This is an extremely complex and sensitive “topic” so I must warn you, it may be overwhelming. I will assert at the outset that it is my opinion that very little is known about the mammal brain. There is hardly any real understanding of the functions of the mammal brain, in particular the human mammal brain. Once again, I am certainly not claiming to have impressive expertise on the brain, although Robert Fisher MD PhD [Stanford University neurologist and epilepsy specialist] did tell me in 2016 that “you know as much about the brain as I do, if not more.”

That's perhaps true, but what I am saying here – in this “argument” on brain function and “brain death” – is that we can, and will, begin to get some understanding of what is really going on in the mammal brain, and what's causing dysfunction and even a total collapse of function. Dementia is definitely a taboo subject, no one likes to talk about it, not to speak of analyzing it and speculating about its etiology. This is spite of the fact that the prevalence of dementia is rapidly growing. It is a physical and biological phenomenon, and as Western society gets older and older, dementia is everywhere.

I first encountered dementia when I interacted with my grandmother, in the 1970s. Lillian, my mother's mother, was clearly a brilliant woman. I knew her for decades and decades, she visited us very often. She lived in Carmel, CA. Where my mother grew up. I did not know it was dementia when I interacted with her, I was just a teenager. I liked Lillian, she was very feisty and intellectually very tough and demanding. She was a real pain in the ass, however. She would insult you, or criticize you, if she felt the need to. She was often criticizing my two younger sisters, who could not really defend themselves. Basically, I would often have it out with Lillian, and I remember enjoying it, to some degree.

As I said, she was undoubtedly brilliant, very sharp. She would “not take shit from anyone.” My father would always kiss up to her, he was always seriously deferential to her. I had no problem with that, but it did puzzle me a little. I think he liked her, and respected her. Lillian liked my father, too. But as the years passed, and she aged, she got more and more cantankerous. I would not say that she was belligerent, but close to it. She had a haughty attitude pretty much all the time – 24/7/365 – and this amazed me. She bossed around her second husband, Egon, a Hungarian Jew who, I believe, was born in Budapest.

I recall that, as the years passed, she got crazier and crazier. What was initially just brilliant, a mixture of brilliance and quasi belligerence, became outright irrational behavior. As I look back on it, I am sure it was dementia. I certainly miss her, she and I would always spar, and have it out, but she was my grandmother, and I loved her. Whenever she said something to me that was a little obnoxious, I would push back. It was fun, in some ways. My mother and sisters found it annoying and even scary, but I really liked having it out with Lillian. We would have serious discussions/debates about everything. Egon would sit there and watch, passively.

Then she finally gave out, and died. I think it was lung cancer. She had smoked as a young woman – who didn't in those days? First she got pneumonia and then cancer, and then it did not take too long before she expired. I don't remember what year this was. The point I want to make is that I observed her cognition go from very high IQ to something pretty bizarre. The final ten years of her life she was definitely in a “substandard” cognition. You might think she was crazy, that it was “mental illness,” but this would be wrong. I had thought this at the time, but now I am certain I was mistaken. It was not “mental illness” – it was dementia.

And here I wish to make an important distinction between the two brain dysfunctions: dementia is the aging of the brain, the breakdown of normal function, and it is not a disease, it just aging, and a failure of cognition.

“Mental illness” is, on the other hand, a failure of normal function because of a deficiency in the sleep function. There is nothing physiologically impaired in the brain, it is just trying to restore normal function. The “sleep function” is breaking into the “awake mode.”

A lot of old people seem crazy to me; they are suffering from dementia, not “mental illness.”

The United States is ruled by a bunch of senile old men and the Soviet Union was the same. Then the Soviet Union was no more. And it will be the same with the United States. Senile dementia! Everyone watching Fox News is suffering from some degree of dementia. And everyone watching MSNBC is suffering from some degree of “crazy” – irrational thinking but not dementia. It's really amazing. But it is pretty tedious, really tedious.

