10/9/16. Experiences Build Brain Architecture. Genes and Experiences Work Together. Stress: Understanding its Impact, Symptoms and Recovery

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1 Profectum 6 th Annual NY Conference Stress: Understanding its Impact, Symptoms and Recovery Working From The Inside Out Integrating Medical and Developmental Interventions: A Case Study Presented by: Traci Swink, MD Child Development Center Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield WI Faculty Profectum Academy Date: 10/30/2016 Understanding the Relationship between Stress and the Brain is Foundational to all Developmental Models and Practices n Parent s capacity to buffer stress and provide quality experiences is critical for building brain architecture that can support life-long learning, health and well-being. n Health related stress can impair stress responses and stress recovery and alter brain function n Individual differences in sensory motor processing can alter the quality and nature of sensory, social and emotional experiences and result in fewer opportunities for positive interactions. n Helping parents learn how to buffer stress and strengthen caregiver-child interactions is fundamental to all intervention; across disciplines and for all ages and stages of development. 2 Experiences Build Brain Architecture n Brains are built over time and the foundations of brain architecture are constructed early in life. n Early experiences affect the nature and quality of the brain s architecture. n Establish either a sturdy or weak foundation for future learning, health and well-being. Genes and Experiences Work Together n Genes are packages of biological instructions that require an authorizing signature n Positive and negative experiences leave a chemical signature on the genes n Epigenetic adaptations n Genes and experiences work together 3 4 Early Sensory, Social and Emotional Experiences Lay the Foundation for Later Learning n Earliest circuits develop from sensory, social and emotional experiences and lay the foundation for all future learning. n The brain responds to positive interactions by making new and stronger connections experience dependent synaptogenesis n Overtime, the brain strengthens important connections and eliminates or prunes back unwanted or unused connections n Different experiences are needed at different stages of development 5 6 1

2 The Good News: Neuroplasticity n Neuroplasticity is the brain s capacity to re-wire and reorganize as a result of new experiences. n Neuroplasticity is greatest early in life. n Early experiences are not the only opportunity for the brain to change. 7 8 Building more advanced cognitive, social and emotional skills on a weak foundation is far more difficult and less effective than getting things right from the beginning The Science of Early Childhood Development From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts Understanding the Biology of Stress 9 10 Health and Brain Function are Interconnected n Chronic or recurrent illness can compromise brain function directly through prolonged or repeated activation of stress responses and/ or impair stress recovery. n Excessive stress (physiological or environmental) can increase susceptibility to illness and ability to recover and/or heal. n Illness can weaken brain function indirectly by interrupting opportunities for early sensory, social and emotional interactions. n Illness can distract a child away from the supportive buffer of a caregiver s interactions. Individual Differences in Sensory-Motor Processing Alter Sensory, Social and Emotional Experiences n Individual differences: Auditory hyper/hypo-responsivity Response to verbal stimuli Vestibular or visual-vestibular disturbance affecting posture and balance Difficulty processing facial expressions or emotional tone of voice Hypo/hypersensitivity to tactile stimulation Poor body awareness/proprioceptive disturbance Motor disorder Low tone Postural instability Separating movement of head, shoulders Poor bilateral coordination Motor planning (praxis) Planning and sequencing of ideas and actions Adapting responses/problem solving

