print version

September 2006

Introducing ...

A member of the International Scientific Advisory Panel: James Fallon, PhD

When David Jackson, DC; Matthew McCoy, DC; and Robert Blanks, PhD founded Research & Clinical Science (RCS), they realized that the credibility and validity of the program would rely in great part on the quality of researchers chosen to analyze the data collected by chiropractors around the world.

They sought out a world‑class group of respected scientists with unimpeachable credentials and proven expertise in health care research. The result of their efforts was the RCS International Scientific Advisory Panel, a multi‑disciplinary group charged with overseeing the collection of, and analyzing, data compiled on hundreds of thousands of volunteers and chiropractic patients across the globe.

Each month during this special series, The Chiropractic Journal profiles one member of this prestigious panel.

James Fallon, PhD

Dr. James Fallon, Professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California Irvine College of Medicine, is a senior scientist with broad interests in the neurobiology of the mammalian nervous system, stem cell biology, neurotrophic factors and human brain imaging.

His laboratory was one of the first to demonstrate that neurons of the central nervous system continue to divide after birth and through life of the organism.

His pioneering work on neuroconnectivity and function of neurotrophic factors have helped to understand brain recovery from injury. His functional human brain imaging have provided important clues underlying the pathology of depression, schizophrenia, language and personality disorders, consciousness, spinal cord injury and genetics of substance abuse.

Fallon's research career began on the east coast where he completed his Bachelors of Science and Chemistry at St. Michael's College in Vermont (1969). He then transferred to Rensselaer Polytechnic in New York where he completed his Masters of Science in Psychology and Psychophysics (1972).

His PhD was conducted at the University of Illinois in the Department of Neuroscience‑Anatomy and Physiology (1975). Between 1975‑78, he conducted postgraduate research studies in neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego, and, in 1978, was recruited to a faculty position in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at UCI where he has been a talented teacher, creative researcher and valued colleagues since.

Diverse interests

The term "Renaissance Man" is generally reserved for those unique scholars who have trained broadly, integrated disparate ideas and concepts, and synthesized these into scientific breakthroughs.

His colleagues refer to Fallon as the Renaissance Man and the title is very deserving. From his background in neuroscience, psychology and psychophysics he has made major contributions to the literature in four different areas: adult stem cells, chemical neuroanatomy and circuitry, higher brain functions, and brain imaging.

Stem Cells and Neurotrophic Factors -- Since 1982, Fallon has studied the development and function of neurotrophic factors in the mammalian brain such as EGF, TGF alpha, TGF beta.

Experimental approaches include in situ nucleic acid hybridization, immunocytochemistry, neurotoxic lesions, behavioral pharmacology, neuroanatomical tract‑tracing fluorescence histochemistry.

His current work focuses on a special endogenous population of stem cells in the brain responsible for in vivo regeneration, and their application to neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and trauma.

Their work anticipates the creation of new neural interfaces for advanced prosthetic limbs and neural implants (chips).

Chemical Neuroanatomy ‑‑ For the past 30 years, he has examined the distribution and connections of chemically defined circuits for dopamine and norepinephrine systems, opioid peptide and growth factor systems, particularly the basal ganglia, limbic, and neocortex of developing and adult brain.

Higher Brain Functions ‑‑ Fallon's interests also cover the neural circuitry and genetics of creativity, artistic talent, psychopathology, criminal behavior, and levels of consciousness.

Human Brain Imaging ‑‑ Through extensive collaborations with clinical and basic researchers, Fallon has been able to evaluate and functionally localize the neurological basis of depression, schizophrenia, tobacco use, language disorders, personality, intelligence, male‑female differences in cognition, emotional memory, consciousness and other higher brain functions. These studies have employed sophisticated human brain imaging such as PET and functional MRI.

Fallon's research has and continues to be heavily funded by federal grants from the National Institutes of Health, and numerous private funding agencies.

He has published hundreds of articles in some of the top journals in his field, including Brain Research, Science, Neuroscience, Molecular Psychiatry, American Journal of Psychiatry, Consciousness & Cognition.

In one of the most prestigious of these journals ‑‑ the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) ‑‑ he has published three seminal articles on adult mammalian brain stem cells, and two on functional brain imaging to explore the pathways involved in emotional recall.

Fallon is a member of numerous professional societies such as the American Association of Anatomist, Neuroscience Society, European Neuroscience Association, National Institute of Aging, Advanced Prosthetics Device Consortium, Brain Informatics Research Network, and National Alliance for Medical Image Computing.

In recognition of his outstanding work, he and has received many professional distinctions including a NIH Postdoctoral fellowship (1975‑78), Sloan and NIH Research Career Development award, Senior Research Fulbright Fellow (Africa), President of the UCI faculty, Chair of the Medical School Faculty and one of three founders of the International Cure Parkinson's Project.

Another one of Fallon's interests is complementary and alternative medicine, having studied the fields of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and meditation.

Historic chiropractic study

He is also credited as being one of the first neuroscientists to examine changes in functional brain imaging resulting from the chiropractic adjustment.

He was involved in a ground‑breaking functional MRI study funded by the Forty First Medical Endowment Trust, "Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain and Spinal Cord: Influence of Spinal Manipulation on Adverse Mechanical Cord Tension, Craniosacral [CSF] Pump, and Stress Reduction‑Related Changes in Cerebral Blood Flow").

Along with other investigators from UCI (including R. Blanks, R. Giolli, R. Haier, and C. Gulclu, Donald Epstein, DC of the Network Spinal Analysis organization, Ralph Boone, DC and Graham Dobson, DC) Fallon successfully demonstrating significant changes in brain function as a result of one three‑minute NSA entrainment session.

The subject was asked to perform two simple repetitive motor tasks: flexion/extension of the wrist, and inversion/eversion of the ankle. The active regions of the brain were then compared pre and post adjustment. Before the adjustment, both motor tasks required activation of extensive regions of the frontal and prefrontal, parietal and motor cortical regions.

After the adjustment there was a major reduction in cortical activity leaving heavy brain activity primarily in the forelimb/hand region or hip/knee/ankle region of the motor cortex for the wrist‑ and ankle‑task, respectively.

These experiments demonstrate an association between the NSA adjustment and greater cortical efficiency comparable to an enhancement of motor learning. These pilot studies have been very promising and additional studies are planned to control for several experimental variables (order effect, novel vs. already learned motor task, inter‑subject variability, etc.)

RCS is grateful and excited about the cooperation of Dr. Fallon in helping to advance the science of chiropractic. Shortly, the hope is to have Fallon and his colleagues at UCI assist with a major study on neuroefficiency and chiropractic. His experiments would help to understand the brain mechanisms underlying the benefits of the adjustment and, more specifically, may help to account for the noted improvement of sports performance (and reduced injuries) in athletes receiving regular chiropractic care.