Understanding Neurodevelopment Disorders and Treatments

 

 

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It makes trillions of connections which is developed through the interplay among social and environmental factors. With that said, many people today suffer from some kind of neurodevelopment disorder.

 

What is a neurodevelopmental disorder?
A neurodevelopmental disorder is a condition that involves neurological damage and appears early in a child’s development. Most such disorders appear before a child starts elementary school. They typically impair a person’s ability to speak, learn, socialize and control themselves. They often last throughout a person’s life time. Examples of neurodevelopmental disorders include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and intellectual disabilities. There is no known cure for these conditions.

 

Are there any treatments?
Yes, there are treatments. The types vary depending on the kind of neurodevelopmental disorder involved and the deficits it causes.

 

1) Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) is used by speech-language pathologists, physical therapists and occupational therapists. NDT is used to treat conditions like stroke, head injury and cerebral palsy that impair movement or coordination.

The therapist encourages the patient to make certain movements and has them repeat the movements until they can perform them easily. The idea is to build up the repertoire of motions a patient can easily perform.

 

2) Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a widely used therapy for autism that attempts to discourage undesirable behaviors like rocking or head-banging. The main idea behind ABA is that people are more likely to repeat behaviors that rewarded rather than behaviors that are discouraged or ignored.

In ABA, the therapist works with the patient one-on-one for 20 to 40 hours a week. ABA is likely to be concerned with the patient’s social development, their academic abilities or communication skills.

 

3) Medications have helped many people with neurodevelopmental disorders. Stimulants, for example, help people with ADHD. Two types in particular, amphetamines and methylphenidates, have helped people with ADHD improve their self-control, attention span, social behavior, and fine motor control. Some of these drugs are quick-acting and last only four to six hours, while others take longer to have an effect, but can last for up to 12 hours.

 

4) Sensory integration activities help patients make sense of the world around them. Many people with neurodevelopmental disorders are either too sensitive to the world around them and thus become quickly overwhelmed even by such a task as climbing stairs, while others have difficulty noticing and responding to sensory signals. Various types of physical therapy can help patients either improve their awareness of the world around them or learn to screen out stimuli.

 

Informational Credit:

Information for this article was provided by Courtagen Life Sciences.

 

Categories: ADHD, autism, behavior, Brain, Brain Activity, health, health care, medical care, neurodevelopment

Porn Problems: Is Watching Porn Affecting Your Brain?

Watching pornography isn’t only a sexual health issue; it seeps into your idea of mental wellness. With porn being more readily available than ever before, you can worry about what life in the age of porn is doing to the mental wellbeing of those who watch it – especially if you’re one of those people. Does pornography distort your expectations of sex with real people? Let’s take a look at what the experts say watching porn does to your brain.

 

According to Paul Wright, PhD, an assistant professor at Indiana University who researches the social aspects of sex, a woman’s appearance can give more clues to her ability to reproduce than a man’s can. This may be why men have seemingly evolved to pursue lusty, busty women who are willing to engage in casual sex. However, research out of Emory University shows less of a gender divide in watching porn, albeit still showing a difference in the reasons for men and women liking it. Study author Heather Rupp, PhD, now a research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, details, ‘Men prefer novelty, while women are more interested in stable dynamics.’

 

Still, for men, pornography solves somewhat of a primal problem: how to access commitment-free sex with multiple partners. Evolution teaches us that, on some level, a man is more reproductively successful if he has inseminated as many women – ideally young and beautiful i.e. fertile women – as possible. For women, on the other hand, reproductive success is more measured by how much the men they choose are interested in and have the resources for parenting. Wright explains, ‘Men still have instinctual preferences today because those preferences served a reproductive purpose for their ancestors. Men’s modern environment has changed dramatically, but their evolved sexual preferences have not.’

