Mindsight Digital Journal, Issue No. 4, December 2014

Transcription

1 Topic The Art & Science of Neuroplasticity: How Self-Reflection & Discipline Cultivate Neural Integration, by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. In this 90-minute video, Dr. Dan Siegel provides detailed insight into the science behind neural activity and its relationship with attention, experience, and memory. Through increased understanding of these complex relationships, we can learn to better integrate our left and right hemispheres as we become better prepared to take advantage of opportunities to engage in self-reflection and to deepen learning. 1

2 Applications for all Professionals and General Interest A. The Art & Science of Neuroplasticity (4:21-10:19) The nervous system is plastic, or able to be changed, altered, and shaped by experience and self-reflection through neural integration Art refers to the creative approach one can take to prepare the mind to optimize learning, while science refers to the objective, systematic approach to studying the field of neuroplasticity Memory Primary Neural Studies Genetics & Epigenetics Processes of Neuroplasticity The Science of Neuroplasticity Memory has a recursive quality, in 1. Encoding that it both determines and is altered 2. Storage by functions of the nervous system 3. Retrieval Research on the structural and molecular processes of neural activity and growth Epigenetic regulators influence how experience activates genes; Experience in turn modifies these regulators, altering how an individual responds to future experience with neural growth The relationship between attention the focus of energy and information flow and emotional and social experiences how energy and information flow are integrated and shared among people and how these each shape the activity and structure of the brain The nervous system is a complex system enabling energy and information flow; it is a complex system that is open to influences from outside itself, capable of chaotic behavior that some state is seemingly random with undetectable patterns, and nonlinear, meaning that small inputs to the system lead to large and unpredictable outcomes. B. The Hard Science (10:19-37:22) Neural Activity 1. Neurotransmitter received at post-synaptic neuron s membrane and translated to electrical energy as ions flow in and out of neural membrane of the action potential 2. If action potential threshold reached, neuron fires 3. Electric charge travels from cell body or dendrite down axon to synapse through openings in membrane 4. Neurotransmitters released at axonal end into synapse to be received by next neuron s cell body or dendrite 2

3 An excitatory synapse increases the likelihood of a postsynaptic action potential occurring and an inhibitory synapse decreases this likelihood note that neural firing is a probability function based on collective inputs and setting As neurons fire together, they are more apt to wire together, building neural networks of interconnected neurons and neural regions created a circuit Changes in Neural Function and Structure Synaptic Modulation The formation and modulation of neural synapses; (Synaptogenesis) Neurons that fire together, wire together Epigenetic Modulation The alteration of the control of gene expression in this (Epigenesis) case via experience and learning that involves laying down of non-nucleic acid molecules on top of genes (which are comprised of DNA chains of nucleic acids) Neurogenesis The generation of new neurons from neural stem cells which divide and can create new neurons early in life and especially in the hippocampus throughout the lifespan Myelinogenesis The laying down of a myelin sheath around interconnected nerve fibers, leading to increased firing speed and enhanced coordination of neural firing C. Memory (37:22-1:06:21) Past experiences affect present experience, and new experiences alter existing neural structure Explicit Memory Implicit Memory Two Layers of Memory Declarative memory that can be stated in words Non-declarative memory Episodic: Specific personal experience, dominant in the right hemisphere Semantic: Factual information, dominant in the left hemisphere Perception Bodily Sensations Emotion Behavioral/Motor Response Generalizations as Schema or Mental Models Priming 3

4 Stages of Memory 1 Encoding Internal or External stimuli translated into electrochemical energy, resulting in neural firing Encoding can occur through focal attention involving consciousness or non-focal attention which does not involve consciousness 2 Storage Neural firing results in temporary, chemical changes or long term, structural changes in neural networking Alterations in neural activity are associated with learning; similarly, dissociation of existing networks can occur, which is essential to treating trauma 3 Retrieval Reactivation of specific neural networks, which is associated with hippocampal activity Ecphoric sensation is the feeling that a recalled memory is coming from that past, whether or not it is The process of retrieval can alter memory through the re-storage process Not all retrieval involves awareness; and not all retrieval involving awareness involves an ecphoric sensation: implicit memory when retrieved can be fully in consciousness and yet not have an ecphoric sensation. Therefore, stating implicit memory is synonymous with unconscious memory is not quite accurate. In treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, it is important to note that the hippocampus can be usurped by focal attention being divided by dissociation and that the stress hormone cortisol can inhibit explicit encoding of information via the hippocampus; however, cortisol does not inhibit implicit encoding. In fact, adrenaline release during trauma may actually increase implicit encoding. This configuration of impaired explicit (via the hippocampus) and enhanced implicit (non-hippocampal circuitry) encoding may be a fundamental profile related to the unique memory processing of traumatic events for many individuals D. Attention, Social Relationships, & Emotions in Optimal Learning (1:06:21-1:40:52) Cortical consolidation refers to a synaptic change in cortical networks as memories are converted from long-term memories to permanent storage, which seems to be correlated with integration that occurs in REM sleep. Cortical consolidation makes the retrieval of explicit memory no longer require the hippocampus. Anterograde amnesia: Loss of ability to create new memories following an amnesia-causing event, yet consolidated memories can still be accessed. This may be due to hippocampal disturbance, impairing new explicit encoding 4

