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2012年10月5日 星期五

How is the ADHD Brain Different?


The medical community views attention deficit hyperactive disorder as a biological condition caused by dysfunctions in the brain - specifically, a deficiency in key neurotransmitters. Although the brain of a person with ADHD is somewhat different from the brain of those without ADHD, these differences are not the only cause of the disorder. ADHD is triggered by many environmental factors, and imbalances found in the ADHD brain are in fact expressions of the real causes of the disorder as well.

How is the ADHD brain different from a normal brain? A medical doctor will probably tell you that the ADHD brain is deficient in two neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine. These are the chemicals responsible for carrying signals between brain cells; if there aren't enough neurotransmitters, the brain is unable to function optimally and the person experiences chronic inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. To treat the imbalance, medical doctors will probably prescribe medication to stimulate the brain circuits and temporarily increase levels of dopamine, resulting in increased concentration, higher productivity, and better behavior. But the latest research on the brain structure of ADHD children revealed that the difference in the ADHD brain is not so much due to the lack of neurotransmitters, but rather to a problem with the electrical impulses needed to release the neurotransmitters.

Alternative health care practitioners go beyond the medical explanation of ADHD - a deficiency in neurotransmitters - to locate three major differences in the ADHD brain. All understanding of these three differences is backed up by the latest scientific research.

1) Brain hemisphericity. The normal brain can activate the right and left hemispheres of the brain with ease. However, a person diagnosed with ADHD experiences a deficiency in one of the two hemispheres. Researchers have discovered that the right hemisphere is usually weaker than the left.

2) A developmental delay in brain circuitry. A delay in brain development is usually related to brain hemisphericity. What this means is that a child with ADHD might be ten years old chronologically, but parts of his brain might be functioning at the level of a six year old, which is why he or she suffers from behavioral problems. These developmental problems are caused by complex environmental factors called antecedents and triggers, which is why the right treatment plan for ADHD should be designed around neutralizing these factors instead of temporarily stimulating the brain with drugs. For as long as antecedents and triggers continue to work on each other, the imbalance in the brain stays and the symptoms will not go away.

3) Problems with sensory integration. Due to brain hemisphericity and developmental delay, an individual with ADHD may have issues processing sensory information. They either feel too much (hyperactive) or don't feel enough (hypoactive). Either way, problems with sensory integration often lead to behavioral problems.

Before embarking on a treatment plan for ADHD, your child has to go through tests that can pinpoint any deficiencies in the brain. There are many specialists who can use safe procedures like neurofeedback, sensory integration approaches, or chiropractic neurology to treat any problems in the brain. The best thing about these approaches is that they are 100% natural, which means your child won't be taking any potentially damaging drugs to treat any brain deficiencies that might be found.

Remember that ADHD is a condition caused by many environmental factors; an imbalance in neurotransmitters is simply one of the symptoms. That is why an effective treatment for ADHD must go beyond treating the brain and address the environmental factors triggering the disorder in the first place.




Dr. Yannick Pauli is an expert on natural approaches to ADHD and the author of the popular self-help home-program The Unritalin Solution. He is Director of the Centre Neurofit in Lausanne, Switzerland and has a passion taking care of children with ADHD. Click on the link for more great information about adhd and the brain.





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張貼者： 於 下午5:56 0 意見
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2012年9月5日 星期三

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and Avoiding the Problem of Medicating a Developing Brain


Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) appeared first in the 1980 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychological Association. Today ADD means different things to different professionals, depending upon their field, their level of experience and medical knowledge, and their cultural beliefs about how children should act.

Parents are often surprised to learn that there is no particular medical or neurological abnormality present in individuals diagnosed with attention deficit. Instead, the diagnosis depends upon subjective assessments by parents, teachers, or professionals with little or no understanding of the neuroscience of learning and behavior.

In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus statement in 1999 warning that the causes and treatments of ADD are only speculative. In a very real sense, the diagnosis itself is only speculative.

In spite of this, individuals and even very young children who are given a diagnosis of ADD are typically given a prescription for an amphetamine, usually methylphenidate. This amphetamine is very similar to cocaine in terms of its effects on the brain (see Volkow et al, 1995); both drugs compete for the same binding sites on brain cells, both are taken up into the same areas of the brain, and both produce similar psychological effects. Perhaps the major differences are that methylphenidate remains in the brain much longer and the psychological expectations associated with the drug are much different.

Both methylphenidate and cocaine affect the brain by increasing levels of dopamine in the frontal lobes, an area responsible for motor planning, learning, problem solving, impulse control, memory, attention, language, analytical thinking and social behavior, and the striatum, an area responsible for processing and integrating sensory information.

Increased levels of dopamine make the brain feel powerful and happy and can produce addictive behaviors and responses. Elevated levels of dopamine also alter other neurochemicals and affect control muscle movements, sleep/wake cycles, hunger and satiety, arousal, heart rate, blood pressure, and stress responses.

If these altered levels of neurochemicals persist for too long (e.g. several weeks), the brain begins to try to bring the levels back to normal. If a neurochemical has been elevated for too long, the brain will begin to shut down some of the receptors for that neurochemical and will begin to kill off some of the transporters that move the neurochemical through the brain. We call this effect "downregulation."

After about three weeks it is possible to see these architectural changes with the electron microscope; after about four months the changes are significant. Four months on methlyphenidate, for example, will result in the loss of about 75% of the dopamine transporters and 20% of the dopamine receptors in the striatum (Vles et al, 2003). The striatum is an area of the brain critical for sensory processing, learning and memory.

Downregulation can have significant effects on the developing brain long after the drug has been withdrawn. Early exposure to methylphenidate, for example, has been linked to decreased interest in sex, food, emotional experiences, and novelty, and an increase in anxiety and stress levels in adolescence and adulthood (Bolanos, et al, 2003).

Of course, the brain can also "upregulate" by growing more transporters or receptors or making the remaining receptorsor more sensitive. However, upregulatio takes time.

It is dangerous to abruptly stop taking a medication after downregulation has occurred, so following a weaning schedule is recommended. The speed at which an individual is weaned from a drug like methylpheidate is based on the length of time they have been taking the medication and the dosage that they were receiving. A physician familiar with the neurological properties of the drug should be consulted before attempting to wean someone off such a drug.

Regardless of the problems associated with medications used to "treat" attention deficit, the question remains as to why a child is having problems paying attention. There are a host of metabolic, immunological, neurolgoical sensory and psychological causes of inattention including: metabolic disorders, allergies, toxins, sleep disorders, vitamin or fatty-acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, diabetes, depression, boredom intolerance, high intelligence, high creativity, frontal lobe dysfunction, auditory or vestibular processing disorders, and learning disabilities.

Correctly identifying the underlying cause of inattention can help parents and medical professionals avoid the problems of exposing a developing brain to medications that alter neurochemicals, produce downregulation or create long-term side effects that may be far more serious than inattention.




The author, Michelle L. MacAlpine, Ph.D., is a cognitive developmental neuroscientist specializing in the assessment and treatment of sensory processing disorders, attention deficit, and developmental, academic and cognitive delays.

More information can be found at http://www.braintraining.com

ARTICLE REFERENCES
Volkow ND, Ding YS, Fowler JS, Wang GJ, Logan J, Gatley JS, Dewey S, Ashby C, Liebermann J, Hitzemann R, et al. 1995 "Is methylphenidate like cocaine? Studies on their pharmacokinetics and distribution in the human brain." Arch Gen Psychiatry. 52(6):456-63.

Vles JS, Feron FJ, Hendriksen JG, Jolles J, van Kroonenburgh MJ, Weber WE. 2003 "Methylphenidate down-regulates the dopamine receptor and transporter system in children with attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD)." Neuropediatrics. Apr;34(2):77-80.

Bolanos CA, Barrot M, Berton O, Wallace-Black D, Nestler EJ. 2003."Methylphenidate treatment during pre- and periadolescence alters behavioral responses to emotional stimuli at adulthood." Biol Psychiatry. 54(12):1317-29





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張貼者： 於 晚上10:39 0 意見
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2012年8月22日 星期三

Children's Health - Brain Development Disorder - Definition and Types


I. Definition

A neurodevelopmental disorder is defined as an impairment of the growth and development of the central nervous system. It effects the child's brain function in controlling emotion, learning ability and memory as well as social interaction. Today, one in six children is diagnosed with some forms of development and behaviour disorder. It is advised for parent to have their child diagnosed early, if they found that their child is withdrawing from social world, failing to learn the basic communication skill or struggle with emotional regulation, etc.. otherwise, a child may be at risk of becoming serious lifelong disability.

II. Most common types of brain development disorder

1. Autism disorder

Autism is one most common form of brain development disorder and one in 166 child is diagnosed with some forms of autism. It is defined as medical condition in which a child has some of the following impairments

a) Speech

b) Social and communication skills

c) Limited interest

d) Repetitive behaviour

2. Asperger syndrome

Children with Asperger syndrome has no problem with speech development, but have very poor social and communication skills. they may talk a lot, but fail to focus and keep up with the subject. they also have a very narrow interest as they may talk about only one single subject for months or years. Some children with Asperger syndrome may also engage in repetitive behaviour such as flagging hand.

3. Pervasive Development disorder

Children who have developed some or mild forms of autism are considered to have pervasive development disorder. Although some symptoms or important signs of autism are missing, they are likely to diagnoses with autism or Asperger syndrome later in their life.

4. Rett Syndrome

Rett syndrome effects mostly girl, is defined as a condition of which children lose social and communication skills as well as purposely use of their hand. It may also accompany with symptoms of hand repetitive and seizures.

5. Childhood integrative disorder

Children with childhood integrative disorder may gradually lose their language, social communication and self help skills between the period of 2 -4 years old.

6. Sensory integration dysfunction

Sensory integration dysfunction is a condition of which a child fails to react to the information collected from the scene, caused by abnormal brain function in processing information. Typically, most children with sensory integration syndrome may be under sensitive in reaction to pain or noise or over sensitive in reaction to certain environments such as noise, bright light or often both.

7. Auditory processing disorder

Auditory processing disorder is defined as damaging of the neurological structures and pathways of sound perception, therefore children with this disorder are able to hear sounds but have trouble to interpret what they hear.

8. Expressive language disorder

This is defined as a condition of which the children have a limited vocabulary and difficulty in recalling words or expressing themselves by using complex sentences.

9. Speech apraxia

It is caused by the broken down of the inter-reaction between the brain in controlling the speech muscles during speech. Children with speech appraxia know what they want to say, but can not speak through their voice and their words are difficult to understand.

10. Attention deficit hyperactivity

ADHD is defined as psychological condition of which a child has a poor attention skill, impulsive behavior and hyper-activity. The symptoms may appear to be innocent but annoying nuisances to other children. It effects between 3-5% of children globally and most of them are diagnosed later in their childhood life.

11. Attention deficit disorder

Unlike ADHD, children with attention deficit disorder are diagnosed only with symptoms of poor attention skill and impulsive behaviour. Although, the symptoms may appear only annoying to other children, it can inflict the learning ability of the children in the class.

12. Mental retardation

Metal retardation is considered as a generalized disorder. Children with mental retardation normally fail to adapt or adjust to another type of behaviour or situation. They also have a below average IQ ( 70 or lower) and difficulty in performing routine activity.

13. Hearing impairment

Hearing impairment is characterized as a child have a reduce of the ability to detect or understand sounds. Since the children can not hear well, it may interfere with normal progress of social and communication skills causing disruptive behaviour.

14. Seizure disorder (Epilepsy)

Since the normal function of neurons is to generate electrochemical impulses to act on other neurons, glands, and muscles to produce human thoughts, the damage or abnormal function of neurons in case of seizure disorder interferes with sensations, emotions, and behavior, resulting in delay or loss of social and communication skills.

15. Nonverbal learning disorder

The problems of the nonverbal learning disorder are not speech and memory, they may seem normal when they talk and understand what they hear, but in abstracted thinking such as non-verbal problem-solving, daily change of routine and social skills.

16. Traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury normally caused by physical impacts such as car accident or lack of oxygen circulated in their body for a certain amount of time that damage certain areas of the brain in controlling speech, thinking, behaviour and social skills.

17. Fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome is defined as a genetic defect. Children with this syndrome have difficult to control the physical, intellectual, emotional and behavioural aspects in their daily activity as resulting of inherited cause of mental retardation.

18. Tuberous sclerosis

This another type of genetic disease, which causes tumor to be growth in the brain and other organ, leading to seizure, delay development, behaviour problem and sometimes mental retardation.

19. William syndrome

William syndrome is a genetic defect, caused by a deletion of about 26 genes from the long arm of chromosome. Children with William syndrome appear to have unusual language skill and eager for social interaction, but can also be mental retardation and heart problems.

20. Angelman syndrome

This is a condition caused by deletion or inactivation of genes on the maternally inherited chromosome 15. Children with this type of syndrome have severe mental retardation that effect their intellectual and interfere with normal development. The syndrome also accompanies with unexplained smiling and laughing.

21. Prader-Willi syndrome

Prader-Will syndrome is also another genetic defect caused by missing or partial missing of the seven genes on chromosome 15. Children who was born with Prader-Willi syndrome have delay development and feeding difficulty in infancy and develop compulsive eating and food obsession after age one.

22. Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria is a genetically metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase, leading to accumulation of phenylalanine, interfering with development of the brain, causing severe brain damage, mental retardation if it is not controlled by a special diet in their early life.

23. Early-onset childhood bipolar disorder

It is also known as manic-depression. Children who are diagnosed with this disorder have symptoms of frequent mood swing, alternate thinking and behaviour .

24. Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized as a children life is disrupted by unwanted, unnecessary and repetitive thought, as well as an overwhelming need to do certain thing compulsively such as washing their hand many times a day, drinking a cup water before leaving home, etc.

25. Generalized anxiety disorder

It is a kind of anxiety disorder. Children with generalized anxiety disorder always worry about something, restlessness and fear without reason.

26. Selective mutism

Selective mutism is defined as another type of anxiety in which a child who is normally capable of speech is unable to speak or becomes silent in certain situations or in front of specific people.

27. Oppositional defiant disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder is defined as an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, disobedient, hostile and defiant behaviour toward parent and authority.

28. Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder association with streptococcal infection ( PANDAS)

It is defined as a condition in which the immune system attack the child central nervous system, leading to behaviour, thinking and movement problems.

29. Reactive attachment disorder

Reactive attachment disorder is defined as an inappropriate social behaviour caused by severe early experiences of neglect, abuse of parent or caregivers between the ages of six months and three years.

30. Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is described as a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality caused by inability of a child to cope with the change in the internal or external environment, leading to hallucination and delusion.




To read more of above subject or Autism, please visit http://neurodevelopmentaldisorder.blogspot.com/

For series of Infertility Articles, please visit http://fertility-infertility.blogspot.com/

All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have the author name and all the links intact. "Let You Be With Your Health, Let Your Health Be With You" Kyle J. Norton I have been studying natural remedies for disease prevention for over 20 years and working as a financial consultant since 1990. Master degree in Mathematics, teaching and tutoring math at colleges and universities before joining insurance industries. Part time Health, Insurance and Entertainment Article Writer.





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 上午9:13 0 意見
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2012年6月23日 星期六

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and Avoiding the Problem of Medicating a Developing Brain


Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) appeared first in the 1980 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychological Association. Today ADD means different things to different professionals, depending upon their field, their level of experience and medical knowledge, and their cultural beliefs about how children should act.

Parents are often surprised to learn that there is no particular medical or neurological abnormality present in individuals diagnosed with attention deficit. Instead, the diagnosis depends upon subjective assessments by parents, teachers, or professionals with little or no understanding of the neuroscience of learning and behavior.

In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus statement in 1999 warning that the causes and treatments of ADD are only speculative. In a very real sense, the diagnosis itself is only speculative.

In spite of this, individuals and even very young children who are given a diagnosis of ADD are typically given a prescription for an amphetamine, usually methylphenidate. This amphetamine is very similar to cocaine in terms of its effects on the brain (see Volkow et al, 1995); both drugs compete for the same binding sites on brain cells, both are taken up into the same areas of the brain, and both produce similar psychological effects. Perhaps the major differences are that methylphenidate remains in the brain much longer and the psychological expectations associated with the drug are much different.

Both methylphenidate and cocaine affect the brain by increasing levels of dopamine in the frontal lobes, an area responsible for motor planning, learning, problem solving, impulse control, memory, attention, language, analytical thinking and social behavior, and the striatum, an area responsible for processing and integrating sensory information.

Increased levels of dopamine make the brain feel powerful and happy and can produce addictive behaviors and responses. Elevated levels of dopamine also alter other neurochemicals and affect control muscle movements, sleep/wake cycles, hunger and satiety, arousal, heart rate, blood pressure, and stress responses.

If these altered levels of neurochemicals persist for too long (e.g. several weeks), the brain begins to try to bring the levels back to normal. If a neurochemical has been elevated for too long, the brain will begin to shut down some of the receptors for that neurochemical and will begin to kill off some of the transporters that move the neurochemical through the brain. We call this effect "downregulation."

After about three weeks it is possible to see these architectural changes with the electron microscope; after about four months the changes are significant. Four months on methlyphenidate, for example, will result in the loss of about 75% of the dopamine transporters and 20% of the dopamine receptors in the striatum (Vles et al, 2003). The striatum is an area of the brain critical for sensory processing, learning and memory.

Downregulation can have significant effects on the developing brain long after the drug has been withdrawn. Early exposure to methylphenidate, for example, has been linked to decreased interest in sex, food, emotional experiences, and novelty, and an increase in anxiety and stress levels in adolescence and adulthood (Bolanos, et al, 2003).

Of course, the brain can also "upregulate" by growing more transporters or receptors or making the remaining receptorsor more sensitive. However, upregulatio takes time.

It is dangerous to abruptly stop taking a medication after downregulation has occurred, so following a weaning schedule is recommended. The speed at which an individual is weaned from a drug like methylpheidate is based on the length of time they have been taking the medication and the dosage that they were receiving. A physician familiar with the neurological properties of the drug should be consulted before attempting to wean someone off such a drug.

