Blog Posts

What is justice? Neuro-Diversity --- A strong Sense of Justice and emotional dysregulation

12/18/2024

Val's Take/Conjecture

Western Civilization has many profound things to say about Justice.

As a society, we're in a relatively long process to make the transition to a Public Health Approach to Criminal Justice.

This "Justice Sensitivity" is up and down the System --- and I would say the Emotional Dysregulation is as well.

I'm not a big believer that punishment is going to bring us to the Promised Land --- although I do believe in Safety.

Better Treatments and maybe Better Treatments that address Immune Pathologies could help everyone.

Justice Sensitivity and Neurodivergence: Navigating Unique Moral Landscapes (2024)

The Fairness Imperative – ADHD and Justice Sensitivity

Emotion regulation and emotion dysregulation in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A meta-analysis of evaluation and intervention studies (2024)

Emotional dysregulation is part of ADHD.

See how psychologists are helping
By understanding the science of ADHD and emotion dysregulation, psychologists can offer better support (2024)

Conventional and new immunotherapies for immune system dysregulation in postpartum mood disorders: comparisons to immune system dysregulations in bipolar disorder, major depression, and postpartum autoimmune thyroid disease (2024)

Fatigue, Employment & Accommodations

12/18/2024

Val's Take/Conjecture

I've talked about this before--- for most people mental health is about suicidality and psychosis.
and those are two serious aspects of mental health

One of the symptoms of both Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders is FATIGUE.

Fatigue is being referenced more and more and more --- THANK GOD.

With regard to all those homeless people lying around ---- they are just LAZY or need a little help getting back on their feet.

The reality for many is that they are dealing with DEVELOPMENTAL INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES that may have wide ranging additional affects to psychiatric disorders and neuro-degenerative disorders in later life.

Strengths-Based Approach

One of the issues for Neuro-Diverse Folks is "BURNOUT" and it often is coming BEFORE "BURNOUT" would come for the Neuro-Typical Person.

There are biological reasons for this that often involve DEVELOPMENTAL INFLAMMATION and DYSREGULATION that began in utero.

As Neuro-Diverse people what can make us just a little more irritating even as we're burning out more ---- " I have some special intelligence or talent that I need to be using."

"Really . . . hmmm."

This is bringing into HIGH RELIEF what it is to be NEURO-DIVERSE and deal with idiosyncratic ENERGY ISSUES --- Dr. Christopher Palmer -- Brain Energy.

The Invisible Disability challenge is a CURSE in the lives of many people.

On the other hand, the challenge of Invisible Disability is to make it VISIBLE through BIOMARKERS.

There's a lot of science regarding the ENERGY ISSUES involved with Neuro-Developmental & Psychiatric Disorders.

If we can deal with those issues authentically --- that is going to build sustainable employment relationships.

Maternal inflammation during pregnancy and offspring brain development: the role of mitochondria (2023)

"Maternal immune activation (MIA) can alter aspects of offspring mitochondrial structure and function including mitochondrial biogenesis/mitophagy, oxidative stress/ROS production, bioenergetic function, fission/fusion dynamics, and mtDNA quality."

"Hey, I'm not crazy --- I'm autistic"

12/16/2024

Val's Take/Conjecture

One of my favorite Autistic Youtubers made the comment above.
Interestingly, he also asked --- Is this getting worse?
It is the Neuro-Developmental/Psychiatric Continuum
I think a lot of people who don't fit very neatly into DSM 5 categories and symptom clusters --- come to the attention of Mental Health or the Health Care System through some sort of CRISIS nobody expected.

One of things that is important to understand is that INFLAMMATION is really a UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.

So Maternal Immune Activation can come from a lot of things:

infection
auto-immune disease
obesity
trauma
chemical exposure
etc.

I think a lot of this is Maternal Inflammation In Utero.
BUT that SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION can set us up for very complicated inflammatory processes later in life --- so-called "SECOND HITS."

