Sigmund Freud and Neurodevelopment

Sigmund Freud’s perspective on personality development is seminal in many respects. Outlining the existence of the conscious, preconscious and subconscious was a revolutionary theory, but was much discredited in his day (Ryckman, 2013). Today, in neuro-science, we can see the working of the unconscious in the  brainstem. The brainstem can activate both movement (Donnelly, 2014) and panic reactions (hysteria) outside of conscious awareness  (Šilhán,  Jelínková, Walter, Pavlov Praško, Herzig,  Langová & Školoudík, 2015).

Freud’s partial understanding of the effects of early childhood trauma on development is also foundational (Ryckman, 2013).  Impulsive aggression which was a big part of Freud’s theory of the id, has now been related to childhood adversity and its effects on serotonin systems in the brainstem. Many personality characteristics are now seen as brain based reactions.

Freud started his work in the field of biology as a doctor and neurologist in the early 20th century (Ryckman, 2013). Only in recent times have we had the tools to find the real home of the id, as well as, the traumatic factors in early childhood that affect development.

Reference

Donnelly, L. (2014). Physiology: The brain: functional divisions. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine, 15(Neurosurgical anaesthesia), 195-200. doi:10.1016/j.mpaic.2014.01.013

Rylands, A. J., Hinz, R., Jones, M., Holmes, S. E., Feldmann, M., Brown, G., & ... Talbot, P. S. (2012). Archival Report: Pre- and Postsynaptic Serotonergic Differences in Males with Extreme Levels of Impulsive Aggression Without Callous Unemotional Traits: A Positron Emission Tomography Study Using 11C-DASB and 11C-MDL100907. Biological Psychiatry, 72(Development, Autism, and Aggression), 1004-1011. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.06.024

Ryckman, R. M. (2013). Theories of personality (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Šilhán, P., Jelínková, M., Walter, U., Pavlov Praško, J., Herzig, R., Langová, K., & Školoudík, D. (2015). Transcranial sonography of brainstem structures in panic disorder. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.09.010

RETURN OF THE NEURO-BLOGGER!!

Hi to everyone who reads this blog. 
I took more than a year off blogging to get on with my doctorate in neurodevelopment. But as I was slaving over another Discussion Question, I had a thought....Why not use these DQs for the blog? So the topics will be far flung, but I am famous for making most DQs about neurodevelopment. Enjoy and comment!

Autism and the HANDLE Approach

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Get a HANDLE on Neurodevelopment

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Primary Reflexes for Emotional Regulation

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Preparing Developmentally for School

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ROOTS of STRESS July 30, 2013

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Autism and the HANDLE Approach Webinar

Click below for the one hour webinar on Autism and the HANDLE Approach. 

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Reflexes for Attention Webinar

Click below for the link to the hour webinar on reflexes and attention.

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Webinar: Encouraging Development Over the Summer

Click the link below to view

 Encouraging Development Over the Summer: a webinar by Janet L. Oliver
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Beta Versions of Fusion Webinars

I Did It (Sort of): Presenting the Beta Versions of Fusion Webinars

Reflexes for Learning Handwriting  

This is the link to the Free webinar on Handwriting and Reflexes.  Click on the link below, when you hear the music stop the palying and move the slide bar to 3:00 (it may take some buffering) to get to the presentation. It should play for the next 160 days of so.

Handwriting and Reflexes

Why Do They Do That?

This is the link to the HANDLE Community Information Meeting. Clink on the link below and stop the player at the top left. Move the slide bar until it says 6:30 and then hit play, otherwise you will hear the sound checks and a telephone call and other really boring things. 

Why Do They Do That?

 Reflexes for Living and Learning: Vision

This one starts with a big laugh, but gets right into it. As we continue these will hopefully improve.

Reflex for Living and Learning: Vision

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The Parietal Lobe Language Wired to Brainstem Body Senses

Our spatial awareness of the spatial world affects every aspect of our development, including our language and social interactions. It may seem like an odd thought that our language and social relationships hinge on our perception of space. What at first may seem like a bizarre idea may become clearer if we look at the language we use when interacting with others. Our English language uses spatial words to discuss our relationship with others. For example:

                Young people need to find themselves.

                We have to face ourselves.

                We  get around what others say.

    We should try and stand in his or her shoes.

                We need to into another’s perspective.

                We may need a go between.

                We stand behind our friends.

The italicized words are at their root about space. Because our development in space is such a fundamental one, it is sometimes difficult to see how much we depend on it. It is only when we experience those with a lack of body sense development that we can understand. 

The direct developmental link of the reflexes to body sense awareness in the parietal lobe and its interaction with the Wernicke's area of speech processing is the quickest way to improve language processing issues. For more information sponsor or attend Fusion Training course: Reaching Out: Body Space, Language and Social Interaction.

Different Theories and Practices behind Primary Reflex Inhibition and Integration

Primary or primitive reflexes are involuntary movements activated by a sensory trigger typically seen in infants or others with atypical neurology. Typically these primary, infant reflexes have a protective and developmental effect for the very young child. As the sensory-motor cortex of the brain matures, typically the primary reflexes are inhibited. Later, as the voluntary motor system develops, reflexive motor patterns may be used for strength and stability, as well as emotional expression. As the result of trauma before, during or after birth, the primary reflexes may come out of integration or may have never become integrated. It is not generally known what role genetics plays in reflex retention.

There are three basic types of reflex integration: isometric, passive/active positions and activity based. The isometric based approach has been developed by Svetlana Masgutova and others. The practice includes activating the particular muscles used in a reflexive response and holding them voluntarily so the motor cortex can gain control and develop an inhibiting ability over them.

The passive/active positions are simple sustaining the position of the reflex posture and moving from the contraction to the extension position. These postures also allow the motor cortex to differentiate these patterns and integrate the patterns.

The activity based programs, included in the work of INPP and many other groups, use games and higher level activities that include some or all of the motor patterns of one or more reflexes.

All the types of reflex integration help the motor cortex to differentiate and inhibit primary reflex patterns. Other techniques may be included to augment the integration work. Massages, with specific sensory or motor goals, are often necessary to gain symmetry and relaxation for some muscle groups. Sensory work is also often needed to regulate and organize the body senses to complete the integration of the sensory-motor systems.