Regardless of the problems associated with medications used to "treat" attention deficit, the question remains as to why a child is having problems paying attention. There are a host of metabolic, immunological, neurolgoical sensory and psychological causes of inattention including: metabolic disorders, allergies, toxins, sleep disorders, vitamin or fatty-acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, diabetes, depression, boredom intolerance, high intelligence, high creativity, frontal lobe dysfunction, auditory or vestibular processing disorders, and learning disabilities.

Correctly identifying the underlying cause of inattention can help parents and medical professionals avoid the problems of exposing a developing brain to medications that alter neurochemicals, produce downregulation or create long-term side effects that may be far more serious than inattention.




The author, Michelle L. MacAlpine, Ph.D., is a cognitive developmental neuroscientist specializing in the assessment and treatment of sensory processing disorders, attention deficit, and developmental, academic and cognitive delays.

More information can be found at http://www.braintraining.com

ARTICLE REFERENCES
Volkow ND, Ding YS, Fowler JS, Wang GJ, Logan J, Gatley JS, Dewey S, Ashby C, Liebermann J, Hitzemann R, et al. 1995 "Is methylphenidate like cocaine? Studies on their pharmacokinetics and distribution in the human brain." Arch Gen Psychiatry. 52(6):456-63.

Vles JS, Feron FJ, Hendriksen JG, Jolles J, van Kroonenburgh MJ, Weber WE. 2003 "Methylphenidate down-regulates the dopamine receptor and transporter system in children with attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD)." Neuropediatrics. Apr;34(2):77-80.

Bolanos CA, Barrot M, Berton O, Wallace-Black D, Nestler EJ. 2003."Methylphenidate treatment during pre- and periadolescence alters behavioral responses to emotional stimuli at adulthood." Biol Psychiatry. 54(12):1317-29





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 清晨6:09 0 意見
標籤： , , , , , , , ,

2012年6月16日 星期六

Children's Health - Brain Development Disorder - Definition and Types


I. Definition

A neurodevelopmental disorder is defined as an impairment of the growth and development of the central nervous system. It effects the child's brain function in controlling emotion, learning ability and memory as well as social interaction. Today, one in six children is diagnosed with some forms of development and behaviour disorder. It is advised for parent to have their child diagnosed early, if they found that their child is withdrawing from social world, failing to learn the basic communication skill or struggle with emotional regulation, etc.. otherwise, a child may be at risk of becoming serious lifelong disability.

II. Most common types of brain development disorder

1. Autism disorder

Autism is one most common form of brain development disorder and one in 166 child is diagnosed with some forms of autism. It is defined as medical condition in which a child has some of the following impairments

a) Speech

b) Social and communication skills

c) Limited interest

d) Repetitive behaviour

2. Asperger syndrome

Children with Asperger syndrome has no problem with speech development, but have very poor social and communication skills. they may talk a lot, but fail to focus and keep up with the subject. they also have a very narrow interest as they may talk about only one single subject for months or years. Some children with Asperger syndrome may also engage in repetitive behaviour such as flagging hand.

3. Pervasive Development disorder

Children who have developed some or mild forms of autism are considered to have pervasive development disorder. Although some symptoms or important signs of autism are missing, they are likely to diagnoses with autism or Asperger syndrome later in their life.

4. Rett Syndrome

Rett syndrome effects mostly girl, is defined as a condition of which children lose social and communication skills as well as purposely use of their hand. It may also accompany with symptoms of hand repetitive and seizures.

5. Childhood integrative disorder

Children with childhood integrative disorder may gradually lose their language, social communication and self help skills between the period of 2 -4 years old.

6. Sensory integration dysfunction

Sensory integration dysfunction is a condition of which a child fails to react to the information collected from the scene, caused by abnormal brain function in processing information. Typically, most children with sensory integration syndrome may be under sensitive in reaction to pain or noise or over sensitive in reaction to certain environments such as noise, bright light or often both.

7. Auditory processing disorder

Auditory processing disorder is defined as damaging of the neurological structures and pathways of sound perception, therefore children with this disorder are able to hear sounds but have trouble to interpret what they hear.

8. Expressive language disorder

This is defined as a condition of which the children have a limited vocabulary and difficulty in recalling words or expressing themselves by using complex sentences.

9. Speech apraxia

It is caused by the broken down of the inter-reaction between the brain in controlling the speech muscles during speech. Children with speech appraxia know what they want to say, but can not speak through their voice and their words are difficult to understand.

10. Attention deficit hyperactivity

ADHD is defined as psychological condition of which a child has a poor attention skill, impulsive behavior and hyper-activity. The symptoms may appear to be innocent but annoying nuisances to other children. It effects between 3-5% of children globally and most of them are diagnosed later in their childhood life.

11. Attention deficit disorder

Unlike ADHD, children with attention deficit disorder are diagnosed only with symptoms of poor attention skill and impulsive behaviour. Although, the symptoms may appear only annoying to other children, it can inflict the learning ability of the children in the class.

12. Mental retardation

Metal retardation is considered as a generalized disorder. Children with mental retardation normally fail to adapt or adjust to another type of behaviour or situation. They also have a below average IQ ( 70 or lower) and difficulty in performing routine activity.

13. Hearing impairment

Hearing impairment is characterized as a child have a reduce of the ability to detect or understand sounds. Since the children can not hear well, it may interfere with normal progress of social and communication skills causing disruptive behaviour.

14. Seizure disorder (Epilepsy)

Since the normal function of neurons is to generate electrochemical impulses to act on other neurons, glands, and muscles to produce human thoughts, the damage or abnormal function of neurons in case of seizure disorder interferes with sensations, emotions, and behavior, resulting in delay or loss of social and communication skills.

15. Nonverbal learning disorder

The problems of the nonverbal learning disorder are not speech and memory, they may seem normal when they talk and understand what they hear, but in abstracted thinking such as non-verbal problem-solving, daily change of routine and social skills.

16. Traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury normally caused by physical impacts such as car accident or lack of oxygen circulated in their body for a certain amount of time that damage certain areas of the brain in controlling speech, thinking, behaviour and social skills.

17. Fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome is defined as a genetic defect. Children with this syndrome have difficult to control the physical, intellectual, emotional and behavioural aspects in their daily activity as resulting of inherited cause of mental retardation.

18. Tuberous sclerosis

This another type of genetic disease, which causes tumor to be growth in the brain and other organ, leading to seizure, delay development, behaviour problem and sometimes mental retardation.

19. William syndrome

William syndrome is a genetic defect, caused by a deletion of about 26 genes from the long arm of chromosome. Children with William syndrome appear to have unusual language skill and eager for social interaction, but can also be mental retardation and heart problems.

20. Angelman syndrome

This is a condition caused by deletion or inactivation of genes on the maternally inherited chromosome 15. Children with this type of syndrome have severe mental retardation that effect their intellectual and interfere with normal development. The syndrome also accompanies with unexplained smiling and laughing.

21. Prader-Willi syndrome

Prader-Will syndrome is also another genetic defect caused by missing or partial missing of the seven genes on chromosome 15. Children who was born with Prader-Willi syndrome have delay development and feeding difficulty in infancy and develop compulsive eating and food obsession after age one.

22. Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria is a genetically metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase, leading to accumulation of phenylalanine, interfering with development of the brain, causing severe brain damage, mental retardation if it is not controlled by a special diet in their early life.

23. Early-onset childhood bipolar disorder

It is also known as manic-depression. Children who are diagnosed with this disorder have symptoms of frequent mood swing, alternate thinking and behaviour .

24. Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized as a children life is disrupted by unwanted, unnecessary and repetitive thought, as well as an overwhelming need to do certain thing compulsively such as washing their hand many times a day, drinking a cup water before leaving home, etc.

25. Generalized anxiety disorder

It is a kind of anxiety disorder. Children with generalized anxiety disorder always worry about something, restlessness and fear without reason.

26. Selective mutism

Selective mutism is defined as another type of anxiety in which a child who is normally capable of speech is unable to speak or becomes silent in certain situations or in front of specific people.

27. Oppositional defiant disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder is defined as an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, disobedient, hostile and defiant behaviour toward parent and authority.

28. Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder association with streptococcal infection ( PANDAS)

It is defined as a condition in which the immune system attack the child central nervous system, leading to behaviour, thinking and movement problems.

29. Reactive attachment disorder

Reactive attachment disorder is defined as an inappropriate social behaviour caused by severe early experiences of neglect, abuse of parent or caregivers between the ages of six months and three years.

30. Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is described as a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality caused by inability of a child to cope with the change in the internal or external environment, leading to hallucination and delusion.




To read more of above subject or Autism, please visit http://neurodevelopmentaldisorder.blogspot.com/

For series of Infertility Articles, please visit http://fertility-infertility.blogspot.com/

All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have the author name and all the links intact. "Let You Be With Your Health, Let Your Health Be With You" Kyle J. Norton I have been studying natural remedies for disease prevention for over 20 years and working as a financial consultant since 1990. Master degree in Mathematics, teaching and tutoring math at colleges and universities before joining insurance industries. Part time Health, Insurance and Entertainment Article Writer.





