Cobbers on the Brain – Page 36 – Student Commentary on the Neurological Sciences

The development of autism

Posted on November 8, 2021 by / 0 Comment

Introduction to autism:

The number of children diagnosed with autism in the United States continues to rise. Many studies are being done to understand what is causing autism. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts various parts of the brain: hippocampus, cerebellum, amygdala, and cerebral cortex. Distinguishing characteristics can include atypical neuronal synapse development, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress to cause many symptoms associated with autism. The atypical development of the aforementioned brain regions and distinguishing characteristics can give rise to trouble communicating, difficulty with memory and cognition, reoccurring behaviors, over-excitation, difficulty to maintain concentration, and sensory/motor deficits.

Pathway of interest:

One pathway of interest to better study autism is the PI3K-AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. In the typical PI3K-AKT/mTOR pathway, as depicted in Figure 1, a ligand will bind to a RTK (receptor tyrosine kinase) to activate PI3K, which is a kinase to activate other molecules downstream. PI3K functions to aid in axonal guidance, making PI3K pivotal in making connections within the brain. PI3K will then aid in the activation of AKT, another kinase. AKT functions in growth and development. AKT then activates mTOR. mTOR is responsible for autophagy, clearance of damaged organelles in the cell, and protein synthesis to allow cells to grow.

Figure 1: The PI3K-AKT/mTOR pathway by Yang J, Nie J, Ma X, Wei Y, Peng Y, and Wei X.

Gene mutations and autism:

The abnormal development of the brain that contributes to autism can occur from multiple malfunctions in the PI3K-AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. One potential contributor to dysregulation in the PI3K-AKT/mTOR pathway is a mutation in the gene that encodes PTEN, an inhibitor of PI3K, functioning to aid in cognition and concentration. When there is a mutation, PTEN fails to inhibit PI3K, so the neuronal pathway is overactivated. Another gene mutation can be traced to TSC1/TSC2, which typically works to inhibit mTOR, and is responsible for communication and motor control. Another gene of interest is DDIT4, which is another inhibitor of mTOR. A failure to inhibit downstream mTOR reduces a neuron’s ability to do autophagy, further reducing essential processes needed for neuronal survival.

What causes autism?

Some studies have found that maternal lifestyle and health status during pregnancy significantly impacts the likelihood of having a child with autism.

Diabetes:

Mothers with Type I, Type II, and gestational diabetes diagnosed before 26 weeks increased the likelihood of having a child with autism. Women with diabetes also have hyperglycemia, which can cause oxidative stress in the placental tissue and transfer to the cord blood. The oxidative stress can increase the likelihood of chronic inflammation and epigenetics (changes in gene expression) to the fetus. Also, diabetes in pregnant women generally cause increased inflammation in the uterus to increase fetal brain inflammation. Inflammatory cytokines can bind to TLRs (toll-like receptors), which aid in stimulated the already over-activated PI3K-AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, women with gestational diabetes have atypical placentas that are larger due to autophagy being inhibited, this is also seen in the fetus as the mass of brains later in life are greater.

Nutrition:

Maternal nutrition is essential to support a developing fetus, which is why vitamin and mineral intake is being investigated as a possible factor in the development of autism. Some studies have closely examined vitamin D. Vitamin D upregulates PTEN expression and DDIT4 expression to reduce the overall stimulation of the PI3K-AKT/mTOR pathway that could be responsible for autism. Researchers found that mutations in PTEN can be traced back to maternal vitamin D intake to show that mothers correlate higher vitamin D intakes with lower rates of offspring diagnosed with autism. Other studies found that autistic children benefited from the intake of vitamin D to reduce some symptoms, but the benefits to the child are limited based on what is going wrong in the PI3K-AKT/mTOR pathway. Low intakes of zinc and folate through pregnancy have also been seen to increase the likelihood of having a child with autism.

So what?