A lot of people seem crazy to me, but when they are young this is just what I have described above, it has nothing to do with dementia. In my opinion, some 50% – maybe more – of the population in the United States is crazy to some degree, they have pretty limited cognition and consciousness. I am, of course, not talking elderly Americans, I am talking folks under age 65 or so. Joe Biden is totally senile, and was for the past ten years or so. Donald Trump is senile as well, his dementia is just a little more difficult to detect, he is more crazy than anything. But it is certainly dementia. I think the Supreme Court justices agree with me.

So, what's funny is that I am now for the 5th time – I did it first with epilepsy, then with “psychiatric" disturbance, then with obesity, then with cancer, and now with dementia – declaring that dementia is not a disease. That's right, it's a not a disease.

I am quoting myself, what I recently wrote in my recently published article on the etiology of cancer and aging. I just added the 5th! Hilarious.

What is dementia, if it's not a disease?

Dementia is aging of the brain, it is the death of the brain, it is the end of brain function, normal brain function.

What is astonishing about my argument is my thesis which is: the brain, the human mammal brain [and I assume all mammal brains], does not have to age, it is does not have to decline in function. Yes, that's right, it can live forever – theoretically.

I am confident that this is true. The reason I assert this is because the brain does not get cancer, not really. There is glioblastoma, there is cancer in neuroglia, to be sure. But this is very rare, and the turnover [recycling] of glia in the brain is very very slow. I am theorizing here that neuroglia are special neurons, a very powerful type of neuron, it is the neuron without the brain substrate, DNA.

[Neuroglia are like all other cells in the body, they all have the same DNA, whereas neurons have unique DNA].

Neurons have the brain's substrate, DNA; neuroglia have the cell “machinery” to achieve cognition. That is my theory. All science starts with good theory, and this is what I am doing. I am pretty confident that I am right, that this is generally correct.

Because neuroglia do get malignant, and go crazy and multiply out of control, this means that the brain tissue does achieve a homeostasis or sorts, and homeostasis is important for the brain, very important. But I am going to argue that the brain's homeostasis is not really like the body's. I have no idea how this homeostasis is different, I just got a sense that it is different, perhaps fundamentally different – that it must be different.

Therefore, the brain can be kept alive indefinitely – unlike the tissue in the body, which gets overwhelmed by [the urgent and persistent] need to recycle [turnover].

I confess that I have had this thought – the theory that the brain can, and could, live indefinitely – in my mind/brain for at least 30 years, maybe more. I have no idea why I was thinking this, long ago. It struck me as bizarre. But it was a thought that wouldn't go away. I could not just let go of it. I figured I might have it right. The brain is the headquarters, the command center, and the body is the “robot” supporting the command center and acting on its orders. This is the clever metaphor to think of when we consider the mystery functions and powers of the brain. It's overwhelming, I know. This article is going to be a little long, there's nothing I can do about it. I apologize.

I will refer to the so-called “technical” definition of dementia: "extremely low condition of mental function, mental incapacity,"; from Latin dementia "madness, insanity,"; literally "being out of one's mind"; "mad, raving"; dementia is "the failure of mind which occurs in old age" (1822); dementia praecox, what now would be called schizophrenia; Latin demens, "out of one's senses, insane, raving, foolish; “wild, reckless" (a less technical term than insanitas).

Then then there are the various types of dementia that are seen by medical doctors: Parkinson's; Lewy Body dementia; vascular dementia; frontotemporal dementia; and Alzheimer's.

I have identified 8 variables which appear to be important causes of brain death. They all seem to be equally important, I would not rank them in importance. I would, however, argue that the 10th in my list – sleep – is the foundational variable. Without sufficient sleep, the brain dies. This would be about 2-3 weeks. No longer.

1+ oxygen, deprive the brain of oxygen for just a little while, a few moments, and it shuts down. “Without oxygen, your nervous system can't send nerve signals and messages throughout your body so you breathe, move, speak and see. Many things can cause cerebral hypoxia, from cardiac arrest to head injuries to inhaling smoke.”

