Change Your Brain, Change Your Life Retired NFL Brain Imaging Study Daniel G. Amen, MD Amen Clinics, Inc. www.amenclinics.com Independent Retired NFL Players Association

Discuss reality of brain damage in the NFL and the fallout of brain damage Discuss our study in collaboration with the LA Chapter of the Retired NFL PA Recruit more players for the study Share some shocking preliminary findings Give hope and direction Goals of Talk

Discuss reality of brain damage in the NFL and the fallout of brain damage

Discuss our study in collaboration with the LA Chapter of the Retired NFL PA

Recruit more players for the study

Share some shocking preliminary findings

Give hope and direction

First, Some Basic Principles

Your Brain Is Involved In Everything You Do Who you are… player father friend employer How you... think feel act interact

Who you are…

player

father

friend

employer

How you...

think

feel

act

interact

When your brain works right, you work right When your brain doesn’t work right, you have trouble

Healthy Happy Effective Consistent Reliable Successful Unhealthy Depressed Poor Memory Low Motivation Temper Issues Financial Trouble

Brain Is The Most Complex Organ In The Universe 100 billion neurons more connections than stars in universe 2% of body’s weight, uses 20-30% of kcals Information travels ~ 268 miles/hour On average you lose 85,000 cells/day

100 billion neurons

more connections than stars in universe

2% of body’s weight, uses 20-30% of kcals

Information travels ~ 268 miles/hour

On average you lose 85,000 cells/day

Brain Is Very Soft Housed In Hard Skull Your brain is very soft consistency of soft butter, tofu, custard or between egg whites and jello Skull is really hard many sharp ridges Brain Injuries Matter

Your brain is very soft

consistency of soft butter, tofu, custard or between egg whites and jello

Skull is really hard

many sharp ridges

Brain Injuries Matter

Do not have to lose consciousness to have a bad brain injury

Smoking Excessive caffeine Environmental toxins Obesity Brain injuries Drugs Alcohol Stress Lack of exercise Sleep deprivation Many Things Can Hurt The Brain

Smoking

Excessive caffeine

Environmental toxins

Obesity

Brain injuries

Drugs

Alcohol

Stress

Lack of exercise

Sleep deprivation

Many Things Help The Brain Social connections New learning Healthy diet Fish oil Healthy sleep Exercise Dancing Gratitude Meditation

Social connections

New learning

Healthy diet

Fish oil

Healthy sleep

Exercise

Dancing

Gratitude

Meditation

To Understand The Brain You HAVE To Look At It! healthy brain Trauma

How Do You Know Unless You Look?

The Brain Can Change Right interventions help Wrong interventions hurt

healthy brain Trauma Anthony Davis

Before After

Amen Clinics -- 4 Centers Patients from 75 different countries Use SPECT to look at brain function, which measures brain blood flow and activity 18 years, 50,000 studies, world’s largest database Focused on education and prevention Amen Clinics Brain SPECT

Amen Clinics -- 4 Centers

Patients from 75 different countries

Use SPECT to look at brain function, which measures brain blood flow and activity

18 years, 50,000 studies, world’s largest database

Focused on education and prevention

Healthy

Stroke: Why you shouldn’t smoke!

Alzheimer’s Disease

Brain Injury

Cocaine Methamphetamine

Alcohol Heroin

Significant NFL Preliminary Findings Low frontal lobes focus and judgment Low temporal lobes memory, mood Low cerebellum coordination and processing speed

Low frontal lobes

focus and judgment

Low temporal lobes

memory, mood

Low cerebellum

coordination and processing speed

Significant NFL Preliminary Findings Memory problems Depression Slow processing speed

Memory problems

Depression

Slow processing speed

Significant NFL Preliminary Findings Memory problems Low energy Attentional problems

Memory problems

Low energy

Attentional problems

Significant NFL Preliminary Findings Memory problems

Memory problems

Significant NFL Preliminary Findings Depression Memory problems Motivation problems Temper problems

Depression

Memory problems

Motivation problems

Temper problems

WE NEED YOUR HELP Goal to recruit up to 100 NFL players Not currently on psychiatric medications Able to come to Newport Beach, CA twice, two months apart for before and after scans No charge to players See me or Dr. Willeumier to sign up

Goal to recruit up to 100 NFL players

Not currently on psychiatric medications

Able to come to Newport Beach, CA twice, two months apart for before and after scans

No charge to players

See me or Dr. Willeumier to sign up

What Can You Do Now To Keep Your Brain Healthy?

