1) The single most important lesson from 83,000 brain scans is that you can literally change people's brains through treatment, which changes their lives. 2) Conditions like ADHD, anxiety, depression, and addiction are not single or simple disorders but have multiple types that require tailored treatment to the individual brain. 3) Undiagnosed brain injuries are a major cause of issues like homelessness, drug abuse, depression, panic attacks, ADHD, and suicide. Evaluating and treating troubled brains could help rehabilitate people and save society money.

1. Most Important Lesson
from 83,000 Brain Scans
Daniel G. Amen, MD

2. Maverick

3. How do you know unless you look?
1972…

4. Fell in love with psychiatry because it has
potential to change generations
1979 …

5. Brain SPECT Imaging
1991 …
+ Psychiatry
= Revolution

6. Healthy Brain SPECT Scans
Surface View Active View

7. Healthy vs 2 Strokes
Healthy Stroke

8. Healthy vs Alzheimer’s Disease
Healthy Alzheimer’s

9. Healthy vs Traumatic Brain Injury
Healthy TBI

10. Healthy vs Drug Abuse
Healthy Drug Affected

11. Healthy vs OCD
Healthy OCD

12. Healthy vs Seizure Activity
Healthy Seizure Activity

13. All Day Conference on
SPECT in Psychiatry
1992 …
Researchers Complain
Scans Only for Research

15. Psychiatrists only medical specialists who
rarely looks at organ they treat
 Cardiologists look
 Neurologists look
 Orthopedists look
 All other specialties look
 Psychiatrists guess

16. Before Imaging

17. There is a reason most psychiatric
medications have “Black Box” Warnings

18. Early Lesson
 ADHD
 Anxiety
 Depression
 Addictions
 NOT single or simple disorders
 All have multiple types

19. Two Patients with Depression
Rx needs to be tailored to individual brains

20. Early Lesson
 Mild traumatic brain injuries are a major cause
of psychiatric illness

21. Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Mild?

22. Undiagnosed Brain Injuries
Are a Major Cause of:
 Homelessness
 Drug and alcohol abuse
 Depression
 Panic attacks
 ADHD
 Suicide

23.  Judges and defense attorneys sought our help to
understand criminal behavior
 > 500 convicted felons, including 90 murderers
 Our work taught us that people who do bad things
often have troubled brains
 Many of these brains could be rehabilitated
More Lessons

24.  What if we evaluated and treated troubled brains,
 Rather than simply warehousing them in toxic,
stressful environments?
 In my experience, we could save tremendous $$ by
making people more functional
 So when they got out of prison they could work,
support their families and pay taxes.
Radical Idea?

25.  “A society should be judged not
by how it treats its outstanding
citizens, but by how it treats its
criminals.”
 Instead of just Crime and Punishment
 Crime, Evaluation and Treatment
Fyodor Dostoevsky

26. Single Most Important Lesson
You can literally
change people’s brains
and when you do
you change their lives

27. Active and Retired NFL Players
Damage Seen Across Whole Brain

28. High Levels of Improvement Possible

29. Reversing Brain Damage Is Exciting New
Frontier, But the Implications Are Wider

30. From Failure to Success
Before After

31. Nancy

32. Before After

33. Andrew

37. Supplement Success
Mind the Gap

38. Brain Healthy Supplements
 Pros versus cons
 For all – multiple vitamin, fish oil, vitamin D
 Brain type
 Craving control
 Mood
 Energy, Focus
 Memory

39. Supplement Benefits
 Never have to reveal to insurance company
 Less expensive
 Generally significantly fewer side effects, but not
NO side effects
 Some effective for mild to moderate problems
 Generally, have increased compliance

40. Supplement Problems
 May be more expensive because usually not covered
by insurance
 Many not aware of potential side effects
 Quality control/standardization issues
 Consultant may be clerk at the grocery store
 Fewer studies as it is hard to maintain patents on
these products

41. Recommendations for All
 Multiple vitamin
 More fish or omega 3 fatty acid supplement
 Test and optimize Vitamin D level
 Then, issue specific strategies

42. Multiple Vitamin
 Most people do not eat 5 servings of fruits and
vegetables a day
 1998 NEJM, “Eat right and take a multiple vitamin”
 2002 JAMA, “It appears prudent for all adults to take
vitamin supplements for prevention of chronic diseases.”
 MV - Placebo controlled trial of 215 men -- significant
improvement in perceived stress, general health,
vigor after 33 days

43. NeuroVite Plus
 50 brain supporting nutrients
 including ALC, ALA, PS, CoQ10
 Complete MV/mineral complex
 High B vitamins, B6, B12, 5MTHF
 2,000 IUs Vitamin D
 Phytonutrients – blueberries, spinach,
tomato, apple, broccoli, 2 glasses of wine
(without alcohol)
 Digestive enzymes

44. Omega 3s
Low Levels Benefits
 Heart disease
 Strokes
 Depression
 Suicidal behavior
 ADHD
 Dementia
 Obesity
 Heart
 Skin
 Eyes
 Joints
 Brain
 Decrease appetite &
cravings
 2-3 grams a day

45. Omega 3 Power
 Highly purified
 Independently tested
 2.8g fish oil in 2 capsules
 60/40 EPA to DHA ratio
 No fish burps

46. Low Levels of Vitamin D
 2/3rds of Americans
 Depression
 Alzheimer’s disease
 MS – replacement helps prevent relapse
 Heart disease
 Diabetes
 Cancer
 Obesity
 Interferes with sense of fullness

48. Vitamin D
 25 hydroxy-vitamin D
 Normal between 30-100 ng/dl
 Optimal between 50-90 ng/dl
 Give Vitamin D3 if levels low and retest level so you
optimize it and don’t overdo it
 Universal risk factor for multifactorial diseases, such
as diabetes, heart disease, strokes, cancer and
dementia

49. Brain Type Help
 Impulsive
 Compulsive
 Impulsive-Compulsive
 Sad
 Anxious

50. Impulsive
Focus and Energy
 Boost Dopamine

51. Compulsive
Serotonin Mood Support
 Boost serotonin

52. Impulsive-Compulsive
Focus and Energy + Serotonin Mood Support
+

53. SAD
SAME Mood and Movement Support
 Boost dopamine and
norepinephrine
 SAMe

54. Anxious
Everyday Stress Relief

55. Craving Control
Not Just for Food Cravings

56. Restful Sleep
The Hammer

57. Brain and Memory Power Boost
Mind the Gap of Your Mind

58. Brain Power Basics
 NeuroVite Plus
 Omega 3 Power
 Brain & Memory
Power Boost
 3 High Quality Studies

59. Brain Power Basics
Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial
 Significant improvement in blood flow to brain

60. Brain Power Basics
2 Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Trials
 Significant improvement
 Overall cognitive function
 Memory
 Reasoning
 Processing speed/accuracy
 Executive function
 Mood
 Emotional identification
 Lower hostility
 Lower somatization
 Less obsessiveness

61. Amen Clinics NFL Study
Damage Seen Across Whole Brain

62. Brain Healthy Program
 62 players with follow up
scans/cognitive tests
 50 showed improvement
 Especially in:
 Memory (69%)
 Attention (53%)
 Mood (38%)
 Motivation (38%)
 Sleep (25%)

63. RP – Stanford and Broncos
5th to 53rd %ile in Memory
Before After

64. Think Drink