“Oxygen is needed for the brain to make use of glucose, its major energy source. If the oxygen supply is interrupted, consciousness will be lost within 15 seconds and damage to the brain begins to occur after about four minutes without oxygen.”

“Oxygen is utilized in the brain almost entirely for the oxidation of carbohydrate (21a). Glucose is the preferred metabolic substrate for brain, and without glucose and oxygen stores available to maintain oxidative metabolism, homeostatic brain function is quickly lost.”

Everyone knows this, right? Atherosclerosis restricts the blood flow to the brain. This is what a stroke is. High blood pressure is also an issue, this is a signal that blood flow to the brain is constrained. Years and years [or decades and decades] of restricted blow flow to the brain will obviously result in brain death.

“There are two main causes of stroke. An ischemic stroke is caused by a blocked artery in the brain. A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by leaking or bursting of a blood vessel in the brain. Some people may have only a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA).”

2+ glucose, deprive the brain of glucose for just a little while, a few moments, and it shuts down. It is also true that if there is too much glucose in the blood then the brain shuts down. Diabetes, and a pre-diabetes condition.

“Overeating sugary or refined meals can lead to chronic inflammation, an enemy of memory and clear thinking.”

“Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Glucose is your body's main source of energy. Your body can make glucose, but glucose also comes from the food you eat. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps glucose get into your cells to be used for energy.”

“Glucose is an obligate metabolic fuel for the brain under physiological conditions (7). Because the brain cannot synthesize glucose or store substantial amounts as glycogen in astrocytes, the brain requires a virtually continuous supply of glucose from the circulation.”

“The human brain can survive without glucose for approximately 4-6 minutes under normal conditions, as suggested by the most recent and highest quality study available.”

“Oxygen is utilized in the brain almost entirely for the oxidation of carbohydrate. Glucose is the preferred metabolic substrate for brain, and without glucose and oxygen stores available to maintain oxidative metabolism, homeostatic brain function is quickly lost.”

“In contrast to most other tissues, which exhibit considerable flexibility with respect to the nature of the foodstuffs extracted and consumed from the blood, the normal brain is restricted almost exclusively to glucose as the substrate for its energy metabolism.”

3+ DNA, the quality of the DNA is an issue. The descendants of slaves in the United States have a much higher rate of dementia than Europeans. The prevalence of dementia for “African Americans” is some 2 times higher than Europeans. It is also for mestizos, their rate of dementia is 1.5 times higher than Europeans. Indigenous Indians in the Americas have a very high rate of dementia, and the onset of dementia occurs at a much younger age, sometimes as early as the 50s. Ashkenazi Jews also have an elevated rate of dementia, and earlier onset. All of this is undoubtedly because of the genetic material, lower quality genetic material.

4+ adipose tissue [fat], obesity is [or being “overweight”] is a major cause of dementia, which is obvious. Obesity is a cause of atherosclerosis and high blood pressure and other disorders in the body.

“What is adipose tissue? Adipose tissue, also known as fat tissue or fatty tissue, is a connective tissue that is mainly composed of fat cells called adipocytes. Adipocytes are energy-storing cells that contain large globules of fat known as lipid droplets, surrounded by a structural network of fibers.”

5+ self-realization [or the absence of], it has been observed that men and women who are married live longer and also suffer less from dementia. I am not sure that data can be easily obtained to support this statement, but I am confident it is true. Self-realization – fulfillment of one's own potential – is an important expression of vitality and happiness. Being productive – and this means also having children – is critical for the brain, it expresses the most profound “instinct” of the human animal. Reproduction. In old age, there would be a satisfaction that one has done a good job, that one is grateful for the chance to do a good job – success in life, success in the challenges that life throws up.

“Stress can affect the BBB [blood brain barain barrier]: Research suggests that chronic stress can increase the permeability of the BBB, potentially leading to neurological issues.”

6+ blood brain barrier, any breakdown of the function of the blood brain barrier will result in brain dysfunction and ultimately dementia and brain death. I think this is obvious, or it should be obvious.

“Pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses, and many toxic substances generally can’t get through your BBB.”

