Art Devany: The Youthful Brain

This lecture is part of the IHMC Evening Lecture series.
https://www.ihmc.us/life/evening_lect...

Dr. DeVany’s talk is a continuation of his ongoing study of the evolution of the human body and brain as a unitary system; a controller (brain) and effector (muscle) model coupled by systemic signals. This integrated view, centered on brain-body signaling, reveals new strategies for preventing brain deterioration and maintaining a healthy, lean body. It makes clear that Alzheimer’s disease and many other diseases of neural degeneration and cognitive decline are largely metabolic diseases compounded by loss of muscle mass and stem cell exhaustion. For example, a loss of insulin sensitivity precedes the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by at least 15 years. Remarkably, the areas of the brain most affected are the most recent additions to the brain and are the most dependent on glucose metabolism. This connection has an evolutionary basis for counter measures to prevent metabolic decline and loss of neurons and muscle mass. The many pathways and genes involved in the loss of cognition and motor coordination are sketched in my talk and they are part of a revolution in the scientific understanding of brain/body signaling and cognitive decline.

Dr. De Vany is a Professor Emeritus of Economics and the Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Sciences of the University of California, Irvine. He has published numerous scientific articles and books in his career and is listed in Who’s Who in the World. His work in spectrum laid the foundation for market allocation of spectrum use rights and auctions which has become the model for spectrum allocation through-out the world; his work on military manpower helped establish the viability of a voluntary force; his work in air transport was the first to forecast or anticipate the efficiency of the hub and spoke pattern of flight routing and frequency; his work in motion picture box office statistical dynamics established the “nobody knows” principle of uncertainty.

Dr. De Vany was one of the first proponents of what has now become the “paleo” diet and lifestyle and is often referred to as the “Grandfather of Paleo,” by The New York Times and The Times of London. He has lived half of his almost 80 years of life in the paleo way. He published his models and methods of an evolutionary lifestyle in his book, The New Evolution Diet, and is now working on a book on aging tentatively titled Renewing Cycles: Healing the wounds of aging through improved cellular defense and systemic renewal signaling.