Autism rates in the United States are increasing, but many researchers have not found a specific way to prevent or treat autism. Autism further increases the likelihood of developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. More research is needed to understand what causes atypical neurodevelopment and how symptoms can be treated to improve the current and future quality of life for many people.

Sources

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A psych student tries to explain PTEN and TSC1/2 mutations

Posted on November 8, 2021 by / 0 Comment

Autism symptoms

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives while others need less or no help at all. People with ASD might repeat certain behaviors and might not want change in their daily activities. Many people with ASD also have different ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to things. (CDC et al., 2021). This all comes from the spectrum aspect of ASD; there is such a wide variety of different types of autism. ASD is caused by genetic and environmental influences, but I will be focusing more on the genetic mutations causing ASD, specifically, in the PI3K-AKT/mTOR pathway.

PTEN’s role in the mTOR pathway

PTEN is a lipid and protein phosphatase that regulates cell growth and survival. In PTENS role as a lipid phosphatase, PTEN catalyzes the removal of the 3-phosphate from PIP3, generating PIP2 and directly antagonizing the activity of the class I PI3K. This process leads to multiple cell functions including, growth, survival, gene transcription, protein translation, cytoskeletal organization, and membrane trafficking (Skelton et al., 2019).

PTEN gene mutation

Neuronal PTEN signaling at the soma and synapse.

The PTEN protein is part of a signaling network that contains multiple ASD-associated gene products and represents a potentially common etiological mechanism for ASD and related neurodevelopmental disorders. PTEN acts as a lipid phosphatase which inhibits AKT activation by immediately inhibiting PI3K activity (Skelton et al., 2019). Mutation in PTEN causes mTORC1 hyperactivation (Sharma et al., 2021). This upregulation is associated with axonal dysregulation, megalocephaly, alteration of neuron size, protein synthesis, cerebral cell proliferation, and neuronal circuit connectivity between different brain regions.

TSC1/2 gene mutation

TSC is an autosomal dominant hamartomatosis with multisystem involvement in the body. TSC proteins play an important role in transmitting signals from a wide range of cell pathways that inhibit the mTORC1. mTORC1 was identified as long-term neurotransmission that regulates memory and incorporates signals from multiple neural surface receptor sites. This leads to increased mTORC1 activity due to loss of TSC1 and TSC2. This increased activity appears to be what leads to autism (Sharma et al., 2021). TSC is caused by a mutation in the TSC1 or TSC2 gene (Guo et al., 2012). TSC is a high-risk co-morbid disorder of autism spectrum disorder where the mutation of TSC1 or TSC2 dimerizes the signaling of mTOR with a negative effect (Sharma et al., 2021).

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, March 25). What is autism spectrum disorder? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html.

Guo, X., Tu, W.-J., & Shi, X.-D. (2012, September). Tuberous sclerosis complex in autism. Iranian journal of pediatrics. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3564100/.

Sharma, A., & Mehan, S. (2021). Targeting PI3K-AKT/mtor signaling in the prevention of autism. Neurochemistry International, 147, 105067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105067

Skelton, P. D., Stan, R. V., & Luikart, B. W. (2019). The role of PTEN in Neurodevelopment. Molecular Neuropsychiatry, 5(1), 60–71. https://doi.org/10.1159/000504782

Community/Health

ASD causes sensory processing dysfunction

Posted on November 7, 2021 by / 0 Comment

The Basics

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that causes slight to significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. Individuals with ASD are just like you and I but they have troubles interacting and communicating with others, behaving in accordance with social norms, and learning information and skills. There is no medical test to diagnose ASD, instead the doctor must look at the individual’s behavior and development. ASD can be detected 18 months or younger and by age 2 an autism diagnosis is very reliable for a child.

Treatment

There is no cure for ASD, but early intervention treatment services can improve a child’s development and aid them in leading a successful life. These services include, physical therapy, speech therapy, education to help the child learn life skills, and more. Some ASD individuals may be prescribed a medication to treat symptoms common to the diagnosis such as aggression, hyperactivity, anxiety, attention problems, and attention problems.

