We are constantly taking in information from the environment through our
senses. It is something we cannot help but do and we use this sensory
information to each construct our version of reality. But what is
reality?
None of us really have any idea what reality is actually
like: all we have is a limited sensory system, which interprets visual,
auditory and tactile information and relays it to our conscious
awareness. But people can only iterpret a small part of reality, being
unable to detect, for example, radiation or broad colors on the light
spectrum.
This is one reason why there is folly in totally accepting
the world your senses provide you with. But there is another reason, one
that you have more direct control over: the sensitisation of your
reticular system and what it means for how you experience life on a
daily basis.
The general rule of your reticular system is that
whatever dominates your thoughts - both conscious and unconscious - will
also dominate your attention, whether you like it or not. Ever had a
toothache and then noticed that there seem to be an awful lot of adverts
on TV about toothpaste and dentists? This is your reticular system at
work. When a mother has a baby, she becomes acutely aware, even in
sleep, of every noise her baby makes. - This is her reticular system at
work, - tuning attention to what is dominating her thought processes.
Now
let's consider what happens when the functioning of the reticular
system is not as it should be. Many children suffer from sensory
oversensitivity, whether it be visual, auditory or tactile; - or all
three! This might present itself as a general oversensitivity in the
affected modality, or a more specific oversensitivity, such as being
oversensitive to specific sights, sounds and / or sensations. This is
again the work of the reticular system, (inconjunction with the
thalamus) Because of a dysfunction within the brain, whether caused by
genetics or brain injury, the reticular system of the child becomes
sensitised to particular stimulus, whether visual or auditory, etc and
works in conjunction with the thalamus to excite the cortex so that the
stimulus is processed. However, because of the dysfunctional reticular
system, the cortex becomes over-excited and the child, not understanding
why the stimulus is triggering this reaction in his system, reacts
wildly. Here we have the basis for sensory oversensitivity in many types
of developmental disability, including cerebral palsy, autism and Asperger's syndrome. or any other type of brain injury.
Fortunately,
these neurological structures can be re-tuned, as they constantly are
in uninjured human being, as our awareness and attention are constantly
redirected to salient features of our environment. Snowdrop
has developed techniques to help children who suffer from this type of
difficulty to re-tune the dysfunctional reticular formation, thus
allowing the opportunity for normal developmental processes to resume.
If you would like more information about Snowdrop's treatment programmes for brain injury, visit http://www.snowdrop.cc
Saturday 21 July 2012
Wednesday 11 July 2012
Study Shows the Deaf Brain Processes Touch Differently
This study again highlights the brains' adaptability. It demonstrates not only the 'rewiring' phenomenon we see in our children as a result of their participation in the Snowdrop programme, but the fact that areas of the brain previously thought to be specialised for specific functions can adapt and take on other functions.
http://neurosciencenews.com/study-shows-the-deaf-brain-processes-touch-differently/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+neuroscience-rss-feeds-neuroscience-news+%28Neuroscience+News+Updates%29
http://neurosciencenews.com/study-shows-the-deaf-brain-processes-touch-differently/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+neuroscience-rss-feeds-neuroscience-news+%28Neuroscience+News+Updates%29
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