Brains Plus Money: Newt Gingrich’s Health Care Reform

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Alzheimer’s is estimated to be a $20 trillion cost from now to 2050. That’s one and a half times the entire federal debt. If you could postpone the onset of Alzheimer’s by five years, you save $6 to $8 trillion.” — Newt Gingrich, Republican Presidential Candidate

In a recent debate, GOP Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich shared his 3-point plan for health care reform. Point #3 proposes a brain science initiative in which we “invest in brain research and accelerate knowledge getting from the laboratory to the patient.” In a recent interview with Judy Woodruff of PBS, Gingrich said,“the opportunities in brain science are truly enormous. We could in the next 10 to 20 years have breakthroughs that will affect Alzheimer’s, autism, Parkinson’s, mental health, a tremendous array of things. The impact on human lives and on the federal budget would be enormous.”

More and more, brain science is coming into the picture. Brain World caught up with our Go-to-Gal for Brain-Balance, Dianne Price, who alerted us to the fact that knowledge about the brain is emerging at break-neck speed. Just two months ago a study was published in the Journal of Neuroscience that showed it is possible to create new neurons with brain stimulation.

The possibility of using electrical stimulation to reconstruct damaged circuits in the brain “gives us hope not only of improving symptoms of AD but also of changing the natural course of the illness — slowing it down — and that’s quite exciting,” one of the study authors, Andres M. Lozano, MD, PhD, senior scientist in the Division of Brain Imaging and Behavior Systems–Neuroscience at the Toronto Western Research Institute, Ontario, Canada, said to Medscape Medical News.

Lee Gerdes is a mathematician-physics expert who developed a brain-changing modality called Brainwave Optimization™. According to Gerdes, the results of this study are absolutely pivotal in ushering us into a new age where we embrace the fundamental premise that everything begins with the brain. It is very likely that we can promote the growth of neurons without having to go to all the trouble of Deep Brain Stimulation – which involves drilling holes in the skull and inserting electrodes that connect to an implanted neuro-stimulator to send electrical impulses to the targeted brain area. Ouch!

Brainwave Optimization is an advanced neuro-technology that requires only that the client sit in a chair while they listen to their own brain-sounds. Ahhhhh! The resonance prompted between the brain and the computer likely stimulates neuronal activity and moves the client to a more optimal level of balance and harmony of brainwave functions. Known scientifically as “HIRREM” (high-resolution, relational, resonance-based electroencephalic Mirroring): a non-invasive technology for neuro-oscillatory calibration), more than 35,000 people across the world have experienced Brainwave Optimization. With more than 3,000,000 brainwave patterns in its database, Brain State Technologies holds a treasure-trove of information that can help lead to new discoveries for emotional challenges like depression and addiction and brain-body issues like dementia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, seizures and sleep disorders.

If the brain is the central control center for all human experience and functioning then it stands to reason we should ultimately aim to facilitate better functioning of the brain. Due to their unconventional aspect, however, modalities such as Brainwave Optimization find it difficult to receive funds for continued research. There is hope. Our Go-to-Gal Dianne cites several brave and courageous universities and neurologists who are beginning to explore the possibilities of applying advanced neuro-technology to the brain. For example, earlier this year, Wake Forest Baptist Health entered into a collaborative research effort with Brain State Technologies to study its effectiveness against insomnia.

Gerdes remarks that “Although results aren’t ready for prime time, they are entirely promising. With this study, we will launch into several others.  The possibilities for uncovering new, effective applications are limitless. The focus and funds available are minuscule compared to the problems at hand.”

In the interview with PBS, Gingrich noted, “Brain science may sound like an odd thing for a politician to talk about….The fact is that it is one of the key areas of breakthrough in the next 20 years. So sometimes, when people are looking for ways to help save dramatic amounts of money, they ought to look to breakthroughs to improve things, not just ways to cut things.”

I, for one, would certainly prefer listening to my own brainwaves than having holes drilled in my skull, thank you very much! How about you?

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We believe that neuroscience is the next great scientific frontier, and that advances in understanding the nature of the brain, consciousness, behavior, and health will transform human life in this century.

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