Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why you went there?

Maybe names do not come to you as quickly as they once did. You may lose your train of thought in the middle of a conversation, reread the same paragraph several times, or feel mentally exhausted by tasks that once seemed easy.

You may find yourself saying:

“My brain just doesn’t feel as sharp as it used to.”

Occasional forgetfulness happens to everyone. But when brain fog, poor concentration, slower processing, or memory changes begin interfering with your work, confidence, relationships, or quality of life, it is worth looking more closely.

At O’Keefe Matz Functional Health Clinic in Saint Paul, we do not believe brain care should begin and end with a list of symptoms. We want to understand what may be affecting your brain’s energy, communication, regulation, and ability to adapt.

That is the foundation of our Brain Optimization approach.

Rather than relying on one treatment, we bring together three complementary areas of care:

Functional Medicine supports the environment in which the brain functions.

Neurofeedback helps train the brain’s patterns of activity and regulation.

Photobiomodulation uses near-infrared light to support cellular energy and brain function.

Together, these approaches allow us to look at both the brain and the body supporting it.

Brain Fog Is a Symptom, Not a Complete Explanation

“Brain fog” is not a single medical diagnosis. It is a general term people use to describe experiences such as:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Forgetting words or names
• Losing a train of thought
• Slower mental processing
• Poor short-term or working memory
• Trouble organizing or completing tasks
• Mental fatigue
• Feeling mentally cloudy or disconnected

These changes can have many possible contributors. Sleep deprivation, chronic stress, thyroid problems, blood sugar instability, hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, medications, inflammation, digestive problems, mood disorders, infections, and previous concussions may all influence mental performance.

Our article, Why Is My Brain So Foggy? 17 Causes of Brain Fog That Are Often Overlooked, explains many of these potential contributors in greater detail.

This is why a meaningful brain optimization plan should not automatically assume that every person with memory or focus concerns needs the same treatment.

The better question is:

What is interfering with this particular person’s ability to think clearly?

Part One: Functional Medicine Supports the Brain’s Internal Environment

Your brain does not function separately from the rest of your body.

It depends on oxygen, blood flow, glucose regulation, thyroid hormones, nutrients, healthy sleep, balanced inflammation, and properly functioning mitochondria to perform demanding tasks such as remembering, focusing, organizing, learning, and making decisions.

A Functional Medicine evaluation looks for health factors that may be creating an unfavorable environment for the brain.

Depending on the person’s history and symptoms, an evaluation may consider:

• Thyroid function and thyroid antibodies
• Glucose, insulin, and hemoglobin A1c
• Vitamin B12 and folate
• Iron and ferritin
• Vitamin D
• Inflammatory markers
• Hormonal changes
• Cortisol and stress patterns
• Digestive function and nutrient absorption
• Sleep quality or possible sleep apnea
• Medication effects
• Previous infections or long COVID
• A history of concussion or head injury

The purpose is not to order every available laboratory test. It is to use the person’s history, examination, symptoms, and existing medical information to determine which questions are most relevant.

You can learn more about our Functional Medicine and Internal Diagnosis approach.

Why Blood Sugar Matters to the Brain

The brain is one of the body’s most energy-demanding organs. Rapid blood sugar spikes and crashes can leave some people feeling tired, irritable, unfocused, or mentally foggy.

Over time, metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance are also associated with vascular and cognitive health concerns. Supporting stable blood sugar through individualized nutrition, movement, sleep, stress reduction, and appropriate medical care may therefore be an important part of supporting brain health.

Why Thyroid and Hormones Matter

Thyroid hormones help regulate metabolism throughout the body, including within the nervous system. When thyroid function is impaired, people may experience fatigue, slower thinking, poor concentration, depression, and memory complaints.

Perimenopause and menopause can also affect sleep, mood, attention, and word retrieval. In some patients, what feels like a sudden loss of mental sharpness may be connected to a combination of hormonal change, disrupted sleep, stress, and inflammation.

Why Sleep Matters

Sleep is not simply a period of inactivity. It is an essential part of learning, memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and brain maintenance.

Poor sleep may make it harder to store new memories, retrieve information, stay focused, and control emotional responses. Addressing insomnia, breathing problems, stress, pain, nighttime blood sugar changes, and unhealthy sleep habits may be one of the most important parts of a brain health plan.

Our related article, Functional Medicine and Neurofeedback for Better Sleep and Sharper Memory, discusses this relationship further.

