Brain Aging

New research published in the November 11th issue of JAMA Neurology showed that traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients have increased deposits of plaque in their brains, similar to that found in Alzheimer’s patients. http://bit.ly/1a1DAUE. The implication of this finding is that there is both an epidemiological and pathophysiological link between TBI and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Two superb medical experts for any commentary/opinion about this study, TBI, Alzheimer’s and other brain related injury are Dr. Barry Jordan, practicing neurologist specializing in treating patients with brain injury and Dr. Gary Gibson, cutting edge researcher dedicated to studying the brain and Alzheimer’s disease.

Barry D. Jordan, M.D., M.P.H. Director of the Brain Injury Program & the Memory Evaluation Treatment Service (METS) at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, New York. Dr. Jordan is a board certified neurologist with specialized interests in sports neurology, Alzheimer’s disease, and traumatic brain injury. Dr. Jordan is currently the Chief Medical Officer of the New York State Athletic Commission and a team physician for U.S.A. Boxing. He is also an Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
Dr. Jordan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in neurophysiology and obtained his M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Jordan completed an internship in internal medicine at U.C.L.A. Medical Center and performed his neurology residency training at the New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center. Dr. Jordan has completed several fellowships including: a fellowship in public health at Cornell University Medical College, a clinical neurology fellowship at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, a fellowship in sports neurology at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and a fellowship in behavioral neurology at U.C.L.A. Medical Center. He also completed his Masters of Public Health at Columbia University.

Currently Dr. Jordan serves on the National Football League (NFL) Players Association Mackey-White Traumatic Brain Injury Committee and the National Football League (NFL) Neuro-Cognitive Disability Committee.

Topics for commentary and opinion for articles from Dr. Jordan: Sports Neurology, Traumatic Brain Injury, Sports Concussion, CTE – Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, NFL & Concussions, Boxing and Concussions, Collegiate Concussions, Concussion diagnoses, evaluation and treatment, New guidelines for concussion treatment, State laws and concussion treatment for collegiate athletes.

Bio: Gary Gibson, Ph.D., is the director of Burke’s Laboratory for Mitochondrial Biology and Metabolic Dysfunction in Neurodegeneration where he and his collaborators are trying to discover the underlying cause of age-related neurodegenerative diseases and to develop effective therapies. His research shows that fundamental mechanisms of damage may be similar in many age-related diseases-Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases-and stroke. The brain is very dependent on oxygen and glucose, and his research suggests that a reduced ability to use glucose and oxygen either causes the disease(s) or is a critical clinically relevant change. Dr. Gibson and his lab are trying to determine why this reduction occurs and its consequences for brain function.

Dr. Gibson is also a professor of Neuroscience with tenure at Weill Cornell Medical College and also served as the Associate Director of the school’s Dementia Research Service. He received his bachelor’s degree in Zoology and Chemistry from the University of Wyoming and his Ph.D. in Physiology with emphasis in Biochemistry and Neuroscience at Cornell University. He did his postdoctoral work at UCLA and was on the faculty there as well.

Dr. Gibson has served on more than 20 NIH review panels for reviewing grants and regularly reviews grants for the Alzheimer’s Association and the American Federation for Aging Research. He is a member of numerous scientific societies including the American Society for Neurochemistry (past secretary, 2005-2006), the Society for Neuroscience, the International Society for Neurochemistry, International Society for Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, American Institute of Nutrition, and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Dr. Gibson has three U.S. patents for his work and has been continuously funded by NIH grants for his entire academic career at Cornell/Burke.

Topics for commentary and opinion for articles from Dr. Gibson: Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases, Alzheimer’s Diseases, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease.