Brain plasticity: “Use it or lose it” to stay sharp

Brain cells, or neurons, are similar to muscles in that they are subject to the same basic “use it or lose it” principle to stay healthy well into old age.

Although genetics play a role in how well our brains age, the brain also responds profoundly to dietary and lifestyle influences. Although the brain loves healthy food and regular exercise, it also needs ongoing stimulation to stay vital.

As we go through life we constantly lose neurons as a normal part of aging. Some people show this decline through loss of memory and slower mental speed. However, some stay sharp and lucid, even when autopsy results show all the signs of Alzheimer’s.

Why? Although they may have fewer neurons, the neurons they do have communicate efficiently with one another.

A healthy neuron receiving plenty of stimulation branches into other neurons to improve communication. For instance, if you learn a new skill, whether it’s tennis or French, the neurons involved in that develop more and more efficient communication pathways between one another so the skill becomes easier for you. This helps you learn new things and become more efficient at the things you already know.

Because the brain runs the body, healthy plasticity is also good for your organs, cells, and hormone function. An active brain that fires regularly likewise stays better connected with the nerves throughout the body so operations run more smoothly. This can help keep prevent things like high blood pressure, dry eyes and mouth, incontinence, digestion issues, and other function regulated by the autonomic nervous system.

Although the brain responds well to stimulation, don’t overdo it. Over stimulation fatigues neurons and can make you “crash.” If you fatigue easily doing mental tasks, work on gradually building your brain endurance without crashing.

For plasticity to work, the brain needs a healthy environment supported by appropriate blood sugar levels (not too high or too low), good blood flow, and good neurotransmitter activity. Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that facilitate communication between neurons. The most well known neurotransmitter is serotonin, which plays a role in happiness or depression.

When plasticity goes bad — PTSD and pain

Just as plasticity can be healthy, so can it be unhealthy. Negative plasticity makes you more efficient at things that are harmful, such as stress, pain, and bad habits.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an example of negative plasticity. PTSD is basically the brain becoming highly skilled at stress. Eventually it becomes so efficient at stress that the slightest trigger — a loud sound, flash of bright light, crowd of people, or a strong emotion — sends it into a fight-or-flight tail spin.

As this cycle takes root it actually changes the shape and neurochemistry of the brain to make it highly reactive to stress. This is why PTSD is so difficult to simply “turn off.”

Fortunately, many functional neurology approaches can help rewire the brain to be more directed toward positive plasticity rather than negative. Ask my office how we can help.

Your screen time before bed is keeping you awake

If you’re accustomed to zoning out before bed in front of your TV, phone, or computer, you are significantly hindering your brain’s ability to produce sleep hormones.

A recent study found the blue light emitted from digital screens play a major role in sleep disturbances that have become so common. Almost half of Americans report sleep issues negatively affect their lives and the Centers for Disease Control calls sleep deprivation a public health epidemic. Chronic insufficient sleep is linked to obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and other metabolic disorders.

In the study, participants wore blue light blocking glasses for three hours each night before going to bed while continuing their normal nightly screen routines.

Blue-blocking outperforms supplements

After two weeks, the subjects showed an almost 60 percent increase in the production of melatonin, the primary sleep hormone.

This is an even greater increase in melatonin that taking an over-the-counter melatonin supplements can provide.

The subjects also wore activity and sleep monitors during the study. Data from these monitors showed improved sleep quality, falling asleep faster, and sleeping longer.

Other research has shown that subjects using an iPad before bed experienced reduced melatonin and poorer sleep compared to subjects who read a book before bed in dim light.

Healthy melatonin levels are necessary for good immune function and chronically low melatonin is associated with a risk for prostate, colorectal, and breast cancers.

Brain health and function depends on sleep

Although we all feel better when well rested, sufficient sleep is also vital for brain health and function. We need enough sleep to maintain focus, concentration, memory, mood, and coordination. Because the brain regulates the body’s systems, functions such as hormone balance, digestion, and detoxification are also impacted by lack of sleep.

Tips to support sleep hormone production

Blue light isn’t inherently bad; the sun is the largest source of blue light and our bodies depend on sufficient sunlight to regulate our sleep-wake cycle and myriad other functions.

However, digital devices and LED lights emit blue light similar to the sun’s that confuse the body’s internal clock when used at night. Artificial blue light activates photosensitive cells that suppress the production of melatonin.

In addition to wearing blue-blocking orange glasses before bed, people can also use blue-blocking screen filters, use lamps with orange bulbs at night, and wear blue-blocking glasses while out at night and exposed to artificial light. Some devices have night mode settings that lower blue light and computer and phone apps can be downloaded that do the same.

Ritalin risks in kids; functional neurology alternatives

New research shows the use of methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin, prior to the maturation of the brain around age 23 can lead to long-term changes in how the brain functions.

Methylphenidate appears to cause permanent alterations in how GABA, the neurotransmitter responsible for calming the brain, functions in the medial prefrontal cortex. This area of the brain plays a role in memory, decision making, socialization, and behavior.

The study did not find the same changes in patients who used methylphenidate after age 23 and whose brains were no longer developing.

As ADHD rates soar, so do drug prescriptions

Symptoms of ADHD include inattention, impulsivity, and over activity to a degree that interferes with learning and relationships.

Rates of ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, have been soaring in recent years in the United States. ADHD diagnoses increased by 43 percent between 2003 and 2011.

About 11 percent of American children have been diagnosed with ADHD. As rates go up, so do prescriptions for methylphenidate — about eight out of 10 doctor visits for ADHD result in a prescription for Ritalin or similar drug (Adderall, Focalin).

Functional neurology perspective on ADHD

Although most doctors’ visits only last about 10 minutes and concerns about over diagnosing and over prescribing are legitimate, it’s also true rates of childhood brain disorders in general have been exploding during the last decade.

Children with ADHD also frequently have problems with anxiety, mood disorders, emotional disturbances, sleep difficulties, motor coordination, learning disabilities, food sensitivities, and digestion.

In functional neurology and functional medicine, we see ADHD as something more complex than a need for a drug prescription. Studies show the brain disorder is linked to a variety of possible causes.

For instance, environmental toxins, viral or bacterial infection, and autoimmune attacks (when the immune system attacks and destroys tissue) in the brain that began in utero or in infancy have been linked to ADHD and other childhood brain development disorders.

These factors interrupt the normal development of the brain and the child may skip developmental milestones, such as crawling. This then leads to imbalanced development of the right and left hemispheres, the neural networks, and communication between the brain’s hemispheres.

This explains why children typically have various brain-based symptoms in addition to ADHD, such as tics, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, sleep disorders, and so on. Although drugs such as methylphenidate may offer relief, they do not address the underlying cause of ADHD.

How functional neurology addresses ADHD

In functional neurology, we begin with the brain’s metabolic health. This includes diet, food sensitivities, blood sugar, gut health, inflammation, gut health, infections, and autoimmunity.

We use exams and patient history to assess areas of the brain that are under and over developed, and areas that are over stimulated or under stimulated.

From there, we then create custom exercises to rehabilitate the brain and adjust them over time as function improves.

Ask my office how functional neurology can help if your child with ADHD.

Concussions and whiplash can damage the inner ear

Although most people worry about skull fractures and brain damage when they sustain a head injury, the inner ear, or vestibular system, may also become damaged and cause long-term problems if neglected.

Vestibular injuries cause problems with balance and dizziness, as well as anxiety and moodiness.

The vestibular system, a labyrinth of semi-circular canals, perceives motion in three-dimensional space and is known as the equilibrium center. It works with the eyes and the brain to let you know where you are in the environment. It is vital to safety, survival, and attention.

One way to think of the vestibular system is to imagine holding a glass of water while driving. When you turn, accelerate, decelerate, or stop, the water moves in opposition to the movement. Your vestibular system, which contains fluid and sensory hair cells, works in a similar manner, sending signals to your brain to keep your body stable and aware as you move throughout your daily life or in sports.

Vestibular injury in concussion and whiplash

Studies show vestibular injury is common with concussions and whiplash. Even when there are no signs of brain injury after an accident, about 16 percent of people will have vestibular injury.

Vestibular injury can come from a fracture to the skull in the area surrounding the inner ear. Or it can come from damage to the nerves in the brainstem that communicate with the inner ear.

Distinguishing vestibular injury from brain injury

Functional neurology offers specific exams that distinguish vestibular injury from brain injury.

A test using videonystagmography is one of the most commonly used in functional neurology. This involves the patient wearing infrared goggles that capture eye movements on video the practitioner can view on a computer screen. The patient’s eyes are monitored in both light and darkness and through various ranges of motion, such as turning or nodding the head and spinning in a chair.

Using the analogy of glass of water while driving, the eyes reflect what is happening in the inner ear in response to movements. This can show in what ways vestibular function is impaired, and whether the damage is structural or due to damaged nerves in the brainstem that feed information to the inner ear.

Targeting inner ear injury determines treatment

The distinction between inner ear injury and brain injury is vital because it determines the course of treatment. Many brain injury victims are put through the same course of rehabilitation despite the nature of the injury in the hopes that the rehab will hit some of the pertinent areas in need. This can be inefficient.

However, using functional neurology to target the specific areas of impairment to both the brain and the vestibular system (or just the vestibular system) can make for much more effective rehab strategies.

Vestibular system treatments

Because the inner ear is connected to vision and movement, therapy that combines specific eye exercises with certain movements can improve function in damaged areas of the inner ear. For instance, the patient may spin to the right in a swivel chair while watching lines move upward on an iPad.

This is a much different approach to a brain-specific exercise, which might include balance and coordination exercises.

Ask my office for more information about how a vestibular system injury or disorder might be affecting you.

Rates of mental disorders in children exploding

It’s estimated one in five children in the United States has a mental disorder these days, and the rate is rising at an alarming degree. This means as many as 12 million children are currently affected.

What does a childhood mental disorder look like? It can affect a child’s behavior, learning ability, and their ability to handle their emotions. It can also mean more significant diagnoses such as bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and conduct disorders.

It’s tempting to want to pin the rise on one factor, but studies shows links between childhood brain disorders and autoimmune disease during pregnancy, environmental chemicals, and industrialization of food.

These are all factors that have been shown to profoundly impact the developing brain in utero and in childhood at an alarmingly increasing rate.

One study demonstrated the rate of hospital stays among children for mood disorders increased 80 percent since 1997. Additionally, pediatric admissions for mental health issues — such as depression, bipolar disorder, and psychosis — and substance abuse issues increased 24 percent in just three years prior to 2010. Nearly one in ten hospitalized children have a primary diagnosis of a mental health disorder.

About 11 percent of children had been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by 2014.

Other common diagnoses include autism, anxiety, depression, Tourette’s syndrome, behavioral disorders, and alcohol and substance abuse.

Autism linked to maternal autoimmune disease

Researchers have linked childhood autism with autoimmunity in the mother during pregnancy.

The brain of the fetus is already developing in the the first trimester and is profoundly affected by the mother’s immune status.

An unmanaged autoimmune condition in a pregnant woman, such as Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, vitiligo, etc., points to a hyper zealous and imbalanced immune system.

Some of these mothers also have an undiagnosed (and often asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic) autoimmune reaction to their own brains that they pass on to the child via immune antibodies.

These antibodies damage the brain of the fetus. This sets the stage for autism or the triggering of autism by a factor in the environment, such as chemicals or heavy metals.

Women with autoimmune disease are more likely to carry these immune antibodies to the brain.

Children with mental disorders also frequently demonstrate other signs of immune imbalance and autoimmunity, such as food intolerances, gut problems, asthma, eczema, and yeast infections.

A parent can lower a child’s risk of brain disorders by screening for and managing their own undiagnosed autoimmunity and inflammation prior to conceiving.

For instance, rates of autism are higher in children whose mothers lived near freeways during pregnancy due to increased pollution.

Managing your immune system through functional medicine and functional neurology, eating an anti-inflammatory whole foods diet, cutting out common dietary immune triggers (gluten and dairy are the most common), and avoiding toxins as much as possible are examples of strategies to improve the odds of giving birth to a child with a healthy brain.

For more information about how to manage autoimmunity, contact my office.

The neuroscience of why diets make you fatter

Many studies over many years show diets have steadily made Americans fatter. Why does dieting cause obesity? Blame the brain and its influence on emotional, hormonal, and neurochemical responses to dieting, deprivation, satiety, and shame.

Dieting is rarely effective, it doesn’t improve health, and it does more harm than good. Studies show regardless of the diet you follow, from vegan to paleo, you’re battling ancient neurological survival mechanisms that typically win out in the end. The brain is essentially wired to fight weight loss.

An obese man has a one in 1300 chance of reaching normal weight within a year and an obese woman has a one in 700 chance, and the majority of both these groups will gain back the weight in five years.

In fact, weight loss statistics show only about one percent of dieters keep the weight off permanently! What’s worse, almost half of dieters will gain back more weight than where they started.

Even just one diet can make you fatter: Research shows a single diet makes a man twice as likely and a woman three times as likely to become overweight.

And two or more diets? For women, that makes them five times more likely to become overweight.

Teenage girls who diet repeatedly are four times more likely to become overweight compared to their non-dieting peers, and 12 times more likely to binge.

Athleteswho compete in sports that require them to lose weight, such as boxing or wrestling, are three times more likely to be obese later in life.

Why the brain hates dieting

It’s important to understand the neurology behind deprivation, weight loss, and weight-related anxiety to appreciate why diets fail so many people.

In essence, the brain hates famines and is programmed to keep you at a steady weight based on your genetics and life experiences.

