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Multi Sensory Environment (MSE) Training

SENSORIUM 2

Partial proceeds from this training goes to the Hidden Angel Foundation

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SENSORIUM 2

THE NERVOUS SYSTEMNEW DEVELOPMENTS IN NEUROSCIENCE,

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Nervous System Overview

Sensory Neurons

Sympathetic Nervous System

Nervous System

Central Nervous System Peripheral Nervous System

Brain Stem Spinal Cord Motor Neurons

Autonomic Nervous System

Somatic Nervous System

Parasympathetic Nervous System

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Central Nervous System -The Brain Steam & Spinal Cord

Frontal Lobe

Temporal Lobe

Parietal Lobe

Occipital Lobe

Cerebellum

Cervical Spinal Cord

Thoracic Spinal Cord

Lumbar Spinal Cord

Cauda Equina

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Central Nervous System - The Brain Stem

The brain stem is the home of the origins or site of termination of fibers in 9 of the 12 cranial nerves. The brain stem is divisible into three continuous parts: the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla.

The midbrain is most rostral and begins just bellow the diencephalon. The pons is in the middle and is overlain by the cerebellum.The medulla is caudal to the pons and is continuous with the spinal cord.

CerebellumPons

Hypophysis

Corpus callosum

HypothalamusThalamus

Cingulate Gyrus

MedullaOblongata

Mid Brain

Frontal Lobe

Temporal Lobe

Occipital Lobe

Fourth ventricle

Parietal Lobe

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Central and Peripheral Nervous System

The basic functional unit in the CNS is the neuron. Electrophysiological impulses travel down a neuron from its dendrites to the cell body and axon. Information then is chemically transmitted to other neurons via connections know as synapses.

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Peripheral Nervous System

The PNS contains cranial and spinal nerves that consists of neurons that give rise to axons, which grow out of neural tube, and neurons derived from neural crest cells. Skeletal motor neurons, and axons of preganglionic autonomic neurons are derived from neural tube.

Neural crest cells form sensory neurons and postganglionic autonomic neurons. Neuronal cell bodies of these neurons are found in the ganglia. All ganglia found in the PNS contains either sensory or postganglionic autonomic neurons.

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MSE Encompasses an Understanding of the:

AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

RETICULAR ACTIVATING SYSTEM

LIMBIC SYSTEM

Many individuals with disabilities are attempting to “self regulate” through their overt behaviors to get “enough” sensory input or eliminate sensory input to allow the brain stem production of the biogenic amines either to excite, inhibit and the combination thereof, the nervous system

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Autonomic Nervous System

Sensory Neurons

Sympathetic Nervous System

Nervous System

Central Nervous System Peripheral Nervous System

Brain Stem Spinal Cord Motor Neurons

Autonomic Nervous SystemSomatic Nervous System

Parasympathetic Nervous System

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Autonomic Nervous System (ANS):

The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is responsible for the motor innervations of smooth muscle, cardiac muscle and glands of the body.

The ANS is composed of two divisions, the Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic

In both divisions there are two neurons in the peripheral distribution of the motor innervation.

1) Preganglionic neuron with a cell body in CNS. 2) Postganglionic neuron with a cell body in a ganglion in the PNS.

The ANS is responsible for Life itself. All behavior is accompanied by an ANS reaction.

This system integrates autonomic and neuroendocrine functions for homeostasis and communicates directly with other brain stem centers that control heart rate, respiration, and hunger.

The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems work jointly together to produce states of arousal from high to low. The “just right” combination allows for “Doing & Learning” in very simple terms.