Predictive biomarkers and initial analysis of maternal immune alterations in postpartum preeclampsia reveal an immune-driven pathology (2024)

Maternal immune response during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes: A longitudinal approach (2024)

A search for "Balance" and Disrupters of "Homeostasis"

11/27/2024

Val's Take/Conjecture

Maternal Immune Activation was probably fairly common in Ancient Times.
In Modern Times, it has been fairly common-- affecting approximately 1/5 to a 1/4 of the population.
But it is only recently that we are starting to get a more complete BIOLOGICAL NARRATIVE.

I think disruptions in biological systems as a result of Maternal Immune Activation may have inspired Aristotle and others to focus on "Balance" and "Homeostasis/"

Adult microglial TGFβ1 is required for microglia homeostasis via an autocrine mechanism to maintain cognitive function in mice (2024)

Modulating microglia activation prevents maternal immune activation induced schizophrenia-relevant behavior phenotypes via arginase 1 in the dentate gyrus (2020)

Sensory Processing, Energy, Super Powers and Burn-outs and Melt-Downs.

11/22/2024

Val's Take/Conjecture

A lot of neuro-diverse people --- talk a lot about the "SUPER POWERS" of various forms of neuro-diversity.

It is extremely important to identify those "SUPER POWERS."

I think the Catch 22 for many neuro-diverse people is that they are processing "MORE" information --- and have less ENERGY to process it.

There is a crying, desperate need to address the DISCONNECT between what people are processing and what it actually takes to do that.

Further, people on the neuro-diverse/psychiatric continuum are generally dealing with "ENERGY ISSUES."

In general, most people think of PSYCHOSIS as "mental health" or poor mental health --- and if someone is suicidal --- that seems like mental health.

Beyond that I think most people would be hard pressed to recognize more subtle issues that are desperately important.

A lot of neuro-diverse people talk about BURN-OUTS and MELT-DOWNS and at least in part these are ENERGY issues.

"Brain Energy" has been a big book for Dr. Chris Palmer.

I think there is a lot to understand --- and appreciate and further develop and revise.

But at the end of the day ---

THIS IS BIG! Brain Energy is an essential concept to neuro-developmental disorders and psychiatric disorders.

Sensory perception in autism. (2017)

Transdiagnostic Patterns of Sensory Processing in Autism and ADHD. (2024)

To make things more challenging --- this is when we generally talk about our "SUPER POWERS" and how we are so creative, innovative, and intelligent --- even as the latest BURN-OUT or MELT-DOWN is smoldering in the background.

Dealing with these energy issues is one of the keys to preventing a worsening of symptoms.

Many neuro-diverse people are coming with significant anxiety as the result of Maternal Immune Activation and any environmental contributors.

A source of HUGE ANXIETY for Neuro-Diverse people is not being able to manage their time in an atypical way in order to avoid BURN-OUTS and MELT-DOWNS.

Further, those Neuro-Diverse "SUPER POWERS" should be leveraged for mutual benefit.

Neuro-diversity & "chronic iLLness"

11/7/2024

Val's Take/Conjecture

"Migraines" need professional treatment.
Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders are PHYSICAL ISSUES. That is much more apparent in 2024 than it has been in the past.

Psychiatric comorbidities of migraine (2024)

Handbook of Clinical Neurology

Migraine is commonly comorbid with psychiatric conditions, particularly major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and sleep disorders.

The presence of psychiatric disorders can make diagnosis and treatment more challenging.

Autism from the Inside
Autism/Chronic Illness --- Is There An Overlap

ADHD and Migraine: What‘s the Link? - Psych Central Mar 28, 2022 · Migraine with aura, also called “classic migraine,” has a particularly strong link with ADHD.

