Source for this article: Bonner-Jackson A, Mahmoud S, Miller J, Banks S. Verbal and non-verbal memory and hippocampal volumes in a memory clinic population. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. 2015.”More volume, more memory” may sound like the tagline for a new hair commercial but, in fact, it’s the nutshell results of a preliminary study which suggests the bigger the size of your hippocampus, the lower your risk of memory decline and dementia.
The two seahorse-shaped structures tucked deep inside the brain on both sides, left and right, are referred to as the hippocampus. As part of the limbic system, the hippocampus plays a role in both emotion and the formation of new memories. Specifically, the hippocampus is where information — usually emotionally-charged information — is transferred, like some hasty transaction performed at the ATM, into the long-term memory banks. While the left hippocampus appears to help us retain words and language, the right hippocampus is linked to spatial memory, such as the layout of streets in your hometown.
Unsurprisingly, the hippocampus is one of the first structures to erode in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Many previous studies of dementia have focused on the hippocampus and for the current study, the research team investigated how the size of this brain structure relates to risk of Alzheimer's disease.
I recently had an MRI with NeuroQuant. NeuroQuant measures the volume of specific brain structures and compares them to healthy controls of the same age and gender. I was delighted to learn that my hippocampus volume score was at 95%. And I was delighted to come across this article.
My NeuroQuant results do confirm mold illness, and retesting can confirm when I’ve overcome it. My FM practitioner is focusing on the CIRS aspect of my health woes.
Unfortunately, I do have other abnormalities. I’m gaining some understanding of them, but I need to consult with a neurologist. My PCP is of no help. When he handed me my results, he said, “Good luck figuring out what all those numbers mean.”