Is Brain Health Important to You?

February 2022 Issue
By Joy Nelson

Memory Matters’ Brain Health Summit is coming up next month—March 11. Its name—Brain Health Summit—may sound intimidating, boring, or too scientific, but it’s anything but!This fun, educational event provides the most up-to-date information on the importance of brain health, how you can keep your brain young, and what innovations are underway to cure Alzheimer’s disease.

Brain health is vital to life, but is often overlooked. We all know we need to eat right and exercise for a healthy heart. Why don’t we know what we should do to maintain a healthy brain? The health of your brain should start at infancy and follow through your entire life. In recent years, there has been more proof showing brain injuries in adolescent athletes can have lasting effects. Whether it’s a tackle in football or header in soccer, that type of head trauma can be damaging, especially since the brain is not fully grown until age 25. When you really think about it, the brain controls everything: How you think, how you feel, how you act, how you get along with others, not to mention it’s the CEO of your bodily functions. Consider these intriguing facts: The brain has 100 billion nerve cells; information travels through the brain 268 miles per hour; and the brain is 2 percent of the body’s weight, but uses 20-30 percent of your daily calories.

Providing the Lowcountry with education on the importance of brain health is exactly why Memory Matters started the Brain Health Summit in 2018. Bringing in some of the premier brain experts throughout the Nation, the Summit informs attendees on what can be done to have a healthier brain.

Once again, this year’s Brain Summit will host two compelling speakers. Dr. Ali Rezai is a neurosurgeon and director of the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, which is the first of several sites chosen to conduct a multi-center, clinical trial using ultrasound technology to reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and allow doctors access to parts of the brain affected by it. His pioneering research and clinical practice have advanced brain health for patients around the world. In 2019, Dr. Rezai was part of a team that implanted a deep brain stimulator chip into a part of the brain to reduce cravings for drugs, specifically opioids. This marked the first time that Deep Brain Stimulation was performed in the United States for drug addiction.

Dr. Gary Small is a renowned author of numerous brain health books including The Memory Bible. He is currently the Director of Psychiatry and Physician in Chief for Behavioral Health at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey. Dr. Small plans on addressing the audience at the Brain Health Summit with his innovative memory exercises and brain fitness program. In addition, Dr. Small's comprehensive program includes a "brain diet" of memory-enhancing foods and a list of the most effective drugs, as well as a workbook with a weekly and daily calendar.

Join Memory Matters, Dr. Rezai and Dr. Small on Friday, March 11, 2022, at Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for an enlightening, educational and entertaining experience that will give you peace of mind. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at www.mymemorymatters.org.