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 清晨6:59 0 意見
標籤： , , , , , ,

2012年6月4日 星期一

Children's Health - Brain Development Disorder - Definition and Types


I. Definition

A neurodevelopmental disorder is defined as an impairment of the growth and development of the central nervous system. It effects the child's brain function in controlling emotion, learning ability and memory as well as social interaction. Today, one in six children is diagnosed with some forms of development and behaviour disorder. It is advised for parent to have their child diagnosed early, if they found that their child is withdrawing from social world, failing to learn the basic communication skill or struggle with emotional regulation, etc.. otherwise, a child may be at risk of becoming serious lifelong disability.

II. Most common types of brain development disorder

1. Autism disorder

Autism is one most common form of brain development disorder and one in 166 child is diagnosed with some forms of autism. It is defined as medical condition in which a child has some of the following impairments

a) Speech

b) Social and communication skills

c) Limited interest

d) Repetitive behaviour

2. Asperger syndrome

Children with Asperger syndrome has no problem with speech development, but have very poor social and communication skills. they may talk a lot, but fail to focus and keep up with the subject. they also have a very narrow interest as they may talk about only one single subject for months or years. Some children with Asperger syndrome may also engage in repetitive behaviour such as flagging hand.

3. Pervasive Development disorder

Children who have developed some or mild forms of autism are considered to have pervasive development disorder. Although some symptoms or important signs of autism are missing, they are likely to diagnoses with autism or Asperger syndrome later in their life.

4. Rett Syndrome

Rett syndrome effects mostly girl, is defined as a condition of which children lose social and communication skills as well as purposely use of their hand. It may also accompany with symptoms of hand repetitive and seizures.

5. Childhood integrative disorder

Children with childhood integrative disorder may gradually lose their language, social communication and self help skills between the period of 2 -4 years old.

6. Sensory integration dysfunction

Sensory integration dysfunction is a condition of which a child fails to react to the information collected from the scene, caused by abnormal brain function in processing information. Typically, most children with sensory integration syndrome may be under sensitive in reaction to pain or noise or over sensitive in reaction to certain environments such as noise, bright light or often both.

7. Auditory processing disorder

Auditory processing disorder is defined as damaging of the neurological structures and pathways of sound perception, therefore children with this disorder are able to hear sounds but have trouble to interpret what they hear.

8. Expressive language disorder

This is defined as a condition of which the children have a limited vocabulary and difficulty in recalling words or expressing themselves by using complex sentences.

9. Speech apraxia

It is caused by the broken down of the inter-reaction between the brain in controlling the speech muscles during speech. Children with speech appraxia know what they want to say, but can not speak through their voice and their words are difficult to understand.

10. Attention deficit hyperactivity

ADHD is defined as psychological condition of which a child has a poor attention skill, impulsive behavior and hyper-activity. The symptoms may appear to be innocent but annoying nuisances to other children. It effects between 3-5% of children globally and most of them are diagnosed later in their childhood life.

11. Attention deficit disorder

Unlike ADHD, children with attention deficit disorder are diagnosed only with symptoms of poor attention skill and impulsive behaviour. Although, the symptoms may appear only annoying to other children, it can inflict the learning ability of the children in the class.

12. Mental retardation

Metal retardation is considered as a generalized disorder. Children with mental retardation normally fail to adapt or adjust to another type of behaviour or situation. They also have a below average IQ ( 70 or lower) and difficulty in performing routine activity.

13. Hearing impairment

Hearing impairment is characterized as a child have a reduce of the ability to detect or understand sounds. Since the children can not hear well, it may interfere with normal progress of social and communication skills causing disruptive behaviour.

14. Seizure disorder (Epilepsy)

Since the normal function of neurons is to generate electrochemical impulses to act on other neurons, glands, and muscles to produce human thoughts, the damage or abnormal function of neurons in case of seizure disorder interferes with sensations, emotions, and behavior, resulting in delay or loss of social and communication skills.

15. Nonverbal learning disorder

The problems of the nonverbal learning disorder are not speech and memory, they may seem normal when they talk and understand what they hear, but in abstracted thinking such as non-verbal problem-solving, daily change of routine and social skills.

16. Traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury normally caused by physical impacts such as car accident or lack of oxygen circulated in their body for a certain amount of time that damage certain areas of the brain in controlling speech, thinking, behaviour and social skills.

17. Fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome is defined as a genetic defect. Children with this syndrome have difficult to control the physical, intellectual, emotional and behavioural aspects in their daily activity as resulting of inherited cause of mental retardation.

18. Tuberous sclerosis

This another type of genetic disease, which causes tumor to be growth in the brain and other organ, leading to seizure, delay development, behaviour problem and sometimes mental retardation.

19. William syndrome

William syndrome is a genetic defect, caused by a deletion of about 26 genes from the long arm of chromosome. Children with William syndrome appear to have unusual language skill and eager for social interaction, but can also be mental retardation and heart problems.

20. Angelman syndrome

This is a condition caused by deletion or inactivation of genes on the maternally inherited chromosome 15. Children with this type of syndrome have severe mental retardation that effect their intellectual and interfere with normal development. The syndrome also accompanies with unexplained smiling and laughing.

21. Prader-Willi syndrome

Prader-Will syndrome is also another genetic defect caused by missing or partial missing of the seven genes on chromosome 15. Children who was born with Prader-Willi syndrome have delay development and feeding difficulty in infancy and develop compulsive eating and food obsession after age one.

22. Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria is a genetically metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase, leading to accumulation of phenylalanine, interfering with development of the brain, causing severe brain damage, mental retardation if it is not controlled by a special diet in their early life.

23. Early-onset childhood bipolar disorder

It is also known as manic-depression. Children who are diagnosed with this disorder have symptoms of frequent mood swing, alternate thinking and behaviour .

24. Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized as a children life is disrupted by unwanted, unnecessary and repetitive thought, as well as an overwhelming need to do certain thing compulsively such as washing their hand many times a day, drinking a cup water before leaving home, etc.

25. Generalized anxiety disorder

It is a kind of anxiety disorder. Children with generalized anxiety disorder always worry about something, restlessness and fear without reason.

26. Selective mutism

Selective mutism is defined as another type of anxiety in which a child who is normally capable of speech is unable to speak or becomes silent in certain situations or in front of specific people.

27. Oppositional defiant disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder is defined as an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, disobedient, hostile and defiant behaviour toward parent and authority.

28. Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder association with streptococcal infection ( PANDAS)

It is defined as a condition in which the immune system attack the child central nervous system, leading to behaviour, thinking and movement problems.

29. Reactive attachment disorder

Reactive attachment disorder is defined as an inappropriate social behaviour caused by severe early experiences of neglect, abuse of parent or caregivers between the ages of six months and three years.

30. Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is described as a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality caused by inability of a child to cope with the change in the internal or external environment, leading to hallucination and delusion.




To read more of above subject or Autism, please visit http://neurodevelopmentaldisorder.blogspot.com/

For series of Infertility Articles, please visit http://fertility-infertility.blogspot.com/

All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have the author name and all the links intact. "Let You Be With Your Health, Let Your Health Be With You" Kyle J. Norton I have been studying natural remedies for disease prevention for over 20 years and working as a financial consultant since 1990. Master degree in Mathematics, teaching and tutoring math at colleges and universities before joining insurance industries. Part time Health, Insurance and Entertainment Article Writer.





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 清晨6:31 0 意見
標籤： , , , , , ,

2012年5月28日 星期一

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and Avoiding the Problem of Medicating a Developing Brain


Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) appeared first in the 1980 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychological Association. Today ADD means different things to different professionals, depending upon their field, their level of experience and medical knowledge, and their cultural beliefs about how children should act.

Parents are often surprised to learn that there is no particular medical or neurological abnormality present in individuals diagnosed with attention deficit. Instead, the diagnosis depends upon subjective assessments by parents, teachers, or professionals with little or no understanding of the neuroscience of learning and behavior.

In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus statement in 1999 warning that the causes and treatments of ADD are only speculative. In a very real sense, the diagnosis itself is only speculative.

In spite of this, individuals and even very young children who are given a diagnosis of ADD are typically given a prescription for an amphetamine, usually methylphenidate. This amphetamine is very similar to cocaine in terms of its effects on the brain (see Volkow et al, 1995); both drugs compete for the same binding sites on brain cells, both are taken up into the same areas of the brain, and both produce similar psychological effects. Perhaps the major differences are that methylphenidate remains in the brain much longer and the psychological expectations associated with the drug are much different.

Both methylphenidate and cocaine affect the brain by increasing levels of dopamine in the frontal lobes, an area responsible for motor planning, learning, problem solving, impulse control, memory, attention, language, analytical thinking and social behavior, and the striatum, an area responsible for processing and integrating sensory information.

Increased levels of dopamine make the brain feel powerful and happy and can produce addictive behaviors and responses. Elevated levels of dopamine also alter other neurochemicals and affect control muscle movements, sleep/wake cycles, hunger and satiety, arousal, heart rate, blood pressure, and stress responses.

If these altered levels of neurochemicals persist for too long (e.g. several weeks), the brain begins to try to bring the levels back to normal. If a neurochemical has been elevated for too long, the brain will begin to shut down some of the receptors for that neurochemical and will begin to kill off some of the transporters that move the neurochemical through the brain. We call this effect "downregulation."

