The neurones in the brain are constantly reorganising their connections both functionally and physically according to the environment, your thinking and behaviour. This ability is known as neuroplasticity. Through neuroplasticity the nerve cells of brain can compensate for injury to some parts of the brain and enable a person to recover from stroke, birth abnormalities. It is also beneficial in treating autism, ADD, learning disabilities and helps manage obsessive compulsive disorders.

Here are seven things you should know about neuroplasticity.

Change depends on the attentiveness of the brain: Neuroplasticity changes can only happen if the brain is alert and active. When the brain is active it releases neurochemicals that are necessary for the neurone connections to change. If a person is distracted to inattentive, these changes cannot happen.
The more the effort; the bigger the change: Neuroplasticity changes depend on how motivated the person is to change or learn new tasks. For this reason, when it comes to using neuroplasticity for physiotherapy, it is essential to first deal with any depression or anxiety issues the patient might be having before attempting to rehabilitate them.
It helps strengthen neural connections: Repetition of actions is one of the key elements of neuroplasticity in physiotherapy. Through this, the strength of neurone connections is strengthened to include sensory information, movement and cognitive patterns.
It improves cell to cell connections: This is crucial to a patient s rehabilitation as it increases reliability and makes a person more independent. In turn, this makes behaviour patterns more reliable.
It helps predict actions: A task can usually be broken down into a series of smaller tasks. For example, feeding oneself can be broken down into steps that begin with lifting a spoon and filling it with food to finally putting the spoon into your mouth. Hence, along with completing an action, the brain must also know what to do next. Neuroplasticity helps improve this associative flow and allows the brain to predict the next step.
Changes can be temporary or permanent: Initial changes due to neuroplasticity are temporary ad only if the brain determines the experience to be desired is this change made permanent. This is why when treating mobility issues, patients are not always able to repeat tasks in the same way.
Memory guides the learning: When making new neural connections through neuroplasticity, the brain is taught to discard unsuccessful attempts and only remember the experience of the successful attempts. From here, adjustments are made to improve the connection.

Neuroplasticity - 7 Things You Must Know About it!

Asperger's Syndrome or Asperger's Disorder is a neurotypical condition that affects the development of the child the effects of which continue into adulthood. This condition typically shows up as difficulties faced by the patient when it comes to social interactions as well as other nonverbal means of communication. It should not be confused with autism as the patient has no speech and cognitive development delay. 

Asperger's syndrome can show up as restricted and repetitive patterns in the behaviour of the patient. It lies at the higher end of the autism spectrum and the signs are usually less obvious. Here are a few ways with which you can effectively deal with someone who is suffering from this disorder.

1. Routine: The patient suffering from this condition will need a certain kind of stability as it is very difficult to predict what will happen in the near future or to even plan for it. The best way to tackle this scenario is with the help of a proper routine that can help the patient achieve some kind of control over the situation surrounding him or her so that he or she is better equipped and more capable of handling normal functioning and social situations as well.

2. Information: It is also a good idea to help these patients in looking at and in processing information. While normal people may easily be able to discard insignificant or unimportant information, the brain of the patient suffering from asperger's syndrome does not allow him or her to do so. In many cases, the patient is not able to filter the important and the unimportant information. This can debilitate many functions. So, it is important to be present to help the patient in making decisions and processing information that is actually relevant to his or her functioning.

3. Learning: One of the most crucial things to remember with the Asperger's patient is that they tend to understand and process things when they have a visual presentation rather than being told verbally. So showing them things practically in the proper manner is the right way to help them learn and process situations in a correct way. This will prevent them from doing things in the same old way even when their brains tell them that it will lead to wrong results.

4. Physical Abilities: Poor motor skills as well as lack of proper organisation skills are traits that usually characterise these patients. It is important to make them aware of this during games and activities that require management as well as use of social skills. For example, football and other such activities can be introduced in the routine. This will promote interaction with the team in order to play and enjoy the game.

How to Deal With a Patient Suffering From Asperger's Syndrome?

Autism in children is a condition that is characterized by limiting social intelligence, unequal skill development across sectors, and repetitive behavioural patterns. These children may show awkwardness when dealing or speaking with people, as they seem to fail to understand what other people feel. Hence, they are unable to deal out emotional responses in kind. They themselves are very troubled, sometimes, by stimuli that are considered normal by other people, including certain visions, touches, smells and sounds.

The skill set of an autistic child forms and develops unequally. While they are not very social, they sometimes gain intense intellectual abilities in the field of math, music, chess, art and related matters which require the brain to visualize and function.

There are further ways to diagnose underlying autism in a child, and diagnosis is extremely necessary for early treatment and cure. These warning signs are-

  An autistic child will shy away from both tactile and non-tactile contact. Some children may naturally be scared of being touched by a stranger, but autistic children will not even look or smile at you when you are feeding them. They cannot maintain eye contact, and neither will they show signs of affection like small smiles or cuddles, or loving glances.

  Lack of auditory communication - This is another area of communication where an autistic child will be found lacking. Even above and beyond not responding to visual and tactile stimuli, she/he will completely forego aural communication as well. They will not respond to familiar sounds around and go even to the extent of not recognizing or being able to respond to their own name.

  If you point at things in the distance, there is a lack of communication with your child as well. These children do not have the ability to maintain a connection long enough to follow your hand and record what it is gesturing at. Either the child does not feel enough of a connection to you to actually feel your stimulus worth pursuing, or she/he does not have the power or attention span to keep following with eyes the trail your fingers have created.

  The child does not use a lot of aural communication her/himself as well too. She/he does not call out often or call you by acronyms like mother and does not make small whimpering noises like most infants do, in search for some warmth and affection.

She/he does not seem to have a natural affinity for physical touch and love and does not seem to be able to show very much love her/himself through cuddles or disappointment expressed if you get sick.

Autism is a disease that has now spread to a whole range of behavioural peculiarities, termed collectively as the Autism Spectrum Disorder. If diagnosed sufficiently early, this condition can be helped to a great extent. Make sure to monitor your child for the above signs, and contact a doctor immediately if you see cause for concern.

The Ways You Can Identify An Autistic Child!

A brain tumor can occur at any age and it generally occurs in people in the age group of 40-60 years. The common types of brain tumor are termed as meningioma and gliomas. These supratentorial brain tumors generally occur above the covering of the cerebellum tissue. In children, brain tumors occur at the age of 1-12 years and the most common tumors are ependymomas, astrocytoma and meduloblastomas. Brain tumor is the common cause of death even in children.

Tips to Detecting a Brain Tumor

The general symptoms that are indications of a brain tumor include severe headaches, memory changes, nausea, drowsiness, sleep problems, fatigue and sudden involuntary movements of muscles of an individual. The symptoms can be either specific or generic and the general symptoms are mainly caused by the pressure of the tumor on the brain. The specific symptoms on the other hand are caused when specific parts of the brain does not function properly. Many people even experience loss of control of body functions.

The other problems that are experienced by individuals include changes in the ability to perform daily activities and loss of balance. They find difficulty in hearing, speech and at times are very aggressive. If these symptoms exist, then your doctor would recommend a physical examination and ask about your health history and that of your family.

Tests to Detect Brain Tumor
The tests that are advised by doctors to detect a brain tumor include MRI, neurologic exam, CT scan, biopsy, angiogram and spinal tap.

In the neurologic exam the vision, alertness, hearing, coordination, muscle strength and reflexes are checked by the doctor. The doctor also checks for any swelling in the eyes which can be caused by the pressing of the nerve which connects the brain and the eye.

The CT scan done for detecting brain tumor provides detailed pictures of your head and it is done through an X-ray machine which is connected to a computer. The contrast material is injected into the blood vessel of your hand and abnormal areas can be seen easily.

Biopsy
In this method tissues from the brain are removed and tested for tumor cells. The cells are observed by a pathologist under a microscope mainly to check for abnormal cells. The biopsy method is used to show tissue changes that can further lead to cancer. Brain tumor can be easily diagnosed with this method.

MRI:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI as it is commonly referred to is of great use as it helps to diagnose brain tumors. In this procedure, a dye is injected through a vein in the arm using which the variances in the tissues of the brain can be identified.

Consult your doctor today for more information on the same.

Tips For Detecting A Brain Tumor!

Sleep problems, which can be defined as a sleeping pattern where the parents are unsatisfied, are one of the leading concerns of parents. Children should get a minimum nine hours of sleep so that their health and brain development can occur. Sleep problems can affect not only their health, but also their social and school life. Any interruption or abnormality in a child's sleeping patterns should be examined by a doctor and parents should make necessary efforts for knowing the actual causes of sleep interruption of their kids.

What are the causes of sleep disorders in children?

    Injuries and accidents
    Behavioural troubles
    Overeating
    Slow-reaction times
    Performance problems
    Mood problems
    Learning, concentration and memory troubles

Commonest signs of sleep troubles in kids:

    Difficulty in falling asleep
    Occurrence of unusual events at the time of sleeping like nightmares or sleep-walking
    Snoring and breathing pauses
    Difficulty in staying awake in daylight
    Daytime performances can be adversely affected

Best methods for dealing with sleep disorders in children:

    Regular bed-timing should be sincerely maintained at night.
    Relaxing routine for bedtime needs to be followed,including story-book reading, getting warm bath and others.
    Noise in the house, especially at night, should be minimized so that unwanted disturbances can be eliminated.
    If the room temperature is pretty comfortable, then your kids can sleep peacefully.
    Giving caffeine in excess quantity, especially before sleeping, should be reduced otherwise the kids will not sleep well.
    Meals should not be provided just before bedtime; rather they should be taken a few hours before sleeping.
    If your kids are so very addicted to different electronic gadgets or devices like telephones, televisions, computers and others, then they might face sleeping troubles. Thus, it is your duty to keep your kids away from this kind of addiction.
    If your kids are too very tired, then do not keep them awake forcibly; rather you should make them sleep immediately so that they can get a relaxed sleep at night.

If you think that sleep disorder has become a serious issue with your kids as well, then nothing can be a better option than consulting any health physician. They can best analyse the underlying cause of this issue with your kids.

How to Deal With Abnormal Sleep Behaviour in Children?

The skin is an elastic organ (yes, it is an organ!), but only to a certain extent. It has a limit to which it can accommodate the underlying tissues. With the increase in bulk, for example, puberty, pregnancy, muscle mass building or surgical implants, the skin is made to stretch beyond its limits. What happens is this stretch causes the skin to stretch too, and these stretch marks or striae become an unpleasant thing that needs to be hidden. 

Dressing needs to be changed so that they are not showing. Dermatologists see a big demand for getting rid of these marks too. There have been conventional, time-tested methods which help in getting rid of these. However, with newer advancements in dermatology, the platelet rich plasma is being widely used for getting rid of these stretch marks.

Why stretch marks? 

In any of the scenarios above, the stretch marks appear because there is a lack of underlying supportive tissue when it is stretched out. There is a lack of collagen and connective tissue, causing stretch marks. These are most evident in fat collecting areas like breasts, abdomen, thighs, upper arms, etc.

What is platelet-rich plasma or PRP? 

The blood is composed of a liquid portion known as plasma, which contains three main types of cells i.e. white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. The white blood cells are the ones responsible for fighting infections. The red cells give blood its color and also are responsible for carrying nutrients to the various organs. The platelets are tiny fragments of cells which help in blood clotting. Platelets are also rich in what are called totipotent cells, which can grow into any type of cells. When the body is affected, due to injury, infection, trauma, etc., these get concentrated in the affected area and are produced in large numbers to help in the recovery of the particular affected area.

Technique: 

The area to be treated is isolated and prepared. Blood is centrifuged to remove other cells and obtain platelet rich plasma. This RPR is injected into the underlying layers of the skin. This induces the release of growth factors into the connective tissue space. Collagen is produced over a period of time, which causes the skin to become taut and lose the stretch marks. The injection can be repeated if required on the topmost layer. It can also be mixed with thrombin to form a gel, which is then used similarly. Using it both in the underlying and superficial layers helps in completely getting rid of the marks.

Studies have shown a reduction in both the depth and size of the stretch marks and some might require two to three repeat injections.


Stretch Marks - How PRP Therapy Can Help You?

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