When Memory Loss Isn’t Dementia…
Most people believe that memory loss in their 60s or 70s is the beginning of an irreversible decline—something genetic, something fated, something they can’t control.
But that isn’t always true.
Today I met a woman whose story reminds us that cognitive decline can often be slowed, stabilized, or even reversed when the underlying causes are identified—and treated.
For privacy, we’ll call her Linda.
A Year of Decline That No One Could Explain
For the last several years, Linda’s family noticed subtle memory issues. But over the last 6–12 months, everything accelerated:
New, unrelenting headaches
Crushing pressure on the top of her head
Debilitating fatigue
GI upset
Days spent in bed
Increasing confusion and cognitive slowing
Her traditional doctors ran the standard dementia workup and told her nothing was wrong.
But Linda knew something was deeply off.
A Turning Point: When Everything Clicked
Linda eventually reached a functional neurologist who recognized something many practitioners miss:
Her symptoms weren’t random—they were overlapping.
She had:
✔️ Two significant head injuries
✔️ Clear mold exposure, plus a mold-susceptible HLA genotype
✔️ A documented bullseye rash after a tick bite, followed by symptoms consistent with Lyme & co-infections
✔️ Elevated dementia-associated blood biomarkers including neurofilament light chain (NfL) and phosphorylated tau
And yet—
She does not carry the APOE genetic pattern associated with inherited Alzheimer’s dementia.
This is one of the most important clues.
Linda does not have genetic dementia.
She has environmental, inflammatory, and trauma-driven cognitive impairment—something that can improve when we treat the root causes.
Why Her Memory Decline Is Reversible
Linda’s story is the perfect example of what I tell patients every day:
**Cognitive impairment is not always Alzheimer’s.
Sometimes it is inflammation.
And inflammation can change.**
Her brain has been through:
1️⃣ Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) × 2
Both injuries left lasting effects on blood flow, perfusion, and brainstem function—confirmed on neurological exam and imaging.
2️⃣ Mold Exposure + Mold Gene
Her home of 20 years (an older structure) and prior work around barn hay created chronic exposure.
Her HLA type places her in a category of people whose immune systems cannot properly clear mold toxins, leading to brain inflammation.
3️⃣ Tick-Borne Infections
A bullseye rash and later lab confirmation point to Lyme and co-infections (especially Babesia), both of which are known to cause:
Head pressure
Cognitive decline
Autonomic dysfunction
Mitochondrial injury
Neuroinflammation
4️⃣ Inflammatory Dementia Markers
Her labs demonstrate elevated NfL and phosphorylated tau—markers of neural injury—not genetic dementia.
These levels can improve when the brain is no longer under attack.
What We Know From Research (and What Gives Us Hope)
Studies show that cognitive decline driven by:
Mold/biotoxin illness
Lyme disease and co-infections
Traumatic brain injury
Chronic inflammation
Hypoxia or impaired brain perfusion
Metabolic dysfunction
Neurotoxin exposure
can improve dramatically when the triggers are removed and the brain receives the support it needs.
This is where Linda’s treatment plan begins.
The Path Forward: Her Personalized Reversal Strategy
To protect privacy, details are generalized. Her plan includes:
✔️ Strict mold avoidance + environmental testing
Removing exposure is step one in stopping ongoing brain inflammation.
✔️ Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
HBOT increases oxygen delivery to injured brain regions, supports neurogenesis, and improves cerebral blood flow.
✔️ Sequential treatment of Lyme & co-infections
Addressing both infection load and biofilms that drive persistent inflammation.
✔️ Gentle detox + liver and lymph support
Because toxin clearance pathways are overwhelmed.
✔️ Targeted nutraceutical and medication support
Including support for methylation, microcirculation, mitochondrial function, and synaptic repair.
✔️ Nasal therapies
To support brain perfusion, olfactory nerve healing, and cognitive improvement.
✔️ Keto-leaning anti-inflammatory nutrition
To stabilize insulin signaling and promote cognitive recovery.
✔️ Stopping medications that impair brain regeneration
(Such as high-dose statins in certain patients—done only under medical guidance.)
**The Big Message:
Cognitive Decline Is Not Always Permanent**
Linda doesn’t have the gene for dementia.
She has treatable drivers of cognitive dysfunction.
When we identify those drivers—
And when a patient commits to the process—
The brain can heal.
I’ve seen it again and again in patients like her.
And there is real hope.
**If You Are Experiencing Memory Loss…
Don’t assume it’s Alzheimer’s.**
Get evaluated.
There may be infections, toxins, injuries, inflammatory triggers, or metabolic issues driving your symptoms.
And many of these are reversible when treated correctly.
If you—or someone you love—is facing unexplained cognitive decline, headaches, neurological changes, or chronic inflammation, we would be honored to help.
👉 Schedule an evaluation at The Lyday Center to begin your root-cause assessment and personalized cognitive recovery plan.
Your brain is designed to heal.
Let’s give it the chance.