Brain Science: Election Day +2, 2024 Personal, Congressional, and National Accountability

“Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be.” – Sydney J. Harris

The sky hasn’t fallen. But this isn’t about politics, though nothing these days seems to be free of tough choices amidst competing interests and “truth.” This is a reflection on choices we as a country face with respect to medicine, specifically brain wounds, mental health, and modern alternatives and supplements to standards of care that are outdated.

Consider: Compared to most of medicine, Brain Science is in its infancy. A quick review of the historical record shows the recent rush of new science:

Early-history: Trephination, an early form of brain surgery, was used to treat a variety of conditions, including: Relieving pressure in the skull, Treating symptoms of epilepsy and sinusitis, and curing supernatural or otherworldly conditions. Remains of the brothers, who lived during the Bronze Age between 1550 BC and 1450 BC, were found with holes in their skulls during an excavation of a tomb in the ancient city of Tel Megiddo. The Incas beat Europeans to it, but fossils show that brain surgery may have begun around 2.5 million years ago, during the late Paleolithic period.

Pre-modern: Al-Zahrawi performed surgical treatments for head injuries, skull fractures, and other conditions in Al-Andalus from 936 to 1013 AD. Simple neurosurgery was performed on King Henri II in 1559 after a jousting accident. He didn’t survive.

18th century: The Industrial Revolution led to economic and technological growth, which in turn led to medical progress. 

19th century: Scientists made discoveries and inventions that helped identify and prevent illnesses, and understand how bacteria and viruses work. Anesthetics were developed, and medical training improved. Cushing ushers in modern neurosurgery in 1895.

20th century: Research focused on infectious diseases and how they spread. Many pathogenic organisms were discovered and classified, including viruses, which cause diseases like polio, measles, and mumps. 

1950s: Antibiotics were discovered, and the mechanisms of metabolic diseases were understood. 

1960s and 1970s: The scientific method became more important than tradition and authority. Treatments had to be shown to be effective through statistically sound techniques. 

1980s to 2000: Robot-assisted surgery, Vaccine for Hepatitis “B”; MRI scanner; Statins; Laser Cataract Surgery; Gamow bag (hyperbaric bag for treating altitude sickness); tiny camera on a pill; Radiosurgery (for epilepsy and malignant tumors); Viagra.

2000 to present: Human Genome completed; CRISPR; worldwide BRAIN projects; Nobel prize for importance of oxygen, discovery of the glymphatic system, (re)discovery of translational/functional/ alternative medicine.

In 2024, “invisible wounds” are no longer invisible. Brain scanning and sophisticated biomarker techniques can reveal brain wounds and provide hints for interventions to cure those wounds. And we continue to discover many of the mechanisms of action that impede brain health, and how HBOT addresses conditions like inflammation, oxygen delivery, proliferation of stem cells, healing, restoration of brain functions necessary for health, and ageing.

The glymphatic system, an undiscovered body system until 2012, helps the brain clear metabolic waste, excess fluid, and proteins. It’s thought that glitches in the glymphatic system may contribute to the buildup of harmful waste in the brain, which could lead to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. HBOT, by reducing inflammation and growing new blood vessels, restores glymphatic system regularity.

Consider the impact of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on our understanding of brain mechanics. The prize was awarded to William G. Kaelin Jr., Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, and Gregg L. Semenza for their discoveries about how cells sense and adapt to oxygen levels. The scientists’ work revealed the molecular machinery that regulates gene activity in response to oxygen levels. This process is essential for hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF).

Dr. Shai Efrati, a veteran HBOT researcher, has recently published BEYOND NORMAL, How the new Science of Enhanced Medicine Elevates Peak Performance and Repairs Brain Injury. In it, he speaks directly to the power of Hyperbaric Oxygenation, coupled with HIF, to restore brain function. His ground-breaking work provides remarkable insights about oxygen delivery for Stroke, Concussion, PTSD, Fibromyalgia, neurologic disorders like Alzheimers’s, peak physical performance, and the science of “reverse ageing.”

Bottom line: new advances in medicine have escaped many medical school graduates who have never heard of HBOT, the glymphatic system, or HIF. Sadly, medicine and insurance rules make it difficult for doctors to really listen to patients to do proper diagnoses, The lack of time to read outside their discipline means doctors are uninformed. Victims of brain wounds are underserved and often unknowing about safe, effective, available, and less costly interventions to deal with their mis- or mal-diagnosed TBI/PTSD/Concussion.

In the midst of a complex and often contentious healthcare landscape, we find ourselves grappling with critical choices that directly impact the lives of countless individuals suffering from brain injuries and mental health challenges. The urgency for modern alternatives to outdated care standards has never been more pronounced, as we witness the heartbreaking epidemics of suicide, concussions, and mental health issues affecting veterans and civilians alike.

At TreatNOW, we are committed to illuminating the path forward by educating key stakeholders—Congress, the Department of Defense, and the general public—about the proven benefits of innovative treatments like Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).

Our efforts are driven by a deep compassion for those struggling with the aftermath of brain wounds and a resolute belief in the power of timely intervention to facilitate healing.

As we tirelessly advocate for policy changes that will enhance access to effective treatments, we invite you to join us in championing this vital mission. Together, we can break the logjam and ensure that those in need receive the care they deserve.

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The TreatNOW Mission is ending service member suicides. Along the way, we have learned that we can end suicidal ideation, help end symptoms of PTSD, get patients off most of their drugs, and heal brain wounds to end the effects of BLAST injury, mild TBI Persistent Post Concussive Syndrome, and polytrauma from AHI and Burn Pits. Diabetic Foot Ulcers have become a major emphasis. www.treatnow.org

Heal Brains. Stop Suicides. Restore Lives. TreatNOW

Information provided by TreatNOW.org does not constitute a medical recommendation. It is intended for informational purposes only, and no claims, either real or implied, are being made.