Beyond Mold: How Past Head Injuries Can Shape CIRS Brain Patterns

Not all brain changes in CIRS follow the typical patterns of swelling or atrophy. Some patients show a different NeuroQuant result — one that doesn’t clearly fit the “brain on fire” or “brain on ice” profiles that are often associated with biotoxin injury. Instead, some patients display subtle changes related to a past head injury. 

In this post, we’ll look at how concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can leave long-lasting marks on the brain — and how these may show up in NeuroQuant imaging even years later.

Understanding the Ventricles

At the center of the brain are fluid-filled spaces called ventricles, which help cushion and protect brain tissue. NeuroQuant software can detect changes in the size of these ventricles — especially when one side is significantly larger than the other, a condition known as ventricular asymmetry.

If the superior lateral ventricles show a pattern of enlargement together with an asymmetry between left and right sides, this often points to a past concussion or head injury — even one that may have happened decades ago.

How This Connects to CIRS

For patients with CIRS, a history of TBI or concussion can complicate recovery. This is in large part because the inflammatory response that is seen in CIRS due to biotoxin exposure is very much the same inflammatory response that we see during and after a head injury. It is in this sense that a concussion can serve as a priming event for CIRS, meaning that patients can become sensitive to biotoxins and the environment after a head injury. NeuroQuant offers a variety of reports, including the General Morphometry Report and the Triage Brain Atrophy Report, that can help us tease apart brain abnormalities due to environmental exposure vs. TBI.

Signs to look for in the NeuroQuant when TBI is suspected:

• Ventricular enlargement, especially if the enlargement is asymmetrical

• At early stages, there may be swelling of the whole brain

• At later stages, the cortical gray matter and white matter tracts may become atrophied

These findings don’t rule out CIRS — rather, they show that other neurological events may be contributing to the picture.

Personal Example: A Case That Didn’t Fit the Mold

In one real case, a patient’s Surviving Mold NeuroQuant report showed a score not consistent with CIRS. At first glance, it didn’t appear to match CIRS. But the Triage Brain Atrophy Report confirmed that the superior lateral ventricles were enlarged, with significant asymmetry between the left and right side, paired with atrophy of the whole brain.

After revisiting his medical history, the patient recalled a head injury from years earlier — a fall during childhood that caused a significant bump, but no diagnosed concussion at the time. Despite the lack of immediate symptoms, the NeuroQuant revealed that the inflammatory response that was initiated by the head injury had never turned off.

Treatment Insights

The Shoemaker Protocol remains central to addressing neurological patterns in CIRS — even in cases where old head injuries are involved. In particular:

• Steps 1–3 (removal from exposure and binding toxins) are still essential

• VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) has shown promise in normalizing ventricular enlargement; this includes cases with a history of TBI

These patients may need:

• A longer recovery timeline

• Additional neurological or rehabilitative support in the form of therapies and supplementation catered towards promoting brain repair

• A nuanced understanding that their brain is healing from multiple layers of injury

Key Takeaways

• Not all CIRS-related brain changes come from mold or biotoxins — past head injuries may be a contributing factor.

• Asymmetrical ventricular enlargement on a NeuroQuant can indicate a history of TBI.

• These findings are often overlooked but may significantly affect recovery.

• The Shoemaker Protocol, particularly VIP, can help support healing in these cases.