Presented by SSA Public Relations
Parents shoulder a large set of responsibilities as they raise their children. At the same time, many begin to recognize that it’s becoming important to also focus their attention on other loved ones – namely their own parents. For adult children, parental caregiving oftentimes begins with their parents experiencing cognitive decline. We come into the world viewing our parents as virtually indestructible. As we grow, and we watch our parents age, we come to terms with reality: our parents’ gait slows, hearing weakens and, perhaps most important of all, memories dim.
This experience happened to Dallas-based neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Gordon, who felt helpless watching as his father showed signs of age-related memory loss. Neurosurgeons specialize in diagnosing and treating conditions related to the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Performing surgery to remove brain tumors, treating carpel-tunnel syndrome, exploring surgical and nonsurgical options for managing persistent back or neck pain, or addressing congenital brain and spinal conditions. But to help support his father’s age-related memory loss, Dr. Gordon needed to embark on a different medical journey, one that would ultimately lead him to discover the importance of olfactory training.
“There is a fascinating connection between our sense of smell and memory,” says Dr. Gordon. “Our sense of smell is intricately aligned to the brain’s ability to store and retrieve memories. Unlike other sensory inputs, such as sight or sound, smells have a direct pathway to the brain’s limbic system, specifically the hippocampus, which plays a crucial role in the formation and consolidation of long-term memories. As a result, scents have a unique ability to trigger powerful emotional and autobiographical memories.”
Olfactory science, also known as olfaction, is the study of our sense of smell and the vital role it plays in our lives. When we encounter scents, sensory organs in our nasal cavity detect odorants (mostly organic molecules) and send nerve signals to the brain for processing. These are the signals that allow us to perceive and recognize different smells, influence our emotions and support our sense of memory.
Combining his extensive background in neuroscience and a passion for unraveling the mysteries of the brain, Dr. Gordon became a nationally recognized proponent of olfactory training. His years of dedicated olfaction research ultimately led him to develop a breakthrough program, which includes olfactory training to support memory that many adult children have embraced for their own parents.
Dr. Gordon’s Total Mind™ Program is a safe, simple and fun way for adult children to actively engage with their parents and help stimulate their neural connections to support their memory. A three-part program, Total Mind™ includes the Total Mind™ Memory & Focus supplement, a proprietary formula that fuels the brain’s mental fitness and provides the nutrition needed for memory, while Total Mind™ Sleep & Relaxation proprietary formula is designed to help support sleep quality and promote relaxation, which are both vital in maintaining long-term memory. At the heart of Dr. Gordon’s Total Mind™ system is Dr. Gordon’s Total Mind™ Olfactory Scent Training Kit, part of a training program that exercises the memory-related parts of the brain.
Dr. Gordon cites the hippocampus, a key structure within the brain’s limbic system, and how it plays a vital role in the connection between smell and memory. “As individuals engage in olfactory training, the hippocampus is stimulated, leading to the formation of stronger neural pathways. This process facilitates the encoding and retrieval of memories associated with specific smells, Dr. Gordon finds.
According to Dr. Gordon, individuals can incorporate olfactory exercises into their daily routines to exercise their brain. By associating scents with important information or experiences, individuals can tap into the power of smell to stimulate their memory. “As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the brain, it becomes increasingly clear that harnessing the power of our senses can have profound effects on our cognitive abilities,” Dr. Gordon says. “So the next time you encounter a nostalgic scent, take a moment to appreciate the incredible role it plays in preserving our precious memories. This experience forms the basis for the Total Mind™ system, a program we believe will yield positive results for the other set of loved ones in our lives – our parents.”