3 Supportive Caregivers are Nature s Powerful Stress- Protection Shield n Positive experiences can: Block excessive activation of stress response system Help a child recover from stressful challenge or event n Responsive caregivers can: Buffer children from the potentially damaging effects of excessive stress The Perfect Storm n Meet a child born with individual differences in sensory motor processing that altered his early sensory, social and emotional experiences and compromised developmental processes, n Experienced the onset of chronic allergies in first year of life with significant impacts on his physical, physiological and regulatory health, n Health related stress compounded his difficulties in sensory motor processing and further compromised developmental processes. n Collaborative team of medical and developmental therapists worked with the family to reduce the burden of stress, promote health and well-being and optimize development Birth to 4 Months Brain Development n Early Story n Onset of medical concerns 4 12 months Stress Individual Differences Trends in Allergic Condition Among Children in the US n Prevalence of food allergies increased from 3.4% - 5.1% n Prevalence of skin allergies increased from 7.4% % n Younger children more likely to have skin allergies n 8 foods account for 90% of food allergies: milk, eggs, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat (National Health Interview Survey, 2013) Relationship between Atopy and Stress n Atopic conditions: Allergic rhinitis Asthma Eczema n Allergies are an over-reaction of our immune system to a particular allergen. Food, environmental, animal, insect, drug Results in inflammation Redness, swelling, itching, secretions Nasal, gut, lungs, skin etc. n In excess, inflammation can decrease our ability to respond appropriately to additional physical and emotional stressors. Disrupt our physiological and emotional regulatory system (sleep,mood, arousal) Worsen symptoms and frequency of exacerbations Increase susceptibility and decrease resistance to illness

4 Allergic Rhinitis n Chronic inflammation of the upper airway mimics the common cold n 30-40% of population may have experienced allergic rhinitis n Symptoms include: Nasal congestion Runny nose Sneezing and itching of nose and eyes Middle ear fluid/congestion Sleep disturbance from cough, itching/discomfort Allergic irritability syndrome - young children with allergic rhinitis and bouts of irritability, decreased ability to concentrate and temper tantrums Eczema, Sleep and Behavior and Stress n Children with eczema have more severe sleep disturbances and more problematic daytime behaviors, n Sleep disturbance was the most stressful symptom in quality of life questionnaire n Mothers reported more maternal stress from eczema than diabetes, enteral feeding and developmental and physical challenges. (Camfferman, 2010) (Gentile, D. et al., 2013) Months Months n Onset of developmental concerns months n Video 2 Assessment Video Months Months n Starting to shift n Video 4 n Video

5 Video 6 Stress and Recovery n Video n Video 8 The Ups and Downs of Progress n Video 9 Restoring Health and Promoting Development n Video 10 Restoring Health and Promoting Development Understanding the Relationship between Stress and the Brain is Foundational to all Developmental Models and Practices n Parent s capacity to buffer stress and provide quality experiences is critical for building brain architecture that can support life-long learning, health and well-being. n Health related stress can impair stress responses and stress recovery and alter brain function. n Individual differences can alter the quality and nature of sensory, social and emotional experiences and result in fewer opportunities for positive interactions. n Helping parents learn how to buffer stress and strengthen caregiver-child interactions is fundamental to all intervention; across disciplines and for all ages and stages of development

6 Nature s Powerful Stress-Protection Shield: RELATIONSHIPS n Video 11 Thank you to all the talented and dedicated individuals who worked together to understand and integrate what matters and to this remarkable family for sharing their journey References n Camfferman,D, Kennedy, JD, Gold M, Martin AJ, Winwood P, Lushington K. Eczema, sleep and behavior in children J Clin Sleep Med 2010; 6(6): n Gentile D. Bartholow A, Valovirta E, Scadding G, Skoner D. Current and future directions in pediatric allergic rhinitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol: In Practice 2013;1: n Gourley L, Wind C, Henniger E, Chintz S. Sensory Processing Difficulties, Behavioral Problems, and Parental Stress in a Clincal Population of Young Children. J Child Fam Stud. 2013;22(7): n Jackson K, Howie, L, Akinbarmi L. Trends in Allergic Conditions Among Children: United States, NCHS Data Brief 2013;121:1-7. n Jyonouchi, H. Autism spectrum disorders and allergy: observation from a pediatric allergy/immunology clinic. Expert Review of Clinical Immunology.63): n The Science of Early Childhood n The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress n Connect With Us Follow profectumfoundation Join Us Profectum Foundation 33 6