5 Retrograde amnesia: Loss of ability to recall memories prior to amnesiacausing event this may be due to hippocampal disturbance for not-yet consolidated but previously laid down explicit memories no longer accessible to retrieval Experience occurs as energy and information flow through the nervous system and neural firing patterns are stored. Such storage can be across many neural pathways, including those that enable symbolic meaning Attention can be directed in a relational way, as it occurs both within us and between us, and can be focal or non-focal Self-reflection: Inward focal attention, or internal attunement Interpersonal learning: Interpersonal focal attention, such as reflective dialogues The Hemispheric Encoding/Retrieval Asymmetry (HERA) Model posits that the left prefrontal cortex is more involved in episodic memory encoding, while the right prefrontal cortex is more involved in episodic autobiographical memory storage and retrieval Emotion can be viewed as a shift in integration of the linkage of the differentiated parts of the brain and therefore may influence all aspects of memory and, general, cognition The narrative layer of learning refers to the cortical consolidation that can occur through the extraction of meaning through engaged self-reflection Landscape of action is the content, or what happens in the outer world Landscape of consciousness is the internal state and mental processes that coincide with the event in the internal world A story is the way in which a person makes sense of violations of canonical (learned from prior experience) expectations. We generally don t just report every experience we have the stories we tell each other usually are attempts to focus on, make sense of, and share violations to our expectations Learning is deepened through neural integration, both within us as cortical consolidation and making sense of our experiences, and as two or more people promote linkages and honor differences between and among one another, creating the feeling of connectedness and being a part of a larger whole Emotion has many meanings. Some use this term to mean a feeling that refers to the subjective, conscious experience of both physiological processes and mental states; in IPNB we view emotion as a shift in integration that has subjective, neural, physiological, and relational aspects 5

6 Affect refers to the external expression of one s internal state; affect regulation, though, is a term used often synonymously with emotion regulation and indicates more than simply regulating the external expression of emotion Annotated Bibliography of Books Referenced and for Further Reading 1. For All Professional Groups, Parents, and General Interest a. Bruner, J. (2002). Making stories: Law, literature, life. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. One of the founders of cognitive science focuses on the centrality of narrative in human lives. b. Coyle, D. (2009). The talent code: Greatness isn t born. It s grown. Here s how. New York, NY: Random House. A fascinating exploration of how skill-building depends upon deep practice and the laying down of myelin. c. Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. New York, NY: Penguin. A wonderful journey through the lens of scientists and clinicians who ve focused on neuroplasticity for healing and growth in the face of neurological challenges. d. Edwards, B. (2012). Drawing on the right side of the brain: A course in enhancing creativity and artistic confidence. New York, NY: Penguin. A guide to developing the visual elements of seeing that support drawing what we see not what we think we ve seen. e. Fredrickson, B.L. (2013). Love 2.0: How our supreme emotion affects everything we feel, think, do, and become. New York, NY: Penguin. A social psychological view suggesting that positivity resonance in our lives is the basis of our experience of love. f. Gage, F. H., Kempermann, G., & Song, H. (2008). Adult neurogenesis. New York, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The exploration of the power of neural stem cells in the hippocampus to give rise to new neurons as a part of adult neuroplasticity. g. Gopnik, A., Meltzoff, A.N., & Kuhl, P.K. (2001). The scientist in the crib: What early learning tells us about the mind. New York, NY: HarperCollins. These three scientists dive into the mind of the baby in the crib who also acts as a scientist trying to understand the nature of physical and social reality. h. Hebb, D.O. (2009/1945). The organization of behavior: A neuropsychological theory. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. This classic volume proposes that neurons that fire simultaneously at one point in time are more likely to fire together in the future. 6