The Functional Medicine Brain-Health Perspective

The Institute for Functional Medicine describes brain health as being influenced by nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress, social engagement, gut health, and inflammation. Its educational resources emphasize that cognitive function is connected to multiple body systems rather than being an isolated process.

Functional Medicine educators such as Dr. Datis Kharrazian and Dr. Mark Hyman have also helped bring public attention to the relationships among inflammation, metabolic health, nutrition, brain fog, and cognitive function. These educational perspectives do not replace medical diagnosis, but they encourage people to look beyond the assumption that every cognitive change is simply an unavoidable part of aging.

Part Two: Neurofeedback Helps the Brain Practice Better Regulation

Functional Medicine looks at the biological environment supporting the brain.

Neurofeedback focuses more directly on how the brain is operating and regulating its electrical activity.

Neurofeedback is a noninvasive form of brain training. Sensors placed on the scalp record brainwave activity. That information is translated into visual or auditory feedback, often through a movie, sound, or computer display.

The brain receives moment-to-moment information about its own activity. With repetition, it may learn to produce more functional and efficient patterns.

It is similar to learning any other skill.

A musician improves by hearing whether a note is correct.

An athlete improves by observing body position and performance.

During neurofeedback, the brain receives information about its own activity and practices making adjustments.

Why We Begin With QEEG Brain Mapping

We do not want to guess which areas or patterns need support.

A quantitative electroencephalogram, or QEEG, records electrical activity from multiple locations across the scalp. Specialized analysis helps us evaluate patterns involving brainwave power, distribution, symmetry, connectivity, and regulation.

A QEEG does not diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, tumors, strokes, or every possible cause of memory loss. It provides functional information that may help guide a personalized neurofeedback plan.

Read more in What Is a Quantitative Electroencephalogram? Why Brain Mapping Is Essential for Neurofeedback.

How Neurofeedback May Support Mental Performance

Different neurofeedback protocols may be used to support goals involving:

• Sustained attention
• Working memory
• Processing efficiency
• Cognitive flexibility
• Sleep regulation
• Stress regulation
• Emotional regulation
• Mental stamina
• Recovery following concussion
• Executive functioning

A systematic review of EEG neurofeedback in healthy adults found promising evidence for improvements in executive functions, although results varied among protocols and studies. Another review of neurofeedback combined with cognitive training reported benefits in several memory domains. These findings are encouraging, but they do not mean every person will experience the same outcome.

Appropriate assessment, individualized protocol selection, consistency, repetition, and periodic reevaluation all matter.

The International Society for Neuroregulation and Research offers patient education and maintains an extensive bibliography of peer-reviewed neurofeedback research.

You can also read about our QEEG-guided Neurofeedback programs in Saint Paul.

Part Three: Photobiomodulation Supports Brain-Cell Energy

Photobiomodulation, often abbreviated as PBM, uses specific wavelengths of red or near-infrared light.

For brain applications, near-infrared light is generally used because it can penetrate more deeply than visible red light.

This light interacts with light-sensitive structures within cells, including components of the mitochondria. Mitochondria help produce ATP, the energy cells use to perform their work.

The brain requires a tremendous amount of energy. Thinking, remembering, communicating between neurons, maintaining cell membranes, and adapting to new information all require adequate cellular energy.

Researchers are studying transcranial photobiomodulation for its potential effects on:

• Mitochondrial energy production
• Cerebral circulation
• Oxygen utilization
• Nitric oxide signaling
• Inflammatory pathways
• Neuroplasticity
• Working memory
• Attention
• Executive function
• Sleep and mood

Reviews of the scientific literature describe PBM as a promising but still developing area of brain research.

What Does the Research Say About Cognition?

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis examined 24 randomized trials involving 820 participants. The analysis found positive effects in areas including global cognitive function, working memory, attention, and aspects of executive function.

However, the researchers also emphasized that the results should be interpreted cautiously because the included studies differed in their populations, devices, wavelengths, protocols, and overall quality. Photobiomodulation should therefore be described as promising rather than as a proven cure for cognitive impairment.

That distinction is important.

PBM is not a replacement for a neurological evaluation when someone has progressive or concerning memory changes. It is one potential tool within a broader, individualized brain-health plan.

Learn more about our Photobiomodulation and near-infrared light therapy for the brain.

We also explain the cellular-energy concept in Brain Fog, Memory Problems, Poor Focus, or Concussion? Why Your Brain May Need More Energy.

