In the main, the world of healthcare seems to be most concerned with high profile areas such as a healthy heart, avoiding obesity and diabetes, as well as helping to prevent cancer. This does not even take into account the rapid growth of cosmetic medicine, feeding our ever expanding need to look good and desire to try and put off the concerning effects of aging.
There is nothing wrong with this and society's key health issues have to be addressed, yet very little attention is given to what is probably our most important organ of all, our overall regulator and the absolute master of our being: the brain. I want to ensure my eyes are working well but what I don't really appreciate is that it is not my eyes that are seeing - it is my brain that 'sees'. My eyes, as are my ears, my taste and touch, are merely tools used by my brain to get information so it can make sensible decisions.
Thankfully, a new science is emerging that looks into 'brain health and cognitive performance'. This specialty goes far beyond just looking at, and managing the risk of Alzheimer's and dementia. It examines how the impact of an 'innocent' fall on the ski slopes or minor whiplash in a car accident or even a fall as a toddler has influenced the functioning of your brain. It can determine whether your poor handwriting, poor memory for names, dyslexia, poor hand eye coordination or attention deficit is related to that event in the past. Those small, or major, shortcomings that you have contributed to 'age', 'stress', 'life' or 'this is just how I am' can often be a consequence of impacts on your brain.
The fascinating truth is now that knowledge of the workings of the brain is progressing fast. Whether it is with neurotransmitter (brain hormones) measurement, functional MRI or brain mapping, these new technologies can give us an objective insight into how our brain is performing and more importantly on how we can influence it positively to perform at its best!
Whether you are an executive who wants to enhance your cognitive function, an athlete wanting to maximize focus or hand eye coordination, or someone simply wanting to better manage their irritability and anger, an in-depth brain assessment with a tailored brain-enhancing programme is now one of the very latest developments in health management. We are thankfully no longer only ensuring that our bodies are physically in good shape, we are finally also protecting and investing in our most precious asset: our brain.