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Brain Trust: The Hidden Connection Between Mad Cow and Misdiagnosed Alzheimer's Disease
A chilling look at a potential public health disaster looks at the contamination of the American food supply by the deadly prions that cause Mad Cow Disease, traces links between the human version of Mad Cow Disease and Alzheimer's, and discusses the health implications of the discovery. 25,000 first printing.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2004
11 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Colm A. Kelleher
4 books43 followersSince obtaining his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Dublin Trinity College, Colm Kelleher has spent 35 years of his working life in a wide variety of diverse careers. Between 1991-1996, he was an immunology research scientist at the National Jewish Center in Denver Colorado.
Between 1996-2004, Kelleher led the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) team on Skinwalker Ranch as well as multiple other NIDS projects. From 2004-2008, Colm served as laboratory director at San Francisco biotechnology company Prosetta where he led teams of scientists in executing DoD contracts to discover drugs against Ebola virus, Rift Valley Fever Virus, Junin, Machupo, Marburg and other viruses of interest to DoD.
In 2008 Kelleher became deputy administrator of Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) where he led the day-to-day operations in executing the AAWSAP contract with Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
From 2012-2020, Kelleher led the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) Department at Bigelow Aerospace. where he managed eleven separate projects that cumulatively resulted in the building of life support systems for expandable spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Kelleher is author of Brain Trust (Simon & Schuster) and he co-authored Hunt for the Skinwalker in 2005 with award winning journalist George Knapp and Skinwalkers at the Pentagon in 2021 with Dr. James T Lacatski and George Knapp
Between 1996-2004, Kelleher led the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) team on Skinwalker Ranch as well as multiple other NIDS projects. From 2004-2008, Colm served as laboratory director at San Francisco biotechnology company Prosetta where he led teams of scientists in executing DoD contracts to discover drugs against Ebola virus, Rift Valley Fever Virus, Junin, Machupo, Marburg and other viruses of interest to DoD.
In 2008 Kelleher became deputy administrator of Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) where he led the day-to-day operations in executing the AAWSAP contract with Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
From 2012-2020, Kelleher led the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) Department at Bigelow Aerospace. where he managed eleven separate projects that cumulatively resulted in the building of life support systems for expandable spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Kelleher is author of Brain Trust (Simon & Schuster) and he co-authored Hunt for the Skinwalker in 2005 with award winning journalist George Knapp and Skinwalkers at the Pentagon in 2021 with Dr. James T Lacatski and George Knapp
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 22, 2011
Warning: Some information in the this review may disturb some readers.
Brain Trust starts out on the deep end of conspiracy theory territory focusing on the cattle mutilations that took place in the U.S. starting in the 1960s and peaking in the 1980s. A seemingly odd place to start for a book that is written by a biochemist with a fairly decent career history.
From there he moves on to a very in depth history of the slow discovery of diseases in many organisms that are caused by prions (infectious protinaceous matter). The most commonly known of these diseases is Mad Cow (bovine spongioform encephalopathy/BSE) which became a huge news story in the U.S. in the 90s. Other related diseases are scrapie (sheep), chronic wasting disease (deer and elk), transmissible mink encephalopathy (mink), and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease known as CJD (humans), kuru (humans, specifically the Fore people in New Guinea). There are quite possibly many more.
From 1913 discovery of CJD to the naming of the prion in the 1980s, Kelleher provides what appears to be a flawless and very easy to follow trail that illustrates how prion diseases may have been spread from animals to humans. In every case, it would appear that an animal eating its own kind has some connection to the formation of prions. The Fore people practiced ritual cannibalism. Mass production of meat in the most cost effective manner includes feeding a slurry of ground up dairy cows and bone meal to cattle destined to be served as beef.
After explaining how prions were discovered, he then castigates the U.K. government for trying to hide the problem for nearly a decade after it had been discovered. The governmental collusion with the cattle industry combined with the often repeated message that beef was safe to eat because of a species barrier for Mad Cow illustrates the regard that both entities had for the public. The government finally made a turnaround on their position when they could no longer keep the pretenses up.
