Grey Matters: Precision Brain Health Centers

Everyone is at risk of cognitive decline because the rootcauses of it are found in your everyday life. Experts like Dr. Dale Bredesen,co-founder of Grey Matters, have discovered that there are many risk factorsthat contribute to Alzheimers and other forms of dementia. Here are a fewexamples: Environmental toxins Vascular disease Inflammation Nutrient deficiency At Grey Matters, our advanced diagnostic tests identify yourrisk factors, whether you are currently experiencing cognitive decline or not.Using this information, our team develops a personalized care plan thatincludes medical interventions and lifestyle changes that will prevent orreverse cognitive decline. Our innovative approach gives you the opportunity to worktowards a longer, more independent life. 

Grey Matters Health Selected by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to Test Medicare Dementia Care ModelGuiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model Aims to Increase Care Coordination, Support for CaregiversToday, Sarasota-based Grey Matters announced they have been selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in a new Medicare alternative payment model designed to support people living with dementia and their caregivers. Under CMS Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, Grey Matters will be one of almost 400 participants building Dementia Care Programs (DCPs) across the country, working to increase care coordination and improve access to services and supports, including respite care, for people living with dementia and their caregivers.CMS is excited to partner with Grey Matters under the GUIDE Model, said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. GUIDE is a new approach to how Medicare will pay for the care of people living with dementia. The GUIDE participants are envisioning new ways to support not only people living with dementia, but also to reduce strain on the people who care for them, so that more Americans can remain in their homes and communities, rather than in institutions.Launched on July 1, 2024, the GUIDE Model will test a new payment approach for key supportive services furnished to people living with dementia, including: comprehensive, person-centered assessments and care plans; care coordination; 24/7 access to an interdisciplinary care team member or help line; and certain respite services to support caregivers. People with dementia and their caregivers will have the assistance and support of a Care Navigator to help them access clinical and non-clinical services such as meals and transportation through community-based organizations.Were a great fit for this new Medicare program, said Deb Geihsler, co-founder and chief executive officer of Grey Matters. Were already providing the assessments, care planning, care management, and family and caregiver support for people with dementia. We see this as validation that weve built a successful health care service and were managing our patients correctly. We expect to care for many more Medicare recipients as part of the GUIDE model.The participation of Grey Matters in the GUIDE Model will help people living with dementia and their caregivers have access to education and support, such as training programs on best practices for caring for a loved one living with dementia. The GUIDE Model also provides respite services for certain people, enabling caregivers to take temporary breaks from their caregiving responsibilities. Respite is being tested under the GUIDE Model to assess its effect on helping caregivers continue to care for their loved ones at home, preventing or delaying the need for facility care.GUIDE Participants represent a wide range of health care providers, including large academic medical centers, small group practices, community-based organizations, health systems, hospice agencies, and other practices.This model delivers on a promise in the Biden Administrations Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers and aligns with the National Plan to Address Alzheimers Disease. For more information on CMS GUIDE Model, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/guide.Visit www.GreyMattersHealth.org or call (941) 529-0077.

Risk factors matter when it comes to your health.Insulin ResistanceSleep ApneaMold ExposureLow Vitamin DCOVID-19Gum DiseaseVascular DiseaseLeaky GutAt Grey Matters, weve combined our brain power to improve yours.Did you know that your brain has already begun to decline 20 years before the first noticeable symptom?Founded and staffed by leading brain health experts, Grey Matters, is the first primary care clinic in the nation that focuses on your total health. By combining Dr. Dale Bredesens protocols for preventing or reversing cognitive decline with patient-focused primary care, we offer the opportunity to 1. maintain independence longer 2. enhance your cognitive functions and 3. improve your overall health.Our program is focused on two groups:Those who want to get ahead of cognitive decline and take the necessary steps now to maintain their overall health.Those who are currently experiencing some form of cognitive decline such as subjective or mild impairment, or Alzheimers disease.It is our mission to help every individual live their best life through better brain care. We provide patients, caregivers, and families with a personalized care plan that addresses their total health and current cognitive status. At Grey Matters, we optimize brain health by focusing on the root causes of cognitive decline, not just the symptoms.What Does Grey Matters Do?At Grey Matters, we combine primary care and evidence-based protocols in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimers disease, dementia, and other cognitive decline issues to offer a solution for optimizing brain health. Grey Matters approach is based on research pioneered by Dale Bredesen, M.D., which identified multiple factors contributing to Alzheimers disease and cognitive decline.How Can Grey Matters Help Me?Grey Matters was established to effectively address cognitive health using primary care and the Bredesen protocols as a solution to delay and/or prevent cognitive decline. At Grey Matters, combining Dr. Bredesens protocols combined with primary care offers the opportunity for patients to maintain or improve their brain health and live a longer, more independent life.