Anti-Social Personality Disorder Is now considered a Neuro-Developmental Disorder

10/19/2024

Val's Take/Conjecture

One of the reasons why Criminal Justice is full of people with Neuro-Developmental Disorders--we don't have great systems of care or placement.
I think the next generation is going to have an easier time accepting that many people coming into contact with the Criminal Justice System are contending with Neuro-Developmental Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders and/or Brain Injury.
In the next 10 to 30 years, their will likely be vastly improved treatments.
Better treatments could make all of this a lot easier ---- BUT even just more accurate paradigms can be revolutionary and provide a foundation for PUBLIC SUPPORT of a COMPREHENSIVE CONTINUUM OF CARE.

The neurobiology of antisocial personality disorder (2024)

Neuro-Diversity and Metabolomic Biomarkers

10/18/2024

Val's Take/Conjecture

In 2013 when the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) determined the then new DSM 5 lacked scientific validity ---
- It was widely reported, BUT
- There wasn't a substitute and NIMH's Research Domain Criteria Program was just getting off the ground.
The DSM's Subjective Cluster of Symptoms is pretty less than ideal -- but if it is all you've got you probably go with it.
Well, the world of BIOMARKERS and specifically METABOLOMIC BIOMARKERS is exploding.
It is going to take a minute to get this to Clinicians, but it appears to be on its way.

Metabolomic Markers in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among Children and Adolescents-A Systematic Review. (2024)

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), characterized by clinical diversity, poses diagnostic challenges often reliant on subjective assessments. ...While guiding future research, this overview of the metabolomic findings in A …

Metabolomic biomarkers in autism: identification of complex dysregulations of cellular bioenergetics (2023)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD or autism) is a phenotypically and etiologically heterogeneous condition. ...We hypothesized that the application of metabolite-based biomarker techniques using decision thresholds derived from quantitative measurements could ide …

Metabolomic Biomarker Signatures for Bipolar and Unipolar Depression. (2024)

IMPORTANCE: Bipolar disorder (BD) is frequently misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder (MDD) because of overlapping symptoms and the lack of objective diagnostic tools. OBJECTIVE: To identify a reproducible metabolomic biomarker signature in patient …

Metabolome - an overview (2017)

Metabolome: The complete collection of metabolites, or small molecules found in a given organelle, cell, tissue, organ, biofluid, or organism. Metabolomics: The comprehensive characterization of metabolites and other chemical species (both exogenous and endogenous) in biological specimens in response to different perturbations or interventions.

Metabolomics: an emerging but powerful tool for precision medicine (2015)

Association Between Human Blood Metabolome and the Risk of Psychiatric Disorders (2023)

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: To identify promising drug targets for psychiatric disorders, we applied Mendelian randomization (MR) design to systematically screen blood metabolome for potential mediators of psychiatric disorders and further predict target-mediated side effec …

Mitochondria in precision medicine; linking bioenergetics and metabolomics in platelets (2019)

Mitochondria possess reserve bioenergetic capacity, supporting protection and resilience in the face of disease. ...To test for correlations of platelet metabolites with energetic parameters, we performed an integrated analysis of metabolomics and MST parameters. Su …

Gut microbiota drives age-related oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in microglia via the metabolite N(6)-carboxymethyllysine (2022)

The absence of gut microbiota diminished oxidative stress and ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction in microglia from the brains of aged mice. Unbiased metabolomic analyses of serum and brain tissue revealed the accumulation of N(6)-carboxymethyllysine (CML) in the …

Dostoyevsky, Irritability & Sensory Processing

10/8/2024

Val's Take/Conjecture

The National Institute of Mental Health is identifying "IRRITABILITY" in children and adults as a significant factor in Mental Health issues.

IRRITABILITY is so ubiquitous in this society.
Further, if you're really sophisticated -- you're trying to attach that IRRITABILITY to some NOBLE CAUSE.
When you're not masking it.

Dostoyevsky

In Dostoyevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov" one of the main characters observes that he loves HUMANITY with all his heart --- but he can't really stand to be in the same room with another human being for 24 hours -- he finds people so IRRITATING.

