I’ve stuck with a regimen designed to increase my BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) levels with the ultimate goal of improving my memory and cognitive functions. I believe that it’s making a positive difference.
My first post on this topic discusses what BDNF is, what it does and how to improve BDNF levels in our brains. After the first month I posted my 30 day follow up detailing the positive impacts I’m seeing in my day to day experience. These posts also list a good number of references to scientific data supporting these assertions.
A Quick Review
If you haven’t read the posts linked above, I’d encourage you to give them a look, but here’s a quick summary. Many scientific studies demonstrate that increased BDNF levels both improve memory performance and positively impact cognitive skills, including for those of us with cognitive impairments stemming from injury, disease, or age-related cognitive decline. The best part of this is that behaviors, supplements, and a diet proven to increase BDNF isn’t beyond reach for most of us.
I was already on the right track with my meditation practice, but I now pursue 20 minutes or more of aerobic activity 3 times each week. I’ve also added key supplements to my daily regimen and try to enjoy a cup of coffee fruit tea every day. The fact that these are the only significant changes I’ve made gives me confidence that the results I’m seeing are attributable to the impact of increasing my BDNF levels.
Proven Impacts of Increased BDNF Levels
Research shows that increasing BDNF levels has direct correlation to many benefits including neuroprotection, neurogenesis, and synaptogenesis(1). Neurogenesis is the creation of new neurons from neural stem cells. Synaptogenesis refers to the formation of new synapses, the connection points between new neurons. Studies offer strong evidence that adult neurogenesis also results in increased plasticity of the neurons(2), well beyond the cascade of regenerative activity in the initial weeks following a brain injury(3).
What I’ve Seen
As I’ve communicated in my earlier posts, my studies are me watching me in an uncontrolled experiment with no control group to contrast my findings against. That said, changes are happening and I’m giving the credit to adopting a lifestyle shown by controlled studies to promote an increase in BDNF levels(4)(5)(6).
Memory is changing for me. The frequency of my short-term memory failures, while they still happen, is decreasing in a noticeable way. The number of times in the past few weeks of wandering through the house or my shop looking for something I set somewhere has decreased. I’m finding it easier to be highly effective in work meetings without having a page or two of notes in front of me.
But for me, here’s the big one… You see, before my brain injury, I played my guitar more days than not and I was a reasonably prolific songwriter. Unfortunately, my brain injury took that all away from me. I’ve started to play again over recent months but, as you might imagine, all of the originals I once played have completely vanished from my memory and, unfortunately, I no longer have the books I wrote all my original works in.
The ones I still played were only due to an undeservedly good memory, well… prior to the severe TBI that suspended my access to them. I use the term suspended rather than removed because over the last few weeks, some of them are starting to come back! Yeah, that exclamation point is to communicate the level of excitement this has kindled inside me. I’m writing them down as they come back, and so far, I’ve found three of those that went missing. The best analogy I can make here is for you to imagine that your beloved pet wandered off some time ago and you’ve been searching and hoping all along. One day, you open your door only to see your once lost pet sitting there looking up at you. It was an amazing experience for me to have a missing part of my life suddenly return.
Cognitive Improvements
BDNF is shown to enhance all forms of neuroplasticity, allowing us to maintain strong cognitive functions throughout our lives(7). Our cognitive functions fuel the mental activities associated with learning and problem solving. Other examples of cognitive skills include focused or divided attention, both long term and working memory, logic and reasoning, and audio/visual processing.
I don’t have any before and after evaluation tests to show indisputable evidence, what I have is my own experience and perceptions to relate. I’ve seen some improvement in my ability to perform in meetings at work without having to create comprehensive notes before the meeting. My reading comprehension without having to repeatedly read things seems to be improving. It feels like things are sticking in my memory a little better than they were a couple of months ago. My moments of aphasia don’t feel as frequent as they used to be.
In Closing
My takeaways from what I perceive in my day-to-day life experience is that things are improving in noticeable ways. I’m still far from my preinjury performance levels, and I’m painfully aware that getting back to where I once was may be just a pipe dream.
Still, I can tell you two things…
- The timing of the improvements I’m seeing are suspiciously concurrent with me following a regimen shown to increase BDNF levels.
- Any improvement, big or small, is still an improvement.
Pursue a path that makes sense to you, but ask your doctor about lifestyle choices that increase BDNF levels(8)(9) – it just might make a difference for you too. I’ll be posting my 90 day follow up next month to let you know how things are going for me.
References
- BDNF: A Key Factor with Multipotent Impact on
Brain Signaling and Synaptic Plasticity
Przemysław Kowiański, Grażyna Lietzau, Ewelina Czuba, Monika Waśkow, Aleksandra Steliga, and Janusz Moryś (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5835061/ - New neurons and new memories: how does adult
hippocampal neurogenesis affect learning and memory?
Wei Deng, James B. Aimone, Fred H. Gage (2010)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2886712/ - Recovery after brain injury: mechanisms and
principles
Randolph J. Nudo (2013)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3870954/ - Aerobic exercise upregulates the
BDNF-Serotonin systems and improves the cognitive function in rats
Pietrelli, Matković, Vacotto, Lopez-Costa, Basso, & Bruscon (2018)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29800645 - Yoga, Meditation and Mind-Body Health:
Increased BDNF, Cortisol Awakening Response, and Altered Inflammatory Marker
Expression after a 3-Month Yoga and Meditation Retreat
B. Rael Cahn, Matthew S. Goodman, Christine T. Peterson, Raj Maturi, & Paul J. Mills (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5483482/ - Tai Chi Improves Cognition and Plasma BDNF in
Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Sungkarat, Boripuntakul, Kumfu, Lord, & Chattipakorn (2018)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29353543 - Lifestyle Modulators of Neuroplasticity: How
Physical Activity, Mental Engagement, and Diet Promote Cognitive Health during
Aging
Cristy Phillips (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5485368/ - Carbohydrate-restricted Diet and Exercise
Increase Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor and Cognitive Function: A Randomized
Crossover Trial
Amy Gyorkos, Mark H Baker, Lauren N Miutz, Deborah A Lown, Michael A Jones, Lori D Houghton-Rahrig (2019)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6822553/ - Exercise, Nutrition and the Brain
Romain Meeusen (2014)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4008828/
Hi,
Thank you for these articles about your experiments with BDNF; I just read all three and found them helpful. I wanted to ask, have you continued the original regimen? Have you noticed anything new or any further improvements that you think are attributable to the regimen?
Thank you,
Yes, and over the next week or two, I intend to do my 6 month check in post to describe the significant benefits I’m noticing.
As well, I was invited to be part of the “Fortify Your Brain: Experts Share Secrets on Protecting Your Brain From Oxidative and Emotional Stress, Restoring Energy, & Creating Success.” web summit that’s coming up to talk about BDNF. It’s a free event, you can register for it here: https://fortify-your-brain.heysummit.com/?sc=E3Vgca3q