The Autoimmune Brain is a book in three parts aiming to demonstrate treatments for chronic pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue and attention disorders.
Part one explains the concept of I-Cubed – infection, immunity, and inflammation – also known more commonly in the medical community as post-infectious autoimmunity. It starts out with the basics of brain health and autoimmunity, and also goes into brain development and genetics.
Part two lays out this doctor’s five step plan –
- Test for an Autoimmune Disturbance
- Apply Immune-Modulatory and Pain Therapy
- Participate in Therapies that Address Stress and Mental Health Concerns
- Eat and Exercise to Restore Brain Health and Reset the Immune System
- Survey Your Environment for Toxic Exposures
The final section describes specific conditions in more detail, including celiac (coeliac, in Australia) disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and more.
The author states in the beginning that he has transformed his writing to more inviting prose however the book still read to me as something more appropriate to someone dishing out treatment than receiving it – I found the medical jargon and proliferation of acronyms just a bit too much to keep up with, and it somehow felt like I was reading a long website rather than a book.
I thought from the cover that there would be general advice for brain health and autoimmune symptoms, however this book is very much aimed at those with specific and severe brain conditions, that they may not have yet realised could be due to an autoimmune attack.
On the plus side, I now have a reinforced sense of the importance of diet, movement and mental wellbeing strategies to overall brain and body health. In much simpler terms, as a wise friend once said to me, ‘There’s a body attached to that brain.’
I recommend this book for anyone who has, or wants to learn more about, significant brain health issues.