Dropping below the set point can cause a person to burn fewer calories, trigger the release of hunger hormones, and increase activity of brain chemicals such as dopamine that increase cravings for food.

Studies of both humans and rodents show binge eating is a normal mammalian response to food deprivation due to the effect of deprivation on brain chemicals that govern the response to rewards. They also show stress promotes cravings for sweeter, fattier foods.

Also, replacing the brain’s natural cues around hunger and satiety with the rules and regulations of dieting overrides its ability to regulate weight.

Just thinking you’re fat makes you fatter

Studies show just thinking you are fat will actually lead to increased weight gain, whereas teen girls who underwent a program to fight eating disorders stabilized their weight while the girls who didn’t do the program gained weight.

What to do when dieting has made you fatter?

The best choice to avoid weight gain is not to diet. However, most people — primarily women — have been on many diets by adulthood or midlife.

Research shows that as long as a heavier person exercises regularly, eats a healthy diet with lots of vegetables, and avoids risky behaviors such as smoking or isolation, their health outcomes are on par with a thin person’s who leads the same lifestyle.

Good brain health depends not on how fat or thin you are, but instead on healthy gut bacteria, positive stimulation, low exposure to sugars and processed starches (high blood sugar is very damaging to the brain), plenty of oxygen, reduced inflammation, and other basic healthy lifestyle factors. In fact, stressing about your weight and dieting is bad for the brain — stress is a notorious cause of accelerated brain aging.

Many people are pleasantly surprised to find that by letting go of weight loss and instead learning to love a healthy diet and lifestyle, the unwanted pounds melt away. But if they don’t, you can still be healthy and active. Ask my office for more advice on taking care of your brain health.

Do you have leaky brain? Perform this test to find out

You’ve heard of leaky gut, but have you heard of leaky brain? If you have symptoms of leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, you most likely also have leaky brain, or “blood-brain barrier permeability.” How do you know? You can perform a simple test with store-bought supplements to find out.

The blood-brain barrier is a thin barrier that lines the brain. Its role is to keep out viruses, bacteria, chemicals, heavy metals, and other pathogens, but to allow nano-sized particles in and out as necessary.

Unfortunately, the blood-brain barrier can become leaky just as the gut can. A leaky brain allows harmful pathogens to enter, where they trigger inflammation. This chronic inflammation damages and destroys brain tissue, accelerating brain degeneration.

Symptoms of leaky brain and leaky gut

A leaky brain has been linked to depression, ADD/ADHD, chronic pain, autism, mental illnesses, seizures, and facial palsies.

One of the more common symptoms of leaky brain is brain fog, especially if you feel it after eating.

The leaky brain challenge test

How do you know if your blood-brain barrier is leaky? You can perform a simple test with a store-bought supplement.

Simply take 1,000 mg of straight GABA (not GABA precursors such as theanine). For the best results, be sure to take this test during the day and not at bedtime.

GABA is a calming neurotransmitter. Although you can buy GABA supplements, the truth is the GABA molecule is too large to pass through a healthy blood-brain barrier.

If you feel drowsy or sleepy several hours after taking 1,000 mg of GABA, this means your blood-brain barrier is leaky enough to let GABA through.

Instead of feeling relaxed, some people find GABA makes them feel anxious. This is because the brain’s GABA system is weak and taking GABA over stimulated it. This also indicates a leaky brain barrier.

If taking GABA caused no change in how you feel, that is a good sign your blood-brain barrier is intact.

What causes leaky brain

Studies show a variety of factors cause leaky brain:

• Unstable blood sugar; high blood sugar
• Gluten
• Chronic stress
• Chronic inflammation
• Poor gut health (leaky gut)
• Autoimmunity
• Excess alcohol consumption

Repairing leaky brain and leaky gut:

Fortunately, there is plenty you can do to repair leaky brain, reduce or halt brain inflammation, and slow brain degeneration

• Take care of gut health
• Go gluten-free
• Remove other food intolerances (dairy, etc.)
• Manage low or high blood sugar imbalances
• Ensure adequate vitamin D level
• Manage inflammation and autoimmunity

Ask my office for more ideas on how you can repair leaky brain and leaky gut and manage symptoms of brain fog, depression, memory loss, and other signs of poor brain function.

DHA — the best part of fish and algae oil for the brain

Fish oil supplements tout their ratios of DHA and EPA. But how do you know how much EPA or DHA you need? If you’re looking to support and optimize brain health, go for the highest ratio of DHA to EPA you can find. While EPA tames inflammation, DHA is known for boosting brain health.

Both DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, black cod, and bluefish.

Omega 3 is also in vegetarian foods such as nuts and seeds in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which the body ideally converts to EPA and DHA.

However, some people do not convert well due to high blood sugar, certain genetic variances, or a diet high in omega 6 oil (i.e., fried, snack, and restaurant foods).

DHA made from organic farmed algae

A unique and powerful source of DHA is algal oil, produced from organic microscopic algae farms (fish eat algae in the ocean). Studies have shown that algal oil imparts the same omega 3 levels as fish.

Additionally, algal oil means less demand from fishing practices that have already gravely depleted fish populations and avoiding possible contamination with mercury and other toxins that accumulate in fish.

How DHA supports brain health

Most omega-3 supplements come with one-to-one ratio of DHA to EPA. A high ratio of EPA is great for managing inflammation, such as from aches, joint pain, autoimmune flares, or skin conditions. 

A high ratio of DHA has been shown to help support issues such as depression, mood swings, bipolar symptoms, poor memory, and cognitive decline. 

Look for a 4-to-1 ratio of EPA to DHA for brain health. Some products go as high as 10-to-1 and 24-to-1. 

How DHA helps the brain

DHA is vital to the health and integrity of neurons. 

It allows neurons to be fluid and flexible, ensuring good communication throughout the brain. This keeps the brain vital and active and inhibits brain degeneration. 

DHA also improves short- and long-term memory, reduces brain inflammation (which speeds ages of the brain and causes myriad symptoms such as brain fog and depression), and enhances overall quality of life.

DHA prevent leaky blood-brain barrier

The blood-brain-barrier is a cellular membrane that lines the brain, protecting it from bacteria, toxins, and other pathogens while allowing necessary compounds in and out. Leaky brain is common and inflames and degenerates the brain.

A new study also shows DHA plays a role in keeping the blood-brain-barrier intact, thus helping to repair 
and prevent leaky brain. 

How much fish oil or algal oil should you take

People typically need more fish oil than they think to obtain sufficient omega 3 fatty acids, especially if they eat too much omega 6. One study recommends 3,500 mg for a person eating 2,000 calories daily. This is four to six capsules of fish oil a day at 1 gram each.

Because DHA and EPA are more concentrated in algae, the recommended dose of algal oil is about half that of fish oil at two to three grams a day.

If you take a blood-thinner talk to your doctor first.

If your brain on fire? How to know if you have brain inflammation

Is your brain on fire with inflammation? The brain doesn’t hurt like an inflamed knee does, so it’s hard to know if inflammation is happening. However, the brain communicates inflammation in how it makes you feel.

One of the most common symptoms of brain inflammation is brain fog, that feeling of slow and fuzzy thinking. Other common brain inflammation symptoms include depression  anxiety, irritability, anger, memory loss, and fatigue. Even getting a song stuck in your head is a symptom.

Of course, other factors can cause these symptoms, but an inflamed and thus quickly degenerating brain is often involved in brain-based symptoms.

For instance, if these symptoms arise after eating certain foods, such as wheat or dairy, that can be a strong clue brain inflammation is at work.

Why inflammation causes brain fog

One of the most common symptoms of brain inflammation is brain fog. Why is this? Inflammation in the brain slows down firing between neurons. Thus the overall operation of the brain slows down. This is what causes your brain function to be foggy, dull, and slow.

In the case of depression, inflammatory immune cells called cytokines hamper brain function and the activity of serotonin  a brain chemical needed to feel joy and well-being. For example, depression is a common side effect with the anti-viral drug interferon, which raises cytokine levels.

Also, brain imaging and autopsies show brain inflammation is more common in individuals with autism.

It’s important to take brain inflammation seriously — inflammation in the brain damages and destroys brain cells, speeding aging and atrophy of your brain. This raises your risk for dementia, Alzheimer’s (brain inflammation increases amyloid beta), Parkinson’s and other degenerative brain diseases.

Why does brain inflammation happen

It’s very important to know why your brain is inflamed because this will point you in the right direction to address it and relieve symptoms.

One of the more common causes of brain inflammation is an injury to the head. A brain injury causes the brain’s immune cells, which are different from those in the body, to begin the healing process and removal of dead and damaged neurons.

However, immune cells in the brain do not turn off, especially if there are already other imbalances in the body. This means inflammation in the brain can continue long after injury. This is one reason football players have brain-related issues long after they retire.

Other causes of brain inflammation include:

• Chronic inflammation in the body
• Leaky gut
• High blood sugar and diabetes
• Hormone imbalances
• Food intolerances (gluten is notorious)
• Chronic stress
• Brain autoimmunity — a disorder in which the immune system attacks and damages brain tissue. It is more common than people realize.

Take brain inflammation seriously

Brain inflammation means your brain is degenerating (aging) too fast. Brain-saving tips include:

Take flavonoids, plant compounds that have been shown to reduce brain inflammation.

Balance blood sugar. Avoid blood sugar that is too low or too high. Insulin resistance and diabetes are notorious brain inflamers.

Food sensitivities. Gluten commonly inflames the rule. Also rule out dairy, soy, eggs, and other grains as sources of inflammation.

Balance hormones. Low sex and thyroid hormones contribute to brain inflammation. 

Heal your gut and promote good gut bacteria. The gut, gut bacteria, and the brain are intimately connected. A healthy brain requires a healthy gut.

Anti-inflammatory nutrients. Glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, can help quench brain inflammation —take the precursors and glutathione recycling ingredients. Sufficient essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are important, too.

Get functional neurology help for a brain injury. If you injured your brain, even if it was a while ago, you may need functional neurology help to tame brain inflammation and restore function. In functional neurology we can identify problem areas and know which areas to activate and which to dampen to optimize brain function.

How your inner ear can influence your emotions

We tend to think of our emotions as being strictly tied to our psychology and personality — some people are highly emotional and others are not. But did you know your inner can profoundly affect your emotions?

Our inner ear, called the vestibular system, is integrated with the eyes and the brain to tell you where you are in space and is integral to survival, safety, and attention.

This system is a labyrinth of the semi-circular positioned in right angles to each other so they can perceive motion in three-dimensional space.

You engage your vestibular system when you turn your head, change positions, look one direction while moving in another, balance on one leg, ride a bike, and so on. The vestibular system also plays a role in integrating gravity, acceleration, and deceleration.

In summary, the vestibular system works with your eyes and your brain to keep your body stable and aware of where it is in the environment around it. Imagine driving while holding a glass of water and how accelerating, driving at an even speed, stopping, and turning affect the water in the glass. This is somewhat how the vestibular system, which contains fluid and sensory hair cells, works to deliver information to the brain.

When the vestibular system isn’t working well

Unfortunately, the inner ear can be quite fragile and vulnerable to damage from concussions, micro-traumas to the brain, and whiplash. Many people have vestibular system damage or disorders that they are not aware of.

Some hallmarks of vestibular problems include poor balance, dizziness, and being easily prone to motion sickness.

When the inner ear canals are damaged, information from the vestibular system does not coordinate properly with information from the eyes and the body. This causes neurological confusion and resulting symptoms.

A poorly functioning cerebellum also plays a role in vestibular dysfunction. The cerebellum is the area at the base of the brain — it works closely with the vestibular system and is integral to balance and coordination.

How inner ear problems cause emotional problems

When your vestibular system is damaged, or when there is dysfunctional coordination between the inner ear and the cerebellum, your sense of balance and stability are affected. The body ultimately perceives this as a stressor.

Typically, vestibular dysfunction is too subtle for most people to notice. Yet it nevertheless creates a sense of neurological confusion the brain and body perceive as chronically and subtly terrifying, thus putting the survival system on red alert and raising stress hormones.

People who have experienced anxiety after being on a roller coaster or from spinning may understand this connection.

Emotions are governed by an area of the brain called the limbic system, and extensive networks exist between the vestibular and the limbic system. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people diagnosed with vestibular disorders to report they are not themselves emotionally.

Rehabilitating the inner ear for healthier emotions

Researchers are able to impact a person’s depression, anxiety, and other emotional states by activating and rehabilitating the vestibular system, lending further weight to the connection between the inner ear and emotions.

Fortunately, functional neurology is well grounded in the examination of the vestibular system, identifying dysfunction, and creating customized exercises to help you rehabilitate your vestibular system and brain.

This can bring not only relief from physical signs and symptoms, but it can also lower anxiety and relieve emotional symptoms. Ask my office for more information.

Are you at risk for developing digital dementia?

Are you addicted to social media? Do you rarely write with a pen anymore? Do you find it difficult to wait without checking your phone? If so, you may be at risk for developing digital dementia.

Researchers theorize that overuse of digital technology breaks down short term memory and cognitive abilities. In other words, by letting computers think for us, our brains degenerate more quickly from lack of “exercise” in memory and learning.

For instance, some research shows a connection between excessive video game playing and increased risk of behavioral disorders and dementia. This is said to be due to degeneration of the brain’s hippocampus, which increases risk of depression, PTSD, dementia, and mental illness.

Facebook and reduced grey matter in the brain

A recent study found people who frequently check Facebook on their phones have less gray matter in the reward center of the brain, called the nucleus accumbens.

