Memory Rescue
Good Fit
- People who notice changes in their memory and want to review their lifestyle
- Those with an elderly relative who are looking for a broad introduction to memory risk factors
- Readers who want a systematic list on how factors such as sleep, nutrition, exercise and stress relate to memory
Not a Fit
- Anyone who wants to deal with memory complaints with medication alone: the book takes lifestyle change as its basis
- Anyone seeking a scientifically sourced, balanced clinical guideline: the book is popular and geared to the method of the author's own clinic
- Anyone wanting to replace medical diagnosis and treatment with a book
In the introduction Dr Daniel Amen expresses his philosophy in a few theses: the brain controls every area of your life; when your brain has a problem for any reason you are probably sadder, sicker and poorer; you are not doomed to the brain you have, you can do better even if you have treated it badly. To save the brain you must end the «little lies» — «It will be hard», «I don't want to deprive myself», «It's too expensive», «I don't have time», «I eat everything in moderation». The author says this book will help you to avoid hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression and dementia.
Amen describes the modern environment as «weapons of mass destruction»: highly processed, pesticide-laden, high-glycaemic food in plastic packaging; in America two out of three of us are overweight or obese, 50% of the population is diabetic or pre-diabetic; the news feeds our minds toxic images; according to a Microsoft study people's attention span is eight seconds (nine in a goldfish). He calls his patients «brain warriors» and asks the reader to be a «brain warrior and memory rescuer».
Chapter 1 opens with «Memory is life»: memory is «the fabric of our souls», it makes us who we are and carries our ability to make decisions, our success at work and our independence. Worldwide someone is diagnosed with dementia every seven seconds, 45 million Americans will get Alzheimer's at some point in their lives, 75% of older adults will have memory problems and more than 200 drug trials have failed. The author sharply criticises the conventional approach: the doctor asks a few questions, orders an MRI, says «age-appropriate atrophy», prescribes Aricept and books a check-up in six months; risk factors, diet and exercise are not discussed.
Amen shows that in 2011 the National Institute on Aging added a «preclinical» stage and notes that the brain may start to deteriorate decades before symptoms; according to a UCLA study 95% of Alzheimer's patients are not diagnosed until the moderate-to-severe stage. For this reason he thinks memory loss has many causes and lists the risk factors with the acronym BRIGHT MINDS: blood flow, retirement/ageing, inflammation, genetics, head trauma, toxins, mental health, immunity/infection, neurohormone deficiencies, diabesity and sleep issues. The chapter is illustrated by the story of Steve, a 60-year-old CEO: his father and grandfather died of Alzheimer's, he himself went to a doctor with weakening memory, was told «it is normal» and then turned to the Amen Clinics.
- Chapters open with doctor–patient stories (Steve) and the scientific explanation comes afterwards
- The acronym BRIGHT MINDS gathers the risk factors for memory into a single map
- The author draws on the brain-imaging experience of his own clinic and on the stories of his patients
- «BRIGHT MINDS tip» boxes in each chapter give a practical summary
The same author's earlier book on brain health and mood
A book explaining the relationship between brain health and nutrition
Another book proposing a multi-sided approach to preventing Alzheimer's
At the end of the part read Amen goes through Steve's records and finds several risk factors: pre-hypertension and age 60, inflammation markers, family history (genetics), chronic stress from watching his father's decline and caring for his mother, not eating organic and not paying attention to toxins, low vitamin D and testosterone. What follows is outside the scope of this review.
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