After about three weeks it is possible to see these architectural changes with the electron microscope; after about four months the changes are significant. Four months on methlyphenidate, for example, will result in the loss of about 75% of the dopamine transporters and 20% of the dopamine receptors in the striatum (Vles et al, 2003). The striatum is an area of the brain critical for sensory processing, learning and memory.

Downregulation can have significant effects on the developing brain long after the drug has been withdrawn. Early exposure to methylphenidate, for example, has been linked to decreased interest in sex, food, emotional experiences, and novelty, and an increase in anxiety and stress levels in adolescence and adulthood (Bolanos, et al, 2003).

Of course, the brain can also "upregulate" by growing more transporters or receptors or making the remaining receptorsor more sensitive. However, upregulatio takes time.

It is dangerous to abruptly stop taking a medication after downregulation has occurred, so following a weaning schedule is recommended. The speed at which an individual is weaned from a drug like methylpheidate is based on the length of time they have been taking the medication and the dosage that they were receiving. A physician familiar with the neurological properties of the drug should be consulted before attempting to wean someone off such a drug.

Regardless of the problems associated with medications used to "treat" attention deficit, the question remains as to why a child is having problems paying attention. There are a host of metabolic, immunological, neurolgoical sensory and psychological causes of inattention including: metabolic disorders, allergies, toxins, sleep disorders, vitamin or fatty-acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, diabetes, depression, boredom intolerance, high intelligence, high creativity, frontal lobe dysfunction, auditory or vestibular processing disorders, and learning disabilities.

Correctly identifying the underlying cause of inattention can help parents and medical professionals avoid the problems of exposing a developing brain to medications that alter neurochemicals, produce downregulation or create long-term side effects that may be far more serious than inattention.




The author, Michelle L. MacAlpine, Ph.D., is a cognitive developmental neuroscientist specializing in the assessment and treatment of sensory processing disorders, attention deficit, and developmental, academic and cognitive delays.

More information can be found at http://www.braintraining.com

ARTICLE REFERENCES
Volkow ND, Ding YS, Fowler JS, Wang GJ, Logan J, Gatley JS, Dewey S, Ashby C, Liebermann J, Hitzemann R, et al. 1995 "Is methylphenidate like cocaine? Studies on their pharmacokinetics and distribution in the human brain." Arch Gen Psychiatry. 52(6):456-63.

Vles JS, Feron FJ, Hendriksen JG, Jolles J, van Kroonenburgh MJ, Weber WE. 2003 "Methylphenidate down-regulates the dopamine receptor and transporter system in children with attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD)." Neuropediatrics. Apr;34(2):77-80.

Bolanos CA, Barrot M, Berton O, Wallace-Black D, Nestler EJ. 2003."Methylphenidate treatment during pre- and periadolescence alters behavioral responses to emotional stimuli at adulthood." Biol Psychiatry. 54(12):1317-29





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張貼者： 於 凌晨12:05 0 意見
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2012年5月25日 星期五

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and Avoiding the Problem of Medicating a Developing Brain


Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) appeared first in the 1980 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychological Association. Today ADD means different things to different professionals, depending upon their field, their level of experience and medical knowledge, and their cultural beliefs about how children should act.

Parents are often surprised to learn that there is no particular medical or neurological abnormality present in individuals diagnosed with attention deficit. Instead, the diagnosis depends upon subjective assessments by parents, teachers, or professionals with little or no understanding of the neuroscience of learning and behavior.

In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus statement in 1999 warning that the causes and treatments of ADD are only speculative. In a very real sense, the diagnosis itself is only speculative.

In spite of this, individuals and even very young children who are given a diagnosis of ADD are typically given a prescription for an amphetamine, usually methylphenidate. This amphetamine is very similar to cocaine in terms of its effects on the brain (see Volkow et al, 1995); both drugs compete for the same binding sites on brain cells, both are taken up into the same areas of the brain, and both produce similar psychological effects. Perhaps the major differences are that methylphenidate remains in the brain much longer and the psychological expectations associated with the drug are much different.

Both methylphenidate and cocaine affect the brain by increasing levels of dopamine in the frontal lobes, an area responsible for motor planning, learning, problem solving, impulse control, memory, attention, language, analytical thinking and social behavior, and the striatum, an area responsible for processing and integrating sensory information.

Increased levels of dopamine make the brain feel powerful and happy and can produce addictive behaviors and responses. Elevated levels of dopamine also alter other neurochemicals and affect control muscle movements, sleep/wake cycles, hunger and satiety, arousal, heart rate, blood pressure, and stress responses.

If these altered levels of neurochemicals persist for too long (e.g. several weeks), the brain begins to try to bring the levels back to normal. If a neurochemical has been elevated for too long, the brain will begin to shut down some of the receptors for that neurochemical and will begin to kill off some of the transporters that move the neurochemical through the brain. We call this effect "downregulation."

After about three weeks it is possible to see these architectural changes with the electron microscope; after about four months the changes are significant. Four months on methlyphenidate, for example, will result in the loss of about 75% of the dopamine transporters and 20% of the dopamine receptors in the striatum (Vles et al, 2003). The striatum is an area of the brain critical for sensory processing, learning and memory.

Downregulation can have significant effects on the developing brain long after the drug has been withdrawn. Early exposure to methylphenidate, for example, has been linked to decreased interest in sex, food, emotional experiences, and novelty, and an increase in anxiety and stress levels in adolescence and adulthood (Bolanos, et al, 2003).

Of course, the brain can also "upregulate" by growing more transporters or receptors or making the remaining receptorsor more sensitive. However, upregulatio takes time.

It is dangerous to abruptly stop taking a medication after downregulation has occurred, so following a weaning schedule is recommended. The speed at which an individual is weaned from a drug like methylpheidate is based on the length of time they have been taking the medication and the dosage that they were receiving. A physician familiar with the neurological properties of the drug should be consulted before attempting to wean someone off such a drug.

Regardless of the problems associated with medications used to "treat" attention deficit, the question remains as to why a child is having problems paying attention. There are a host of metabolic, immunological, neurolgoical sensory and psychological causes of inattention including: metabolic disorders, allergies, toxins, sleep disorders, vitamin or fatty-acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, diabetes, depression, boredom intolerance, high intelligence, high creativity, frontal lobe dysfunction, auditory or vestibular processing disorders, and learning disabilities.

Correctly identifying the underlying cause of inattention can help parents and medical professionals avoid the problems of exposing a developing brain to medications that alter neurochemicals, produce downregulation or create long-term side effects that may be far more serious than inattention.




The author, Michelle L. MacAlpine, Ph.D., is a cognitive developmental neuroscientist specializing in the assessment and treatment of sensory processing disorders, attention deficit, and developmental, academic and cognitive delays.

More information can be found at http://www.braintraining.com

ARTICLE REFERENCES
Volkow ND, Ding YS, Fowler JS, Wang GJ, Logan J, Gatley JS, Dewey S, Ashby C, Liebermann J, Hitzemann R, et al. 1995 "Is methylphenidate like cocaine? Studies on their pharmacokinetics and distribution in the human brain." Arch Gen Psychiatry. 52(6):456-63.

Vles JS, Feron FJ, Hendriksen JG, Jolles J, van Kroonenburgh MJ, Weber WE. 2003 "Methylphenidate down-regulates the dopamine receptor and transporter system in children with attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD)." Neuropediatrics. Apr;34(2):77-80.

Bolanos CA, Barrot M, Berton O, Wallace-Black D, Nestler EJ. 2003."Methylphenidate treatment during pre- and periadolescence alters behavioral responses to emotional stimuli at adulthood." Biol Psychiatry. 54(12):1317-29





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 下午6:41 0 意見
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2012年5月13日 星期日

Children's Health - Brain Development Disorder - Definition and Types


I. Definition

A neurodevelopmental disorder is defined as an impairment of the growth and development of the central nervous system. It effects the child's brain function in controlling emotion, learning ability and memory as well as social interaction. Today, one in six children is diagnosed with some forms of development and behaviour disorder. It is advised for parent to have their child diagnosed early, if they found that their child is withdrawing from social world, failing to learn the basic communication skill or struggle with emotional regulation, etc.. otherwise, a child may be at risk of becoming serious lifelong disability.

II. Most common types of brain development disorder

1. Autism disorder

Autism is one most common form of brain development disorder and one in 166 child is diagnosed with some forms of autism. It is defined as medical condition in which a child has some of the following impairments

a) Speech

b) Social and communication skills

c) Limited interest

d) Repetitive behaviour

2. Asperger syndrome

Children with Asperger syndrome has no problem with speech development, but have very poor social and communication skills. they may talk a lot, but fail to focus and keep up with the subject. they also have a very narrow interest as they may talk about only one single subject for months or years. Some children with Asperger syndrome may also engage in repetitive behaviour such as flagging hand.

3. Pervasive Development disorder

Children who have developed some or mild forms of autism are considered to have pervasive development disorder. Although some symptoms or important signs of autism are missing, they are likely to diagnoses with autism or Asperger syndrome later in their life.

4. Rett Syndrome

Rett syndrome effects mostly girl, is defined as a condition of which children lose social and communication skills as well as purposely use of their hand. It may also accompany with symptoms of hand repetitive and seizures.

5. Childhood integrative disorder

Children with childhood integrative disorder may gradually lose their language, social communication and self help skills between the period of 2 -4 years old.