The nucleus accumbens is activated by things that feel rewarding: good food, sex, drugs, falling in love, and … Facebook. This area of the brain is driven by the neurotransmitter dopamine, our “pleasure and reward” brain chemical.

This area of the brain and dopamine also play a role in addiction. Some people can’t seem to get enough of the good things and overdo them, developing an addiction to constant dopamine stimulation, whether it’s from drugs or Facebook.

The study was not able to determine whether excessive Facebook use reduces gray matter in the nucleus accumbens, or whether those with reduced gray matter are more prone to being Facebook addicts.

Loss of handwriting linked to loss of brain function

The diminishing use of handwriting has also been linked with declining brain health and function.

Research shows college students who take notes by hand learn lecture material better than their classmates who type the notes into their computers. This is because the act of writing by hand requires more focus, discernment, and motor control. These functions enhance memory and sharpen brain function, while typing is more mindless. In fact, note taking via computer can actually impair learning.

The complexity of handwriting and the many areas of the brain it involves is evidenced by how long it takes children to learn to write. In fact, brain scans of children writing versus typing showed typing activates far fewer regions of the brain.

The internet is making us dumber

For all the wealth of knowledge it delivers, the internet is making us dumber, say researchers. It’s hard to sink into an article when you’re constantly interrupted by hyperlinks, ads, emails, and other distractions. Brain scans show internet use changes the wiring of the brain.

On the other hand, the “under stimulation” of a book actually improves comprehension, memory, and focus.

Blue light sabotages sleep and the sleep-wake cycle

There is another way digital technology harms our brains — through the blue light computer, smart phone, and tablet screens emit. This blue light is interpreted as daylight by the brain and dampens the production of sleep hormones. Blue light at night thus leads to insomnia, a disordered sleep-wake cycle, and increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and other diseases.

These are just a few reminders why you need to remember to spend time doing things the old-fashioned way if you care about your brain health.

3 ways gluten damages the brain and nervous system

Many people think they don’t need to go gluten-free because eating wheat doesn’t give them gut problems. However, the area of the body most often damaged by gluten isn’t the gut but the brain and nervous system. If you struggle with anxiety, depression, brain fog, memory loss, fatigue, or other brain-based disorders, it’s worth ruling out whether a gluten sensitivity is attacking your brain and causing symptoms.

Studies have linked gluten sensitivity with numerous brain-based and psychiatric disorders, including movement disorders (such as tics and dystonias), neuromyelitis, multiple sclerosis, vertigo (dizziness), neuropathy, neuromuscular disease, migraines, hearing loss, dementia, restless leg syndrome, schizophrenia, and other disorders in almost every part of the nervous system studied.

Three ways gluten sensitivity can damage the brain and nervous system

Gluten sensitivity can damage the brain and nervous system in at least three ways.

Cross-reactivity. Perhaps the most destructive is through cross-reactivity. This happens when the immune system mistakes nerve cells for gluten because both have similar structures. This means if you are gluten intolerant, every time you eat it the immune system attacks both gluten and brain tissue, depending on the site of the attack. This develops into an autoimmune condition.

Transglutaminase 6 reactivity. In another scenario, gluten triggers an immune response to transglutaminase, an enzyme that both binds proteins in the body but also helps digest wheat. Transglutaminase-6 (TG6) is found throughout the central nervous system. Sometimes a gluten sensitivity involves reacting to transglutaminase in the digestive tract. This can trigger an attack against TG6 in the brain and nervous system. Transglutaminase is also used as a glue in processed meats (such as chicken nuggets), and people who react to transglutaminase may also react to this form of it.

Leaky blood-brain barrier. The third way gluten can damage the brain is by breaking down the protective layer around the brain called the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier acts as a gatekeeper allowing necessary compounds in and out of the brain while keeping out harmful things. The inflammation from a gluten sensitivity can break down this barrier so that harmful substances can enter the environment of the brain and trigger inflammation and damage to brain tissue. This is called a leaky blood-brain barrier.

How to stop gluten from damaging your brain

One of the best ways to know whether gluten is causing attacks against your brain is to go strictly gluten-free for at least six months. Due to the months-long inflammatory nature of gluten, it does not work if you eat a little bit of gluten now and then. You must be very strict.

You can also test for gluten sensitivity, but keep in mind standard doctors’ tests only test for one portion of gluten — alpha gliadin. Research shows people react to at least 12 different portions of gluten. In order to thoroughly screen for a gluten sensitivity, you must order your test through Cyrex Labs.

Lastly, some people who react to gluten also react to other foods just as badly. The most common secondary food is dairy. Sometimes it’s an issue of the immune system mistaking certain foods for gluten (dairy and other grains are common culprits). Sometimes it’s a sensitivity of its own. If you tested positive for gluten sensitivity or don’t feel better on a gluten-free diet, you may want to consider the more thorough approach of the autoimmune diet.

If you are experiencing depression, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, or other brain-based symptoms, ask my office how we can help you.

Autism often linked to early brain autoimmunity

Autism spectrum disorder rates have increased by about 80 percent in the last 15 years, and an estimated one in 45 children have autism. While both parents scramble and scientists search for answers, one factor increasingly shows up in research: An immune system gone awry attacking the brain — also called autoimmunity.

Research has shown that some children with autism develop autoimmunity to the brain due to antibodies passed to them from their mothers while in utero. One study found one in 10 mothers of children with autism carry antibodies in their blood that reacts to their children’s brains.

Maternal autoimmunity raises autism risk

A mother who already has ongoing autoimmunity (which often may not have been diagnosed) is at a higher risk for having a child with autism.

Studies show children born to moms with autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis, are three times more likely to develop autism.

This is because the mother carries antibodies in her bloodstream that are programmed to target human tissue for attack, including brain tissue. These antibodies then get passed to her fetus.

Obesity and diabetes in moms also raises risk

The factors that predispose a person to triggering autoimmunity are another risk mothers can pass onto their kids, the most common being disorders stemming from high blood sugar: obesity, diabetes, and PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). This is because excess sugar is highly inflammatory and raises the risk of autoimmunity.

For instance, maternal obesity almost doubles the risk of a child developing autism, while obesity combined with diabetes quadruples the risk. Maternal PCOS  a hormonal disorder caused by high blood sugar, has also been linked with an increased risk of autism in children due to excess testosterone.

Leaky gut and fetal immune health

Another maternal risk factor that can affect fetal brain health is leaky gut, also known as intestinal permeability. This is a common condition in which the inflamed and damaged gut wall allows undigested foods, bacteria, and other pathogens to escape from the intestines into the bloodstream. These circulating pathogens affect the fetus by stimulating an immune response that may affect the development of the fetal brain.

Many things can cause leaky gut, but the most common is excess sugars and starches, processed foods, and junk foods. Other factors are chronic stress, excess alcohol, antibiotics, NSAIDS, and metabolic imbalances.

