5230 Pacific Concourse Dr., Suite 300,
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Tel: 310-643-9595 | Fax: 310-643-5180 | Email:info@concussiontreatment.com
The Third
Annual National Summit on Concussion
and Other Sports Medicine Injuries" on Friday May 15th, 2009
more detials
more detials
Fernando
Gomez-Pinilla, Ph.D
Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, Ph.D. is a professor of neurosurgery
and physiological science at the University of California, Los Angeles,
and believes that appropriate changes to a person's diet can enhance
cognitive abilities, protect the brain from damage and counteract the
effects of aging.
Dr Gómez-Pinilla has been studying the effects of food on the brain for years, and has now completed a review, just published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, that has analyzed more than 160 studies of food's effect on the brain. He is also interested on the mechanisms by which environmental factors affect neuronal health. His group has found that trophic factors endogenous to the brain and spinal cord can be induced by the practice of select behaviors. They have recently reported that physical activity, learning, and nutritional factors control neurotrophins in the brain. These findings opened the exciting possibility that regulation of trophic factors by behavior can be a pivotal mechanism by which specific experiences can impact the structure and function of the CNS. It may account for the improvement of CNS function after trauma provided by rehabilitative therapies. On the contrary, it may explain the decay in function in aging or degenerative diseases following a lack of stimulation.
These two avenues provide direction for his research program: 1) How trophic factors induced by activity can help functional recovery following brain and spinal cord trauma. They are using several exercise models to boost the production of trophic factors in the brain and spinal cord.
Their goal is to provide critical information to guide the design of behavioral therapies for the reduction of the severity of insult or disease, and to increase CNS function. 2) they are evaluating the effects of lifestyle on trophic factor production, with resulting effects on circuit remodeling, synaptic function, and cognition. He believes that changes in trophic factor as a result of select experiences can affect neuronal health with profound consequences for cognitive function.
Dr Gómez-Pinilla has been studying the effects of food on the brain for years, and has now completed a review, just published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, that has analyzed more than 160 studies of food's effect on the brain. He is also interested on the mechanisms by which environmental factors affect neuronal health. His group has found that trophic factors endogenous to the brain and spinal cord can be induced by the practice of select behaviors. They have recently reported that physical activity, learning, and nutritional factors control neurotrophins in the brain. These findings opened the exciting possibility that regulation of trophic factors by behavior can be a pivotal mechanism by which specific experiences can impact the structure and function of the CNS. It may account for the improvement of CNS function after trauma provided by rehabilitative therapies. On the contrary, it may explain the decay in function in aging or degenerative diseases following a lack of stimulation.
These two avenues provide direction for his research program: 1) How trophic factors induced by activity can help functional recovery following brain and spinal cord trauma. They are using several exercise models to boost the production of trophic factors in the brain and spinal cord.
Their goal is to provide critical information to guide the design of behavioral therapies for the reduction of the severity of insult or disease, and to increase CNS function. 2) they are evaluating the effects of lifestyle on trophic factor production, with resulting effects on circuit remodeling, synaptic function, and cognition. He believes that changes in trophic factor as a result of select experiences can affect neuronal health with profound consequences for cognitive function.