6. Sensory integration dysfunction

Sensory integration dysfunction is a condition of which a child fails to react to the information collected from the scene, caused by abnormal brain function in processing information. Typically, most children with sensory integration syndrome may be under sensitive in reaction to pain or noise or over sensitive in reaction to certain environments such as noise, bright light or often both.

7. Auditory processing disorder

Auditory processing disorder is defined as damaging of the neurological structures and pathways of sound perception, therefore children with this disorder are able to hear sounds but have trouble to interpret what they hear.

8. Expressive language disorder

This is defined as a condition of which the children have a limited vocabulary and difficulty in recalling words or expressing themselves by using complex sentences.

9. Speech apraxia

It is caused by the broken down of the inter-reaction between the brain in controlling the speech muscles during speech. Children with speech appraxia know what they want to say, but can not speak through their voice and their words are difficult to understand.

10. Attention deficit hyperactivity

ADHD is defined as psychological condition of which a child has a poor attention skill, impulsive behavior and hyper-activity. The symptoms may appear to be innocent but annoying nuisances to other children. It effects between 3-5% of children globally and most of them are diagnosed later in their childhood life.

11. Attention deficit disorder

Unlike ADHD, children with attention deficit disorder are diagnosed only with symptoms of poor attention skill and impulsive behaviour. Although, the symptoms may appear only annoying to other children, it can inflict the learning ability of the children in the class.

12. Mental retardation

Metal retardation is considered as a generalized disorder. Children with mental retardation normally fail to adapt or adjust to another type of behaviour or situation. They also have a below average IQ ( 70 or lower) and difficulty in performing routine activity.

13. Hearing impairment

Hearing impairment is characterized as a child have a reduce of the ability to detect or understand sounds. Since the children can not hear well, it may interfere with normal progress of social and communication skills causing disruptive behaviour.

14. Seizure disorder (Epilepsy)

Since the normal function of neurons is to generate electrochemical impulses to act on other neurons, glands, and muscles to produce human thoughts, the damage or abnormal function of neurons in case of seizure disorder interferes with sensations, emotions, and behavior, resulting in delay or loss of social and communication skills.

15. Nonverbal learning disorder

The problems of the nonverbal learning disorder are not speech and memory, they may seem normal when they talk and understand what they hear, but in abstracted thinking such as non-verbal problem-solving, daily change of routine and social skills.

16. Traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury normally caused by physical impacts such as car accident or lack of oxygen circulated in their body for a certain amount of time that damage certain areas of the brain in controlling speech, thinking, behaviour and social skills.

17. Fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome is defined as a genetic defect. Children with this syndrome have difficult to control the physical, intellectual, emotional and behavioural aspects in their daily activity as resulting of inherited cause of mental retardation.

18. Tuberous sclerosis

This another type of genetic disease, which causes tumor to be growth in the brain and other organ, leading to seizure, delay development, behaviour problem and sometimes mental retardation.

19. William syndrome

William syndrome is a genetic defect, caused by a deletion of about 26 genes from the long arm of chromosome. Children with William syndrome appear to have unusual language skill and eager for social interaction, but can also be mental retardation and heart problems.

20. Angelman syndrome

This is a condition caused by deletion or inactivation of genes on the maternally inherited chromosome 15. Children with this type of syndrome have severe mental retardation that effect their intellectual and interfere with normal development. The syndrome also accompanies with unexplained smiling and laughing.

21. Prader-Willi syndrome

Prader-Will syndrome is also another genetic defect caused by missing or partial missing of the seven genes on chromosome 15. Children who was born with Prader-Willi syndrome have delay development and feeding difficulty in infancy and develop compulsive eating and food obsession after age one.

22. Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria is a genetically metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase, leading to accumulation of phenylalanine, interfering with development of the brain, causing severe brain damage, mental retardation if it is not controlled by a special diet in their early life.

23. Early-onset childhood bipolar disorder

It is also known as manic-depression. Children who are diagnosed with this disorder have symptoms of frequent mood swing, alternate thinking and behaviour .

24. Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized as a children life is disrupted by unwanted, unnecessary and repetitive thought, as well as an overwhelming need to do certain thing compulsively such as washing their hand many times a day, drinking a cup water before leaving home, etc.

25. Generalized anxiety disorder

It is a kind of anxiety disorder. Children with generalized anxiety disorder always worry about something, restlessness and fear without reason.

26. Selective mutism

Selective mutism is defined as another type of anxiety in which a child who is normally capable of speech is unable to speak or becomes silent in certain situations or in front of specific people.

27. Oppositional defiant disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder is defined as an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, disobedient, hostile and defiant behaviour toward parent and authority.

28. Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder association with streptococcal infection ( PANDAS)

It is defined as a condition in which the immune system attack the child central nervous system, leading to behaviour, thinking and movement problems.

29. Reactive attachment disorder

Reactive attachment disorder is defined as an inappropriate social behaviour caused by severe early experiences of neglect, abuse of parent or caregivers between the ages of six months and three years.

30. Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is described as a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality caused by inability of a child to cope with the change in the internal or external environment, leading to hallucination and delusion.




To read more of above subject or Autism, please visit http://neurodevelopmentaldisorder.blogspot.com/

For series of Infertility Articles, please visit http://fertility-infertility.blogspot.com/

All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have the author name and all the links intact. "Let You Be With Your Health, Let Your Health Be With You" Kyle J. Norton I have been studying natural remedies for disease prevention for over 20 years and working as a financial consultant since 1990. Master degree in Mathematics, teaching and tutoring math at colleges and universities before joining insurance industries. Part time Health, Insurance and Entertainment Article Writer.





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 晚上8:13 0 意見
標籤： , , , , , ,

2012年5月1日 星期二

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and Avoiding the Problem of Medicating a Developing Brain


Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) appeared first in the 1980 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychological Association. Today ADD means different things to different professionals, depending upon their field, their level of experience and medical knowledge, and their cultural beliefs about how children should act.

Parents are often surprised to learn that there is no particular medical or neurological abnormality present in individuals diagnosed with attention deficit. Instead, the diagnosis depends upon subjective assessments by parents, teachers, or professionals with little or no understanding of the neuroscience of learning and behavior.

In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus statement in 1999 warning that the causes and treatments of ADD are only speculative. In a very real sense, the diagnosis itself is only speculative.

In spite of this, individuals and even very young children who are given a diagnosis of ADD are typically given a prescription for an amphetamine, usually methylphenidate. This amphetamine is very similar to cocaine in terms of its effects on the brain (see Volkow et al, 1995); both drugs compete for the same binding sites on brain cells, both are taken up into the same areas of the brain, and both produce similar psychological effects. Perhaps the major differences are that methylphenidate remains in the brain much longer and the psychological expectations associated with the drug are much different.

Both methylphenidate and cocaine affect the brain by increasing levels of dopamine in the frontal lobes, an area responsible for motor planning, learning, problem solving, impulse control, memory, attention, language, analytical thinking and social behavior, and the striatum, an area responsible for processing and integrating sensory information.

Increased levels of dopamine make the brain feel powerful and happy and can produce addictive behaviors and responses. Elevated levels of dopamine also alter other neurochemicals and affect control muscle movements, sleep/wake cycles, hunger and satiety, arousal, heart rate, blood pressure, and stress responses.

If these altered levels of neurochemicals persist for too long (e.g. several weeks), the brain begins to try to bring the levels back to normal. If a neurochemical has been elevated for too long, the brain will begin to shut down some of the receptors for that neurochemical and will begin to kill off some of the transporters that move the neurochemical through the brain. We call this effect "downregulation."

After about three weeks it is possible to see these architectural changes with the electron microscope; after about four months the changes are significant. Four months on methlyphenidate, for example, will result in the loss of about 75% of the dopamine transporters and 20% of the dopamine receptors in the striatum (Vles et al, 2003). The striatum is an area of the brain critical for sensory processing, learning and memory.

Downregulation can have significant effects on the developing brain long after the drug has been withdrawn. Early exposure to methylphenidate, for example, has been linked to decreased interest in sex, food, emotional experiences, and novelty, and an increase in anxiety and stress levels in adolescence and adulthood (Bolanos, et al, 2003).

Of course, the brain can also "upregulate" by growing more transporters or receptors or making the remaining receptorsor more sensitive. However, upregulatio takes time.

It is dangerous to abruptly stop taking a medication after downregulation has occurred, so following a weaning schedule is recommended. The speed at which an individual is weaned from a drug like methylpheidate is based on the length of time they have been taking the medication and the dosage that they were receiving. A physician familiar with the neurological properties of the drug should be consulted before attempting to wean someone off such a drug.

Regardless of the problems associated with medications used to "treat" attention deficit, the question remains as to why a child is having problems paying attention. There are a host of metabolic, immunological, neurolgoical sensory and psychological causes of inattention including: metabolic disorders, allergies, toxins, sleep disorders, vitamin or fatty-acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, diabetes, depression, boredom intolerance, high intelligence, high creativity, frontal lobe dysfunction, auditory or vestibular processing disorders, and learning disabilities.

Correctly identifying the underlying cause of inattention can help parents and medical professionals avoid the problems of exposing a developing brain to medications that alter neurochemicals, produce downregulation or create long-term side effects that may be far more serious than inattention.