“The BBB is a dynamic structure that acts as an active exchange platform to transport molecules between the blood and the CNS. The tightness and integrity of the BBB vary in response to multiple factors, including environmental and systemic influences. Regulation of BBB integrity is crucial to maintain CNS homeostasis.”

“How much percent of water is in the brain? About 75% of the brain is made up of water. This fact underscores the critical role hydration plays in maintaining optimal brain function. Even a minimal 2% dehydration can lead to adverse effects on cognitive abilities. Dehydration not only impacts overall health but also hampers memory retention and focus.”

“It's mostly water. As a whole, the human brain is composed of roughly 73% water. Most of the brain is made up of two kinds of tissue: gray matter and (myelinated) white matter. The gray matter is about 80% water, while the lipid-rich white matter has about 70% water content.”

“Does the blood-brain barrier regulate fluid balance? Osmotic and ionic balance in the central nervous system is regulated by solute and water transport across the blood-brain barrier, the choroid plexus, and the plasma membrane of glial cells and neurons.”

“Does your brain use a lot of water? About 75% of the brain is made up of water. This means that dehydration, even as small as 2%, can have a negative effect on brain functions. Dehydration and a loss of sodium and electrolytes can cause acute changes in memory and attention.”

“Osmotic and ionic balance in the central nervous system is regulated by solute and water transport across the blood-brain barrier, the choroid plexus, and the plasma membrane of glial cells and neurons.”

“Some examples of drugs and substances that can get through the BBB (either on their own or with transport help) include: alcohol; anesthetics; antidepressant medications; anxiolytics (antianxiety medications); antipsychotic medications; medications that treat seizures or epilepsy; caffeine; acetaminophen and most nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); sedative hypnotics (such as barbiturates, benzodiazepines and similar drugs).”

“Among the nine prescribed medications most often mentioned as possibly connected to dementia are benzodiazepines and anticholinergic medications: antihistamines like Benadryl block acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter associated with memory and learning; tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline and nortriptyline, also possess anticholinergic effects, which may lead to confusion, memory lapses, and other cognitive issues; strong anticholinergic properties characterize bladder medications like oxybutynin and tolterodine for treating hyperactive bladder; antipsychotics, such as clozapine and olanzapine, are utilized to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders; some SSRIs, including paroxetine, also exhibit anticholinergic effects and may contribute to cognitive decline. Tricyclic antidepressants also share these effects; antispasmodics, like dicyclomine and hyoscyamine, are used to treat irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal issues, however, their anticholinergic action can lead to cognitive problems; antiparkinsonian medications, such as benztropine and trihexyphenidyl, are used for treating Parkinson’s disease and have anticholinergic effects that might result in cognitive impairment; anxiety and sleeplessness are managed with benzodiazepines, such as lorazepam and diazepam; anticonvulsants, like carbamazepine and phenytoin, are used to treat epilepsy and other seizure disorders.”

“Chronic conditions involving weakened BBB integrity: chronic conditions are long-term concerns. They can last months (at minimum), but many — if not most — are permanent and can last for years. These include (but aren’t limited to):

Alzheimer’s disease.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Chronic hypercapnia from conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Epilepsy.

Frontotemporal dementia.

High blood pressure (hypertension).

High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and related conditions like Type 2 diabetes.

High cholesterol (hyperlipidemia).

Multiple sclerosis.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO).

Parkinson’s disease.

Experts suspect many other chronic conditions can affect your BBB, but more research is necessary to confirm this.”

“The BBB changes with age: Research has found that the BBB's permeability can change with age, becoming more permeable and allowing more substances to pass through. This increased permeability may contribute to age-related cognitive decline.”

Alcohol crosses the blood brain barrier. It is a toxin. “Alcohol abuse can increase your risk for some cancers as well as severe, and potentially permanent, brain damage. It can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), which is marked by amnesia, extreme confusion and eyesight issues.”

