President's Message
New Research on Covid-19 & Your Brain
Greetings!
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As we all know, we are in the midst of a viral pandemic.
As a physician, I am urging you to maintain all the safety measures we know about: staying home as much as possible, social distancing, wearing a mask and gloves when you do go out, and hand washing and sanitizing when you return. We already see a spike in illness and death in areas that “open up,” without following these guidelines.
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By now we understand the typical symptoms of Covid-19 infection: fever, shortness of breath, cough, and also some new findings such as wide spread bodily inflammation.
But what is startling is that emerging research reveals that some patients with Covid-19 also develop neurological ailments such as confusion, seizures, strokes and loss of smell.
One such patient is a 58-year-old female airline worker who went to the ER with the usual symptoms. But beyond that, she was disoriented, confused, and unable to remember anything but her name. She received a brain scan, which revealed what her doctors called “A Brain Aflame.” The scans also illumined dead and dying neurons in regions that usually relay signals of alertness and access to memory.
So what is the name of this newly discovered dangerous complication of Covid-19? Medical scientists call it acute necrotizing hemorrhagic encephalopathy or ANE.
ANE is a rare condition that causes severe brain damage by inflammation-inducing molecules called cytokines; what some doctors call a cytokine storm.
So far, as you probably know, the treatment for Covid-19 is supportive. Fluids, oxygen, and perhaps mechanical ventilation. But for many physicians, these new symptoms may require a different line of treatment, one targeted to the brain in addition to the body.
Beyond that, additional research reveals a possible connection between the Alzheimer’s gene and a higher Covid-19 risk. What has been shown is that people who have two copies of the Alzheimer’s gene, APOE4, test positive at a much higher rate than those who have a different genetic picture*.
What I’ve discovered in my investigations and research webinars is that
the best thing we can do in addition to preventive safety measures is to take great care of ourselves with special emphasis on brain health.
That means eating well, including the use of various nutrients, taking in some sunlight (which makes immune enhancing Vitamin D and melatonin), sleeping well, exercising, and practicing stress relaxing meditation. If you haven’t tried our research-proven Kirtan Kriya (KK) yet, I encourage you to try it. You can order your own
downloadable copy right here
.
The Covid-19 patient I mentioned above is now recovering at a rehabilitation facility. Many others haven’t been as fortunate.
Yours in Brain Health,
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
Founding President / Medical Directo
r
PS: To continue this crucial research, we accept donations of your old vehicle, workplace donation match, securities and stocks, In Memory of your loved one, In Honor of your birthday or another special occasion, and more.
*Ref: Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. Kuo L-C et al “APOE e4 genotype predicts severe Covid-19 in the UK Biobank community cohort” 2020.
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Introducing Our Newest Medical and Scientific Advisory Council Member
Annie Fenn, MD
Dr. Annie Fenn is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist specialized in menopausal health. After practicing medicine for more than 20 years in Jackson, WY, she realized that helping people change their diet was more effective at improving health than prescriptions. She traded her stethoscope for an apron and went to study culinary arts around the world.
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In 2015, Dr. Fenn founded the Brain Health Kitchen, an evidence-based online resource about how and what to eat to resist cognitive decline. The Brain Health Kitchen Cooking School, founded in 2017, is focused on the prevention of Alzheimer’s and other dementias through nutrition. Students learn brain-friendly cooking techniques, which foods are neuroprotective, and which foods accelerate cognitive decline. She travels around the country to give lectures about the impact that lifestyle and diet have on Alzheimer’s risk.
Dr. Fenn serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for Hilarity For Charity where she contributes nutritional content for caregivers. She partners with Maria Shriver and the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement to help fund grants for female-specific dementia research. Dr. Fenn serves on the board of Hole Food Rescue and partners with her local hospital to provide a novel community-based dementia prevention program.
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Special Achievements
SAC Member Helen Lavretsky, M.D. Receives Research Awards
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Your ARPF is honored to share that Dr. Helen Lavretsky, professor-in-residence of psychiatry at UCLA and member of our Medical & Scientific Advisory Council (SAC), has received 2020 distinguished research awards from the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, the American College of Psychiatrists, and the American Psychiatric Association. This is an outstanding achievement and unprecedented in the field of geriatric psychiatry.
The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry’s Distinguished Scientist Award recognized Dr. Lavretsky’s research in resilience in depression and aging. Dr. Lavretsky is a geriatric integrative psychiatrist with a federally funded research program in geriatric depression and integrative mental health using mind-body interventions. Her current research includes investigations of psychopharmacological treatment of geriatric depression, mild cognitive impairment, and the use of Tai Chi and yoga for treatment and prevention of late-life mood and cognitive disorders.
