Communication lag time is a relatively newly described parameter that is a very sensitive measure of global brain function. When you engage in a conversation with another person, when you say something to them, within a second, there is a subtle change in their facial expression that signals they have processed what you said. That means you can move on and say something else without fragmenting the communication. All of this occurs subconsciously without your being consciously aware of the process. If there were no communication lag time, you would keep piling on one statement on another before the other party could adequately process the statements. This would make it very challenging to converse with another person who had a prolonged CLT.
Most anyone can learn to read the subtle facial expression changes behind this concept. People with normal brain function know facial expressions can communicate someone’s emotional state very quickly. By looking at their facial expression, you can sense anger, concern, happiness, confusion, and other common emotions. The changes in facial expression behind the CLT concept are more subtle. The next time you communicate one-on-one with someone, pay close attention to their facial expression after you complete a statement. Look for a head nod, serial eye blinks, subtle changes in muscle movements, or mouth movements. These expressions are very subtle, so you must pay close attention and focus on them to see them. It takes practice, but most everyone can pick up on these important signals. If you know someone with a significant brain problem like dementia, major depression, or Alzheimer’s disease, look to these subtle changes in facial expression when you take a statement. Their CLT will likely be significantly longer than one second.
I first introduced this concept over ten years ago, and I noticed that in folks with normal brain function, the CLT was always less than a second. If someone has dementia or some other type of disorder that affects overall brain function, their CLT moves beyond a second. It can stretch out longer based on the severity of their underlying brain disorder. If you were communicating with such a person, you would likely note something was disjointed about the conversation, even though you couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason. I have found that the CLT is a very sensitive measure of overall brain function. I also discovered that prolonged CLT could return to normal in some situations.
The most common cause of prolonged CLT is when brain function is impaired by diet. I have introduced a new disease model to the medical and scientific communities based on the concept that ultra-processed food is neurotoxic and can eventually trigger a form of brain dysfunction that fits the pattern of disease. I call this disease Carbohydrate Associated Reversible Brain syndrome or CARB syndrome. This disease causes your body to store excessive body fat at any caloric intake. It is also associated with up to 22 brain dysfunction symptoms that can be easily confused with many psychiatric disorders. The so-called medical experts completely missed this common disease with disastrous results. I believe that CARB syndrome is now the most common disease in developed countries, and it is driving our current epidemics of obesity and common psychiatric disorders. I have treated thousands of patients who fit the CARB syndrome pattern over decades and noticed one consistent parameter. When their CARB syndrome was out of control, their CLT was invariably prolonged well beyond a second. Unlike most brain disorders, CARB syndrome is treatable and completely reversible. As their brain function improved, their CLT would quickly return to normal because it’s a very sensitive indicator of overall brain function.
What should you do if you have excess body fat and have many of the 22 symptoms of CARB syndrome? I suggest doing the following:
- Eliminate ultra-processed food as much as possible and follow a Mediterranean-style diet.
- Limit your total fructose intake from any source to less than 20 grams daily.
- Exercise for 30-60 minutes at least five days a week. A combination of aerobic and strength training is ideal.
- If you have CARB syndrome, your lead symptom will always be having strong cravings for sweet and starchy food. Take a neurotransmitter precursor supplement like CARB-22 to suppress these cravings. Start with 1-2 capsules twice daily on an empty stomach, then gradually increase to 4 capsules twice daily based on your cravings.
- Take enough high-quality omega-3 to get your AA/EPA ratio between 1 and 3. This will keep excessive inflammation at bay, as inflammation is a key part of the CARB syndrome pathology. I take OmegaRx2 from Barry Sears. I also recommend taking his MaquiRx polyphenol supplement.
- Consider implementing some mindfulness meditation.
Exercise can become more challenging as we age. One of my inspirations is my high school buddy Andy Steinfeldt. Andy has managed to remain a competitive athlete throughout all stages of life. He is also a professional singer, and I suspect he burns more calories singing than many people do exercising!
With this program, you can expect to lose excessive body fat slowly, your brain dysfunction symptoms will melt away, and your CLT will return to normal, so communication with others will be much smoother. What could be better than that?