Because the gut is the seat of the immune system, a leaky gut triggers a cascade of inflammation that extends beyond the gut and into the brain and body. This raises the risk of brain antibodies developing in the mother and being passed to the fetus.

Immune health affects the developing brain

While some children withstand the assaults of modern life relatively unscathed, the child with autism or whose brain and immune system are predisposed to autism will react to foods, vaccines, viruses, chemicals, or other immune triggers. This imbalance can begin in the womb.

An anti-inflammatory diet is foundational to a healthy immune system and pregnancy. Studies have shown the effectiveness of a gluten-free and dairy-free diet or, more ideally, the immune balancing autoimmune diet.

It’s important to approach conception and pregnancy with immune health in mind. This will not only reduce the risk of autism but also reduce susceptibility to other immune disorders, including asthma, eczema, food intolerances, allergies, and other brain developmental disorders (e.g., Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, ADD/ADHD, etc.)

Always tilting your head could signal brain problem

Do you find you can stay more focused and understand information better if you tilt your head to one side? Or perhaps you think you’re holding your head straight until a photographer asks you to straighten it.

A persistent head tilt can be a sign of a brain imbalances that needs addressing, even if you don’t have other symptoms. These brain imbalances may manifest as more serious problems down the road. By addressing what is causing your head tilt early, you can improve brain performance and prevent future problems.

What a head tilt says about your brain

Your brain, eyes, inner ear (vestibular) system, and body all work together to tell you where you are in relation to your environment.

Your eyes tell your brain where you are in the environment. Your vestibular system coordinates this information with any movements happening Information from the joints, nerves, and muscles provide feedback about what your body is doing.

Constantly tilting your head to one sign means there is a deviation within these pathways causing your brain to think your head is straight when it’s not. Or you may feel your brain simply works better if you keep your head constantly tilted to one side.

Common causes of head tilt

Perhaps this happened due to a head injury or whiplash earlier in life, two things notorious for causing lasting damage to the vestibular system and brain.

Or dysfunction can arise from brain developmental issues that started in childhood, such as the left hemisphere developing too quickly compared to the right — a common problem these days.

Factors that cause brain inflammation can also affect function of the brain and vestibular system. Sources of brain inflammation include infection, undiagnosed food intolerances (most common are gluten and dairy), leaky gut, and blood sugar and hormonal imbalances.

More severe causes of head tilt

Head tilts can also be caused by structural problems in the neck and spine.

They can also be related to more advanced conditions such as dystonia, a disorder that causes muscles to contract involuntarily.

Other symptom of dystonia may include dragging one leg, foot cramping, uncontrollable blinking, and difficulty talking.

Dystonias arise from problems in an area of the brain called the basal ganglia that helps regulate muscle contractions and movement. Basal ganglia disorders are not uncommon and include other conditions such as restless leg syndrome, tics, anxiety, tremors, cramping, muscle rigidity, and more.

Head tilt and imbalances in visual processing

A chronic head tilt can also arise due to how the eyes process visual information. If vision from one eye is being interpreted as coming in lower or higher than the other eye, the brain will compensate by tilting the head to make vision appear more equal.

How well your eyes can pursue a target moving both smoothly or in small jumps in various directions informs the functional neurologist as to how your brain is working. For instance, a poorly functioning cerebellum, the area of the brain that plays a role in balance and motor coordination, causes poor function with visual tracking that can lead to a head tilt.

Also, if certain eye muscles are weak, exercises to strengthen those can help correct head tilt. 

This is very general overview of a complex topic, but the bottom line is if you have a head tilt a functional neurology approach can help improve your brain function.

Why you should see a functional neurologist after a brain injury

If you sustain a brain injury, even a mild one, it’s important to be evaluated by a functional neurologist to prevent long term damage and symptoms. Functional neurology uses diagnostic testing that is more sensitive and thorough than normal and that customize rehabilitation based on specific areas of damage to prevent problems in the future.

Brain injury or concussion symptoms typically include fatigue, brain fog, and changes in mood and behavior. Physical symptoms include dizziness, problems with motor control or balance, or digestive issues.

When these symptoms persist, people tend to stay indoors more and avoid social environments or areas where light and sound overstimulate them. Although this becomes the new normal for many people who have had a concussion, it is not normal as a long term strategy.

Even if you don’t have symptoms after a head injury, a functional neurology exam can prevent future problems by identifying areas that may be damaged unbeknownst to you.

The functional neurology exam after a brain injury

A post-concussion functional neurology exam evaluates the brain in relation to possible nerve damage in other areas of the body, problems in the joints or spine, and damage to the inner ear, also called the vestibular system.

The vestibular system coordinates with the eyes and higher centers of the brain to help control where the body is in space. This system is commonly damaged with brain injuries, causing dizziness, nausea, disorientation, or the sense of being on a rocky boat.

Functional neurology uses brain evaluation tests that aren’t typically used in the standard health care model. For instance, videonystagmography uses infrared eye goggles to trace eye movements during visual stimulation or movement to test the inner ear and diagnose vertigo or balance problems.

Although that’s a common tool, it’s only one of many possible options. Functional neurology combines a variety of exam tools to create a broad, objective picture of brain function and health. We then repeat those tests to measure progress and modify treatment during the rehabilitation process.

How functional neurology differs from conventional neurology with brain injuries

When a person sustains a brain injury that warrants a trip to the emergency room, a CAT scan may be ordered to screen for fracture, hemorrhage, or swelling that needs to be surgically addressed. A follow up MRI can identify bleeds or tissue injuries.

However, the majority of brain injuries are too mild for damage to show up on CAT scans or MRIs. More sensitive imaging is available but typically not used as it doesn’t change the course of treatment in the standard model (unless it’s in a situation involving a third party, such as a car accident).

However, with more sensitive functional neurology testing we can find out if these problems come from a balance issue or a visual issue and develop treatment strategies that address problem areas one by one based on your unique situation.

For instance, if turning your head to the right makes you dizzy, functional neurology uses exercises to address the areas of the vestibular system and brain causing that before moving on to more conventional physical rehabilitation — an area where the standard health care approach typically begins.

Diet and lifestyle approaches to healing a brain injury

It’s also important to address your brain injury metabolically. This means following an anti-inflammatory diet  stabilizing blood sugar, healing gut problems, addressing chronic infections, balancing hormones, and dealing with other lingering health issues that will slow or prevent brain recovery.

Likewise, it's key to minimize brain inflammation by removing aspartame and glutamate from your diet and adding magnesium. 

Ask my office for more information about how functional neurology can help you recover from a brain injury.

Skyrocketing suicide rates: Brain-based prevention tips

While death rates from cancer, heart disease and even homicide have gone down in the last 20 years, the suicide rate in the United States has risen sharply  Suicide is one of the 10 leading causes of death in the country, having jumped 80 percent between 1999 and 2014.