Why not treat your brain like you treat your body?At Grey Matters, we believe checking your brain health is just as important as a routine check-up and physical.Grey Matters providers examine brain health from multiple medical perspectives. Our team constantly assesses new ways of considering the brain and strive to alter the way we perceive brain health.The treatment protocols applied focus on the root causes of cognitive decline, instead of attempting to treat the symptoms like traditional practice. Grey Matters thorough tests and screenings identify your specific risk factors for cognitive decline. Once identified, we develop a customized care plan that focuses on those risk factors.Program OverviewStep 1Begins with a CognoscopyWhat is a Cognoscopy?Each patient completes a series of tests and screenings to determine their current brain health and identify specific risk factors for cognitive decline. The resulting score becomes our baseline to assess your treatment progress.Step 2Personalized Care Plan DevelopmentEach patient completes a series of tests and screenings to determine their current brain health and identify specific risk factors for cognitive decline. The resulting score becomes our baseline to assess your treatment progress.Step 3Support of Care PlanAt Grey Matters we ensure each patient has the resources, tools, and ongoing support they need to successfully carry out their customized care plan. Through routine visits and check-ins, our team will assess your care plan progress and will adjust as needed during your brain health journey.A longer, independent future starts with our protocols. Schedule your first appointment and take the necessary steps to maintain or improve your brain health.

Physical activity helps your brain, but did you know even some sedentary activities can ward off cognitive decline? Creative crafts, reading, and puzzles such as Sudoku or Scrabble keep your brain mentally stimulated. Try word and number games rather than TV or gaming. So, when you rest your body, make sure you're still engaging your brain. Summary: New research highlights that some sedentary activities, like reading or crafting, are better for brain health than others, such as watching TV or gaming. A study of 397 older adults found that mentally stimulating and socially engaging activities support memory and thinking abilities, while passive screen time is linked to cognitive decline.This insight is crucial, as 45% of dementia cases are linked to modifiable lifestyle factors. Researchers suggest swapping passive activities for more engaging ones to protect brain health, even during indulgent holiday marathons.Key FactsCognitive Benefits: Reading and social engagement improve brain function, unlike passive screen time.Preventable Risk: 45% of dementia cases could be reduced through lifestyle changes.Healthy Swaps: Small activity changes, like breaking up TV time with reading or movement, benefit the brain.Source: University of South AustraliaIts that time of the year when most of us get the chance to sit back and enjoy some well-deserved down time. But whether you reach for the TV controller, or a favourite book, your choice could have implications for your long-term brain health, say researchers at the University of South Australia.Assessing the 24-hour activity patterns of 397 older adults (aged 60+), researchers found that the context or type of activity that you engage in, matters when it comes to brain health. And specifically, that some sedentary (or sitting) behaviours are better for cognitive function than others.When looking at different sedentary behaviours, they found that social or mentally stimulating activities such as reading, listening to music, praying, crafting, playing a musical instrument, or chatting with others are beneficial for memory and thinking abilities. Yet watching TV or playing video games are detrimental.Researchers believe that there is likely a hierarchy of how sedentary behaviours relate to cognitive function, in that some have positive effects while others have negative effects.Its a valuable insight that could help reduce risks of cognitive impairment, particularly when at least 45% of dementia cases could be prevented through modifiable lifestyle factors.In Australia, about 411,100 people (or one in every 1000 people) are living with dementia. Nearly two-thirds are women. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that more than 55 million people have dementia with nearly 10 million new cases each year.UniSA researcher Dr Maddison Mellow says that not all sedentary behaviours are equal when it comes to memory and thinking ability.In this research, we found that the context of an activity alters how it relates to cognitive function, with different activities providing varying levels of cognitive stimulation and social engagement, Dr Mellow says.We already know that physical activity is a strong protector against dementia risk, and this should certainly be prioritised if you are trying to improve your brain health. But until now, we hadnt directly explored whether we can benefit our brain health by swapping one sedentary behaviour for another.We found that sedentary behaviours which promote mental stimulation or social engagement such as reading or talking with friends are beneficial for cognitive function, whereas others like watching TV or gaming have a negative effect. So, the type of activity is important.And, while the move more, sit less message certainly holds true for cardiometabolic and brain health, our research shows that a more nuanced approach is needed when it comes to thinking about the link between sedentary behaviours and cognitive function.Now, as the Christmas holidays roll around, what advice do researchers have for those who really want to indulge in a myriad of Christmas movies or a marathon of Modern Family?To achieve the best brain health and physical health benefits, you should prioritise movement thats enjoyable and gets the heart rate up, as this has benefits for all aspects of health, Dr Mellow says.But even small five-minute time swaps can have benefits. So, if youre dead set on having a Christmas movie marathon, try to break up that time with some physical activity or a more cognitively engaged seated activity, like reading, at some point. That way you can slowly build up healthier habits.This research was conducted by a team of UniSA researchers including: Dr Maddison Mellow, Prof Dot Dumuid, Dr Alexandra Wade, Prof Tim Olds, Dr Ty Stanford, Prof Hannah Keage, and Assoc Prof Ashleigh Smith; with researchers from the University of Leicester, and the University of Newcastle.Author: Annabel MansfieldSource: University of South AustraliaContact: Annabel Mansfield University of South AustraliaImage: The image is credited to Neuroscience NewsOriginal Research: Open access.Should We Work Smarter or Harder for Our Health? A Comparison of Intensity and Domain-Based Time-Use Compositions and Their Associations With Cognitive and Cardiometabolic Health by Maddison Mellow et al. Journals of Gerontology Series A