Amnesia

Amnesia occurs when portion of brain responsible for retrieving stored memories is somehow compromised. This region of brain is known as limbic system; it comprises hippocampus, the amygdala and portions of cortex. Besides retrieving memory, the limbic system is responsible for coordination of emotion and motivation and for some of the functions of endocrine system.

People are amnesiac when the memory retrieval portion of the limbic system is not working properly but there is otherwise no change in language, attention span, visual/spatial functioning or motivation.

Forms of Amnesia: Different Ways to Forget

There are two types of memory. Short-term or “working” memory stores information one needs to remember in the next a few seconds, minutes or hours (e.g., a telephone number or driving directions). Long-term memory includes relational and procedural memory. Relational memory is concerned with relationships among objects and depends on the hippocampus. In amnesia, both relational memory and short-term memory may be impaired. Procedural memory represents memory for single objects or tasks (e.g., riding a bicycle) and depends on cortical processors that remain intact in amnesia. This helps explain why amnesiacs often remember basic skills and motor function.

There are several forms of Amnesia

Anterograde amnesia is the most common. It is characterized by the inability to store, retain or recall new knowledge after the event that triggers the onset of amnesia. Patients in this state often cannot remember what they ate for their last meal or events from the immediate past. This is the type of amnesia seen in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Retrograde amnesia is the loss of memories of events that occurred before the onset of amnesia. This is the form of amnesia most people think of when they hear the word amnesia. It often occurs after a head injury.

Transient global amnesia is a temporary loss of all memory, especially the ability to form new memories with milder loss of past memories, going back several hours. This form is rare and seen mostly in older people. It usually dissipates within 24 to 48 hours. Transient global amnesia may be caused by migraine, small seizures in the temporal lobe, or transient ischemic attacks. Patients with this condition may become disoriented and repeatedly ask who they are, where they are and what they are doing. Because this form of amnesia typically resolves on its own and only rarely recurs, there is no recommended treatment for it.

There are many possible causes of amnesia. The most common includes Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury (head trauma), brain infection (such as encephalitis or meningitis), dementia, seizures and stroke. Less common causes include a brain tumor or psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, depression, criminal behavior or psychogenic amnesia). Psychogenic amnesia usually happens in close association with a stressful event that involves serious threat to life or health.

Amnesia occurs because of brain damage that interferes with memory storage, retrieval, or consolidation. What ultimately causes the memory loss — a failure to store memories or a failure to retrieve them —remains unclear. Amnesia is also a symptom of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is caused by a severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency due to chronic alcoholism or malnourishment. Thiamine is necessary for the body to process carbohydrates. Besides amnesia, symptoms of Wernicke-Korsakoff include confusion, loss of balance, drowsiness and problems with vision, such as double vision or rapid movement of the eye. In severe cases, the memory loss may be accompanied by agitation and dementia.

Role of Noni

Noni boosts memory and provides support for the brain. These work through various mechanisms: enhancing cerebral blood flow, increasing neurotransmitter levels, reducing free radicals, and restoring cell membrane fluidity.

Acetylcholine is an essential neurotransmitter involved in muscle control, sleep and cognition. By boosting acetylcholine levels in the brain, the hypothesis proposes, it may be possible to reverse cognitive deficits. Noni boosts the acetylcholine level in blood. Noni helps in amnesia by boosting glucose metabolism and stimulating production of acetylcholine. It  improves the condition of patients experiencing age-associated memory impairment or cognitive decline. Noni plays a specific role in protecting brain by preventing the kind of neuronal toxicity, beta-amyloid, a toxic protein implicated in the formation of senile plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Noni helps as it acts like an effective detoxifier.

Many studies showed that hormone levels in the brain are closely tied to cognitive function and memory. Pregnenolone, the “master” sex hormone, is the first hormone in the cascade. It is derived from cholesterol. In the body, pregnenolone is converted into other important hormones, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), estrogens, progesterone and testosterone. Aging causes a sharp decline in pregnenolone production and levels of hormones for which it is a precursor tend to decline with age as well. Noni enhances pregnenolone level and thus helps in case of amnesia

Noni is an effective antioxidant as it contains all antioxidant vitamins, trace minerals and 150 and above phytochemicals. Oxidative stress may be the baseline cause of derangement function of limbic system of brain. Noni by its effective antioxidant property helps in amnesia.

Noni contains phytochemicals like scopoletin, anthraquinone and limonene having effective antioxidant with vasodilator and neuroprotective properties. Noni is an effective scavenger of hydroxyl radicals and  shows to inhibit lipid peroxidation of cell membrane. It leads to enhanced cerebral circulation and decreased platelet aggregation.

Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) is lipid-soluble and interacts with cell membranes, traps free radicals, and disrupts the pathway that leads to cell damage. It has also demonstrated (in animal models) ability to reduce degeneration of hippocampal cells after cerebral ischemia. Noni contains vitamin E and also all antioxidant vitamins in abundant quantity. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is water-soluble and necessary for metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. It has been shown to mimic acetylcholine in the brain, which may account for its possible effects in Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Thiamine is also involved in nerve transmissions within cholinergic neurons, known to deteriorate in Alzheimer’s disease. Noni contains all the vitamins including Vitamin B complex in rich quantity.

Recommended Dosage

Divine Noni Concentrate

5ml morning and 5ml evening for 3 days. Then

10ml morning and 10ml evening for next 3 days. Then

15ml morning and 15ml evening for next 8 months.