Eventually, the fact that BSE could be transmitted to humans and manifest as CJD(variant) removed any doubt that this was a serious problem. BSE was not discovered in the U.S. until 2003. Initially, it was reported that a cow was stumbling and behaving erratically which is the sign of a condition called a "downer cow". The cow was killed and tested for BSE. The test results were positive. Upon further investigation a chilling fact was discovered. The person who actually killed the cow was interviewed and he insisted that the infected cow was not a downer and appeared perfectly healthy.
A full investigation was launched and it was discovered that the papers that stated that this was a downer cow were fraudulent. The cow that came up positive was one of the very small percentage of cows that are randomly selected for BSE testing. Knowing that this cow appeared healthy would not look good for the cattle industry or its testing methodology. The implication is that many healthy looking cattle may be infected with BSE.
The current position of the USDA mimics that of the U.K. government in the 1980s. Beef is "safe" to eat and the occurrence of variant CJD is very low. Within the same time frame, a study was done at Yale University of Alzheimer's cadaver brains. The study discovered that of the 46 subjects, six of them were misdiagnosed variant CJD. A second study the University of Pittsburgh found that three of 54 subjects were misdiagnosed variant CJD. These are very small samplings but they present, respectively, between 13% and 5.5% of these Alzheimer's victims were actually variant CJD.
After the discovery of the infected cows in the U.S. certain temporary restrictions were put on the sale and export of beef. This severely affected the profits of the entire industry and many of the business started sparring with the government to lift the bans. Interestingly enough, one company that was losing $40,000 per week suggested that they would begin following the method that Japan uses of testing every cow. The rest of the industry fought this and together with the USDA said that this would be "unscientific".
The current testing procedures are still performed as they were before the bans. Consider the revelation that there is no confidence in the central lab that performs these random sample tests. Whether it's due to incompetence or the testing methods are flawed, several of the authorities that Kelleher mentioned in the book do not trust the tests.
The author also points to chronic wasting disease in deer and elk populations as another possible way that prion diseases are being spread through wild life to cows. Prion disorders may also be present within squirrels, raccoons and other animals in the wild as well. Animals that come into contact with farm animals in various ways.
Eventually Kelleher returns to the cattle mutilations and points out a very intriguing coincidence. All of the organs that are removed with surgical precision from the cows are sites where heavy concentrations of prions manifest as early signs of prion infection. Considering that the mutilations began in the 1960s, Kelleher is suggesting that some group or entity, and not aliens (as is often disparagingly posited) has been tracking the progression of the prion disorders in our cattle long before there were any public concerns about infection.
Through his investigations he's surmised that the animals are lifted by helicopter and placed somewhere for the procedures to occur, then dumped back on the ground. There is usually a gel at the sites where organs were removed and his analysis of the gel reveals some presence of formaldehyde. He's also discovered traces of anesthetics in the animals when he's been able to gain access to very fresh samples. His overall observation is that whoever is responsible is using identical techniques to animal trackers, with the exception of the actual mutilations.
In his final analysis he suggests that BSE is very widespread throughout our cattle and that it's likely that many people with early onset dementia are being thrown into the "garbage dumpster" of Alzheimer's disease without any deeper investigation into the actual form of dementia. There are many other revelations in the book that I didn't cover here, so if this is interesting to you, read the book.
Overall, the book is an fascinating and chilling read. Kelleher provides many resources to back up what he's stating. But the conclusions are so frightening that some people look for any possible way to discredit any of what he said. I saw some Amazon reviews that tried to paint this book as a less accurate and uninteresting copy of information provided in much better form "elsewhere". With no sources to back their own statements up.
I tried to find more information on Colm Kelleher and it would appear that he doesn't have much of a current web presence. His official sites are dead and quite a few interviews are no longer available. His second book went deeper into conspiracy theory, alien and UFO territory but if you know his background you'll know why. For a period of time he was the director of an organization made up of scientists who were dedicated to investigating topics that mainstream scientists didn't want to touch. He and the organization's founder believe that all of these things can be explained rationally and scientifically. His involvement with this group very likely killed his mainstream science career. The last reported position he held was in the biotechnology industry.
So is there anything to worry about? I'm fairly certain there is something to think about. But BSE isn't the only problem within our food production system. There are many other issues to be just as concerned about. Not irrational fear or panic, but true and logical concerns. I believe that is probably the main flaw in Brain Trust. For the wrong reader, all it will do is terrify them more than it will inform or educate. That is quite unfortunate.
