Ontario doctor uses near-death experience to help others heal their brains

A Western University graduate is using his near-death experience to show that adopting a healthy lifestyle can heal the brain.

Dr. Matthew Galati hopes to spread the word across Canada – and all over the world.

The medical doctor said he works out regularly, but not just to stay in shape. He said it's also for his brain.

“In 2013, I was in a very serious car accident. I hit a tree, was knocked into a three-day coma, [I] was diagnosed with a severe traumatic brain injury. I actually had a bleed inside my head and I had a number of other injuries as well," he told CTV News.

That brain injury left him unable to walk or talk, and without memory. Abilities doctors said he would never fully regain, which would stop him from returning to medical school. But Galati did not accept his prognosis.

“It’s devastating hearing that,” he recalled. “But I actually started doing my own research about things that I could do to best support my recovery, and that's where I learned about these lifestyle pillars of brain health that are absolutely essential to help heal a brain."

Galati’s six pillars of brain health are: cognitive exercise, nutrition, aerobic exercise, limiting harmful exposures, sleep hygiene, and mindfulness.

Eight months after adopting this healthy lifestyle, he returned to med school. His physiotherapist says the rehabilitation was impressive.

"It really is how much hard work you put in,” explained Aron Brant, physiotherapist and owner at Preferred Rehab Physiotherapy in London, Ont.

“When you've had an injury like Matt's, your brain has the ability to relearn everything all over again, so it's very adaptable," Brant continued.

A decade after the crash, Galati is a medical doctor with his own organization called Brain Changes, and he said he's on a mission to improve the standard of care for traumatic brain injury through supporting research, education and awareness.

“All of the knowledge we learned about how to heal a brain, to help others make similarly great recoveries," he explained.

One way he intends to do so is with an upcoming Brain Changes Summit in Toronto, where he now works as a hospitalist and general practitioner.