Stress From a Different Perspective
William Steele in Reducing Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout, 2019
Learning how to change how you respond to stress via specific neuro-based, trauma-sensitive practices is a whole lot easier when you have the kind of mindsets that supports that change and when you can experience the value of those suggested changes for yourself. We know our brains are wonderfully adaptive and open to change. In reality, self-care is about changing how our brain and nervous system reacts to minimize the impact of the stress we experience when responding to trauma victims and/or situations. The good news is that we now know that our brains are quite adaptable. We can “hack” into our brain and change the way it responds. In fact, one of the greatest discoveries in the past several hundred years is that of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the “brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life” (MedicineNet, 2018).
Treatment and therapy
Rosa Angela Fabio, Tindara Caprì, Gabriella Martino in Understanding Rett Syndrome, 2019
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain that allows us to learn and adapt to our environment. Many studies have shown that plasticity is retained throughout the lifespan from infancy to old age. The results of these studies suggest that the training can improve neural plasticity and functional recovery after a lesion. Rehabilitative therapy, indeed, avoids a further loss of the representation of the physical structure within the intact cortex and induces an expansion of the area in the adjacent cortex. Even though during the last decades, a lot of scientists have revealed the possibility of recovering cortical functions after a lesion, which confirms that the human brain is physiologically sensitive in respect of the experience, and its plasticity is maintained in the case of a lesion. The ability to learn new motor-cognitive skills, with an intact CNS, is similar to the recovery of abilities after damage. Therefore, the brain has the possibility to compensate for cerebral lesions with specific mechanisms. This phenomenon consists of two processes: the functional reorganization of neuronal circuits, and their structural reconstruction. In the case of functional reorganization, the recovery depends on the entirety of the structures that perform functions that normally are not relevant to them, without the need to stop the activities that they were performing until then. Instead, according to the concept of redundancy, our brain has many more neurons that it actually uses, so if a part is damaged, another can replace their functions (see Figure 4.7).
Brain, mind, and relationship
Rebecca L. Haller, Karen L. Kennedy, Christine L. Capra in The Profession and Practice of Horticultural Therapy, 2019
The brain has the capacity for continued development throughout the lifespan. This capacity to grow new neural connections, which enables the brain to reshape itself, is known as neuroplasticity. Supportive relationships and compassionate self-reflection stimulate this regenerative capacity in part through the release of oxytocin (Graham 2013). Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that is produced in response to warm affectionate touch, music, and scents. Oxytocin levels have been shown to increase during breastfeeding, orgasm, petting animals, and practicing self-compassion. Further research is vital for determining if horticultural therapy also stimulates the release of oxytocin through the care of plants (Rice 2012). When well-being, trust, and connection are experienced repeatedly, the accompanying release of oxytocin enables the brain to rewire itself (Ecker 2010). Exhibit 6.2 describes how horticultural therapy is utilized to aid neuroplasticity in people who have experienced trauma.
Using activity-based therapy for individuals with spinal cord injury or disease: Interviews with physical and occupational therapists in rehabilitation hospitals
Published in The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2023
Hope Jervis Rademeyer, Cindy Gauthier, José Zariffa, Kristen Walden, Tara Jeji, Shane McCullum, Kristin E. Musselman
To help people with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) meet their functional goals through a restorative approach, rehabilitation seeks to achieve neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability of neurons to change their structure and/or function in response to different stimuli1. For people living with SCI/D, activity-based therapy (ABT) can be used to promote neuroplasticity by targeting activation of the neuromuscular system below the level of the lesion.2 To achieve neuroplasticity, ABT aims for a high dosage (e.g. many repetitions, increased time spent in therapeutic activity) and a moderate-high cardiovascular load.3 Some types of ABT involve technology that facilitate higher doses during training; for example, when individuals with motor incomplete SCI/D participated in one hour of treadmill training, they achieved significantly more steps, greater walking speed, and a higher peak change in heart rate compared to one hour of overground walking training.4 Individuals living with SCI/D who participated in ABT appreciated its high dosage and felt it was a significant contributor to their neurological and functional recovery.5
An Evaluation of the Effects of Active Game Play on Cognition, Quality of Life and Depression for Older People with Dementia
Published in Clinical Gerontologist, 2021
Jiaying Zheng, Ping Yu, Xueping Chen
As there is no medical cure to stop or reverse the progress of functional decline in dementia, an increasing scientific and community interest has been focused on non-pharmacological interventions to improve or at least to maintain cognition and quality of life for people with dementia (Cabrera et al., 2015; Oliveira et al., 2015). Neuroplasticity is the ability of the human brain to adapt to environmental changes by modifying neural connectivity and brain function (Knaepen, Goekint, Heyman, & Meeusen, 2010). Studies have indicated that even older people with dementia still maintain a certain level of neural plasticity (Spironelli, Bergamaschi, Mondini, Villani, & Angrilli, 2013). This provides hope to improve their cognition through rehabilitation training (Spironelli et al., 2013).
Topographical data analysis to identify high-density clusters in stroke patients undergoing post-acute rehabilitation
Published in Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 2021
Eliezer Bose, Lisa J. Wood, Qing Mei Wang
Stroke continues to be a significant public health burden, with more than 750,000 new strokes occurring each year in the US and a leading cause of severe and long-term disability.1 Hemiparesis and cognitive impairment, the most common effects of stroke, foresee some degree of recovery, which depends considerably on the initial severity of the stroke and rehabilitation choice. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the nervous system to respond and adapt to internal and external stimuli and plays a major role in the neurobiological recovery after stroke.2 Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a vital role in increasing neuroplasticity after stroke.3,4 Many studies have investigated the value of serum level of BDNF as a biomarker to predict functional outcome after stroke. Low serum BDNF level subjects had poor long-term outcomes,5 however, the relationship with short-term outcomes is still controversial.5–7 Hence it is warranted to identify further factors that may interact with serum BDNF to affect functional outcomes. Clinical studies on central motor neuroplasticity support the role of goal-oriented rehabilitation to enhance motor relearning and recovery in patients with stroke.8 However, some post-acute stroke patients have better motor and cognitive outcomes than others. The mechanisms of good recovery and poor recovery remain unclear. However, several contributing factors have been identified, including co-morbid conditions (i.e., diabetes), stroke type and location, demographic and socioeconomic factors.9
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