Brain that Changes Itself - Fed Square Lecture (Notes)

A few weeks ago I made a post that briefly mentioned Norman Doidge would be in town to speak at Federation Square.

Doidge has become well known for authoring The Brain that Changes Itself, a layman's introduction to neuroplasticy, its place in medical history, and practical applications in the modern day. Doidge visited Melbourne as part of the annual Melbourne Writer's Festival.

His lecture was entitled The Brain that Changes Itself: Judge for Yourself. I am desensitized to interesting titles since The Age, The Herald Sun, and various Australian media entities predictably print headlines that match content only loosely at best. This lecture follows the market. The end content had little to do with the audience judging anything. The content was (and is) suitably cut and dry. That doesn't it was at all disappointing, however. Doidge's text is an intriguing and rewarding read. His lecture was suitably worth the time spent getting there.

To the disappointment of many, the lecture sold out. If you're one of the many people that couldn't get in, however, have a browse of my notes. In short, Doidge stuck to the content presented in his book. It was good to meet him briefly afterward, and to pick up an obligatory autograph.

Pardon any spelling errors - I was typing as fast as I can.

NOTES
Norman Doidge - The Brain that Changes itself
Melbourne Writers Festival
ACMI Cinema 2
Friday 20100827, 2.30pm

General Discussion Lecture - Judge for Yourself

Wilson de Silva - Cosmos Mag (introduction/interviewer)
- very articulate =|

Doidge - Columbia Univ, NY
- lives/works in Toronto
- Popcorn (nutritious, 'movie time')
-- many attendees have read the book
-- a few have seen the movie
-- (Doidge decides his lecture plan according to audience)
- Neuroplasticity defined
-- change of brain structures in response to sensory input
-- single most important RD in 400 years
-- answers theories that were machine metaphors + genetic predeterminism
- Childhood development
-- trad'lly based upon genetic predeterminism (completed after childhood)
-- doidge's 'neurological nihilism'
- Rehab
-- traditionally, restoring/uncovering/strengthening existing function, not recreating it
-- trad'ly time-limited (6-12 wks)
- Compensation
-- trad'l method of managing dysfunction
-- reinforced a 'fixed' brain/personality

Eric Candell [sp]
- learning turns on genes, those activate proteins
- genes
-- provide templates (for duplication/replication)
-- provide activation information

Paul Bach-y-Rita
- sickly child, well-educated fam
- went to med school on a dare
-- moved into researcher
-- moved into ocular therapy (optics)
- