“Taking care of the brain means taking care of the person and society.” With these words Ida Ferrara, president of Aimf Health, summarizes the heart of his professional commitment and the intervention that he will hold the next September 20 in Florenceon the occasion of the National Congress organized byItalian Association of Functional Medicine. An appointment designed to put a theme as complex as it is currently: the neurofiammation.
The choice of the IMF to dedicate the entire congress to this topic arises from a concrete urgency: “Neurological and psychiatric pathologies are knowing an impressive increase. The research shows that at the basis of many of these conditions there are common processes, such as chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, capable of damaging nerve cells and promoting neurodegenerative processes. We can no longer limit ourselves to treating symptoms: an approach that dates back to deep causes is needed ».
The goal of the event, Ferrara underlines, is twofold: to stimulate a scientific confrontation between research, clinic and prevention, but also providing concrete tools to health professionals. In this perspective, the functional medicine He plays a key role: «It means looking at the patient in his uniqueness, reconstructing the biological and environmental map in which he lives, to define personalized therapeutic paths. It is a precision medicine model that does not replace traditional medicine, but integrates it and makes it more effective ».
Among the factors that feed neurOinflammation, Ferrara cites in particular modern diet, often unbalanced, environmental pollution, hormonal imbalances and chronic stress. “We think of the intestinal microbiota: its alteration affects the absorption of nutrients, on the immune system and consequently also on inflammatory responses. Or to chronic stress, which translates into an alteration of cortisol, with both physical and mental wear effects. All these elements, if neglected, become fertile ground for neurological and psychiatric pathologies ».
The congress will also be an opportunity to deal with the theme of evolutionary and epigenetic neuroscience. «Today we can no longer consider the individual as a” rasa table “that passively responds to the environment. Evolutionary biology and epigenetics teach us that each of us expresses their own genetic heritage in a unique way, conditioned by personal and collective history, epigenetics. This means that the responsibility for the health of the individual inevitably intertwines with that of the social “.
Ferrara brings concrete examples also from the world of hormone biology, which she defines as “molecules of emotions”: from testosterone, capable of pushing to action but also to induce aggressiveness, cortisol, which in excess wears body and mind, up to oxytocin, the hormone of empathy and sociality. «These biological mediators demonstrate how intertwined our physiology with social behaviors. Managing neurofiammation also means taking care of the emotional and relational balance of people ».
In closing, Ferrara’s invitation is a message of shared responsibility: «Each of us can do a lot: from balanced feeding to regular sleep, from physical activity to stress management. They are simple actions, but fundamental to prevent imbalances that over time are reflected on the brain.