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THE SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM

Is responsible for the neurotransmitters of the adrenaline chemistry class which is responsible for your “fright, flight, and fight” responses. (The adrenal gland also adds to this)

Prepares the system for action (arousal)Some characteristics of sympathetic arousal include:

◦ Sweating, pupil dilation, pallor (color) associated with blood flow◦ increased heart rate, increases in respiration

the adrenaline chemistry is part of a sub group of the biogenic amines, one group of neurotransmitters released from the brain stem.

adrenaline helps produce high states of arousal. Thus, the “adrenaline rush” you feel when you respond to a dangerous event 11/8/2009

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THE PARASYMPATHETIC SYSTEM

responsible for maintenance of ongoing function of levels of action or arousal. (It primarily inhibits high states of high arousal).

some characteristics of parasympathetic action:◦ a slowing of the heart rate◦ a slowing of respiration◦ the low state of alertness after eating

The “just right” combination allows for “Doing and Learning” in very simple terms

The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems work jointly together to produce states of arousal from high to low

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THE RETICULAR SYSTEM

the basic rhythm generator responsible for levels of:◦ awakeness◦ alertness◦ asleep◦ attention◦ circadian rhythms

the RS can modulate cell thresholds which increase or decrease (excite or inhibit) sensitivity to sensory signals (input) depending on the importance in relation to survival at any point in time

the RS can be thought of as the filter that prioritizes flow to give us “selective unconscious attention”

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THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

anatomically situated over the brain stem

highly interactive with many limbic structures

primarily responsible for the emotional component of human behavior

emotions must be integrated and coordinated with rational behavior through the frontal lobes and with the level of alertness through the Reticular System

the limbic system sets the basic mood for behavior based on past experience. (Memory development and retrieval) It contributes to interpretation of all new sensory input by comparing it to past experiences.

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THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

The Limbic System may assigns emotional experiences to the visceral components controlled by the ANS. (Such as changes in breathing, heart rate, gastrointestinal functions, etc.) suggesting that:

if a sensory experience was pleasurable then based on this past experience the sensory stimulus would be approached

if the sensory experience has been traumatic or negative then the sensory stimulus would be avoided

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Autonomic Nervous SystemReticular Activating SystemLimbic System

These systems can be thought of as interfaced with overlapping and interacting functions with one another, that produce and mediate states of arousal that prepare a person for “fleeing” or “higher function”

MSE contributes to this process by the use of sensory pleasurable experiences

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Neuroscience - New Developments

Please view videoSensorium 2

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Neuroscience - New Developments

New developments in neuroscience provide some answers as to why MSE has such positive outcomes for individuals.

Neuro plasticity, Neuro chemistry,Brain synchronization and neural oscillations. Stress Brain Arousal

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Neuroscience - New Developments

New developments in neuroscience provide some answers as to why MSE has such positive outcomes for individuals with disabilities. These included

Neuro plasticity, Neuro chemistry,Brain synchronization and neural oscillations. Stress Brain Arousal

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Neuroscience - New Developments

New developments in neuroscience provide some answers as to why MSE has such positive outcomes for individuals with disabilities. These included

Neuro plasticity,

Neuro chemistry,Brain synchronization and neural oscillations. Stress Brain Arousal

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Neuroscience - New Developments

New developments in neuroscience provide some answers as to why MSE has such positive outcomes for individuals with disabilities. These included

Neuro plasticity, Neuro chemistry,

Brain synchronization and neural oscillations. Stress Brain Arousal

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Neuroscience - New Developments

New developments in neuroscience provide some answers as to why MSE has such positive outcomes for individuals with disabilities. These included

Neuro plasticity, Neuro chemistry,Brain synchronization and neural oscillations.

Stress Brain Arousal

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Stress Can be a “demand” (reasonable or otherwise) made by a person, place or thing on

an individual as perceived by that individual.

A dynamic state within the person as a response to a demand for adaptation. Adaptation being an active response or thought process.

Stress is a part of human existence required both internally and externally for life itself. Stress should be thought of as represented by degree in the human experience. Either too much stress or not enough stress is unhealthy and effects our behavior and thinking process.

A Stressor is any stimulus that produces a demand for adaptation. It may be social, physical, or environmental.

An Adaptive Response is the ability to react actively and purposefully to ever changing circumstances. Also maybe referred to as Adaptive behavior. An action or thought, that meets new challenges and learns from this new experience for future action or thought

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I THINKIT’S

STRESS !!!!