Causes

The causes of ASD are not well cataloged, however, researchers believe there are likely many causes for ASD. An example of a possible biological factor is the mother taking the prescription drugs valproic acid or thalidomide. Genetic factors include having a sibling with ASD, chromosomal conditions, or genetic defects in certain genes, and children born to older parents are at a greater risk for having ASD.

Those Affected

**Figure 2**: https://www.autismspeaks.org/press-release/cdc-estimate-autism-prevalence-increases-nearly-10-percent-1-54-children-us

ASD occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Males are four times more likely to have autism compared to females. In 2020, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 54 children in the U.S. were diagnosed with ASD as seen in figure 2. Most children are diagnosed after the age of four. 31% of children with ASD have an intellectual disability, characterized has an IQ of less than 70. There is not one type of autism, but many.

Sensory Processing in ASD

Many children with ASD have trouble sensory processing.

Studies

Previous research has showed that 45-95% of ASD individuals have atypical sensory processing including aversions to taste, smell, colors, sound, and/or texture. Parents and clinicians of ASD children frequently report the child being overly selective in their eating patterns. A study conducted at the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, expanded on the food sensitivity of ASD children. Their data found that 66% of ASD diagnosed children were atypical based on their oral sensory oversensitivity scores. They concluded that children with ASD are more likely than typically developing children to score in the atypical range for both oral sensory sensitivity and oral sensory oversensitivity.

Another study with researchers Crane, Goddard, and Pring, used the Adult/Adolescent Sensory profile to assess sensory processing in a sample of ASD individuals. The results showed 94.4% of the ASD sample reported extreme levels of sensory processing on at least one sensory quadrant of the assessment.

Why?

There is no definite reason to why persons diagnosed with ASD have sensory processing dysfunctions, but it increasingly clear that it is a key symptom of the disorder. However, research is actively searching the answer.

GABA

GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human brain and plays a key role in touch. Studies have found that children with ASD show reduced levels of GABA, specifically in the sensorimotor areas of the brain. Lower GABA levels were associate with less “filtering” of touch information during the study. Thus, decreased GABA levels could be connected to the impaired tactile processing of ASD children. Another study found that self-reported hypersensitivity correlated with reduced GABA levels in brain areas processing touch. This information gives evidence that the neurotransmitter GABA may play a role in the processing dysfunction of ASD.

Importance

While, we may not be certain on the cause of Autism Spectrum Disorder we can be certain that this disorder warrants a lot of empathy. In the featured image, you see a bear at a table with all the receptors of his senses: photo, mechano, thermo, noci, chemo, and auditory. However, you cannot even see the table because of the amount of things these receptors are recognizing. This is what the brain of an ASD individual may look like when their senses are overloaded and they do not have the capabilities to shut any off. If this were you, you would probably showcase some of the behaviors typical of ASD, like rocking, spinning, irritability, anxiety, fear, etc. A typically developing individual will have a table like Figure 3, with receptors being calm and orderly. Be grateful if your table looks like this and be empathetic to those with a little more caos.

References:

https://reflectionsofabear.com/2015/09/14/warning-warning-sensory-overload/

10.1002/aur.1691

https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361309103794

http://10.1007/s10803-017-3340-9

https://www.autismspeaks.org/press-release/cdc-estimate-autism-prevalence-increases-nearly-10-percent-1-54-children-us

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Neurobiological Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Posted on November 7, 2021 by / 0 Comment

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by neurobiological abnormalities, impaired social skills, repetitive behaviors, and difficulty empathizing with the feelings of others. There is no definitive neurobiological difference that is an indication of ASD, but many areas of the brain have been identified to contribute to the symptoms of ASD.

Cerebral Cortex

Those with ASD tend to have an overgrowth in the cerebral cortex. This increased volume has effects on the geometry of the brain. All structures in the brain can be affected by an enlarged cerebral cortex because they will have to move to accommodate for the increased volume. Those with ASD can have abnormalities in the folding patterns of the cortical area. Studies have found that the gyri of the frontal cortex in children and adolescents with ASD are significantly enlarged. The frontal cortex is responsible for managing attention, understanding the feelings of other people, speech and language production, and forming one’s personality. Abnormalities in the frontal cortex associated provide one explanation for the symptoms that are characteristics of ASD.

Cerebellum

The cerebellum of those with ASD has a reduced number of Purkinje cells. Post mortem studies of autistic brains also show an increase in glial cells, reductions of cerebellar nuclei and overall mass, as well as an active inflammatory process within the cerebellum. The decreased number of nuclei within the cerebellum leads to abnormal connectivity with other key areas of the brain. Cognitive deficits, difficulty planning, and impaired working memory are observed in subjects with developmental decreases in the volume of their cerebellum. This video provides interesting information regarding the loss of Purkinje cells and cognitive impairments that are characteristic of ASD.

The cerebellum is also important for fine motor movements, coordination, and balance. Infants with ASD develop basic motor skills later in life than a neurotypical child. Those with ASD often have repetitive hand movements, impaired gait, and slow manual dexterity. The loss of Purkinje cells is one cause of the motor deficits associated with ASD. The cerebellum sends signals to the prefrontal cortex and cortical motor regions; a loss of cells in the cerebellum leads to a loss of connectivity, signal transduction, and activation in key brain regions.

Hippocampus

Those with ASD tend to have a larger hippocampus than those who are neurotypical. A study found that young male children with ASD had a 9% larger hippocampal mass compared to the control subjects. Researchers hypothesized this is due to an increased density of interneurons. Although this hippocampus is typically enlarged in those with ASD, another study found that there is a loss of GABAergic neurons in this area. En2 is a gene linked with ASD and mice with this gene knocked out display typical behaviors associated with ASD. Researchers hypothesized that mice with a double En2 (En2-/-) knockout would have defective GABAergic innervation in the hippocampus.

Results from this study support the researchers’ hypothesis. Mice with the En2-/- phenotype had a reduced number of GABAergic mRNA markers in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Abnormalities of the GABAergic neurons within the hippocampus can lead to an unbalanced excitation/inhibition ratio. Loss of these neurons has been shown to lead to impaired maturation of the cerebral and visual cortex. Dysfunction in one area of the brain is rarely isolated to just that area: the brain is the communication center of the body and any deviation from a homeostatic environment can lead to impairments throughout the entirety of the brain.

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Inherited Genetics Regarding Autism

Posted on November 7, 2021 by / 0 Comment

What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental disability typically affecting communication and social interaction. Symptoms are usually apparent in the first three years of life. Autism is considered a “spectrum disorder.” This means its symptoms vary from person to person and ranges from mild to severe. There is no given set of characteristics that applies to all individuals with autism. It affects a person’s brain function in differing ways and at varying degrees. Thus, each individual affected with autism is unique in his or her own way. There is no single cause associated with autism; however, research indicates biological or neurological differences in the brain. It is five times more prevalent in males than in females but is not limited to any race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V Classification of Autism

According to the DSM 5, the term Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a single umbrella term that encompasses the following subtypes:
-Autism,
-Asperger’s Syndrome (ASP),
-Childhood Disintegrative Disorder(CDD)
-Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)

It also emphasizes that individuals with ASD must possess symptoms from early childhood even though they may not become apparent until later in life. These diagnostic labels are based on the commonalities and the distinctiveness of the symptoms in each type of ASD. The defining symptom of ASD is substantial deficit in the area of social relations and communication. Asperger’s Syndrome is mostly considered to be a mild form of ASD, and it’s considered to be at the high functioning end of the spectrum. PDD-NOS is commonly used for those individuals that do not fully meet the criteria for ASD or Asperger’s Syndrome. CDD differs from autism in its occurrence as it develops in children with normal development that later start regressing. The ease with which an autistic child learns to socialize depends greatly on his or her communication skills. Parents, teachers, siblings as well as peers play a very important role in fostering life skills required for developing social skills.

Learning with Autism

Teaching social skills one-on-one may not be very effective unless interactions are linked with normal peers. Thus, a natural learning environment plays a pivotal role in nurturing social development in children with autism. At school, they should be encouraged to interact with other students mostly during recess, lunch time, or during special activities such as sports, arts, or drama/music. At home, parents and siblings can work together to provide an autistic child with opportunities for positive social interactions.

What Causes Autism

Though there are many different factors that could contribute to autism such as environment, problems during development, and illnesses females may experience during gestation, genetics is going to be mostly focused on here.

Mothers who contain gene variants of ASD are more likely to pass this onto their children. Females are less likely to present signs of ASD and to be a carrier of it. They can carry the same genetic risk factors without the signs of it but if they were to have a male child then that individual is more likely to be diagnosed with ASD after birth. The gene that is most commonly known to cause autism or autism spectrum disorder is fragile X syndrome. All males carry an X and a Y chromosome, and receive the X from their mothers. Females carry two X chromosomes, receiving one from each parent. Hence girls can inherit fragile X from either parent, while boys inherit it only from their mothers. Females are protected from fragile X syndrome to a degree because they have two X chromosomes. Because one of their X chromosomes is most likely to be normal, the effect of the abnormal one is less pronounced, and they usually have milder problems than males, with only 30 percent having intellectual disability and the rest having emotional or learning problems.

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What to do about Autism?

Posted on November 6, 2021 by / 0 Comment

Why is Autism called Autism Spectrum Disorder? - The Carmen B. Pingree Autism Center of Learning

Figure 1: The generally accepted symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

What’s the deal with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

To begin the discussion about what ASD is, it is first important to discuss what the disorder all entails. Unlike many of the neurological disorders or conditions we have discussed this semester, ASD is outlined more by the symptoms and the characteristics of the disorder rather than by the specific brain region or pathway that has been misregulated. These symptoms include but aren’t limited to: problems with social communication and interaction, motor skills, perceptive thinking, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. It is important to note that some people without ASD may also display these symptoms, but for people with ASD, these symptoms can add new challenges to life. Because ASD is inherently a spectrum disorder, there is a wide range in the severity of symptoms and thus there is a wide range of individual challenges faced by those diagnosed with ASD.

Everything Worth Knowing About ... Autism Spectrum Disorder | Discover Magazine Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Figure 2: A side by side comparison of the classical ASD spectrum and the newly used ASD spectrum.

ASD Spectrum Misconceptions

The use of the word “spectrum” is inherently misleading when used to describe any kind of disorder. Classically “spectrum” is used to describe a range that includes everyone, from no present symptoms to all possible symptoms. However, in the case of ASD, the spectrum only applies to those that have been diagnosed with ASD, where then the spectrum is used to characterize the severity of an individual’s symptoms. In Figure 2 above, there is a comparison to show the different kind of spectrums used to classify ASD. The left diagram is the classic linear spectrum that many people think of when they hear “spectrum,” however, this spectrum is used to classify the severity of an individual’s symptoms and the associated level of care. Whereas, the diagram on the right is a diagram used to classify the severity of an individual’s specify autistic symptoms.

Treatments for Adults With High-Functioning Autism

Figure 3: A brief cartoon showing an overview of the available treatments for ASD.

What treatments are there for ASD?

Discussing the treatments for ASD, brings up an interesting question: Is there something wrong with those that have ASD? Speaking generally, this is more of an ethical question rather than a medical one, however, it is interesting to note that is a study of over half a million people, people working in a science or engineering job were more likely to display autistic traits than their nontechnical jobbed counterparts. So perhaps it is a good thing? There again, this is tricky to say because in more sever cases there is something wrong neurologically. As discussed in class, there are multiple ways in which disruptions in the PI3K-Akt/mTOR signaling pathway that can develop into autistic-like behaviors. These disruptions lead to: serotonergic degeneration, translation dysregulation, decreased neuronal autophagy, neuroinflammation, apoptosis, and increased oxidative stress. So there are some autistic behaviors that can be caused my misregulated pathways, which is more serious.

However, despite the potential severity of a misregulated pathway, there are no real medial treatments for ASD. The treatments largely rely on Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) treatments. These ABA treatments look at how behavior works, how it is effected by the environment, and how learning works. This approach then uses this information to help a patient realize what behavior is appropriate using the ABC’s of ABA. “A” standing for antecedent is a stimulus that occurs right before a target behavior, which then results in the “B” for behavior. The important part comes from the “C” meaning consequence. To help patients, positive reinforcement is used when the behavior displayed is appropriate for the antecedent, whereas there is no reaction for inappropriate behavior.

PDF] Drug therapy in autism: a present and future perspective. | Semantic Scholar

Figure 4: A diagram showing drug treatments for neurologic misregulations associated with the development of autistic behaviors.

What does this mean for the future of ASD?

To conclude, ASD is a disorder that is commonly diagnosed by its symptoms rather than by a specific neuronal irregularity. Because of this, there is no specific treatment for possible misregulations in the PI3K-Akt/mTOR pathway, but rather the treatments include things like ABA treatment that is targeted at correcting the symptoms in a patient with ASD. Despite this, there may be a future in drug treatments as shown by Figure 4 above. However, by dispelling some of the misconceptions about ASD, there opens new avenues for children diagnosed with ASD to be better integrated into schools and social settings, despite their impaired social interactions.

Disease/Health

(A)lleviate (S)ymptoms after (D)iagnosis

Posted on November 3, 2021 by / 0 Comment

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts every person differently. Currently there are no set treatments for ASD known to cure the disorder, however there are interventions that have been explored that may manage symptoms. These therapies aim to allow the individual to be more independent and able to partake in tasks with daily living skills, social interaction, and allowing the person to be involved and engaged in the community. Given many of these tasks are often learned from a very young age, most treatments (but not all), are implemented in children with ASD.

ASD treatments can be broken down into four different types: Behavioral/ Communication, Dietary, Medication, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Behavioral and Communication Approaches

The most common behavioral approach is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which is known for encouraging positive behaviors while discouraging negative ones in hopes to improve skills. There are many different categories of ABA, some of which include occupational therapy, which aims to help individuals becomes as independent as possible through guidance in learning tasks such as eating, bathing, dressing, and improving social interaction. “Floortime” is particularly used for children and it focuses on emotional and relational development through connections with caregivers. It works with a child’s coping with sights, sounds, and smells. Assistive technology helps by using technology devices like electronic tablets or communication boards to help those with ASD communicate and interact with others.

Dietary Approaches

Dietary approaches may be helpful in managing ASD symptoms. The approach may include checking for mineral or vitamin deficiencies, removing certain foods from a child’s diet, and supplementing for any deficiencies. This phenomenon is thought to be the outcome of food allergies or lack of vitamins and minerals that result in ASD symptoms. Likewise, diets may contribute to the improvement of ASD therapy via modulation of PTEN/AKT and GSK3B signaling. Diets that involve PI3K/ AKT pathways could result in neuroprotective effects. The nutrients in food can either activate or inhibit the PI3K/ AKT and GSKB pathway. Specifically, curcumin inhibits PI3K, as shown in Figure One, which is overactive and highly dysregulated in autism, which suggests it’s use as a modulator for therapy in ASD.

Figure One:

Medication

While there are no medications known to “cure” ASD, some medications may lessen symptoms or improve functioning. Some examples are medicines that manage energy levels, focus abnormalities, anxiety, depression, behavioral reactivity, and seizures.

Complementary and Alternative Approaches

Complementary and alternative medicine treatments (CAM) are often used in addition to or instead of traditional treatments and can often be quite helpful at managing symptoms. They include but are not limited to mind-body medicine, special diets, dietary supplements, chelation (removing heavy metals like lead from the body), or biologicals like secretin. Additionally, craniofacial and dental professionals may help to meet the oral healthcare needs of those with ASD.

Overall, while there may be no cure for ASD, yet, the treatments and therapies available all have a common goal to improve the daily life of those with ASD, by helping them to become more independent and capable of navigating the day to day events that occur.

Health

Anxiety- Survival Mechanism Gone Wrong

Posted on November 1, 2021 by / 0 Comment

Anxiety through history

The term anxiety has an ever changing image, and as time rolls on so does our opinion and understanding of the term. Originally anxiety was a survival mechanism, activated by times of stress. These were usually life or death situations in which the stress and anxiety were pivotal in development of knowledge and skills which would help survival. As humans advanced in technology and development so did our stressful situations. We began to see people affected very poorly by traumatic events such as war. While PTSD was acknowledged there was a stigma around the word anxiety. Before science had information about the disorder it was viewed as a weakness. Now there is proof of its physiologic effects on the body and more specifically, the brain. Today anxiety disorder impacts an estimated 40 million people in the United States alone. This is due to the double edged sword of more awareness and knowledge.

Stress V Anxiety

While anxiety is a common feeling in times of stress we are beginning to see a rapid increase in disorders related to anxiety. Anxiety disorder is a much more serious condition that is linked to a plethora of changes in neural physiology. Anxiety disorder symptoms consist of a constant feeling of stress, lacking concentration, irrational fear, and many other debilitating symptoms.

Anxiety disorder can be treated in many different ways depending on the severity of the disorder. In absence of medications a healthy lifestyle is very important. Eating healthy, getting exercise, and enough sleep can help prevent the development of long term anxiety and helps with symptom relief. Certain therapies and counseling are also very beneficial for many people who are experiencing anxiety. For more severe cases there are different pharmaceutical remedies available for prescription. Certain antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can be used. However, the most common anxiolytics are benzodiazepines which suppress the overactive chemical signaling in the brain.

Similar diseases to anxiety show a very similar pathology. PTSD for example shows a similar origin to memory modification during times of stress or anxiety. A dysfunction of the survival mechanism used to remember stressful times and solutions has led to a prolonged memory of stressful times. Glutamate release in times of stress leads to an activation of the MAPK pathway which eventually causes gene transcription. This makes a consolidation of event associated memories.

In summary anxiety is a normal bodily function which causes transcription events that increase memory in times of stress. This normally healthy process is being disrupted in anxiety disorder and other stress related diseases. There are natural ways to reduce the risk of these developing and treatment options available to help regulate the chemical signaling in the brain. What was once was a survival technique is now a serious health issue plaguing millions in the united states alone.

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Anxiety vs. Anxiety Disorders

Posted on October 21, 2021 by / 0 Comment

Anxiety is something we have all experienced on multiple occasions in our lifetime. The first time I remember feeling anxious was when I was three years old. I was onstage in a pink tutu, my hair was in a slicked-back bun, and I had leather ballet shoes on my feet. It was my first dance recital. I included an image to the left so you can picture three-year-old me.

3-year old Hannah. — An image of three-year-old Hannah in the costume I wore during my first dance recital. Photograph was taken by Reeves Photography in Grand Forks, ND (2004).

At that time, I was just starting my dance career, and I had never been on the stage before. I remember the lights were shining on me so brightly, and I knew my family (along with dozens of other people) were watching me. I was so nervous to perform in front of all of those people, and I decided that the best way to get out of that situation was to run offstage, tears falling down my face as I did so. My dance teacher at the time (bless his heart) talked to me and calmed me down from my panic before convincing me to go back onto the stage. I followed his advice, and I proceeded to take the stage that night and for fifteen years following that event. The anxiety I felt before going onstage never really went away, but it became a normal part of my life and became more manageable. This is a specific instance, but I have had many experiences with the feelings of anxiety—worry or unease about a specific event or condition.[1] In addition, I have been surrounded by anxiety disorders my entire life (even if I wasn’t aware of what it was at the time).

Anxiety disorders run in my family. I can think of multiple family members that have some sort of anxiety disorder, whether they admit it or not. Generalized anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies are all anxiety disorders I have witnessed in my family. Anxiety disorders, however, are different from anxiety. Yes, they tend to share similar physical symptoms, but there are nuances that separate anxiety from anxiety disorders. As I previously stated, anxiety is the feeling of fear or unease concerning a specific event or condition. Physical symptoms of anxiety include elevated heart rate, sweating, having difficulty breathing, and nausea. Though anxiety disorders have these physical symptoms, as well, it is the effect the anxiety has on one’s life that makes it different from anxiety. Anxiety, because it is triggered by an event, has an anticipated end. If you are anxious about an exam you have, the anxiety will likely go away after you finish that exam. Anxiety disorders, on the other hand, are unpredictable—both in duration and triggers. The feeling of uneasiness can last twenty minutes, or it can last for three hours. The triggers can also be unpredictable. A family member I have that has PTSD is triggered anytime she sees rapids in a river, but my anxiety (GAD) is not necessarily triggered by anything. Anxiety disorders are unpredictable, but they are primarily characterized by feelings of anxiety and panic that are out of control, not appropriate for the situation, and interfere with daily activities.[2] More differences are outlined in the picture below.

An image of a few of the differences between anxiety and anxiety disorders. Image received from Summit Youth Centre. 3

Many people in today’s society think the term “anxiety” is synonymous with anxiety disorders. The incorrect terminology has been perpetuated through media and has had a generalization effect on anxiety disorders. Many people are guilty of generalizing anxiety disorders (I’m on the proverbial soapbox, but I have also been guilty of doing this), but this generalization makes it hard for anyone with diagnosed with an anxiety disorder to be taken seriously and feel understood. A common response to being startled is “you gave me a panic attack.” This statement invalidates people with panic disorder because now a panic attack is nothing more than a simple fright. Some individuals clean and straighten things up because “my OCD is bothering me.” This statement is invalidating to people with obsessive-compulsive disorder because OCD is now associated only with cleanliness and order—it disregards the two main characteristics of this disorder: obsessive thoughts and overwhelming compulsions.

The main point of this post is not to shame anyone or call anyone out (though I realize now that it seems like it). I just think it is important to spread awareness about the differences between anxiety and anxiety disorders. There are significant differences between anxiety disorders and the feeling of anxiety, and I think not a lot of people are aware of these differences. I think it is important to shed light on the generalization of anxiety disorders and how these generalizations can be hurtful.

[1] https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety

[2] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961

[3] http://invermeresummityouthcentre.org/anxiety/

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Understanding anxiety

Posted on October 20, 2021 by / 0 Comment

Hippocampus is crucial for memory consolidation, from working memory to long-term memory. The subregions loop through dentate gyrus and CA3 and CA1 areas,.

Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands and is involved in glucose metabolism, blood pressure regulation, inflammatory responses among many others.

Cortisol is necessary when it comes to the fight-or-flight mechanisms, by causing faster breathing, heart rate in case of a stressful event. This is important in small quantity, due to anxiety behaviors caused by elevated cortisol levels in the body. It can potentially be caused by eating disorders, lack of exercise hence making it necessary to practice meditation, exercising, eating nutrient-rich foods.

Along with Cortisol, adrenal glands also secrete glucocorticoid in the hypothalamus, which similarly produces stress response and coping.

The exposure is largely caused by negative events affecting the brain. This could go even beyond into . There are three major ways that may lead to the occurrence of a trauma/ anxiety behavior. The event,the experience of the event, and the effctts of the event.