Neuronic, a developer of transcranial photobiomodulation equipment, maintains an extensive educational research library on brain photobiomodulation. Because this is a manufacturer-curated resource, we recommend using it alongside independent, peer-reviewed research rather than viewing it as the only source of evidence.

Why Combine All Three Approaches?

This is where brain optimization becomes especially interesting.

Functional Medicine, Neurofeedback, and Photobiomodulation do not all do the same thing.

They address different layers of brain function.

Functional Medicine: Improve the Terrain

Functional Medicine may help identify factors affecting the brain’s operating environment, including poor sleep, metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, thyroid problems, gut issues, and hormonal changes.

Photobiomodulation: Support the Energy

Photobiomodulation is intended to support the cellular energy, circulation, and signaling required for brain cells to perform their work.

Neurofeedback: Train the Patterns

Neurofeedback provides repeated practice intended to help the brain develop healthier and more efficient patterns of regulation.

A simple way to picture it is:

Functional Medicine examines the conditions affecting the brain.

Photobiomodulation helps support the brain’s energy supply.

Neurofeedback helps the brain practice using its resources more efficiently.

Not everyone needs every component. A personalized plan should be based on the person’s history, goals, findings, health status, and response to care.

What Makes the O’Keefe Matz Approach Different?

Many clinics offer Functional Medicine.

Other clinics offer Neurofeedback.

Some offer Photobiomodulation.

At O’Keefe Matz Functional Health Clinic, our distinctive strength is the ability to connect these areas rather than looking at each one in isolation.

Dr. Shannon O’Keefe evaluates whole-body factors that may be contributing to fatigue, inflammation, hormonal changes, digestive dysfunction, thyroid problems, and brain fog.

Dr. Janell Matz evaluates functional brain patterns through QEEG brain mapping and creates individualized Neurofeedback and Photobiomodulation programs.

Together, this creates a broader picture of the person sitting in front of us.

We are not simply asking:

“Which therapy treats brain fog?”

We are asking:

“Why is this person’s brain struggling, and which combination of support makes the most sense?”

What Do Leading Brain-Health Educators Emphasize?

Different brain-health educators approach the subject from different perspectives, but many share a common theme: brain health is influenced by everyday biology and lifestyle.

Dr. Datis Kharrazian’s educational work explores brain inflammation, metabolic health, autoimmunity, gut health, and the early symptoms of reduced brain function.

Dr. Mark Hyman frequently discusses nutrition, metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, the gut-brain connection, sleep, exercise, and lifestyle as important parts of cognitive health.

Dr. Daniel Amen’s brain-health education emphasizes protecting the brain through movement, sleep, nutrition, stress management, social connection, and reducing factors that can harm brain function.

These perspectives are useful for public education, while peer-reviewed research and individualized clinical evaluation remain essential for determining what is appropriate for any particular patient.

Who Might Consider a Brain Optimization Evaluation?

A comprehensive evaluation may be appropriate for adults experiencing:

• Persistent brain fog
• Poor concentration
• Mental fatigue
• Difficulty finding words
• Reduced mental stamina
• Changes in working memory
• Slower processing
• Sleep-related cognitive problems
• Post-concussion symptoms
• Long COVID brain fog
• High levels of chronic stress
• A desire to support healthy brain aging

Sudden confusion, sudden speech or vision changes, weakness, severe headache, loss of balance, or rapidly worsening memory should be evaluated promptly through appropriate medical or emergency care.

Your Brain Was Designed to Adapt

Brain optimization is not about promising perfection.

It is not about claiming that every memory concern can be reversed.

It is about recognizing that the brain remains responsive to sleep, nutrition, movement, metabolic health, learning, stimulation, and its internal environment throughout life.

When we measure more carefully, ask better questions, and combine the right tools, we may be able to give the brain more of what it needs to function well.

At O’Keefe Matz Functional Health Clinic, our goal is to help you understand your brain, identify factors that may be holding it back, and create a personalized path toward clearer thinking, stronger focus, and healthier long-term brain function.

Your brain was designed to adapt. Sometimes it simply needs the right support.

Schedule a Brain Health Consultation in Saint Paul

O’Keefe Matz Functional Health Clinic
1053 Ashland Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104
651-292-8072

Schedule a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your symptoms and learn whether Functional Medicine, QEEG Brain Mapping, Neurofeedback, Photobiomodulation, or a combined Brain Optimization approach may be appropriate for you.

This article is for educational purposes and does not diagnose, prevent, or treat any medical condition. New, progressive, or concerning memory changes should be discussed with an appropriate medical provider.