The author, Michelle L. MacAlpine, Ph.D., is a cognitive developmental neuroscientist specializing in the assessment and treatment of sensory processing disorders, attention deficit, and developmental, academic and cognitive delays.

More information can be found at http://www.braintraining.com

ARTICLE REFERENCES
Volkow ND, Ding YS, Fowler JS, Wang GJ, Logan J, Gatley JS, Dewey S, Ashby C, Liebermann J, Hitzemann R, et al. 1995 "Is methylphenidate like cocaine? Studies on their pharmacokinetics and distribution in the human brain." Arch Gen Psychiatry. 52(6):456-63.

Vles JS, Feron FJ, Hendriksen JG, Jolles J, van Kroonenburgh MJ, Weber WE. 2003 "Methylphenidate down-regulates the dopamine receptor and transporter system in children with attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD)." Neuropediatrics. Apr;34(2):77-80.

Bolanos CA, Barrot M, Berton O, Wallace-Black D, Nestler EJ. 2003."Methylphenidate treatment during pre- and periadolescence alters behavioral responses to emotional stimuli at adulthood." Biol Psychiatry. 54(12):1317-29





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 中午12:46 0 意見
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2012年4月17日 星期二

How Our Brain Really Remembers Things


We have been equipped with the finest computer to ever be developed. It's positioned between your two ears and functions at speeds that would boggle the mind. The functionality of our brain is expressed in conscious and unconscious commands to our autonomic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Systems that controls, stimulates and drives our dreams, feelings of emotion, fear, happiness, sadness, sexuality, sight, touch, and many other sensory perceptions. We have been gifted with a non-eraseable tape the problem is in accessing it sometimes. You also have the best camera because as you look around the room you are taking 52,000 pictures per second.

I am asked many times in our workshops what makes us forget? Am I getting early onset of Alzheimer's, or am I in the early stages of some other dastardly cognitive decline that will send me into a life of not knowing who I am or how I got here. The good news is everyone has a perfect memory it's just some are trained and some aren't. Were lucky in the fact, many of our motor skills and reflexes of our big, small or smooth muscles are driven by our autonomic nervous systems. This is in order to keep us breathing and our heart pumping while we sleep or relax.

Most people will never get Alzheimer's. We all have what we call MCI or Mild Cognitive Impairments because most of us have never been taught formalized memory training. I remember talking with my brother and sister in law who are both medical doctors at a family dinner. We normally have lunch at our mother or mother in laws home where we meet every Sunday. They both expressed how the inclusion of a formalized mnemonic or memory training class would have assisted them in loading pharmacology, microanatomy or some other integrative biological based medical school requirement. They both said that they had to create their own mnemonic systems to help in their studies. The use of acronyms, association, storytelling or just basic mnemonic systems to assist them in their studies involved research in the library to get the information they needed to help them.

I also recall teaching memory training to the graduating seniors at Yale law school in New Haven Connecticut back in 1993. The session was right before they had to sit for their bar exam and the universal comment from the majority of them was why weren't you here before law school?

I felt the same myself 19 years ago while sitting in the final night session of my formalized memory training workshop in Dallas, TX. I was one of a hundred and thirty other souls seeking help in multi-tasking. I had similar thoughts of why didn't they teach this in grade school? It would have given me the self confidence and self esteem needed to overcome what I didn't realize I had at the time, Dyslexia, and ADHD. Back in the late sixties the push was to achieve, don't share information and our ability to advance was measured by how well we did on test. We didn't have the advantage of being taught by affirmation it was usually by humiliation and not as productive as it could have been. The norm to achieve, compete, and advance didn't give you much chance to do the social connectedness or social norms now being considered to assist in the more casual creative way to learn. Therefore our bodies, and minds as well as our family involvement suffered a great deal. It caused us stresses that sent a lot of us spiraling into a medley of maladies both physically and mentally.

Our mind remembers through the experiences we encounter every day. Some transfer to our long term memory and allows us to recall when we are in a similar state. It is triggered by our cognitive ability to retrieve that memory. We can teach our brain techniques to proactively encode information, store it and retrieve it by a queue being stored with that memory. It's actually called the encoding specificity principle and says that stimuli can cause a memory to be recalled if the stimuli are created with a queue. So the queue actually retrieves the memory.

The types of memories we use are, flashbulb memory, iconic memory, semantic memory, and episodic memory, implicit memory and other types as well. Each type has its place in history and can be used individually or together. The state that we are in when the memory trace is laid down is also a major factor in recalling that memory. Some of these memories are transferred to the long term, some short term only and some developed at times we can't explain. So if you are drinking when you learn that joke you may have to be in that state again to remember it completely.

The technical way or physiological process of memory traces being built is phenomenal. Environmental factors play a very important role in creating and decaying memories. We do however have a proactive way to create the memories in our mind and then help the process of memory distribution into the neo-cortex of our brains. Technically what happens in our mind is electrical and chemical. We reach a plus or minus sodium solution of 70 which causes two or more brain cells to connect. This is done by the firing of synapses between receptors at the end of our dendrites spines in turn combining the two brain cells together. This completes the process of forming a new memory trace. The chemical neurotransmitters cause an electrical impulse of about 5 watts to join the two brain cells thus forming the new memory trace. The process of transferring it to the long term memory is dependent on many factors. One is the need, the selectiveness, the priority in life, our existence and the necessity to use it in the future.

Implicit memories are formed without our knowledge and locked in a lockbox of selective unconsciousness' within the brain. We are not sure how they get there are how our prejudices or biases are formed but the environment we are raised in must play a major part of the cohort effect of each 10 year time span. We now believe that our memories are actually laid down between the 3rd and 4th stage of our sleep cycle while we sleep and can be restructured over a possible 2 year time span.

We are still not a 100% sure how our memories are built but that's a pretty close explanation of the process as I see it now. These theories are based on the fact that we now have the technology to measure our brain more effectively. So I offer you this please take care of your brain. I tell my son-in-law and future son-in-law this cage fighting or mixed martial arts they pay to watch will ultimately lead to brain damage or trauma disorders. This ultimately will be something to be dealt with in the future for these young mindless athletes. The brain is the only organ in the body that is incased in a hard shell for a reason and not intended to be hit on or traumatized.

So exercise it, feed it the right nutrients and expand it every chance you get. We are living longer and will need it a lot longer in the future. I have to challenge myself everyday because my lovely wife has a rapid brain wave and processes much faster than the normal individual. So I have always told my children when mom finishes a subject and moves on we need to bring her back into our conversation because she is too smart. She was just gifted with a rapid brain wave and beautiful too! We still get a good laugh out of that process daily.




The Memory Technologies Institute is a company specializing in experiential training. Training business professionals and students in corporate environments and personal settings on how to develop an instant recall memory. The skills that are necessary to maintain a productive position in today's competitive world and brain maintenance.

MTI, by simplifying the memory process has become one of America's leading memory training workshops. Their trained memory speakers and instructors are certified in accordance with "HR Bill 6578 by President Bush Sr. in 1989 for the decade of the brain". They speak on national keynote speaking circuits nationwide. The skills taught at their workshops have been featured on television talk shows, radio programs and ABC's channel 8 nightly special "Information overload" as well as in newspapers and magazines throughout America.

Harold Mangum Psychologist/President MTI has been studying mnemonics for 19 years and currently teaches at universities, and corporations like Texas Instruments, Halliburton, Schlumberger, AT&T, Xerox, Eastman Kodak, Microsoft, Entex, Sprint USA, Bausch & Lomb, Johnson & Johnson, 3M and many more fortune 500 companies.

The style of experiential instruction shortens the process of learning and aligns the conscious and unconscious cognitive ability of the mind. He has developed in authorship several memory programs, like Maximum Recall Memory, Advanced Memory Recall, Maximum Scripture Memory Recall, and Advance Numbers and Playing cards leads the industry as the most used mnemonics training in the industry. The newest program Maximum Name recall is the newest addition. Harold is featured as Keynote speaker for hundreds of associations and conferences all over the U.S. Ezine members receive a 50% price reduction of all audio programs and corporate group rates at the workshops.

Visit memorytech.net for more information, products available and how to book a presentation or keynote address at your next conference or convention.





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2012年2月29日 星期三

Optimizing Memory in the Adult Brain for Effectiveness in a Multitasking Society


Michelle walked into the kitchen, paused, and looked around. Just moments before, she knew that there was something she had to do in here. Now it completely slipped her mind. She searched for clues, something to prompt her memory. She opened cabinets and drawers, fingered the cool marble countertop, mentally retraced her steps. What had she been thinking about before she came in here? A mild anxiety crept over her. She shuddered to shake off the feeling that this was the beginning of the end. At 43 she feared she was beginning to lose her mind.

For many people the first sign of aging is a "senior moment" like the one described above-a sudden, inexplicable lapse of memory. Forgetting names or appointments, misplacing car keys or reports, not knowing why they entered a room or opened a drawer leads hundreds of thousands of Americans in their 40s and 50s to enroll in memory training courses every year. Small wonder-for many people memory loss is closely associated with more severe signs of senility, including loss of control over bodily functions, regression into infantile behavior, reversal of parent/child roles, and loss of mental competency. The specter of Alzheimer's disease looms large even in people who have no family history of the illness.