Economic distress, social isolation, and social media are factors that take part of the blame for skyrocketing suicide rates. While it is important to address these factors, we must also look at addressing depression, anxiety, and brain injury by improving brain health.

What does a brain need for health?

To function optimally, your brain needs fuel, stimulation, and oxygen; appropriately timed and in proper amounts. Unfortunately, our standard American diets (SAD) and sedentary lifestyles deprive the brain of these critical elements, setting the stage for dysfunction.

Brain fuel

The brain consumes about one third of the body's energy and depends on a steady, reliable source of glucose to keep it fueled and functioning properly. Spikes and drops in blood sugar (glucose) levels sabotage brain function, often causing depression and anxiety.

Symptoms of high blood sugar levels include fatigue after meals, constant hunger and thirst, and cravings for sugary foods and drinks.

Some common low blood sugar symptoms are moodiness or lightheadedness if meals are delayed or missed, waking up at 3 or 4 a.m., and a dependence on caffeine or sugar to keep you going.

Both low and high blood sugar are commonly caused by eating too many processed carbohydrates and sugary foods. Therefore, one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy and protect against depression is to eat a healthy, whole foods diet devoid of processed carbohydrates and sweets.

Brain stimulation

A healthy brain also needs exercise. Physical activity, such as jogging or gardening, and mental activities, such as playing chess and reading, stimulate the brain to keep it active and healthy. Watching TV is not stimulating, and spending hours on social media can worsen brain function. A well stimulated brain is less likely to get depressed.

Oxygen

The fact that you are breathing is no guarantee that your brain is receiving sufficient oxygen. Oxygen enters through our lungs and is carried, attached to iron, through the bloodstream into the brain where it can be used by the brain's cells. If you have poor circulation (symptoms can include cold hands and feet, or fungal nail infections), compromised lungs, or you are anemic, your brain may not be getting the oxygen it needs for optimal health, and depression could result.

History of brain trauma also important

Just one concussion triples the risk of suicide according to a Canadian study  This is likely due to unchecked brain inflammation, which damages brain cells, or neurons, leading to depression later on. If you have had a brain injury in your past and suffer from depression or anxiety, it’s vital to seek functional neurology help to help improve your brain health.

Functional medicine and neurology strategies can help to minimize damage from concussions, thereby reducing the risk of future depression and suicide.

To learn more about how to support brain health, contact my office.

Why your brain may be the cause of sleep apnea

It’s commonly thought that sleep apnea is simply a problem of obesity or structural issues that interfere with breathing. However, a commonly overlooked cause of sleep apnea in men and women is the brain. When the brain is not functioning properly, this can interfere with the body’s ability to maintain proper breathing function while asleep.

Sleep apnea and the brain in women

The brain’s influence on sleep apnea can be seen in women during perimenopause and menopause if their estrogen drops too low.

Insufficient estrogen causes the brain to fail in signaling the palate and tongue to maintain tone during sleep. The resulting lack of tone blocks the airway.

The brain-related cause of sleep apnea is different in men. In a rat study  young male rats responded to normal episodes of oxygen deprivation during sleep by automatically increasing brain activity to take deeper and more frequent breaths. However, the older male rats did not respond in the same way due, it’s theorized, to more aged brains.

Researchers observed a much different response to these normal episodes of sleep-induced oxygen deprivation in female rats. For one thing, older female rats responded much more positively to these hypoxic events than the older males.

Younger female rats had an even better response, especially during specific times in the menstrual cycle. This led scientists to believe female hormones play a role in how they respond to normal episodes of oxygen deprivation during sleep.

This theory is what leads researchers to believe estrogen deficiency contributes to sleep apnea in women during perimenopause and menopause. Estrogen influences serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter chemical that plays a role in giving the tongue and palate tone, including during sleep.

Estrogen tells the brain to breathe in women

To test the theory that the interplay between estrogen and serotonin plays a role in sleep apnea, researchers induced menopause in female rats by removing their ovaries. Sure enough, post-mortem brain biopsies showed less serotonin in the area of the brain that controls the tongue. This had made it harder for the female rats to respond to episodes of oxygen deprivation during sleep. This helps explain why sleep apnea affects more women in midlife.

Sleep apnea and the brain in men

Middle-aged men also experience higher rates of sleep apnea due to the effect of declining testosterone on the brain.

In midlife, men snore more and have more episodes where they stop breathing.

Middle-aged women, however, more commonly complain of insomnia  as well as headaches, fatigue, and irritability caused by sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality. That estrogen deficiency promotes weight gain and restless leg syndrome only worsens the problem of sleep apnea.

Hormone status that plummets too low in midlife can be the result of chronic stress, poor diets, lack of exercise, and other standard bad habits of modern living. These are areas we can address through functional medicine.

Functional neurology and sleep apnea

Sleep apnea can also arise in relation to traumatic brain injuries  childhood brain development disorders such as autism  or other brain-related issues. In functional neurology we can identify identify areas of dysfunction related to sleep apnea, such as with nerves traveling from the tongue to the brain through the brainstem. Based on findings, customized rehabilitation exercises may help address problems with sleep apnea.

Functional medicine and neurology strategies can profoundly improve both brain and hormone function so you not only sleep better, but also feel and function better. Ask my office for more advice.

Use functional neurology to reverse memory loss and prevent dementia and Alzheimer's

Although genetics play a role in memory loss, that doesn’t mean you have to be a helpless victim to the ravages of brain degeneration. By taking action right away if you notice memory loss, you can reverse your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s before it’s too late.

One study showed that nine out of 10 patients were able to reverse their memory loss. The study subjects also showed significant long-term improvement in memory function.

So what was the magic bullet? No magic, just implementation of functional neurology basics.

The subjects underwent a dietary and lifestyle overhaul that included changes in what they ate, regular exercise, supplementation, better sleep, and exercising their brain.

The improvements were so profound that some of the subjects were able to work again, having quit before due to advancing memory loss.

Of the 10 study subjects, the only one not to improve suffered from late-stage Alzheimer’s — showing how important it is to take action to reverse memory loss before it’s too late.

Although plenty of functional neurology clinical cases show memory loss can be reversed, this was the first study of its kind.

Functional neurology to reverse memory loss

In the study, subjects reversed their memory loss through the following approaches also commonly used in functional neurology:

• Removing all simple carbohydrates (white rice, pasta, bread, sugar, etc.) from the diet
• Eliminating processed foods
• Gluten-free diet
• Eating more produce and wild fish
• Doing yoga and activities that reduce stress
• Increasing sleep from 4-5 hours a night to 7-8
• Supplementing with methyl B12, vitamin D3, fish oil, CoQ10, curcumin, resveratrol, ashwagandha, and coconut oil
• Exercising a minimum of 30 minutes four to six times a week
• No snacking
• Use of hormone therapy in cases where it was necessary

Researchers found the biggest challenge in the study was complaining from the subjects about all the changes. Nevertheless, all but one enjoyed significant benefits.

