Neurotransmitters and Brain

Greetings everyone! I've just returned from a weekend conference in Atlanta that was conducted by Dr. Shane Steadman, one of the team speakers for Apex Energetics, who proved to me to be one of the most qualified doctors in the field of Functional Neurology today. Quite frankly, his post-graduate credentials are literally too extensive to list after his name, but suffice to say, he is another of these remarkably gifted minds in the chiropractic profession that has dedicated his life's work to unraveling the mysteries of brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system, i.e. CNS) dysfunction. What was addressed this weekend was the seemingly endless array of interactions that can adversely impact anything from the way in which our brain functions in its performance of second-to-second tasks and misfires in certain clinical presentations (eg. ADHD, depression, etc.) all the way on through to the neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS (eg. Alzheimer's disease, CVA's, Multiple Sclerosis, etc.). Topics of this weekend course included the following:

1. Clinical assessment of neurotransmitter (NT) imbalances.
2. The interactions between cytokines, hormones, and NT's.
3. Applications of functional neuroendocrine-immunology to clinical practice.
4. The interconnections between NT's and dysglycemia, thyroid imbalances, and adrenal gland imbalances (to name but a few).
5. The clinical application of natural supplements, amino acids, and phytopharmaceutical compounds (i.e., botanical concentrates or herbs) and the seemingly plethora of literature in the peer-reviewed scientific community that documents the clinical efficacy of said supplements.
6. The validity of NT testing, again, as documented in today's scientific literature.

Dr. Datis Kharrazian is the true genius behind the entire organization and integration of what has rapidly become an avalanche of clinically relevant and scientifically "buttressed" information. He is yet another member of the chiropractic profession that we are truly blessed to have as one of our "own", and another practitioner with literally too many post-graduate credentials to cite. Dr. Kharrazian prefaces the introduction to his instruction manual on this weekend's neurochemistry course with the following statement:

"Everything you have ever experienced, felt, or conducted in life is due to brain function. The ability to enjoy, perceive, sense, and experience life is dictated by the firing rate and health of your brain. It is impossible for a person to become healthy mentally or physiologically without a healthy brain."

Simply stated, the brain and its neurons (nerve cells), which neuroscientists estimate to be somewhere in the realm of 100 BILLION, as in 100,000,000,000!!! (which may incidentally prove one day to be way too low of an estimate), is essential for every aspect of our day to day existence, and therefore our respective life experiences! That is to say, our physiology (cellular functions), our cognition and all cognitive experiences thereof, the emotional experiences that we perceive, and the image that we have of ourselves are all directly related and thereby inextricably linked to brain function! So without further extolling the marvels of this marvel of creation, I invite you to do yourselves both the favor and service of completing the following questionnaire as developed by Dr. Kharrazian, and either bring it in on your next visit, or you can complete one here in the office. The information provided will give me a comprehensive evaluation of your overall brain health and NT assessment, and if warranted, appropriate measures can be taken to keep your minds sharper than a razor's edge as you proceed through your respective journey of life. May God's blessing enrich your lives today and always.

Dr. Bloukos

P.S. I am currently having a problem with the transfer of the questionnaire, it will be posted in the near term for those of you that are currently reading this post.

P.P.S. "Ixnay" to previous post-script; there appears to be no way to attach the NT Assessment Form (NTAF) to this particular blog site, hence for those interested in the NTAF, please send me an e-mail at tbloukos@yahoo.com and I will send you the form to complete and you can either print it up at home or simply e-mail it back to me.