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Functional 
Neurology

What Is Functional Neurology?

Functional neurology is a treatment discipline for various neurological disorders. Functional neurologists may have subspecialties, but in general, they treat brain injury patients, degenerative disorders (such as dementia), movement disorders, vestibular challenges (i.e. balance and dizziness issues), or any other neurological disease or disorder of unknown origin (typically something that traditional doctors have not been able to diagnose and treat successfully).

 

Functional neurology does not include surgery or pharmaceutical solutions, but may employ some combination of  various therapies, and recommended lifestyle changes.

 

The explanation which functional neurology provides for neurological disorders is still a hypothesis and difficult to convey in plain language, but here’s the short version based on a recent review of functional neurology.

What is the Functional Neurology Hypothesis?

Functional neurology treats the source of a patient’s ailments as “functional aberrations of the neuraxis” — meaning, clusters of neurons which aren’t working together in the way they are supposed to — in various locations throughout the central nervous system.

Functional neurologists attempt to assess the “central integrative state,” (the CIS), of functional units of neurons within the nervous system to determine where those functional aberrations are. The CIS is essentially how they refer to the current healthiness of those neurons.

Functional neurologists believe functional aberrations come from lesions, which are the result of some deficiency — perhaps there are dead cells (worst case scenario), or maybe they aren’t getting enough oxygen or nutrition.

Whatever the case, these aberrations cause communication snafus throughout the central nervous system and lead to hyper- or hypo-functional areas of the brain. In turn, this situation results in “diverse motor, sensory, visceral, or cognitive symptoms”.

Many functional neurologists are also interested in fatigability (can you maintain a healthy response to a certain stimulus?) and hemisphericity (the belief that neurological symptoms come from some imbalance between the two halves of the brain or an area therein).

While their treatment protocols are highly varied, many functional neurologists base treatment on the idea that stimulation of an area is enough to engage the brain’s inherent neuroplasticity, which is its ability to heal itself from certain injuries and conditions.

Note: Neuroplasticity is a proven phenomenon and forms the basis of many emergent therapies.

We’ve written before about how neuroplasticity can be leveraged to recover from minor traumatic brain injury.

For example, one treatment that functional neurologists use in the case of vestibular disorders (trouble with balance, dizziness, nausea, and so forth) is the GyroStim. It is considered an experimental device since it has not been cleared by the FDA for use in diagnosis or treatment, but its effect bears some similarity to the Epley Maneuver and other traditional therapies for vertigo.

Because functional neurology is such a new field, treatments are not yet standardized. Functional neurologists adjust treatment regimens based on what their patients need. While some treatments may not be effective, others may be very effective. For patients who have not had luck via traditional medicine, functional neurologists’ willingness to try new therapies and borrow what works from other disciplines is often a breath of fresh air.

What can be the causes of retained Primitive Reflexes?

Very little is known about the causes of developmental delay but there is speculation and some scientific research to suggest that a combination of factors may be involved, including:

  • Environmental toxins (such as pesticides and lead) or ingested chemicals, whether pharmaceutical or recreational i.e. alcohol, nicotine or narcotics. 

  • Stress, illness or trauma experienced during pregnancy, for instance; medical problems such as hypertension, severe morning sickness, threatened miscarriage, premature birth or complications during birth and caesarean section.

  • Problems experienced during birth such as resuscitation, ‘blue baby’, prolonged jaundice, distorted skull or heavy bruising, etc.

  • Adverse reaction to vaccinations, high fever or convulsions in the first 18 months.

  • Genetics / Epigenetics​

 

The retention of primitive reflexes can also be hereditary, passed down from generation to generation. 

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Neuro-developmental delay can manifest itself in different ways in different children of the same family. For example, it is not uncommon for one child with neuro-developmental delay to struggle academically whilst its sibling is a high achiever. Personality may also of course have an impact on the way neuro-developmental delay manifests itself, so whereas one child with a retained Moro may be over-anxious and “shy”, his or her sibling might be hyperactive and explosive. 

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Important - If a child has successfully integrated their primitive reflexes, a sudden or chronic bout of trauma, stress or injury can reactivate these reflexes at any time.

What can be the behavioural and emotional symtoms of retained Primitive Reflexes?

  • Anxiety and fearfulness

  • Panic attacks

  • Low self-esteem and lack of confidence

  • Dislike of change or surprise

  • Shy and withdrawn behaviour

  • Fear of separation from loved ones

  • Difficulty accepting and giving affection

  • Mood swings

  • Depressive feelings and behaviours

  • Defiant behaviours

  • OCD type behaviours

  • Impulsivity

  • Emotional immaturity

  • Aggressive outbursts, both verbal and physical

  • Frequent meltdowns

  • Hyperactivity

  • Oversensitivity to sensory stimuli

  • Avoidance of certain places and situations

  • Excessive daydreaming and fantasising

  • Inability to relax

  • Distractibility

  • Fussy eating

  • Controlling behaviour

  • Constant state of anxiety

  • Low tolerance to stress

  • Problems with concentration and attention

  • Difficulty making eye contact

  • Shallow breathing: breath holding when angry or upset

  • Over- or under attachment to adults and peers; fear of separation

  • Tendency to ‘freeze’ under stress (rather than ‘fight or flight’);  ‘Rabbit in the headlights’ response