Research about Alzheimer's has lead to new insights into what it takes to maintain a healthy brain or at least slow down the aging process. Important physical factors include a diet rich in antioxidants and Vitamins A and E, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and stress-free relaxation. It's also important to stay socially active and mentally challenged.

Why then are the "baby boomers" (age 40+)-who are still actively engaged at work and in their communities, who recognize the value of good nutrition and healthy life styles-crowding into classrooms to learn how to remember strings of numbers and never forget a face or name? More than simple vanity and the refusal to grow old, these high-functioning, high-energy participants recognize the demands that our multitasking society of instant messages and global networks makes on them. Their refusal to be left behind and "put out to pasture" has lead to additional studies on the effectiveness of training the adult brain to function better and remember more clearly.

Less than a generation ago, conventional wisdom advised people to "grow old gracefully," to accept that their bodies and minds would deteriorate at a predictable rate and in a predictable way. Subsequent studies have proven that regular exercise and proper nutrition can slow down and sometimes even reverse some of the aging process. Additional studies by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institute of Health (NIH), have demonstrated that adult brains may be just as resilient and adaptable as the rest of their bodies, given the necessary resources and proper training.

In an unprecedented two-year program involving 2,802 participants, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (November 13, 2002 issue), researchers examined the short- and long-term effects ten hours of training in concentration, memory, or problem solving had on healthy, independent seniors ranging in ages from 65 to 94. Randomly assigned to groups of approximately 700, participants were either given no training (control group) or received specific instruction in one of the following: verbal episodic memory, ability to solve problems that follow a pattern, or visual search and identification. Researchers selected specific memory, reasoning, and speed of processing programs because they related well to daily living tasks such as "telephone use, shopping, food preparation, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, medication use, and personal finances."

The memory group learned strategies for remembering lists of words and the main ideas and specific details in stories. The reasoning group focused on detecting patterns and using that information to solve problems. Such skills are useful for filling out order forms and reading schedules. The speed of processing group practiced locating and identifying visual information as related to looking up telephone numbers, reading directions on prescriptions, and responding to traffic signs and signals.

After receiving group specific training for two hours a week for five weeks, testing showed 26% improvement in the memory group, 74% improvement in the reasoning group, and 87% improvement in the speed of processing group as compared to the no-training control group. Moreover, particularly with additional "booster" sessions, the training effects continued to be maintained as demonstrated by testing done two years after the initial study-counteracting, as Dr. Karlene Ball of the University of Alabama at Birmingham said, "The degree of cognitive decline that we would expect to see over a 7- to 14-year period among older people without dementia." However, the training showed no significant effect on the daily living tasks already performed by these independent seniors.

One might conclude that training which focuses on specific types of cognition-e.g. memory, reasoning, concentration-can improve efficiency even as we age, but does not make us significantly more effective. A reason for these mixed results may be that the specific types of training selected emphasized tasks primarily performed by the frontal lobes of the brain. The frontal lobes make up 40% of the adult brain. It was the last part of the human brain to evolve and is the last part to mature. It is where we plan, organize, correct, control, and generate options. It is also the first part of the brain to shut down and deteriorate with physical and/or emotional stress caused by the demands of modern life.

The 74% improvement in reasoning based on pattern detection and the 87% improvement in the speed of processing that emphasized visual search and identification in the NIA study would not have surprised Ian Robertson, a professor of psychology at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and the director of the Institute of Neuroscience. He has written extensively about the brain's potential for reorganizing itself through attention. In Opening the Mind's Eye: How Images and Language Teach Us How to See, he said "Precisely because imagery tends to be underused, it tends to be less habitual, less automatic-and hence, potentially at least, more flexible." The underused part of the brain being referred to is the parietal lobes where sensory input is integrated, analogies are constructed, eye-hand coordination guided, and attention oriented. Although attention is under the control of the frontal lobes, and is key to learning and remembering, the parietal lobes play a central role in directing attention, controlling gaze, and integrating the components of what is seen. In conjunction with the temporal lobes, they enable the recall of strings of numbers and visual and other non-verbal memories.

Parietal lobes are extremely active in preschoolers, who think more visually than verbally. Formal education, with its focus on reading and writing, shifts the emphasis to language development. Unfortunately, this also tends to slow down the learning process and creative thinking. Studies show that combining words and pictures in our heads improves recall and understanding. Moreover, visual memories actually survive longer with age than language-based memories. This may be due in part because brain activity drops in the frontal lobes when attention is divided, as occurs when people multitask.

Of course, some people retain strong visual skills throughout their school years. Many of them become artists, architects, or engineers. The people who shift strongly to verbalization are more likely to have careers in law, administration, or journalism. The good news is that visualization can be improved with practice at any age. A frequently quoted study on London cab drivers ( Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, April 11, 2000 issue) provides evidence that the intentional application of visual and spatial memory over an extended period of time may physically enlarge the hippocampus, a part of the cerebral cortex.

Cabbies are required to spend a minimum of two years learning the meandering geography of London and its landmarks. They then must pass a stringent test to prove they can transport passengers anywhere in the city, via the shortest route, without the use of street maps. Brain scans revealed that the more experienced cab drivers have significantly larger posterior hippocampuses than their less experienced colleagues. Although some have argued that people with unusually large hippocampuses may naturally drift toward cab driving, there is no evidence among cabbies in other cities with less demanding standards to support the claim. The London study was the first to demonstrate that the adult human brain could be substantially changed through experience.

Besides visual and spatial recall, the hippocampus plays an important role in regulating the body's response to life-threatening emergencies. Chronic stress can lead to the loss of hippocampal neurons and the atrophying of dendrites that connect to other brain cells. Some of the post-traumatic stress disorders of war veterans, such as poor memory, are linked to shrunken hippocampuses. But it has also been discovered that new brain cells can be produced in the hippocampus even in adults. The significance of this can be seen in how people in their 20s memorize when compared to people in their 70s. Brain scans revealed that, when asked to memorize lists of words, both age groups utilized the left frontal lobe, but younger people also employed the hippocampus, associated with word-less memories. The young people, who were more used to taking tests, did something else as well that helped them remember better-according to Ian Robertson, they would "sort, shift, and categorize." It is a process that cognitive psychologist Fergus Craik of the University of Toronto calls "depth of encoding." When we actively process and organize information, we engage the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes-thus strengthening the connections among them and enhancing recall.

NASA wasn't specifically interested in enhancing memory when it selected the Designs for Strong Minds™ (DSM) training program in 1999. Rather, the Agency wanted to enhance employee effectiveness under increasingly stressful conditions. It chose DSM because it is the only critical thinking course specifically designed to augment the brain functions of adults. It extensively utilizes graphic puzzles to teach and rehearse various ways of organizing information. DSM puzzles apply the same methods artists have employed for centuries to trick viewers into making assumptions about what they see and understand. But the puzzles are not merely optical illusions. To solve them the participant has to visualize the conditions that make some answers logical and others illogical. NASA received overwhelmingly positive verbal comments from participants in the program. An unprecedented 90% said they would recommend DSM to others, 83% wanted to see the program automated for computer access, and almost all wanted additional training.

When asked about the effects of DSM, numerous participants reported that they learned the following:

• To consider perspectives and points of view other than their own

• To become more open-minded

• To think about alternative understandings

• To become more analytical

• To become more objective

A subsequent focus group comprised of DSM alumni repeatedly emphasized how the training improved their intra-group communication and cooperation skills. NASA's Evaluation Design Consultant concluded that the benefits "stem from the emphasis on how varying perspectives contribute to problem solving."

Research by cognitive neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) in Paris and cognitive psychologist Elizabeth Spelke of Massachusetts Institute of Technology regarding how human brains perform mathematics may suggest that there is more to the DSM program than merely contributing to an intellectual understanding of varying perspectives. Brain scans indicate that people use different parts of their brains when doing different types of math. Our left frontal lobe "lights up" when we make exact calculations, but our left and right parietal lobes are triggered when we make estimates and count on our fingers. Moreover, people who have difficulty with numbers, a condition known as "dyscalculia," are also apt to have problems conceptualizing time and direction. They tend to be chronically late, easily disoriented in new environments, usually make decisions based on intuition rather than logic, have difficulty planning activities and keeping track of money. It is not a question of intelligence or memory. People with dyscalculia can be highly articulate and excellent writers and readers. The issue is the functional integration of the brain.

People who have difficulty visualizing haven't learned how to see. Research by Stephen Kosslyn of Harvard demonstrates that the same parts of the brain that are engaged when we intentionally look at something "light up" when we just imagine seeing it. In other words, when we attentively look at something and try to determine its significance, we may also be improving our visual memories.

Memory enhancement is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the capacity of the adult brain to learn. With practice the average person can memorize extensive lists of words and numbers that have little practical value beyond impressing one's friends at parties. To be truly effective, memory has to be linked to meaning and purpose. Mental training that employs visualization is crucial in developing the agility to use the information we remember in productive ways. Because the modern world demands more of us, we should not settle for less than the optimal use of our brains.




You can find more brain tools, training and resources at the popular brain training website - Designs For Strong Minds. Also, be sure to check out our large selection of sample brain games at http://designsforstrongminds.com/play-sample-games.html.





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