“I love mankind, he said, "but I find to my amazement that the more I love mankind as a whole, the less I love man in particular.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

Associations Between Chronic Irritability and Sensory Processing Difficulties in Children and Adolescents (2023)

Irritability in Youths: A Critical Integrative Review (2024)

Abstract

Irritability, defined as proneness to anger that may impair an individual's functioning, is common in youths. There has been a recent upsurge in relevant research.

The authors combine systematic and narrative review approaches to integrate the latest clinical and translational findings and provide suggestions for addressing research gaps.

Clinicians and researchers should assess irritability routinely, and specific assessment tools are now available. Informant effects are prominent, are stable, and vary by age and gender.

The prevalence of irritability is particularly high among individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and mood and anxiety disorders. Irritability is associated with impairment and suicidality risk independent of co-occurring diagnoses.

Developmental trajectories of irritability (which may begin early in life) have been identified and are differentially associated with clinical outcomes.

Youth irritability is associated with increased risk of anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and suicidality later in life. Irritability is moderately heritable, and genetic associations differ based on age and comorbid illnesses.

Irritability is also associated with Cancer, Huntington's Disease and Dementia.

19th Century painters & Imagine Dragons ---"I'm gonna say all the words inside my head"

9/11/2024

Val's Take/Conjecture

When we're talking about people with Hyper-Connected Brains as a result of Maternal Immune Activation
- We're often talking --- eccentricity and idiocyncracy.
- So trying to find a "Community" can be hard.
There are a lot of 19th Century Painters --- the ones I'm going to focus on are Gauguin and Van Gogh. [I just learned that Gauguin was only 5'4"]
I would say both Gauguin and Van Gogh were neuro-divergent and were different from one another, often on each other's nerves.

When I first learned about these 19th Century Painters in a "Modern Art Theory Class" --- I was impressed by the art, and largely thought these guys were nuts --- I really didn't know why they were living the lives they were living.

"Lifestyle Choices" are a big concept in Medicine, society generally and are often invoked in our public policy discussions regarding various issues.

Adhd, Autism, Sensory Neurons, Pain & an Intense World

Imagine Dragons
Believer

Due to the Eugenics movement of the 1920s and Nazi Germany, etc. --- people became rightly suspect regarding "biological inferiority" claims.

Unfortunately, we've also become suspect of BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE claims. I think that is not a good thing and leads to FALSE PREMISES which lead some of our public policy debates to become nonsensical.

Val's Take: I'm not a painter, I'm kinda becoming a musician --- but I'm really an ABSTRACT THINKER.

Ted-Ed
Math & Van Gogh's Starry, Starry Night

For Neuro-Divergent people --- these hyper-connected brains can generate a lot of emotions and ideas that are taking up enormous amounts of space in your thinking --- and you need to have some way to download that.

That is a PHYSIOLOGICAL NEED --- it's not really a lifestyle choice.

Further, I think that it can look selfish and self-absorbed and narcissistic.

Additionally, I think it can look "lazy" because the person is often dealing with low-grade fatigue.

Better understanding the dynamics of the biology will help better understand the life.

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NEURODiversity Wednesday

What is justice? Neuro-Diversity --- A strong Sense of Justice and emotional dysregulation

Fatigue, Employment & Accommodations

"Hey, I'm not crazy --- I'm autistic"

A search for "Balance" and Disrupters of "Homeostasis"

Sensory Processing, Energy, Super Powers and Burn-outs and Melt-Downs.

Neuro-diversity & "chronic iLLness"

Anti-Social Personality Disorder Is now considered a Neuro-Developmental Disorder

Neuro-Diversity and Metabolomic Biomarkers

Dostoyevsky, Irritability & Sensory Processing

19th Century painters & Imagine Dragons ---"I'm gonna say all the words inside my head"

Neuro-Diversity
Wednesday

(with variable spellings of Neurodiversity)

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​ NEURODiversity Wednesday

Neuro-DiversityWednesday(with variable spellings of Neurodiversity)

Archives

Categories

NEURODiversity Wednesday

Neuro-Diversity
Wednesday

(with variable spellings of Neurodiversity)