Functional Medicine Testing For Suspected Dementia

Functional Medicine goes way beyond the suggested NZ framework for assessing dementia patients. We understand that life-style has a huge impact on our brain, and our choices have direct impacts on many metabolic pathways. This is where I come in!

Below is a list of tests I would undergo if I had the suspicion that I am at risk of cognitive decline. I do not apply any surcharges on any of the tests. The prices quoted are exactly what I have to pay to organise the tests for you. The exception are p-Tau217 and GFAB, whose prices are determined by the exchange rate between USD and NZD.

Making the Diagnosis: GFAP & p-Tau217 — Biomarkers of Early Alzheimer’s Risk

Forget waiting for years of decline before doing something. These days, we can detect the biological signs of Alzheimer’s before memory loss becomes obvious — and that’s exactly when intervention has the most power.

I use two highly sensitive blood-based biomarkers to help assess your brain’s health:

What I test:

• GFAP (Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein): This reflects astrocyte activation — a sign of early brain inflammation and neurodegeneration. Elevated GFAP often appears long before symptoms do.

• p-Tau217 (phosphorylated tau): This marker indicates tau tangles forming in the brain — one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s more specific and accurate than older tau markers and helps identify whether true Alzheimer’s pathology is present.

Why it matters:  p-Tau217 is now FDA-approved and backed by strong clinical evidence as one of the most accurate blood-based biomarkers for detecting early Alzheimer’s disease. It helps distinguish Alzheimer’s from other types of cognitive impairment with far more precision than older tau tests or standard imaging.

Your genes don’t seal your fate — but they do shape the terrain. Knowing your genetic risk for Alzheimer’s means you can act early, personalise your prevention strategy, and work with your biology instead of against it.

One of the most important genetic markers I test for is:

🔍 APOE (Apolipoprotein E):

• The APOE ε4 variant is the strongest known genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

• Having one copy increases your lifetime risk by 2–3 times; two copies can raise it up to 12 times.

• APOE also affects cholesterol transport, brain inflammation, and how your brain clears amyloid — a key Alzheimer’s protein.

But I don’t stop there. I also use DNA Life genomic testing to go beyond APOE and explore how your body handles:

• Neurotransmitter metabolism (COMT, MAO, MTHFR) — impacting dopamine, serotonin, and methylation

• Detox pathways (GST, CYP450s) — influencing how well you clear environmental and metabolic waste from the brain

• Inflammatory gene variants (like TNF and IL-6) — showing if you’re genetically prone to neuroinflammation

• Nutrient transport and receptor efficiency — including folate, B12, magnesium, and omega-3 pathways critical for brain health

✅ Why this matters: Understanding your genetic landscape lets me build a truly personalised brain health plan — targeting inflammation, detox, methylation, and repair, all based on your unique blueprint. Early knowledge here can delay or even prevent cognitive decline.

If your brain feels slower, foggier, or more fragile than it used to — it’s not just aging. Mitochondria, neurotransmitters, and detox pathways all play a role in cognitive function. The Organic Acids Test gives me a detailed look at how your cells are producing energy, clearing toxins, and supporting mood and memory — long before symptoms become obvious.

🔍 What I test:

• Mitochondrial function — poor energy production in your cells often shows up first in the brain

• Neurotransmitter markers — like dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate balance

• Oxidative stress — including glutathione depletion and free radical damage, which can accelerate neurodegeneration

• B-vitamin and cofactor status — essential for methylation, myelin repair, and brain resilience

• Yeast and bacterial overgrowth — including hidden fungal metabolites linked to brain fog and inflammation

✅ Why this matters in Alzheimer’s:
Mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired detox are common in early cognitive decline. The OAT helps me pinpoint exactly where your brain’s energy systems are struggling — and gives us the data to support recovery with precision. This test is a cornerstone in restoring clarity, mood, and long-term cognitive health.