Brain Trust starts out on the deep end of conspiracy theory territory focusing on the cattle mutilations that took place in the U.S. starting in the 1960s and peaking in the 1980s. A seemingly odd place to start for a book that is written by a biochemist with a fairly decent career history.
From there he moves on to a very in depth history of the slow discovery of diseases in many organisms that are caused by prions (infectious protinaceous matter). The most commonly known of these diseases is Mad Cow (bovine spongioform encephalopathy/BSE) which became a huge news story in the U.S. in the 90s. Other related diseases are scrapie (sheep), chronic wasting disease (deer and elk), transmissible mink encephalopathy (mink), and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease known as CJD (humans), kuru (humans, specifically the Fore people in New Guinea). There are quite possibly many more.
From 1913 discovery of CJD to the naming of the prion in the 1980s, Kelleher provides what appears to be a flawless and very easy to follow trail that illustrates how prion diseases may have been spread from animals to humans. In every case, it would appear that an animal eating its own kind has some connection to the formation of prions. The Fore people practiced ritual cannibalism. Mass production of meat in the most cost effective manner includes feeding a slurry of ground up dairy cows and bone meal to cattle destined to be served as beef.
After explaining how prions were discovered, he then castigates the U.K. government for trying to hide the problem for nearly a decade after it had been discovered. The governmental collusion with the cattle industry combined with the often repeated message that beef was safe to eat because of a species barrier for Mad Cow illustrates the regard that both entities had for the public. The government finally made a turnaround on their position when they could no longer keep the pretenses up.
Eventually, the fact that BSE could be transmitted to humans and manifest as CJD(variant) removed any doubt that this was a serious problem. BSE was not discovered in the U.S. until 2003. Initially, it was reported that a cow was stumbling and behaving erratically which is the sign of a condition called a "downer cow". The cow was killed and tested for BSE. The test results were positive. Upon further investigation a chilling fact was discovered. The person who actually killed the cow was interviewed and he insisted that the infected cow was not a downer and appeared perfectly healthy.
A full investigation was launched and it was discovered that the papers that stated that this was a downer cow were fraudulent. The cow that came up positive was one of the very small percentage of cows that are randomly selected for BSE testing. Knowing that this cow appeared healthy would not look good for the cattle industry or its testing methodology. The implication is that many healthy looking cattle may be infected with BSE.
The current position of the USDA mimics that of the U.K. government in the 1980s. Beef is "safe" to eat and the occurrence of variant CJD is very low. Within the same time frame, a study was done at Yale University of Alzheimer's cadaver brains. The study discovered that of the 46 subjects, six of them were misdiagnosed variant CJD. A second study the University of Pittsburgh found that three of 54 subjects were misdiagnosed variant CJD. These are very small samplings but they present, respectively, between 13% and 5.5% of these Alzheimer's victims were actually variant CJD.
After the discovery of the infected cows in the U.S. certain temporary restrictions were put on the sale and export of beef. This severely affected the profits of the entire industry and many of the business started sparring with the government to lift the bans. Interestingly enough, one company that was losing $40,000 per week suggested that they would begin following the method that Japan uses of testing every cow. The rest of the industry fought this and together with the USDA said that this would be "unscientific".
The current testing procedures are still performed as they were before the bans. Consider the revelation that there is no confidence in the central lab that performs these random sample tests. Whether it's due to incompetence or the testing methods are flawed, several of the authorities that Kelleher mentioned in the book do not trust the tests.
The author also points to chronic wasting disease in deer and elk populations as another possible way that prion diseases are being spread through wild life to cows. Prion disorders may also be present within squirrels, raccoons and other animals in the wild as well. Animals that come into contact with farm animals in various ways.
Eventually Kelleher returns to the cattle mutilations and points out a very intriguing coincidence. All of the organs that are removed with surgical precision from the cows are sites where heavy concentrations of prions manifest as early signs of prion infection. Considering that the mutilations began in the 1960s, Kelleher is suggesting that some group or entity, and not aliens (as is often disparagingly posited) has been tracking the progression of the prion disorders in our cattle long before there were any public concerns about infection.
