The Boothbay Region Health Center and Dr. Allan S. Teel, have committed to continuing their innovative “Reverse Alzheimer's & Dementia” research program in 2021.

Dr. Teel said, “We’ve learned a lot from our first ten months with this pilot program. It’s clear that we need to continue it and to restructure it, based on what we’ve learned to-date. Because we really feel we are on the right track, we want to expand the program in 2021 to include more committed participants.”

The program began in January 2020 with 28 participants. Many were couples in which one partner was already beginning cognitive decline. Others were individuals who felt they were at risk of dementia or Alzehimer’s due to family history. And others were people who recognized signs of mild cognitive impairment in themselves. The program is loosely based on Dr. Dale Bredesen’s End Alzheimer's program (described in the book of the same title), with important additions by Dr. Teel, including volunteerism, social connectedness, and music therapy.

The majority of the 31 participants currently enrolled in the program, have made major lifestyle changes in the course of the past 10 months. These include changing what they eat, when they eat it, how much they exercise, how much they sleep, and engaging in specific brain exercises at least three times/week. The participants who have engaged most fully in these activities report that their cognitive decline has leveled out. It has not worsened. A few participants report that their minds are clearer, they are able to remember more, and they experience less “brain fog.” One participant has regained his ability to do arithmetic in his head. Another reports fewer episodes of forgetting names, and faster recall (within a few minutes) when she does. All are improving on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment tests. The majority of last year’s participants plan to remain with the program in 2021.

The Health Center is recruiting now to expand participation in the second year of this program beginning in January 2021. Existing and new participants need to commit to:

• Meeting with Dr. Teel at least four times/year (these can be telehealth visits)
• Following a low-carb, high-fat, or at least Mediterranean diet
• Exercising at least three days/week (preferably five)
• Doing specific brain games at least three times/week
• Having a Volumetric MRI of your brain at the beginning and the end of the program to track the physical changes in your brain.
• Having a panel of blood tests during the first 3 months of the program in order to personalize your treatment plan based on blood sugar, inflammation, hormones, heavy metals, etc.
• Filling in weekly and monthly electronic surveys to document your adherence to the program.

In addition to working with each patient individually, Dr. Teel meets with the entire group for two hours/month via Zoom, and there is an optional, weekly support group meeting and in 2021, there will also be a private email discussion group.

For more information and/or to enroll in the program, please contact the Health Center's Board President, Patty Seybold, via email pseybold@customers.com or by phone (207) 633-4368.