Most people don’t realise how closely the gut is linked to the brain. But the science is clear: your gut bacteria influence inflammation, neurotransmitters, and even amyloid production in the brain. If you’re dealing with memory issues, brain fog, or early cognitive decline, your gut could be part of the problem.

That’s why I often recommend the GI360™ — a comprehensive stool test that maps your microbiome and gut health in detail.

🔍 What I test:

• Microbiome balance — how well your beneficial bacteria are protecting your brain and gut barrier

• Pathogens and overgrowth — yeast, parasites, or harmful bacteria that produce neurotoxins

• Digestive function — whether you’re breaking down food and absorbing key brain nutrients

• Short-chain fatty acids — like butyrate and acetate, which reduce brain inflammation and support memory

• Markers of leaky gut and gut inflammation — which can drive neuroinflammation and cognitive decline

✅ Why this matters in Alzheimer’s:
Poor gut health fuels systemic and brain inflammation — a known driver of neurodegeneration. The GI360™ helps me identify and correct the imbalances that may be silently affecting your memory, focus, and mental sharpness. Healing the gut is often the first real step in protecting the brain.

Your brain runs on rhythm — cortisol, melatonin, estrogen, testosterone, and DHEA all work in delicate cycles that affect memory, sleep, mood, and long-term cognitive function. Alcohol, chronic stress, poor sleep, and age can all throw those rhythms off.

That’s why I use the DUTCH test — a gold-standard urine test that maps your hormones across a full 24-hour cycle, showing me not just your levels, but how your body is metabolising them.

🔍 What I test:

• Cortisol and cortisone patterns — to assess your stress response and identify if your system is wired, flat, or dysfunctional

• Melatonin production — vital for deep sleep, detox, and brain repair — often low in people at risk of cognitive decline

• DHEA levels — an anti-aging hormone that helps protect brain cells from oxidative stress

• Sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) — all of which play a role in memory, mood, and neuroplasticity

• Hormone metabolite pathways — including how safely and efficiently your body is clearing hormones like estrogen through the liver

✅ Why this matters in Alzheimer’s:
Sleep and hormonal decline are two of the most overlooked drivers of cognitive decline. If your cortisol is spiking at night, your melatonin is flat, or your sex hormones are out of balance, your brain pays the price. The DUTCH test helps me see the full hormonal landscape and build a brain-supportive protocol that restores rhythm, resilience, and repair.

Cognitive decline isn’t just about amyloid or genetics — it’s often driven by what’s happening in your blood vessels and metabolism. In fact, up to 80% of people with Alzheimer’s also show signs of vascular dysfunction or insulin resistance. That’s why I always check the metabolic terrain before building any treatment plan.

This blood panel helps me catch the silent drivers of brain aging — before they become irreversible.

🔍 What I test:

• Fasting insulin and glucose — early signs of “type 3 diabetes” (Alzheimer’s is now often called this for a reason)

• HOMA-IR — a functional insulin resistance score that often goes missed by routine blood work

• hs-CRP — a sensitive marker of chronic inflammation that contributes to plaque build-up in both arteries and the brain

• Homocysteine — a key risk marker for stroke, memory loss, and poor methylation

• Cholesterol subtypes — looking beyond LDL to assess particle size and function, which affect brain blood flow

• Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid ratios — essential for reducing neuroinflammation and preserving brain cell structure

✅ Why this matters in Alzheimer’s:
Poor blood sugar control and chronic inflammation quietly damage the brain for years. Left unchecked, they shrink memory centres, disrupt oxygen flow, and speed up mental decline. This panel helps me get ahead of that — so we can optimise blood flow, reduce inflammation, and protect your brain’s future.

Your thyroid is your body’s metabolic control centre — and your brain depends on it. Even subtle thyroid dysfunction can cause fatigue, brain fog, depression, and memory problems. Unfortunately, many thyroid issues are missed in standard testing, especially when TSH is “normal.”

That’s why I dig deeper.

