Feasibility of a Functional Medicine Approach to Slowing Clinical Cognitive Decline in Patients over Age 55: A Multiple Case Study Report

Abstract

Background: The current study examined a multifaceted anti-neuroinflammatory intervention that included physical exercise, mental exercise, grain-free/sugar-free diet, anti-inflammatory nutritional supplements, sleep optimization, and stress management within the context of a functional medicine practice for five patients with varying levels of cognitive impairment. Methods: In a prospective chart review, we examined impact measures including assessment of (1) cognitive skills, (2) brain connectivity, and (3) daily functioning. Results: Three of the five patients were no longer classified as cognitively impaired, while a fourth patient improved from moderately-to-severely impaired to mildly impaired. Patients

Neuroimaging and Neuropsychological Outcomes Following Clinician-Delivered Cognitive Training for Six Patients With Mild Brain Injury: A Multiple Case Study

“…In addition, half of the patients reported problems with driving that resolved following the intervention. These quality of life findings are consistent with our previous research on the same intervention with both children and adults in which we found transfer to improvements in relationships, self-confidence, cognition, work and school performance, and daily life skills ( Ledbetter et al, 2017 ; Moore et al, 2018 , 2019 ; James et al, 2019 ). While this study did not attempt to statistically correlate the cognitive and behavioral variables, these trends corroborate current research on the relationship between cognitive and social outcomes ( Kuiper et al, 2016 ).…”

“…The mechanism of change in cognitive training research such as this is grounded in the concept of neuroplasticity and the prior documentation of experience-induced changes in cortical functioning (see Buonomano and Merzenich, 1998;Schwartz and Begley, 2003;Huang, 2009). Prior evidence of functional map expansion following LearningRx training (Ledbetter et al, 2016;James et al, 2019) supports our proposed mechanism of change through training-induced plasticity for the current study as well. However, we do not know if this training-induced neuroplasticity is the result of increased synaptic activity, restoration of damaged connections, and/or from neural reassignment.…”

Views of Conventional Medicine and Integrative Medicine among Informal Dementia Caregivers and Healthcare Professionals in NW England

“…However, due to the existence of non-pharmacological approaches it is appropriate to review and compare the costs and benefits of different approaches and the extent to which a more integrative approach might be beneficial. Recently, a multiple case study report provides preliminary support for a multi-component approach to slowing cognitive decline [2], adding to the growing evidence base for this approach improving cognitive function for persons with mild cognitive impairment or dementia [3,4]. The current study explores the potential for integration of a multimodal approach within dementia treatment in the UK.…”

“…Regarding dementia, a multiple case study report by James et al has shown preliminary support for the feasibility of using a multicomponent FM approach to slow cognitive decline [2], providing imaging evidence of improved brain connectivity and efficiency. Prior studies have demonstrated reversal of cognitive decline, improved memory and quality of life with a personalised multimodal approach (Bredesen et al 2016;Bredesen et al 2018) [16,17].…”

Remote vs. In-person Delivery of LearningRx One-on-One Cognitive Training During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Non-inferiority Study

“…The efficacy and effectiveness of the LearningRx cognitive training methodology has been previously demonstrated in multiple studies on various populations including children with learning struggles (Carpenter et al, 2016;Gibson et al, 2015;Jedlicka, 2017;Moore et al, 2019a), children with ADHD (Moore et al, 2018), adolescents and adults with brain injury (Ledbetter et al, 2017;Moore et al, 2020) and adults with age-related cognitive decline (James et al, 2019;Moore et al, 2019b). Results have included statistically and clinically significant changes in working memory, long-term memory, processing speed, fluid reasoning, visual processing, auditory processing, and Word Attack skills as well as reported improvements in self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperative behaviors, mood, perseverance, activities of daily living, and reduced oppositional behaviors and academic struggles.…”