7+ nutrients, this is also obvious, or should be obvious. I quote myself, from my recently published article on cancer and aging:

“Nutrient absorption efficiency, this would be once again disrupted by the failure to maintain homeostasis, and that's because these critical nutrients are required in the brain and organs to keep the “biological system” going. Again, we are talking functionality. My father asserts that this nutrient absorption efficiency declines with age, and that by age 65 the body is much less capable of maintaining sufficient absorption rates. Thus, supplementing the body [and brain] with these nutrients and minerals and vitamins is critical. When I was in my 30s, I was skeptical – this is when he told me this – that his theory was correct, but I now concede that he was [likely] correct.”

“The Top 5 Nutrients for the Brain: lutein, this plant pigment is found in every part of the brain, and it aids in learning and memory; DHA Omega-3. Did you know that fat makes up nearly 60% of your brain?; B vitamins, this family of vitamins protects the brain in multiple ways; vitamin D; protein.”

8+ sleep, which I have identified as foundational variable. It occurred to me this evening that I may want to apply the 80-20 Rule to this, meaning that 80% of dementia and brain death can be attributed to sleep deficits and sleep dysfunction. It's possible, possibly even likely. I will have to think it over, but I wanted to at least put it out there that I am considering this. I quote myself:

“Sleep is when the neural network configures itself, or rather, reconfigures itself. To achieve cognition. The DNA in the brain is the neural substrate to achieve this cognition – intelligence.”

Since the play function augments the sleep function in developing mammal brains, it is obvious to me that depriving juvenile brains the play function will contribute to dementia in older age. This could be one of the important causes of dementia in Western society. The brain never really fully develops and optimizes its functions – cognition. It's why we see so much idiocy out there, so much foolishness and maladaptive behavior.

So, these are the 8 variables. It is obviously an extremely complex system, the human body and brain. That there are possibly, even likely, 1 trillion neuroglia is enough to “freak out” anyone. Neurologists and neuroscientists really do not know much of anything. They like to boast that they know, but the reality is they understand very little. My conversation with Robert Fisher MD PhD in 2016 demonstrates that. Does this come as a surprise to anyone? It should not. Quackery is everywhere in the medical profession. And when it comes to the brain, the mammal brain, there is very little acknowledgment that our knowledge is weak, very weak.

Our society is run by imbeciles, ignorant imbeciles. Many of these imbeciles are older individuals, mostly men, who are suffering form some degree of dementia. The idea that Joe Biden, or Donald Trump, can “think” and make shrewd policy decisions is totally absurd. The concept of a “head of state” or executive in government is ridiculous.

Of course, policy-making is extremely difficult, I am not denying that. Trump is right, Biden was incompetent, surely this is correct, and I commend him for saying that. But Trump has promoted his tariff idiocy and he has not been able to end the Ukraine war, as he asserted he would do – in 24 hours. I assure you that Trump's scans, both CT and MRI scans, show degeneration. They are not disclosing this, just like they failed to disclose Joe Biden's condition – even when we could all see he was totally incompetent [for example, the infamous debate].

“Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a large magnet and radio waves to look at organs and structures inside your body. Health care professionals use MRI scans to diagnose a variety of conditions, from torn ligaments to tumors. MRIs are very useful for examining the brain and spinal cord.”

“A computerized tomography scan, also called a CT scan, is a type of imaging that uses X-ray techniques to create detailed images of the body. It then uses a computer to create cross-sectional images, also called slices, of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside the body. CT scan images show more detail than plain X-rays do.”

Old men. Senile dementia. United States and Soviet Union. Russia and China are not today run by senile men. Vladimir Putin is fine, as is Xi Jinping, they are 73 and 72 years old. I do not detect in either one any degree of dementia. China's management of Covid-19 was deranged, to be sure. I am not sure what was going on with that, but we have to acknowledge its management was deranged. Of course, it was the same in the United States and Europe – totally deranged. I have however argued that it might have been criminal, probably was.

One of the biggest problems we have today in the world is senile dementia. It could be the biggest problem. I am not sure there is any solution. Actually, the Western governments are collapsing, because of senile dementia and insanity. So a solution is coming: collapse.