The American College of Psychiatrists honored Dr. Lavretsky with the Award for Research in Geriatric Psychiatry. The American Psychiatric Association honored Dr. Lavretsky with the Weinberg Award for Research in Geriatric Psychiatry. This award acknowledges a psychiatrist who has demonstrated special leadership or has done outstanding work in clinical practice, training, or research into geriatric psychiatry.
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Furthermore, ARPF is sponsoring a three-year study called “The Pink Brain™ Project,” in conjunction with Dr. Lavretsky’s Psychiatry Department at UCLA. Together, we will study the impact of a yoga program in women at high risk for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. ARPF offers our warmest congratulations to Dr. Lavretsky’s well-deserved honors.
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Donor Spotlight
Mitchell Senior High School
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– Mitchell, South Dakota
We would like to share our sincere gratitude to the Mitchell High School sophomore English class for their donation to ARPF. Students raised money for non-profit organizations of their choice as part of a class assignment that combined writing and research skills with real world application. After selecting a non-profit organization or charity, each student composed a research paper to persuade classmates to support his or her choice. Students hand wrote letters to local and national businesses asking for donations in our honor.
English teacher Ms. April Johnson explained, “Many of the students had a personal connection to a charity– I can't tell you how moving some of them were. Alzheimer's has been a prevalent topic and a number of my students had a family member who was affected by it.
This project was a lot of work and the students went above and beyond for it. My students demonstrated that they can make a difference in this world, not only by donating money to a charitable cause and contributing to society, but by learning the power of the written word. I am very grateful to the community for their support and proud of the kids for working so hard.”
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We all know someone who has been afflicted by Alzheimer’s. Your ARPF is striving to protect families from ever experiencing this grueling ordeal. We sincerely thank the Mitchell High students for their contribution to ARPF. If you are interested in holding a fundraiser to support AD prevention, education, outreach or our research initiatives, please contact Chelsea@alzheimersprevention.org
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Research Update
A New Scientific Paper Published About Kirtan Kriya Meditation and Improved Quality of Life
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We are delighted to report a new article published about the following research:
Emotional and Cognitive Improvement with Kirtan Kriya Meditation: A Pilot Study for Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients in a Catalan Community.
Paper Authors: Toni Cañete PhD, Gloria Borras MD PhD, Silvia Ramos, Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD
Objective: Study the effects of Kirtan Kriya Meditation (KKM), an 8-week yoga program on emotional and cognitive status in participants with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) while undergoing Cognitive Training Program (CTP). Fifteen adults participated in the study. None had previous experience of meditation or yoga. Seven participants practiced KKM for 12 minutes every day, a weekly yoga session, and the standard cognitive training program while 8 participants only followed the CTP.
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Results: Mood and cognitive parameters became normal after 8 weeks for the KKM group: decreased tension, hostility, and confusion. Depression and anxiety levels were also reduced. The KKM group improved their psycho-emotional and cognitive health compared to the CTP group. The yoga class elevated the perception of wellbeing.
“This is a good study that once again reveals the critical importance of increasing blood flow to significant areas of the brain in subjects with memory loss. Although this was a small study, the positive change in mood, anxiety and spiritual fitness was particularly significant.”– Dharma S. Khalsa, MD
Furthermore, studies have found that chronic stress and cortisol levels through the Hypothalamic-Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis are related to memory, emotional and cognitive impairment and may contribute to AD. Meditation helps balance the HPA-axis response to stress and improves cognitive function.
Kirtan Kriya has been used for different neurological disorders due to its role in:
Wellbeing
Quality of life
Enhanced neuroplasticity
Brain health improvement
Cognitive function and memory
The decrease of negative mood
The decrease of anxiety and stress
The reduction of inflammatory response
Recovering of gene expression & enzyme activity
This study further supports the science behind the brain-boosting effects of Kirtan Kriya. Mood, memory, and overall wellbeing has been a consistent result over the course of the studies. Kirtan Kriya is effective, safe, affordable and takes only 12 minutes a day to practice.
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In Memory/ In Honor Donors
January to April, 2020
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Your ARPF is honored to be a part of
Ever Loved’s memorial website
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This is a beautiful way to celebrate a loved one’s life in an elegant, community-oriented memorial fund. Ever Loved makes funeral planning and connecting with providers, friends, and family as simple as possible.
