnosed by doctors that don’t understand HA. They never touch the neck and so cannot possibly rule out problems coming from the neck. And, most likely a patient who has had HA for many years has several types of HA going on, and they all need to be addressed for full resolution to occur.
by James Bogash
Seizure and migraine management consists almost entirely of medication use. The list of anti-seizure medications has expanded over the years, but outcomes have not improved much. Patients still suffer from migraines and seizures and can have their entire lives shut down during an attack and even up to days afterwards. But is there a better way to manage migraine headaches and seizures?
Clearly exercise, dietary changes and targeted supplementation are powerful additions to every patient’s approach to migraines and seizures. The research is strongly in support of using these tools. The ketogenic diet alone is an approach with better outcomes than every medication on the planet.
Regardless of the condition affecting the brain, whether migraines, seizures, Alzheimer’s or dementia, stress is unquestionably a key trigger to symptoms flaring. Management or, better avoidance, of stress is critical.
But what if the patient cannot manage their stress? Are there other tools that can be brought into play that might be able to abort a migraine or seizure before it starts? Turns out there are indeed very powerful tools available.
Behavioral psychology may yet turn out to be THE most powerful tool for managing epilepsy and migraines. Neurologists and psychologists will both agree that aberrant brain firing results in migraines and seizures. The similarities stop there. Neurologists traditionally believe that the problem is one of brain chemistry. This brain chemistry needs to be “fixed” with medications. The belief that patients can influence the condition is not propagated.
The view from the psychology side of things is different. Extrinsic factors that are absolutely within control of the patient are more critical than internal factors. Teaching the patient to identify feelings and patterns of emotions and using successful tools to positively affect thought patterns is a powerful tool that has been around for more than 50 years.
The medical literature is filled with case studies and clinical studies of patients who are able to abort the onset of a seizure through a variety of interventions, all within control of the patient.
This particular study is a more recent example of just how incredibly powerful these techniques can be. This was a study looking at these techniques at aborting a seizure that was about to start. Researchers found some interesting results:
Wow! This wasn’t with medications. No lifestyle changes. No restricted diet. Just the identification of a trigger or warning sign and the implementation of a behavioral action to abort the seizures.
There is a single, strong caveat here. The patient has to accept that the condition that he or she has has a strong intrinsic etiology, and an internal locus of control is required for the best management of the condition. Not enough patients share this view of their problem.
The question I seem to be perpetually asking is, why, after 50+ years, is this type of approach a part of every seizure and migraine patient’s treatment plan???
by James Bogash
Migraine and coronary heart disease mortality: a prospective cohort study
The bottom line is that migraine is a systemic disorder, most likely a result of altered mitochondrial function and / or oxidative stress. These dysfunctions are not limited to the brain, but rather have an effect everywhere in the body, playing a role in most, if not all, chronic diseases.
So, if this is the case, then finding increases in other diseases like heart disease should be no big surprise. So, the ONLY best way to approach migraine treatment is to look at the entire patient and make global lifestyle changes to improve the way their neurons are functioning.
by James Bogash
Efficacy and Safety of Topiramate for the Treatment of Chronic Migraine
Talk about a difference in perception!!! The authors conclude that “Topiramate is safe and generally well tolerated in this group of subjects with chronic migraine, a burdensome condition with important unmet treatment needs. Safety and tolerability of topiramate were consistent with experience in previous clinical trials involving the drug.”
Look at the data and tell me is “generally” means 10% of the study population stopped due to side effects. And all of this for a whopping 1.5/91 days decrease in headache over placebo. So, we’re going to spend, what, say $600 for 3 months Topamax to have 1.5 days less HA? But let’s cut chiro Rx to save money.
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