Through his investigations he's surmised that the animals are lifted by helicopter and placed somewhere for the procedures to occur, then dumped back on the ground. There is usually a gel at the sites where organs were removed and his analysis of the gel reveals some presence of formaldehyde. He's also discovered traces of anesthetics in the animals when he's been able to gain access to very fresh samples. His overall observation is that whoever is responsible is using identical techniques to animal trackers, with the exception of the actual mutilations.
In his final analysis he suggests that BSE is very widespread throughout our cattle and that it's likely that many people with early onset dementia are being thrown into the "garbage dumpster" of Alzheimer's disease without any deeper investigation into the actual form of dementia. There are many other revelations in the book that I didn't cover here, so if this is interesting to you, read the book.
Overall, the book is an fascinating and chilling read. Kelleher provides many resources to back up what he's stating. But the conclusions are so frightening that some people look for any possible way to discredit any of what he said. I saw some Amazon reviews that tried to paint this book as a less accurate and uninteresting copy of information provided in much better form "elsewhere". With no sources to back their own statements up.
I tried to find more information on Colm Kelleher and it would appear that he doesn't have much of a current web presence. His official sites are dead and quite a few interviews are no longer available. His second book went deeper into conspiracy theory, alien and UFO territory but if you know his background you'll know why. For a period of time he was the director of an organization made up of scientists who were dedicated to investigating topics that mainstream scientists didn't want to touch. He and the organization's founder believe that all of these things can be explained rationally and scientifically. His involvement with this group very likely killed his mainstream science career. The last reported position he held was in the biotechnology industry.
So is there anything to worry about? I'm fairly certain there is something to think about. But BSE isn't the only problem within our food production system. There are many other issues to be just as concerned about. Not irrational fear or panic, but true and logical concerns. I believe that is probably the main flaw in Brain Trust. For the wrong reader, all it will do is terrify them more than it will inform or educate. That is quite unfortunate.
October 6, 2018
Interesting hypotheses all around, even if this book is dated in 2018. The history of kuru, mad cow, CWD, scrapie, etc. is absolutely fascinating and horrifying. Great book to read in October as you chow down on some grade A beef.
July 3, 2011
This book appears to be a rehashing of Deadly Feasts, a much better book by Richard Rhodes. The bulk of the original material is focused on the first American BSE incident and CWD or Chronic Wasting Disease as experienced in the Rocky Mountain states and the Mid-West. The author makes so interesting linkages between unexplained cattle mutilations and possible deep cover operations to guarantee the safety of US beef and dairy cattle, but there is no real scientific proof to back up his conclusions. He also seems to believe that early experiments on laboratory animals in Putuxent have led to the unleashing of all prion diseases in the US, and that we should expect an epidemic of BSE through cross contamination with wild dear and elk herds. Again, there is not much science to back this up, although the possibility may exist that such cross contamination is possible.
April 29, 2012
this book given to be by an acquaintance asking my opinion - it is BULL SHIT in its conspiracy theories around prion diseases (kuru, scrapie, mad cow disease) - turns out the author, when googled, was part of a spacey research group into paranormal events (UFOs and other miracles) his institute has gone belly up. not worth the time though the info in the first 9 chapters is accurate and informative about the lead up to the recongnition of BSE (mad cow). dont waste your time - there are better accounts without the conspiracy!
October 4, 2017
It’s already too late, our food supply is irrevocably tainted. I won’t tell you not to eat meat. Just hope that cures for prion diseases are coming down the pike.
June 14, 2022
This book deals with the probable cause of today’s current deer wasting disease (along with the same in other animals).
And how the disease may have been introduced into the wilderness.
(The surmised cause was overly zealous researchers who brought samples of the disease back with them from expeditions to New Guinea.)
Well written but some critics didn’t like the author’s foray into silent black government helicopters and their hypothesized connection to so-called animal mutilations. Because apparently that smacked too closely of conspiracy theory.
The author was extrapolating his hypothesis regarding lab-accidentally-introduced brain wasting disease into wild animals.
And that the government was trying to see if the disease was spreading into domesticated animals including free range beef cattle.
The question of lab test animal escape accidents (or diseased meat contaminated feed) whereby prion-induced diseases were spread to wild animals as well as domesticated or caged animals (mink) remains an open question to some extent.
Today we see wild deer infected with such wasting disease and still don’t know how the blamed agent (prions) arose in their environment which today is causing such widespread havoc (apparently since the 1960s).
