Diminished brain resilience syndrome: A modern day neurological pathology of increased susceptibility to mild brain trauma, concussion, and downstream neurodegeneration

Abstract

The number of sports-related concussions has been steadily rising in recent years. Diminished brain resilience syndrome is a term coined by the lead author to describe a particular physiological state of nutrient functional deficiency and disrupted homeostatic mechanisms leading to increased susceptibility to previously considered innocuous concussion. We discuss how modern day environmental toxicant exposure, along with major changes in our food supply and lifestyle practices, profoundly reduce the bioavailability of neuro-critical nutrients such that the normal processes of homeostatic balance and resilience are no longer functional. Their diminished capacity triggers physiological and biochemical 'work around' processes that result in undesirable downstream consequences. Exposure to certain environmental chemicals, particularly glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup(®), may disrupt the body's innate switching mechanism, which normally turns off the immune response to brain injury once danger has been removed. Deficiencies in serotonin, due to disruption of the shikimate pathway, may lead to impaired melatonin supply, which reduces the resiliency of the brain through reduced antioxidant capacity and alterations in the cerebrospinal fluid, reducing critical protective buffering mechanisms in impact trauma. Depletion of certain rare minerals, overuse of sunscreen and/or overprotection from sun exposure, as well as overindulgence in heavily processed, nutrient deficient foods, further compromise the brain's resilience. Modifications to lifestyle practices, if widely implemented, could significantly reduce this trend of neurological damage.

Keywords: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy; glyphosate; neurotoxins; postconcussion syndrome; sports-related concussion.

Figure 1

Trends in Concussion (Thionetic Nutrition) SRC = Sports Related Concussion; OTS = Organized Team Sports; TBI = traumatic brain injury. (Data gathered from Bakhos et al.,[12] Pritchard et al.,[160] and The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center website, www.dvbic.org[50])

Figure 2

Diagram demonstrating the conversion of a resting microglia in the uninjured brain to a primed microglia with an initial injury. Subsequent injuries, even separated by prolonged periods, can then trigger a hyper-reaction by the fully activated microglia. This in turn results in a more intense immunoexcitotoxic reaction (reprinted from Blaylock and Maroon[25] with permission through an Open Commons license)

Figure 3

Comparison between the amount of glyphosate applied to corn and soy crops in the US (purple), the percentage of corn and soy that is GMO (red), and the number of deaths from Alzheimer's disease in the US (yellow). Figure reproduced with permission from Swanson[194]

Figure 4

Molecular structure of dehydroepiandosterone sulfate and vitamin D3 sulfate

Figure 5

Schematic illustrating the phenomenon of Diminished Brain Resilience