🔍 What I test:

• TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) — the signal from your brain to your thyroid

• Free T3 and Free T4 — your active thyroid hormones, essential for brain energy and focus

• Reverse T3 — a stress-blocked form of thyroid hormone that can look “normal” but make you feel slow, foggy, and low

• Thyroid antibodies — to screen for autoimmune thyroid disease (like Hashimoto’s), which often flies under the radar and is linked to depression and cognitive changes

✅ Why this matters in Alzheimer’s:
Low thyroid function reduces cerebral blood flow, slows metabolism in the brain, and can mimic early dementia. I’ve seen patients regain clarity and focus just by correcting overlooked thyroid issues. If your brain feels sluggish or disconnected, your thyroid could be part of the picture — and I won’t let it go unchecked.

Many people have been exposed to toxic mold without ever realising it. These mycotoxins — invisible chemicals produced by certain fungi — can cross the blood-brain barrier, disrupt mitochondrial function, trigger chronic inflammation, and impair memory, mood, and focus. In sensitive individuals, they may even accelerate cognitive decline and mimic early Alzheimer’s symptoms.

If you’ve lived or worked in a damp, musty, or water-damaged building — even years ago — it’s worth investigating.

🔍 What I test:

• Urinary mycotoxins — including ochratoxin A, gliotoxin, aflatoxins, trichothecenes, and others

• Markers of oxidative stress and glutathione depletion

• Inflammatory responses and immune activation linked to chronic mold exposure

✅ Why this matters in Alzheimer’s:
Mycotoxins can quietly poison brain tissue, disrupt hormonal balance, impair detox pathways, and fuel neuroinflammation — all of which overlap with mechanisms seen in Alzheimer’s disease. If you’ve done all the right things but your brain still feels inflamed, stuck, or unwell, mold could be the missing piece. I don’t overlook it.

Heavy metals like mercury, lead, and arsenic are just part of the picture. Our brains are also vulnerable to a wide range of environmental toxins — including pesticides like glyphosate, plastic chemicals, air pollution, and industrial pollutants. These toxins interfere with neurotransmitter balance, impair mitochondrial function, increase oxidative stress, and fuel chronic inflammation — all key drivers in cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

Exposure can come from many sources: contaminated water, food, household chemicals, old building materials, or even personal care products. They accumulate silently over time, making it crucial to assess and address them.

🔍 What I test:

• Urinary and blood panels for heavy metals and common environmental toxins — to reveal both recent and stored exposures, including glyphosate

• Hair mineral analysis — to track long-term toxin accumulation

• Markers of oxidative stress and detox capacity — to understand how well your body is managing these chemical burdens

• Essential nutrient levels and ratios — since toxins often displace protective minerals like zinc, magnesium, and selenium

✅ Why this matters in Alzheimer’s:
Environmental toxins, including glyphosate, contribute to the buildup of harmful proteins in the brain, disrupt detox pathways, and promote the inflammation that underpins cognitive decline. Testing for these hidden threats helps me create a personalised detox and recovery plan, giving your brain the best chance to heal and thrive.

I know this list of tests can feel overwhelming. It’s a lot to take in — and sometimes, the idea of digging into complex lab results can stir up fear or frustration. But I want you to know this isn’t about burden or hopelessness. It’s about empowerment.

These tests give us a detailed map of what’s really going on beneath the surface. They reveal hidden inflammation, toxin burdens, hormone imbalances, genetic risks, and metabolic struggles — all of which contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.

The good news? Identifying these factors opens doors. Doors to prevention, to targeted therapies, and even to reversing early signs and symptoms. Your brain is remarkably resilient. When armed with the right information and a personalised plan, you can protect your memory, sharpen your thinking, and reclaim your life.

Together, we’ll cut through the overwhelm, focus on what matters most for you, and take practical, evidence-based steps toward lasting brain health.

This is your path forward — and I’ll be with you every step of the way.