More Proof of the ReCODE Protocol’s Success

Preprint: Significant Reduction in Depression Scores Following Implementation of the ReCODE Program: Evidence from PHQ-9 Assessments — 2025

Authors Drs. Rammohan Rao, Aida Bredesen, Alan Boyd, and Dale Bredesen, along with Julie Gregory, Sho Okada, William Lipa, Lance Kelly, Christine Coward, evaluated whether the ReCODE® protocol, a precision medicine approach for Alzheimer’s disease, could improve depressive symptoms in addition to cognition. Among 170 participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) assessments showed a statistically and clinically significant reduction in depression scores after at least 31 days on the program, with average severity shifting from moderate to mild. Improvements were observed across all baseline severity levels, and those with more severe depression at entry experienced the most significant gains. These findings suggest that ReCODE’s multi-therapeutic strategy not only benefits cognition but also substantially alleviates depression, offering a dual advantage for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.

Case Report: Successful Treatment of Posterior Cortical Atrophy: – 2025

Drs. Neil Nathan, Chi Kim, and Dale Bredesen, along with Kerry Rutland authored a case report published on Preprints.org, describing the successful treatment of posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease that had long been considered untreatable. The patient underwent a personalized precision medicine protocol targeting contributors such as Bartonella infection, mycotoxin exposure, and heavy metals, resulting in restored reading and computer use, sustained cognitive improvement, and significant MRI volumetric gains over more than one year.

Article: Sustained Cognitive Improvement in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients Following a Precision Medicine Protocol: Case Series – 2024

Drs. Dale Bredesen, Mary Ross, and Stephen Ross, the COO of the Brain Health & Research Institute, authored a case series for the Neurobiology and Clinical Neuroscience section of the medical journal Biomedicines. The case series validated the effectiveness of the ReCODE Protocol™ for individuals experiencing cognitive decline, featuring patients who maintained or improved their cognition for up to ten years. These individuals participated in ReCODE, a comprehensive protocol that goes beyond traditional pharmaceutical interventions. It targets the multiple contributors to cognitive decline with a personalized, precision medicine strategy. This approach has not been reported in patients treated with anti-cholinesterase agents, glutamate receptor inhibitors, anti-amyloid agents, or other therapeutic methods. The successful results highlight the efficacy of ReCODE in enabling long-term cognitive improvement in those who closely adhere to the treatment protocol. For more information, read the full paper here.

Longitudinal White and Gray Matter Response to Precision Medicine-Guided Intervention for Alzheimer’s Disease – 2023

This study was submitted to the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (JAD) by Drs. Dale Bredesen, Cyrus Raji, Kat Toups, Ann Hathaway, Deborah Gordon, and researcher Jong Chwa explored how precision medicine, tailored to individual patients, influences brain structure and cognitive function in those with AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Over the course of nine months, 25 patients received personalized treatments, and MRI scans were used to measure changes in their brain matter. Cognitive scores improved significantly, but changes in brain matter were variable and not statistically significant. This suggests that while precision medicine may help cognition, further study is needed to understand the brain changes it entails.

Study: Observed Improvement in Cognition During a Personalized Lifestyle Intervention in People with Cognitive Decline – 2023

A team led by Heather Sandison, ND, conducted a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a personalized medicine protocol using a multimodal approach in treating cognitive decline in 34 participants over six months. The resulting paper, co-authored by Ram Rao, Ph.D., the Principal Research Scientist for Apollo Health, was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The multimodal intervention included lifestyle changes (i.e., movement, diet, and stress management), nutraceutical support, and medications. It was delivered pragmatically over four clinical visits, and outcome measures were gathered at four study visits, occurring at baseline, one month, three months, and six months (primary endpoint). Results showed significant improvements in overall cognition and memory, as measured by Cambridge Brain Sciences assessments, and increased scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. More than half of the participants demonstrated improvement in various cognitive domains. The study provides evidence for the potential efficacy of individualized interventions in addressing cognitive decline. For more information, read the full paper here.

Article: Rationale for a Multi-Factorial Approach for the Reversal of Cognitive Decline – 2023

This article, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, was authored by Apollo Health’s Ram Rao, Ph.D., Julie Gregory, Christine Coward, Sho Okada, Lance Kelly, Dale Bredesen, M.D., Aida Lasheen Bredesen, M.D., and Kaavya Subramaniam. Recent dementia and Alzheimer’s research highlights diverse contributors like diet, lifestyle, stress, sleep, and toxins, endorsing lifestyle changes to impede AD. Studies advocate for a personalized, multi-pronged approach to address metabolic anomalies and cognitive decline, identifying factors such as insulin resistance, inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances. This review highlights the need for a comprehensive approach that takes into account individual genetics and biochemistry, thereby surpassing single-drug solutions. By analyzing multiple interventions concurrently, encompassing lifestyle, physical, mental, and nutritional activities, this article underscores the intricate nature of AD. It advocates for a holistic strategy to combat its various risk factors, surpassing the limitations of monotherapy. Learn more here.

Data Analysis: ReCODE Protocol™ Analysis – 2021

This analysis was led by our Principal Research Scientist, Ram Rao, Ph.D., and co-authored by Apollo Health’s Julie Gregory, Christine Coward, Sho Okada, William Lipa, Lance Kelly, Dale Bredesen, M.D., and voluntary data scientist Sharanya Kumar. Using Apollo Health’s personalized therapeutic system, the ReCODE™ Program, which proved successful in a small, proof-of-concept trial, our team sought to determine whether this program could be scaled to improve cognitive and metabolic function in individuals diagnosed with subjective cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and early-stage AD. By comparing baseline to follow-up testing of 255 ReCODE participants, it was observed that MoCA scores either significantly improved or stabilized across the entire participant pool. Additionally, other risk factors, including blood glucose, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, HOMA-IR, and vitamin D, also improved in the participant pool. Our findings prove that a multi-factorial, comprehensive, and personalized therapeutic program designed to mitigate AD risk factors can improve risk factor scores and stabilize or reverse the decline in cognitive function. Learn more here.

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