TBI & Eidetic Research is a research organization with a mission to develop innovative treatments for traumatic brain injury, and to map the neural basis for eidetic memory (often called photographic memory), in order to create brain exercises for the purpose of brain development and rehabilitation.  

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Remarkable therapeutic and market potentials exist for innovative nutraceutical products to treat traumatic brain injury.  The Center for Disease Control reported 2.5 million traumatic brain injuries in the United States in 2010, and 2.8 million in 2013.  Some global estimates for traumatic brain injury (TBI) exceed 50 million cases.  Mass et al. reports, “Worldwide, more than 50 million people have a TBI each year, and it is estimated that about half the world's population will have one or more TBIs over their lifetime.  …It has been estimated that TBI costs the global economy approximately US-$400 billion annually.  Deficiencies in prevention, care, and research urgently need to be addressed to reduce the huge burden and societal costs of TBI.” 

 

The current standard of care for traumatic brain injury provides few medications that directly reduce oxidative damage and the brain’s energy crisis that contribute much to the secondary pathology caused by TBI.  According to the Mayo Clinic, the standard of care for most mild TBI cases is rest and analgesic medication for headache.  For moderate or severe TBI, standard treatment includes medications to diminish inflammation, to help reduce cerebral edema and intracranial pressure, anti-seizure medication, treating hemorrhage, increasing oxygenation, and possibly coma-inducing medication to decrease brain oxygen requirements.  Few of these medications directly diminish oxidative damage.  Probably none of these medications directly supply energy to the brain.  

 

One effective solution to this problem may be an intravenous formula of nutraceutical ingredients, including N-acetylcysteine, which has been used as a medical intervention to treat paracetamol overdose for many decades.  Published scientific studies indicate the formula ingredients individually are effective at reducing brain inflammation, oxidative damage to cells, and other brain dysfunctions after brain injury.  A clinical study published in 2013 (Hoffer et al.) involving 81 U.S. soldiers demonstrated that N-acetylcysteine significantly diminished TBI symptoms compared to placebo. 

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Robert Chittenden, founder of TBI & Eidetic Research, maintains a keen interest in brain rehabilitation and development.  He recently developed a brain exercise that helps improve the ability to visualize letters and words in the mind.  When visualizing, a person focuses on letters and words and then verbalizes the words they see in the mind, and then spells the word, focusing on visualizing each letter as it is pronounced.  The theory for the brain exercise is corroborated by published scientific research, which establishes that working memory relies significantly upon categorizing mechanisms.  Visualization exercises that rely mainly upon visualizing letters and words should be quite effective at improving a person’s basic visualization skill in addition to working memory capacity for the following four reasons that are interrelated.  First, neuroplasticity has been validated by the literature.  Second, visualization is a fundamental element of working memory.  Third, working memory does in fact rely upon categorizing mechanisms according to published research.  Fourth, letters and words are the primary categorizing mechanisms for the greatest variety of ideas.  A vital element of the process is the incorporation of speed maintained throughout the duration of the exercise, which is a primary way in which the visualization exercises improve working memory capacity.  An important point is that visualization and visual perception rely upon much of the same neural circuitry, such that exercises to improve speed and accuracy regarding visual perception also improve visualization skill and working memory capacity.  There are certain internet brain exercises that are quite effective at improving visual perception speed and accuracy.

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At this point, there is no published research to establish the existence of eidetic memory (also referred to colloquially as “photographic memory”).  Many people have claimed to have this skill and have demonstrated the ability to others in an informal setting.  Formal research to demonstrate the neural basis of eidetic memory may provide insights into how to develop brain exercises to cultivate this skill, which would help people gain proficiency with their education and career.  At this point, it appears that eidetic memory may involve a greater number of more efficient synaptic/dendritic connections within and between the prefrontal cortex, visual cortices, left hippocampus, and possibly areas of the parietal lobe which are involved in visualizing objects in a three-dimensional sense.  

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Recent research with functional MRI indicates that particular neural connections tend to correlate with specific brain functions.  These networks of neural activation, known as the functional connectome, are considered to predict degrees of cognitive functionality.  It is reported that some neuroscientists question the validity of the functional connectome given that a few studies suggest a degree of variability regarding which brain regions correlate with given tasks.  The most probable explanation for functional connectome variability may be that different people will process a particular task slightly differently, depending on how their brain is predominantly wired for a given set of cognitive strengths and relative deficiencies.  Some people tend to visualize a task, while others may not, etc.  To suggest there should not be some degree of variability in how the brain processes information and facilitates completion of certain tasks is to potentially underestimate the degree to which individual cognitive strengths and deficiencies can affect how different people may complete the same tasks.  Variances between individuals in efficiency of dendritic connections in regions involved in task completion may create differences in oxygen utilization for different people regarding the same brain areas being evaluated during the task.  At the same time, with regard to particular tasks, there would still be a degree of commonality regarding certain brain regions that would have to be employed. 

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An interesting topic is the brain's default mode network.  It is certainly an element of resting state cognition.  Yet variances between individuals in efficiency of dendritic connections relating to particular brain areas generally or often involved in the network would probably reflect differences in the scope of the network.  Also, areas of the network deactivated for the same person may change depending upon what type of task they are working on, and the complexity of the task.   Thus, the degree of default mode network which may be deactivated appears to retain a certain degree of variability for any particular individual.   

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Regarding the recent economic inflationary trend in America, my theory is that government printing of money (or Federal Reserve “quantitative easing”) only adds to inflation if it causes the economy to grow too quickly.  Evidence for this theory is that the Federal Reserve had implemented quantitative easing from 2008 to 2020, and inflation did not increase substantially during that time since economic growth remained steady (except during 2020).  Many economists believe that inflation must be managed mainly with Federal Reserve policy, without significant consideration given to how federal energy policy and consequent American dependence upon foreign energy sources affects domestic inflation.  A far more effective policy would be to further increase the domestic supply of energy to meet the greater demand, thereby working toward a restoration of American energy independence, which would allow prices for gas, food, and many other products to decline.  An excessive reliance upon imports augments the effects of international pricing on domestic pricing.  I recently wrote a 30-page document evaluating the theological issues of “once saved, always saved”, and predestination, reviewing the historical literature on the topics and offering my own evaluations for these issues. 

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Robert Chittenden was the accountant for a medical clinic for eight years and has also worked in public accounting.  He has a master's degree in bioethics, which is philosophy regarding medical research and clinical practice issues.  Although nutrition, holistic medicine, and many areas of conventional medicine have been the subject of informal studies for many years, Mr. Chittenden plans to work toward graduate degrees in neuroscience and immunology.  Business and economics are also subjects of great interest.  Mr. Chittenden has acquired certification in Clinical Trials Management from the BioPharma Institute.

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