The Neurodevelopmental Challenge

The neurodevelopmental process (the process of our brain and nervous systems maturation) should be viewed as a continuum that progresses over time and needs to be considered from two perspectives: 1) "unfolding of potential"; and 2) maintaining or sustaining.

Both processes need to be viewed from both a linear and circular point of view.

When we look at "unfolding of potential" from a linear point of view, who we become in life is in part a function of our genetic predisposition that is "unlocked" as it interacts with current environmental demands. In this dynamic interactive unfolding process, each of us stops at a point along the continuum based upon "learned" personal criteria, which says we are doing what is expected of us and it's enough. Where we choose to rest along this continuum defines our natural state of ability to adapt to life's situations.

The Neurodevelopmental Spectrum

   

"Unlocking of potential" is actually a function of our "minds" perceived need to exercise the brains natural functional systems required to allow us to express our cognitive abilities in order to exercise volitional influence over our lives. These functional systems are measurable and function within predefined limits.

Herein lies the difficulty... Inner Perception!

To understand this we need to look at the problem from a circular point of view. Here we need to consider our natural ability to be stimulated by life (aroused), attend, remember, interpret feelings, and our ability to coordinate and apply our reasoning ability.

This process is dynamic and interactive. It results in our inner perception of reality. If our inner perceptions lie within limits of what is perceived as normal, we generally exhibit normal behaviors. If, however, for some unknown reason, certain functional cognitive systems are slow to mature or partially inhibited. we find ourselves exhibiting various symptoms that give us many different societal "labels."

The reason for this lies in the interaction between our functional brain systems that report to us our perception of reality.

If we view the acquisition of our natural human ability as an evolutionary process of unlocking "genetic predisposed" possibilities stimulated or unlocked by environmental demands, balanced between the primary functional cognitive brain systems, we begin to understand that in part we have some possible influence over where we end up on the developmental spectrum. The real neurodevelopmental challenge then becomes

"Where am I on this spectrum and where do I want to end up?"

That's the objective of Crossroads Neurodevelopmental Abilities Assessment. This assessment not only identifies basic life skill deficits, but also their neurological causes and points the way to "environmental" activities which will aid in unlocking the desired neurologically based functional brain systems required to achieve the success we demand of ourselves.

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How The Brain Matures

At Crossroads Institute we use a Neuropsychological Developmental Model developed by Alexander Luria. Luria identified that the brain was not made up of isolated individual parts dedicated to a single function, such as speaking or doing math. He discovered that the brain actually was comprised as a set of neurological systems or loops, each contributing to the brain's ability to process information and draw conclusions. In other words, the ability to do math required many parts of the brain instead of only one part.

It was discovered that each part of the brain underwent what appeared to be an expansion and contraction process, based upon the biological and developmental age of the person. This natural developmental cycle occurs approximately every four years until the day we die.

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A Dynamically Intra-active Functional Systems Model

The brain is considered to develop along three vertical planes and contains five functional units.
The three planes consist of the brain stem, mid brain and cortex.

The five functional systems are: arousal unit, primary motor and sensory areas, secondary sensory and motor areas, tertiary sensory input area and tertiary output/planning unit. The brain matures and develops each functional system within key developmental age brackets.

Functional System Brain Maturation Model

Functional System	Brain Area	Age Development
Arousal Unit	Reticular System	Birth to 12 months
Primary Motor & Sensory area	Visual, Auditory, Somatosensory & Motor	Birth to 12 month
Secondary sensory and motor area	Secondary sensory & motor regions	Birth to 5 years
Tertiary Sensory Input area	Parietal Lobes	5 to 8 years
Tertiary Output Planning unit	Prefrontal Lobes	12 to 24 years

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Areas of the brain communicate with other areas of the brain and with the peripheral nervous system through neural pathways. It takes this information and makes adjustments in response to the various neural-communications. These neurological feedback loops mature as the brain and supporting sensory and motor pathways complete their stages of growth.

Delayed maturation in a pathway equals delayed maturation in other parts of the brain. This in turn translates into learning or perceptual difficulties, as well as emotional, social or behavioral issues.