If you would like to leave a legacy for your loved one through supporting ARPF research and initiatives,
please visit our page
. We are so thankful to those who wish to include ARPF during such a sensitive time. We will continue to make strides in Alzheimer’s prevention in memory of all those who have been afflicted by dementia. We are forever grateful
.
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WORKPLACE CAMPAIGNS
ARPF is a proud participant in all workplace campaigns; these are only a few of the better known ones
:
- Aetna Foundation
- American Express
- Bank of America
- Citibank
- Colgate
- Discover
- Expedia
- GE
- Google
- Intuit
- JP Morgan Chase
- Lab Corp
- Liberty Mutual Group
- Macy’s
- Mayo Clinic
- Microsoft
- Morgan Stanley
- Paypal/Ebay
- PepsiCo
- Sherwin Williams Co.
- Sony Corporation
- Starbucks
- State Farm Insurance
- Subaru
- The Coca Cola Co
- VISA
- Wells Fargo
- Whole Foods Market
Check with your employer to see if the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation is on their list.
ARPF NOW ACCEPTS ALL THE FOLLOWING DONATIONS
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LEAVE A LEGACY:
Remember Us in Your Will
If you would like to receive information on how you can leave a legacy to support the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation’s critical research initiatives, or to support one of our many other programs, please contact ARPF’s Vice President Randy Brooks at 1-888-908-5766 or
by email.
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ARPF LEGACY SOCIETY
Gold Level
- Mrs. Ethel A. Hoff
- Dr. and Mrs. Dharma Singh Khalsa
- Ms. Barbara Joan Davis
Silver Level
- Mr. and Mrs. Claude and Billye Boucaud
- Mr. Carl G. Crawford
- Union Congregational Church
Bronze Level
- Mr. and Mrs. Randy Brooks
- Ms. Mary Gilbert
- Mr. Edward T. Haats
- Mrs. Marjorie Olmstead
- Shaol and Evelyn Pozez Endowment Fund
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Officers and Board Members
PRESIDENT/MEDICAL DIRECTOR
- Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
VICE PRESIDENT
- Randal Brooks, MA, LPC
TREASURER
- Bert Beatty, MHA
SECRETARY
- Kirti K. Khalsa
MEMBERS
- Fletcher Wilkins, BS
-Edward Gellert, BSM
Executive Staff
VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
-
Chris Walling, PsyD, MBA, C-IAYT
SENIOR ADVISOR
- Simran S. Stuelpnagel
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
- Chelsea Pyne
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ARPF is a Proud Member of:
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Medical and Scientific Advisory Council
CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER
George Perry, Ph.D.,
Professor of Biology & Chemistry, Chief Scientist, Brain Health Consortium University of Texas at San Antonio, TX
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Daniel Amen, M.D.
, Director of the Amen Clinics, Costa Mesa, CA
Ma Gloria Borras-Boneu, M.D.
, GRD Health Institute - Barcelona, Spain
Hiroko Dodge, Ph.D.
, Kevreson Research Professor of Neurology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Oregon Health & Science University
Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D.,
Adjunct Research Assistant Professor of Neurology Boston University, School of Medicine, Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Boston, MA
Elissa Epel, Ph.D
., Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA
Annie Fenn, M.D
.,
Women’s health specialist & Founder of Brain Health Kitchen, Jackson Hole, WY
Karen E. Innes, MSPH, Ph.D.
,Professor of Epidemiology, Western Virginia University School of Public Health, Morgantown, WV
Richard S. Isaacson, M.D.,
Director, Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
Sat Bir S. Khalsa, Ph.D.
, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Boston, MA
Tejinder Kaur Khalsa, M.D., M.S., FRCP,
Senior Associate Consultant, General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Miia Kivipelto, M.D., Ph.D.
, Aging Research Center and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Karolinska Institute - Stockholm, Sweden
Karen Koffler, M.D.,
Medical Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at University of Miami, FL
Helen Lavretsky, M.D., M.S.
, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute and Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital- Los Angeles, CA
Lisa Mosconi, Ph.D.,
Associate Director, Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
Andrew B. Newberg, M.D.
, Director, Marcus Institute of Integrative Health –Myrna Brind Center Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
Arti Prasad, M.D., FACP
, Chief of Medicine, Hennepin Medical Ctr Professor/Vice Chair of Medicine, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Kateřina Sheardová, M.D.
, Head of the Memory Center ICRC St. Anne´s University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic
Michelle Sierpina, Ph.D.
, Founding Director, UTMB Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, TX
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