BRAIN SCAM Amen Burton
<p>Jan 23, 2012 10:51 AM
 
from Salon  an article by Robert Burton from May 12 2008;
 
toothy smile and televang delivery facing a rapt audience.
 
how to prevent Alzheimers.
 
Sherwood "the first thing I wanted to do was get a brain scan.
 
Amen msg:  with my book you can detect Alz  Dis = AD  early and prevent it.
 
core:  SPECT  single photon emission CT;  
 
Amen relies heavily on it;  med sci does not support it.
 
Michael Greicius:  "SPECT scans are NOT suff sensitive to be useful in AD
 
PBS airing of Amen provides a stamp of sci validity where there is none.
 
Amen:  bio degree from So, Calif Colege  Pentecostal ...
med degr from Oral Roberts.
 
2002:  led by God to pursue this work...
 
brain-soul connection is vastly more impt than your consc will.
 
he is a psychiatr  and asst clin prof at UCI.
scans all done at Amen Clinics.
 
AD affects 5M Amerians;  AD  clumps of  amyloid plaues and neurofib tangels.
decr ACh.
 
use ChE inhibitors.  modest benefit.
 
2004:  preventing Alzheimers:  delay be 6 years  DA claims.
 
public is a sitting duck  for DA sales ptich.
 
rest is antioxidants and his own nutraceuticals.
 
snake oil:  NeuroMemory;
 
AD rec estrogen replacemnt;
 
see ref:  Neuroimaging Work Group of Alz Assn  disagrees with AD;
 
current imaging is poor at predicting AD or other dementias.
 
but AD says he relies of memory testing and clin jusgment.
 
DA  I've read  40K SPECT scans ... world expert.
 
but "normal is not healthy"  97% of Amen's pt have abnl SPECT scan!
 
In 2005  Harriet Hall  Quackwatch:
crit.  TMS,  hyperbaric O2, neurofeedback.
 
he's selling vits, selling own line of products... big biz...
 
Amen charges  $3250  for a comprehensive eval:  follow-up scans are 800 each.
 
Change your brain, change your life:  prod by Amen and High Five Entertainment  (Nashville)
did Wynona Judd.
 
Alan Foster  Exec Program Services for PBS.
 
they further padded his resume... Slate article.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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