7 i. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T.N. (2005). Brain and visual perception: The story of a 25- year collaboration. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. The 1980 Nobel Prize winning team reveal their relationship and how they unveiled that power of experience to shape cortical architecture. j. Iacoboni, M. (2009). Mirroring people: The science of empathy and how we connect with others. New York, NY: Picador. One of the pioneers in the study of mirror neurons in human beings explores how our social brains enable us to communicate with one another. k. Kandel, E.R. (2006). In search of memory: The emergence of a new science of mind. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. The 2000 Nobel prize winning psychiatrist discusses memory and how he uncovered how experiences shapes the molecular process of neurons to create memory. l. Langer, E. (2014). Mindfulness. Boston, MA: Da Capo Press. Offering a different approach to the term mindful, the pioneer of this way of noticing novelty and differences and resisting a premature closure of one s understanding and expectations explores mindful learning and living. m. Meaney, M.J. (2010). Epigenetics and the biological definition of gene x environment interaction. Child Development 81 (1) A thorough review of how experience ( our environment ) shapes our epigenetic regulation that influences how we respond in the future to experiences. n. Pennebaker, J.W. Evans, J.F. (2014). Expressive writing: Words that heal: Using expressive writing to overcome traumas and emotional upheavals, resolve issues, improve health, and build resilience. Encumclaw, WA: Idyll Arbor. Extensive studies by this researcher on the power of writing to heal are explored in this exploration of the importance of putting our life narratives into words on the page. o. Schacter, D. L., Addis, D., & Buckner, R., (2007). Remembering the past to imagine the future: The prospective brain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 8(9), A fascinating account of how memory shapes how we prepare for future experiences. p. Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, T. P. (2014). No-drama discipline: The whole-brain way to calm the chaos and nurture your child's developing mind. New York, NY: Random House. Translating interpersonal neurobiology into practices for parents, this book reclaims discipline as a way to teach and suggests that we connect and then re-direct in order to optimize learning and growth. q. Siegel, D. J. (2012). Pocket guide to interpersonal neurobiology: An integrative handbook of the mind. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company. A non-linear book 7

8 that enables readers to explore the field of interpersonal neurobiology by flowing through passages and passions at their own discretion, the Pocket Guide provides a journey into IPNB in which the topic of the mind and the process of reading are parallel experiences. r. Siegel, D. J. (2010). Mindsight: The new science of personal transformation. New York, NY: Random House. Highlighting the centrality of integration the linkage of differentiated parts of a system in the cultivation of well-being, this book is filled with case examples in stories and scientific discussions to illustrate and illuminate the core of IPNB in everyday life. s. Siegel, D. J. (2012). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are. New York, NY: Guilford Press. A core text for graduate and undergraduate programs in human development, this book s second edition updates the scientific studies supporting the essential proposals of interpersonal neurobiology focusing on integration and the connections among relationships, brain, and mind. t. Stern, D. N. (2004). The present moment: In psychotherapy and everyday life. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. One of the texts of the Norton IPNB series, this book dives deeply into the philosophy and psychology of now. u. Wilson, E.O. (1998). Consilience. New York, NY: Knopf. This book proposes that we can understand more if we find the universal overlaps or consilience among usually independent pursuits of knowledge. (More Reading for Mental Health Professionals, Educators, Executives and Coaches on the next page.) 8

9 2. More Reading For Mental Health Professionals, Educators, Executives, and Coaches a. Anderson, M. C., Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (1994). Remembering can cause forgetting: retrieval dynamics in long-term memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 20(5), Exploring the fundamental nature of recall and forgetting, the lead author went on to discover how intentional memory retrieval inhibition, known as suppression, can lead to automatic forgetting, sometimes called repression. b. DiNoble, A. (2009). Examining the relationship between adult attachment style and mindfulness traits (Doctoral dissertation, Chicago School of Professional Psychology). The first work to empirically reveal an overlap between attachment security and being mindful. c. Freud, S. (1957). The origins of psychoanalysis. A classic text by the originator of the field of psychoanalysis. d. Habib, R., Nyberg, L., & Tulving, E. (2003). Hemispheric asymmetries of memory: The HERA model revisited. Trends in cognitive sciences, 7(6), Continued support for the earlier proposal that the two sides of the brain have differing functions in explicit memory processing. e. Shatz, C.J. (1990). Impulse activity and the patterning of connections during CNS development. Neuron, 5(6), The neuroscientist who actually coined the term neurons that fire together, wire together as a paraphrase of Donald Hebb s original proposal from 1945 that was later called the Hebbian Synapse. 9