How functional neurology can reverse memory loss

One of the more important factors in reversing memory loss is reducing consumption of simple and processed carbohydrates. These foods spike the blood sugar, inflame the brain, and trigger a cascade of chronic health problems.

In fact, some researchers call Alzheimer’s type 3 diabetes because excess sugar and carbohydrates are so destructive to the brain.

Exercise is another vital strategy to reverse memory loss because it has so many beneficial effects on the brain.

It’s also important to get enough sleep every night to reverse memory loss. This is because one purpose of the brain waves produced during sleep is to transfer memories from short-term storage to long-term storage areas of the brain (hippocampus to neocortex). Too little sleep disrupts this process.

A gluten-free diet can be a profound tool to reverse memory loss — in some people gluten triggers inflammation or autoimmune destruction of brain tissue, sabotaging memory function. Other foods such as dairy, eggs, soy, and grains can do the same.

Although most people think a gluten sensitivity causes gut problems, the truth it more commonly causes neurological damage. For some people, simply going gluten free profoundly improves their brain health and reverses memory loss.

Rehabilitating brain deficits to reverse memory loss

In addition to dietary and lifestyle approaches, functional neurology rehabilitation techniques can help reverse memory loss. If an area of your brain is under active or over active, functional neurology exercises to restore balance and function to the brain will help improve overall brain function, including reversing memory loss.

Ask my office about ways functional medicine and functional neurology can help you reverse memory loss and prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Girls with autism show different symptoms than boys

We commonly think of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affecting mostly boys. While it’s true ASD affects more boys than girls, it turns out that many girls go undiagnosed because their symptoms are much different than that of boys. Girls with autism may behave socially more like neurotypical males than boys with autism. Female autism may also be misdiagnosed as anorexia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The diagnostic criteria for autism — difficulties with socialization and communication and repetitive, inflexible behavior patterns — come from studies on boys. A 2012 study of 15,000 twins found that girls needed to exhibit more extreme behavioral problems and intellectually disability to receive a diagnosis. This means that many girls on the milder side of the ASD spectrum go undiagnosed.

Girls with autism closer to typical boys

Brain scans, genetic testing, and other measures show that girls with autism disorders not only present differently than boys, but also that the understanding of autism has been overly narrow by primarily studying boys.

For one thing, brain scans show a girl with autism process social information much differently than neurotypical girls, but also differently than boys with autism. Instead, their brain operates very much like that of a neurotypical boy. Furthermore, research assessing friendship quality and empathy showed autistic girls score about the same as neurotypical boys.

Girls are better able to hide autism

Girls often go undiagnosed also because they can excel and suppressing their symptoms and studying and mimicking neurotypical girls. However, it’s an exhausting and stressful process for autistic girls, who show a much greater desire to connect than boys.

Girls also exhibit less repetitive behavior and more typical types of play as children, although researchers can pick out subtle differences — obsessively lining up their Barbies, for instance, or being more engaged in staging a scene than the story line.

Female autism can present as anorexia or OCD

Autistic girls also differ from their neurotypical peers by being extreme in their traits, such as “too sensitive” or “too intense.” Their single-minded intensity is believed to underlie anorexia in some who channel those traits into dieting and body obsession. The extreme aversion to certain tastes and textures common with autism also lends itself to anorexia. It’s estimated about 20 percent of women with anorexia also have autism.

The same can be said for autism and OCD, as obsessive-compulsive behavior, fear of change, and being overly rigid are hallmark traits of both OCD and autism.

Autism can make girls vulnerable to predators

Sadly, the autistic girl’s traits of taking things literally combined with social isolation makes her more vulnerable to sexual predators and abusive relationships.

Autistic girls are more apt to suffer from anxiety, low self-esteem, social isolation, and depression. Although people with mild autism are ten times more likely to be suicidal than the general population, the rate is highest in women — 71 percent of women with Asperger’s report suicidal thoughts.

The role of maternal testosterone in autism risk

Autism risk is linked with higher levels of fetal testosterone. A mother with polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder that causes high testosterone, has an almost 60 percent higher risk of giving birth to a child with autism. This is why having a female brain offers protective barriers to this tendency.

However, researchers have found girls with autism have a higher number of genetic mutations than autistic boys. In other words, a girl’s brain may need more genetic and environmental “hits” in order to develop autism.

Whiplash can cause dizziness by damaging inner ear

Although awareness around brain injury is growing, few people realize whiplash has been shown in neurological exams to be capable of causing damage to the brain and inner ear in the same way a concussion can.

Whiplash takes its name from the neck moving in a forceful, back-and-forth manner like the crack of a whip. Whiplash is most commonly associated with car accidents, particularly being hit from behind. However, it can also occur during sports, falls, blows to the head, or other accidents.

Whiplash can cause concussion-like injury

Studies show the force of the brain shaking back and forth in a whiplash incident can injure the brain and the vestibular system, or inner ear, in the same way a concussion can.

This is a less common occurrence than the more usual cervical strain/sprain of most cases of whiplash, caused by the stretching and tearing of the neck’s muscles and ligaments.

When whiplash damages the vestibular system, it’s common for people to experience dizziness; loss of balance; nausea in response to motion; tingling, prickling, and numbness in the limbs; low back pain; headache; and sleep disturbances.

This occurs because of damage caused directly to the semicircular canals that make up the inner ear, or because of a shearing force affecting the nerves in the brainstem that travel to the inner ear.

When damage occurs to the inner ear itself, it’s classified as a peripheral vestibular order. If the nerves connecting the vestibular system to the brainstem are affected, then it’s a central vestibular disorder.

Using functional neurology to address damage to the vestibular system, or inner ear, from whiplash

The issue of whether damage occurs to the peripheral vestibular system or the central vestibular system is often ignored because it doesn’t change treatment in the conventional health care model.

However, in functional neurology this distinction is very important and profoundly affects the course of treatment.

When the central vestibular system is injured, functional neurology rehabilitation exercises reprogram the pathways between the inner ear and the rest of the brain. They accomplish this by working on involuntary movements associated with the inner ear and the eyes. This improves communication between the inner ear and the rest of the brain, thus restoring or improving function.

The vestibular system works with our vision and our brain’s regulation of where the body is in space in order to maintain equilibrium. Gently exercising a compromised equilibrium system can help it regain normal function. A rehabilitation exercise may include activating the visual center in combination with motion, such as spinning slowly in a chair while watching stripes move in a particular direction.

For the patient, exercising this system back to health this means relief from nauseating dizzy spells and other symptoms that have been happening since the whiplash injury occurred.

This is a broad and simple overview of why you may feel dizzy after whiplash and how functional neurology can help identify why and strategize a plan to help you feel and function better.