 

When a man watches porn, his physical responses – such as a faster heart rate, increased blood flow and an erection — is preceded by a deeper neurological process. However, scientists who have attempted to capture through brain scans have come out with a wide range of results. William Struthers, PhD, a biopsychologist and the author of Wired for Intimacy, notes, ‘There are so many moving parts in this equation. How old is the man? Is he involved in a sexual relationship? Is he regularly masturbating? People think sex is always the same. It’s not. You look at food very differently when you’re hungry compared with when you’ve just finished a meal.’

 

Nonetheless, there are a few broad themes that consistently emerge from these types of studies. For example, there’s a cognitive component of visual processing, attention, and reward. Struthers clarifies, ‘Pornographic images seem to activate a man’s visual system in a manner that goes beyond just looking at trees or even people. It’s almost like a high-definition signal compared with a standard signal.’ Once this signal hits a man’s antenna, your mesolimbic (reward) system kicks in and gives you a rush of feel-good dopamine – reinforcing your behaviour much in the same way that drugs like cocaine would. Struthers comments, ‘Guys freak out when they think porn might be “rewiring” their brains. The reality is, our brains are regularly being “rewired”—we wouldn’t learn anything otherwise.’

 

The perhaps more troublesome outcome is what occurs after your surge of pleasure: the brain regions tied to motivation become activated, driving you to seek sexual release. Struthers points out, ‘Several brain regions, called the higher cortical component, have to decide, “What’s the best way to deal with this?” The problem is, these cortical systems can shut off—that is, they may receive less blood as the visual and arousal systems become more active. Essentially the decision-making system is turning itself over to the experience; it’s almost like the men are hypnotized. This is the classic male stereotype: When men think with what’s below, they don’t make good decisions.’

Categories: Brain, Brain Activity, brain regions, men, nbsp, Porn, struthers, watching porn, Women

Age-Fighting Foods: Look Younger and Feel Better on a Budget

You may be tempted to turn to supplements to look younger, but why bother popping pricey pills when you can get all the anti-ageing wellness you need at your local supermarket. With a  few healthy food additions to your diet, you can truly look younger for longer, and improve your health while doing it!

 

1. Nuts. With a special shout out going to pecans, almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts and pine nuts, all nuts are real super foods, packing tonnes of protein, omega 3 fatty acids and good fats which help to keep your heart healthy and your skin looking fabulous. Plus, nuts aid your wellness from head to toe, easing inflammation, improving brain activity and even giving you gorgeous, shiny hair.

 

2. Berries.

Berries contain everything you need to fight ageing; vitamin C, folate, potassium, magnesium and calcium, to name a few. Plus, blueberries, strawberries, acai berries, cranberries and raspberries can help to reduce your chance of cancer and treat any urinary infections. Winner!

 

3. Vegetables.

Ok, this category is maybe a little broad, but eating your greens and a few tomatoes can take years off you. Green vegetables and tomatoes are great sources of vitamin C, which has wonderful anti-ageing properties, but they also contain zeaxanthin and lutein, which can fight age-related eye problems such as cataracts and weakened vision. Plus, as tomatoes are rich in lycopene, this makes them powerful antioxidants, especially if you cook them. This can help to guard you against cancer, coronary diseases and blood sugar fluctuations.

 

4. Green tea.

You may have noticed green tea popping up on more café menus in recent years, and this is because it has monumental wellness benefits. Not only is green tea a powerful anti-ageing source, but it can protect your well-being against age-related weight gain, dementia, heart diseases and even cancer. But let’s get back to the anti-ageing bit: green tea contains catechins which tackle free radicals, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which has fierce anti-ageing properties. I reckon it’s time to stick the kettle on, don’t you?

 

5. Fish.

The reason why fish is such an incredible anti-ageing food is that it contains omega 3 fatty acids, which offer antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Fish oils do not build up cholesterol levels, but they do build up your eyesight and brain activity and, as an added bonus, fish gives you lustrous hair and glowing skin. You can get your omega 3s from fish such as tuna, salmon and sole.

Categories: ageing properties, anti ageing, berries, Brain Activity, fatty acids, Fish, green tea