Abstract
Focus Area: Integrative Approaches to Care
Chronic neurological illnesses such as Alzheimer's Disease are the most pressing public health problems in aging societies. Biomedical and mechanistic approaches to these degenerative conditions are limited by incomplete knowledge of the initiating causes and basic mechanisms of pathogenesis. Proposed treatments such as monoclonal antibodies are built on disputed notions of the role of pathological markers such as cerebral amyloid. They are unproven and likely to be very expensive, especially if used for millions of affected or at-risk individuals. Integrative approaches emphasize multimodal, holistic approach to support the body's self-healing abilities. This approach offers a safe, effective, and cost-effective alternative to conventional biomedical treatments.
There is growing evidence that neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons from neural stem cells, occurs under normal physiological conditions throughout life. The key steps in this process are under positive and negative modulation by environmental and behavioral factors. Effective management of these conditions and, indeed, prevention in populations is dependent on promoting modulatory influences that support neurogenesis and avoiding and mitigating those influences that negatively affect neurogenesis. In this session, we will hear from an interprofessional team consisting of a neurologist, an exercise physiologist, a psychotherapist and mind-body practitioner, and a traditional Chinese medicine physician who are actively developing integrative approaches to these problems.