Expert: Mary Gordon - 5/26/2006

Question
i think i have received too many hits to the brain all my life, is there a drink or a pill or a needle shot that would wake the brain?

Answer
David, if you are saying you have concerns that you've done injury to your brain, from either physical injuries, or lifestyle issues, these really are things that need to be discussed with a doctor.

If you are feeling mentally foggy, there are many things that can cause it - some can't be helped, and some that can - but you need a proper examination to figure out what is going on before anyone can tell you what, if anything, can be done to improve things. There is a wide range of physical and emotional causes for cognitive impairment - even common things like poor diet, alcohol, drug side effects, hormonal, poor circulation, strokes, stress and depression. Just to give you an example, having poor thyroid function, or a lousy diet can make you feel tired and not quite with it.

You will need to explain just what is going on to your doctor. Usually, the drill is a full physical examination to rule out all kinds of illness, since so many things impact your brain. The doctor will need to review lifestyle, medications, and medical history. Usually the exam will involve blood tests, perhaps a psychiatric screen, sometimes a CT or MRI of the brain to look for tiny strokes or other physical causes. A good doctor will also try to do some screening to determine if your memory and other cognitive functions are impaired, and if so, how much (i.e. do some simple intelligence and perception tests). You might even get sent to a neurologist or other specialist, depending on what the doctor suspects is going on.

I wish it was as simple as a drink or a pill or a needle. Our brains are so complicated, almost everything that goes on physically or emotionally can impact their function. Usually the best general advice to keep your brain in good shape is waaaay boring - and you already know what it is - get enough rest and exercise, keep your weight under control, eat a good diet, use alcohol only in moderation, quit smoking if you are a smoker, keep your blood pressure out of control, and take great care of  yourself. The healthier you are, the better your brain works.

If there are things that can be done to improve your mental clarity, your doctor can give you some advice, particularly in the context of your overall health situation. I'm very leery about people self medicating with things they get at the drugstore or the healthfood store, without talking to their doctor, especially since some of the things advertised as perking up your brain power are actually bad for certain people (i.e. might conflict with some other medication, or make some other medical condition worse).

Give your doctor a call, and at the same time, start to think about any improvements you could make to your overall lifestyle to get yourself as fit and healthy as possible - which in turn helps to keep your brain in the best possible condition.

Mary G.
Toronto