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Neuroscience - New Developments

New developments in neuroscience provide some answers as to why MSE has such positive outcomes for individuals with disabilities. These included

Neuro plasticity, Neuro chemistry,Brain synchronization and neural oscillations. Stress

Brain Arousal

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The MSE experience manipulates the brain chemistry through the senses to set the tone for motivation and functional attention

it lowers the stress chemistry and increases the relaxation chemistry.

the key is finding the combination of sensory input that allows the individual to take control once the balance has been achieved

this balance allows “arousal, self-regulation”, “motivation, “organization”, and “integration” to take place for the individual .

◦ Self-regulation is the ability to control one’s activity level and state of alertness as well as control one’s emotional, mental or physical responses to sensations; the concept of self-organization.

MSE and Brain Arousal

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Brain Arousal Brain arousal is fundamental to all cognition and behavior (Pfaff,

2006). Nearly all health problems flow from over-arousal, under-arousal, or instability in the central nervous system.

Neural pathways are the underlying mechanism for brain arousal. Disrupting brain arousal mechanisms can cause problems ranging from mild loss of vigilance or sleep, to the devastation of a vegetative state.

The brain and nervous system has a capacity to determine if the stimulus is ◦ (a) relevant (or important), ◦ (b) valued (assigning a positive, negative, or neutral value to the

stimulus), and ◦ (c) properly modulated, referring to the ability of the nervous system to

regulate its own activity. Stimulation at the right level increases the level of fascination. Pfaff, 2006

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AROUSAL IS A DYNAMIC, EVER CHANGING PROCESSRELATED TO

DIRECT & INDIRECT RESPONSESTO

INTERNAL & EXTERNAL STIMULI

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Slide by Linda Messbauer

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BRAIN AROUSAL IS MODIFIED AND ALTERED THROUGH:

1. The registration of the stimulus at the

2. The habituation process of the nervous system. It’s ability to depress synaptic transmissions to repeated non-noxious, irrelevant stimuli.

3. The neuron’s ability to react: by an increased response to stimuli that is intense and noxious, referred to as “sensation”.

4. The brain’s capacity to determine if the stimulus : a) RELEVANT (IT IS IMPORTANT)b) VALUED (ASSIGNING A POSITIVE, NEGATIVE OR NEUTRAL VALUE

TO THE STIMULUS.c) PROPERLY MODULATED: ABILITY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM TO

REGULATE ITS OWN ACTIVITY(Pfaff, 2006) 11/8/2009

AROUSAL INCREASES WITH:

Intensity

Complexity

Unexpectedness

Incongruity

Affective meaning

Novelty

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AROUSAL DECREASES WITH:

Constancy

Repetition

Familiarity

Neutrality

Pfaff, 2006

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THE OPTIMAL LEVEL OFAROUSAL IS:

UNIQUE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL

A “SENSORY DIET” IS OUR ATTEMPT TO MODIFY STRESSORS AND CONTROL AROUSAL LEVELS

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Slide by Linda Messbauer

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Arousal level Activity Level Stimulation levelBalance

arousal level with activity level

low arousal* low activity^stimulation to

^arousal & activity level

high arousal high activity

match arousal level with meaningful stimulation to decrease high activity level

Look at it as Backward Chaining with their Sensory

Diet needs

low arousal* high activity

match activity level with increased

meaningful stimulation to

increase arousal level

Their Sensory Diet Needs

*can be people in shut down

either the person shuts everything out and closes down completely or they can be people who shut down by displaying high activity in

the form of self-injurious, self-stimulatory behavior

Slide by Linda Messbauer

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Our InspirationChristopher Douglas Fornes (1981-2006)

For further information:

Sandra Fornesphone: 205-594-4875

fax: 954-252-2522e-mail: info@cdhaf.org

www.CDHAF.org

Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation (CDHAF) is a registered charitable organization in Canada and the USA.

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