  • Extreme “shyness”

  • Constant feelings of overwhelm

  • Excessive fear of embarrassment

  • Fear of social environments

  • Difficulty giving and receiving affection

  • Extreme fear of failure

  • Reluctance to try new activities

  • Intolerant to sudden change (physical and emotional)

  • Selective mutism

  • Negativity and defeatist attitude

  • Compulsive traits and phobias

  • Lack of confidence and low self esteem

  • Fear of change of any kind

  • Feeling stuck - not moving forwards in life, metaphorically or physically

  • Panic disorders

  • Sleep and eating disorders​

  • Poor sequencing skills

  • Poor organisation skills

What can be the physiological symtoms of retained Primitive Reflexes?

  • Lowered immune system - frequent ear, nose and throat infections

  • Digestive problems

  • Allergies - asthma, eczema as well as food allergies

  • Adverse reactions to medication

  • Fluctuating blood sugar levels (minor hypoglycaemia)

  • High blood pressure

  • Sleep problems

  • Headaches

  • Neck and shoulder pain

  • Reduced or increased appetite

  • Poor balance and coordination

  • Difficulty establishing laterality ( i.e dominant hand , eye or ear)

  • Difficulty crossing the midline ( e.g a right handed child may find it difficult to write on the left side of the page)

  • Discrepancy between oral and written performance

  • Issues with smooth tracking of the eyes (necessary for reading and writing)

  • Poor hand-eye coordination (e.g difficulty catching a ball)

  • Poor fine motor skills ( i.e handwriting)

  • Difficulty learning to ride a bicycle and swim

  • Sideways writing – with paper on an angle

  • Inability to sit still and fidgeting (‘ants in the pants’)

  • Poor concentration and short -term memory

  • Bedwetting beyond the age of 5

  • Possible scoliosis (if the reflex remains present on one side only)

  • Hip rotation to one side when walking

  • Hypersensitivity to fabrics and labels and generally fussy about clothing

  • Weak muscle tone

  • Poor sense of balance and tendency to car sickness

  • Dislike of sports

  • Poor sequencing skills, including poor sense of time

  • Visual-perception issues and spatial problems

  • Poor tracking skills

  • Poor posture- toe walking

  • Hypertonus resulting in stiff jerky movements

  • Poor sense of balance and tendency to car sickness

  • Visual-perception issues and spatial problems

  • Simian (ape-like) walk

  • Tendency to “slump” when sitting, particularly at a desk or table

  • Poor hand-eye coordination

  • Messy eating / Clumsiness

  • Difficulties with adjusting focus from distance to near, eg blackboard to desk

  • Difficulty learning to swim

  • "W” leg position when sitting on the floor

  • Hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli (sound, light, touch, smell and possibly taste)

Sound Familar?

There is hope!

The Treatment Programme

(non-invasive, drug-free)

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There is a non-invasive, drug-free ‘neural stimulation programme’ available which is aimed at eliminating the underlying causes of developmental delay, rather than treat its symptoms.

 

The programme consists of a combination of tactile skin stimulation and physical exercises, and is designed to mature the central nervous system by inhibiting retained primitive reflexes and allowing adult responses to come to the fore. This gives the central nervous system a second chance to develop, starting at the point where development was interrupted.

 

The programme is specially adapted to meet the needs and profile of the individual concerned.  In some cases, a sound programme may also be recommended.

 

The programme seeks to copy or mimic the stimuli and movements that should have taken place naturally. As babies develop initially through touch (first trimester) and thereafter through movement, we have found the combination of tactile skin stimulation and physical exercises to be very effective at simulating and restarting normal development of the central nervous system.

 

This therapy programme has the effect not only of inhibiting the primitive reflexes and maturing the central nervous system, but also aids the development of autonomy and a stronger sense of ‘self’ and leads to greater confidence and self-awareness. These are essential to bringing to maturity an immature psyche (which often goes hand-in hand with developmental delay) and enables the child or adult to realise their true potential and blossom into the person they were born to be.

 

The programme is done at home and needs to be performed once or twice a day by a parent, partner or self and takes between  3-10 minutes per session. Follow-up visits take place every 6-8 weeks, to check on progress and adapt  the programme, as necessary.  Duration of treatment is usually 12 months according to the individual’s profile, after which a 3-month break is put in place to assess how the “newly developed ” central nervous system is functioning . Following this break, some additional skin stimulation and /or exercises may be recommended.

 

The therapy can be carried out at any age – it is never too late to restart development of the central nervous system and we treat many adults. This is because the brain is ‘neuroplastic’, meaning that it has the ability to change during an individual’s lifetime . By removing the barriers that have prevented it from developing neuro-typically in the first place , we are giving the brain a second chance to do so.

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