#1: Love Your Brain Age 37 Age 52

#2: Protect Your Brain Brain is soft and your skull is hard Brain injuries can ruin your life So wear your seat belt, drive in safe vehicles, no soccer headers and stay off the roof

Brain is soft and your skull is hard

Brain injuries can ruin your life

So wear your seat belt, drive in safe vehicles, no soccer headers and stay off the roof

Roofing Accident

#3: Stop Poisoning Your Brain Do not put toxic substances in your body Poison your brain, you poison your mind So, not much alcohol, no illegal drugs, including marijuana, stop smoking, limit your caffeine intake, and stop painting without good ventilation

Do not put toxic substances in your body

Poison your brain, you poison your mind

So, not much alcohol, no illegal drugs, including marijuana, stop smoking, limit your caffeine intake, and stop painting without good ventilation

#4: Protect Your Memory Critical to take memory problems seriously and not just dismiss them as normal aging 95% of people with Alzheimer’s disease not diagnosed until moderate to severe When not much can be done

Critical to take memory problems seriously and not just dismiss them as normal aging

95% of people with Alzheimer’s disease not diagnosed until moderate to severe

When not much can be done

Early Alzheimer’s Disease

#5: Learn Brain Healthy Ways To Deal With Pain One of the most frightening symptoms Affects sleep, mood, memory and focus Scans show use of chronic pain meds, such as Oxycontin, may be harmful Long term use similar to alcohol

One of the most frightening symptoms

Affects sleep, mood, memory and focus

Scans show use of chronic pain meds, such as Oxycontin, may be harmful

Long term use similar to alcohol

Oxycontin

Natural Treatments for Pain Fish oil Acupuncture Hypnosis

Fish oil

Acupuncture

Hypnosis

#6: Feed You Brain Eat Right to Think Right Lean protein Good carbohydrates Decrease bad fat, not all fat Omega 3 Fatty Acids -- fish, such as tuna and salmon, avocados and walnuts Water

Lean protein

Good carbohydrates

Decrease bad fat, not all fat

Omega 3 Fatty Acids -- fish, such as tuna and salmon, avocados and walnuts

Water

#7: Exercise Is Foundation of Youth Boosts blood flow Increases chemicals important for learning, memory and stimulating growth of new brain cells 30 minutes 3 or 4 Xs week all you need

Boosts blood flow

Increases chemicals important for learning, memory and stimulating growth of new brain cells

30 minutes 3 or 4 Xs week all you need

#8: Mental Exercise Exercise generates new cells in brain New cells last for about four weeks If not stimulated by new learning they die This is why people who only work out at the gym out are not nearly as smart as those who work out and then go to the library 

Exercise generates new cells in brain

New cells last for about four weeks

If not stimulated by new learning they die

This is why people who only work out at the gym out are not nearly as smart as those who work out and then go to the library 

Conclusion Brain damage is a serious problem in the NFL It needs to be tested for, including scans, and treated whenever found It is often a job related injury All players need to be on a brain healthy program when they play and after they retire There is significant help available, and it is critical to take advantage of it

Brain damage is a serious problem in the NFL

It needs to be tested for, including scans, and treated whenever found

It is often a job related injury

All players need to be on a brain healthy program when they play and after they retire

There is significant help available, and it is critical to take advantage of it

Daniel G. Amen, MD Amen Clinics, Inc. www.amenclinics.com