The author’s book is an attempt to explain how a faraway place (New Guinea) could have been the source for these kuru type diseases.
And how the disease may have been introduced into the wilderness.
(The surmised cause was overly zealous researchers who brought samples of the disease back with them from expeditions to New Guinea.)
Well written but some critics didn’t like the author’s foray into silent black government helicopters and their hypothesized connection to so-called animal mutilations. Because apparently that smacked too closely of conspiracy theory.
The author was extrapolating his hypothesis regarding lab-accidentally-introduced brain wasting disease into wild animals.
And that the government was trying to see if the disease was spreading into domesticated animals including free range beef cattle.
The question of lab test animal escape accidents (or diseased meat contaminated feed) whereby prion-induced diseases were spread to wild animals as well as domesticated or caged animals (mink) remains an open question to some extent.
Today we see wild deer infected with such wasting disease and still don’t know how the blamed agent (prions) arose in their environment which today is causing such widespread havoc (apparently since the 1960s).
The author’s book is an attempt to explain how a faraway place (New Guinea) could have been the source for these kuru type diseases.
February 16, 2021
I read this book after reading Deadly Feasts, they very much go together. In fact Deadly Feasts is referenced in this book. I found this book to be somewhat repetitive throughout and in many ways felt like much of the information was taken directly from Deadly Feasts. I love medical literature and am a nurse but this one felt a bit inflammatory, maybe more so because of the timeframe of reading it now versus when it was written. I do believe prions are super scary but if the ideas from this book came to fruition then we would likely be currently seeing mass numbers of people dying from these diseases. I have to admit I am a vegetarian and have been for nearly 30 years so maybe it does not scare me the same way it would others. I do believe there are overall risks to health by eating large amounts of meat but most of my family does and I have never told them to stop.
December 9, 2017
Detailed. Interesting. Accurate.
More relevant than ever. A must-read for doctors, wildlife professionals, and anyone in agriculture.
Even if you don't agree with the author's conclusions, you will enjoy the read and find yourself more educated in the process.
Not because of the writing style or genre, but due to the information contained therein, it could classify as horror.
I've already gifted this book to several people in the two weeks since I read it. I rarely gift books to anyone.
More relevant than ever. A must-read for doctors, wildlife professionals, and anyone in agriculture.
Even if you don't agree with the author's conclusions, you will enjoy the read and find yourself more educated in the process.
Not because of the writing style or genre, but due to the information contained therein, it could classify as horror.
I've already gifted this book to several people in the two weeks since I read it. I rarely gift books to anyone.
February 15, 2019
– how could we make the mistake of bringing back Kuru and turning it loose in W. Virginia – lots of interesting similarities between, Scrapie, mad cow, deer & elk encephalopy, Kuru, - prions are cool and may become a big problem
October 18, 2018
Everyone should read this!
May 20, 2011
2.5, almost 3 stars. This book is interesting in that the author did plenty of research to support his ideas about the spread of various spongiform diseases in animals, and how they possibly correlate to human dimentia-type diseases like Alzheimers & CJD. This book is littered with often similar acronyms, making it hard to keep the different diseases straight, and while Colm throws out plenty of worrisome information, he never explores the concept of "what you can do about it." His primary concern seems not to be inciting a public pandemonium, but rather pointing the finger at the government(s) and blaming them for a lack of foresight, inaction and putting more stock in the interests of Big Business than the Public. Overall, this was an interesting book, fairly repetitive (combined with a failure to flow nicely in the last chapters) that clearly wanted to simultaneously draw back the curtain to show disturbing information about our (possibly diseased) food system and make people question whether or not government has their best interests at heart. Colm never tells you to become a vegetarian, but neither does he provide any insight on how to locate, procure and eat untainted beef or venison. Also worth noting is Colm's research for this book ends with it's publication in 2004; I'd like to know where the situation with Mad Cow Disease and Chronic Wasting Disease in the U.S. is today (esp. in light of their possible connection to incurable human diseases). Is there any way to "kill" or neutralize these diseases in animals yet? What's the difference between screening for the disease & doing an autopsy after death? Is either the British, Canadian or US governments acknowledging a link today, 7 years after the book concludes?
Read
August 7, 2015Fascinating and not a little disturbing if the theories presented are true. It makes the struggle against our base natures even greater but no less important to question.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews