Pediatric stroke is a rare occurrence in which blood flow to a region of the brain is inhibited, either by a blood clot or a broken blood vessel. When one of these occurs, brain tissue begins to die and the brain may incur permanent damage. This can lead to neurologic disability risking permanent long-term cognitive and motor impairment. While the likelihood of a child suffering a pediatric stroke is rare, affecting one in every 4,000 newborns and an additional 2,000 older children annually, it remains the sixth leading cause of premature death in children. As with adults, a pediatric stroke is life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Treatments and long-term outcomes differ between cases, but many can benefit from occupational and other types of therapies.
Exercise and Wellness this summer- You can Hit the Deck with Plus One in July
Exercise has many health benefits that range from improving brain health to preventing cardiovascular disease, and even lower the risk for some cancers. Research has also found a strong link between exercise and the prevention of neurodegenerative symptoms.Because the brain and spinal cord control movement, exercise is strongly linked to central nervous system health.
Music Therapy and Neurology
Music therapy positively boosts cognition. Music helps improve writing, spatial reasoning, and is a powerful tool for emotional health.
Plus One Foundation provides programming in music therapy to help those affected with brain conditions. Look for our classes and programs to help with recovery.
Kaylee Allen, a music therapist, shared with Plus One Foundation her philosophy on music therapy: “It's important to know that musical skills or ‘talent’ are not required prerequisites to enrolling in music therapy services. Anyone can benefit from music therapy because music is an intrinsic, human language. From in utero, through every stage of our development, and even through end-of-life, we as humans understand the language of music. Our bodies naturally synchronize to rhythm (from tapping our toes all the way down to our heart beats), we understand when a melody sounds happy or sad independently of the lyrics, and we can use music to express our deepest emotions. Those emotions that are beyond words, beyond description. And, importantly, we can be heard, and understood.”
Research demonstrates that patients with neurological disorders respond to music therapy. The benefit of music is cognitive, psychosocial, behavioral, and motor.
When a brain is viewed during music therapy the cerebellum, the frontal regions, and the hippocampus each are positively activated. The cerebellum perceives music with a strong production of rhythm and evokes emotional reactions; the frontal lobe neurons field memory recollection to performing daily tasks; the hippocampus is part of the limbic system and music has been shown to trigger positive emotions and reactions in the limbic system.
Check out our programming to learn more about opportunities to engage with music therapy! Plus One Foundation has classes and programs being added to our offerings throughout the year.
Thomas Lehrich
President
Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder: What's the Difference?
April is Autism Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge the ways that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) impacts people around the globe in a myriad of ways. ASD encompasses a wide range of conditions often characterized by difficulties surrounding social interaction and communication. Individuals with autism may tend to exhibit repetitive behaviors, have atypical reactions to external stimuli, or have fixated personal interests. Some people with ASD may already have a preexisting condition or genetic predisposition, but many causes remain unknown. As such, it appears very differently among cases. For example, some people with ASD may be nonverbal while others may exhibit typical, advanced conversational skills. Some may need caretakers; others can work and live fully independently.
Often, ASD is confused with a similar yet separate condition known as sensory processing disorder (SPD). Up to 90% of children with ASD display symptoms of SPD, but not everyone with sensory processing disorder has autism. Sensory processing disorder is estimated to be present in roughly 16% of the general population, while ASD comprises only 1%. SPD is also more likely to be diagnosed in early childhood, with ASD being more difficult to identify, resulting in later diagnoses.
Sensory processing refers to the way our brains receive and react to sensory information as it enters the nervous system. Someone with SPD may be highly sensitive to the way things feel, look, or sound, as the condition causes irregularities in the sensory processing systems. This may impact motor function involving balance, walking, and coordination, and be reflected in behavior when one responds to stimuli in a socially or emotionally dysfunctional way. Such sensory issues can be grouped into two main types:
Hypersensitivity refers to overstimulation, occurring when an individual is easily stimulated by sensory stimuli. Someone experiencing hypersensitivity may exhibit low pain tolerance, coordination issues, or light and sound sensitivity.
Hyposensitivity occurs when an individual does not experience enough sensory stimulation. This may manifest as a high pain tolerance, inability to perceive force, and constant desire to touch or mouth items.
When diagnosing SPD, it is important to be able to recognize how its symptoms may vary among different people. Sensory irregularities can result in discomfort, avoidances, inappropriate responses, fear, shutdown, emotional dysregulation, refusals, cravings, poor coordination, and learning impairments. Many of these outcomes are also present in ASD, but lack ASD’s key markers of social interaction and communication difficulties. Rather, individuals with other neurodevelopmental or psychiatric conditions may be more likely to have SPD.
Treatment for SPD often includes occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy, and other strategies to help individuals better process sensory input. Therapists may implement sensory diets and activities that ease quality of life for the client. Activities that have been proven effective in treatment include swinging, brushing, deep pressure, or weighted vests. People with SPD may also benefit from environmental changes in the workplace or at home.
When treating ASD, individuals benefit more from behavioral therapy, speech therapy, and interventions focused more on social and communication skills. Sometimes, medication is recommended to manage symptoms stemming from anxiety or attention deficits, which often co-occur with ASD.
Learning how to make the distinction between ASD and SPD is integral for treating every case effectively and ensuring that each individual’s unique needs are met. This Autism Awareness Month, let’s help create better futures for everyone through education and understanding!
Better Equipping Caretakers and Family Members Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer's Disease
The goal of March’s educational piece is to better equip caretakers and family members caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. Readers can learn more about this month’s initiative on our Think aBout It webpage.
In 1906 a German physician, Dr. Alois Alzheimer, pioneered the connection of microscopic brain changes with patients experiencing serious memory loss and other neurological changes. In a brain autopsy, Dr Alzheimer observed brain lobe atrophy and abnormal deposits in nerve cells in patients with the cognitive disorder. In 1910 the disease was named after Dr. Alzheimer.
Alzheimer’s Disease remains one of the most recognized brain diseases. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 6.5 million Americans are affected with Alzheimer’s. One in nine persons over the age of 65 have this pathology.
Awareness of the disease was raised substantially in 1994 when Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan shared with Americans his diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. In an open letter to Americans about his decision to share his diagnosis, President Reagan wrote: "In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition. Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it.”
See our full educational piece on our webpage to learn about tools and tips for caregivers of those experiencing Alzheimer’s Disease.
Educational Team
Plus One Foundation