As we mature, our nervous systems naturally develops based on our life experience and environmental demands. We adapt and maintain balance to these demands through three key process; modulation, habituation and sensitization.

Modulation is the ability of the central nervous system (CNS) to monitor and regulate information in order to generate and appropriate situational responses (Dunn,1997b). It could be viewed that the brain operates under a natural inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms. Excitation occurs when the neurons are more likely to respond or are activated. Inhabitation occurs when the likelihood of responding is decreased or responses are blocked.

Modulation is the brain's regulation of neuronal messages by facilitation or inhibiting responses. When modulation is intact the nervous system responds to some stimuli while ignoring other stimuli so that an appropriate adaptive response to the situation can be generated. Modulation regulates habituation and sensitization responses.

Habituation results in a decrease of transmission among the cells when transmissions or stimulus are recognized as familiar. Without habituation we would be distracted continually by each set of stimuli because our sensory system would keep interrupting us to notice each new thing that comes along. We need habituation to focus our attention on the task at hand. Without it, we appear distractible, agitated, or inattentive.

Sensitization occurs when the central nervous system perceives sensations as unfamiliar of potential harmful, causing a heighten response or an inhibition of responses. Both of these actions are considered learned responses within the CNS. Balance of these processes set thresholds for our nervous system, which then determines our ability to respond to stimuli from our surroundings.

Neurological threshold refers to the amount of stimuli for a neuron or neuron system to respond. It measures along a continuum in which there is an optimal range for thresholds to support adaptive behavior positively.

At the high end of the continuum is the hypo condition. This means it takes a lot of stimuli to meet the threshold and fire the neurons.

At the other end of the continuum the threshold is is very low or hyper. This means it takes very little stimuli to meet the threshold and fire the neurons.

Thresholds are assumed to be established by genetic predisposition and personal life experience. (Clarke & Clarke 1976; Kandel, 1993). Likewise, there are thresholds that are outside acceptable ranges for functional performance. Individuals who experience thresholds that are too high tend to be under-responsive. It takes a lot of stimuli to reach the threshold. Individuals whose thresholds are too low tend to be overly responsive. It takes very little stimuli to cause a reaction.

 

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So what does this mean?

• The brain matures in a cyclic fashion.
• As the brain matures specific functional systems develop at specific times.
• The different parts of the brain understand life based upon its developmental ability.
• We set thresholds which our nervous system naturally "modulates" based upon our "perceptual" understanding of the stimuli.
• Our understanding about life is "colored" or biased by the developmental stages we have completed as well as those stages we have not completed.
  

 

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Why the Program Works

Today, research is confirming the importance of the determining interaction between neurological thresholds and behavioral responses (Dunn, 1997). Behavioral responses refer to the way people tend to act in response to these thresholds. People respond in accordance with their thresholds (responsive/overly responsive/ under responsive) which translates into daily actions and behaviors. Individuals with poor sensory processing seem to display exceedingly low thresholds (hypersensitivity) or high thresholds (hyposensitivity). When the thresholds are too low, people react too quickly and frequently to stimuli, and appear to be overly excitable or hyperactive (Dunn, 1997). When thresholds are too high, people react less readily to stimuli, they tend to take a longer time to respond, and appear lethargic (Dunn, 1997).

True learning only occurs when a persons inner perceptions are clear and accurate. This requires that they receives accurate sensory information, processes it, and uses it to organize thoughts that translate into behaviors. When children receive inaccurate or unreliable sensory input, their ability to process the information and create response is disrupted (Dunn, 1991). Poor sensory processing can take may forms (Ayres, 1980) and generally is inferred from behavioral observations and can be measured through specific task performance. It can take the form of over responsivity (becoming agitated when someone brushes against them – tactile defensiveness) or lack of responsivity (must be tapped on the shoulder several times to gain attention).

When we take into account individuals inner perceptions, we must consider their natural ability to receive, process and express information in order to determine the accuracy of their perceptions. These are measurable and correctable based upon the brain plasticity concept.

This concept is at the heart of the neurodevelopment retraining program and is considered the foundation for the neurodevelopment exercises.

 

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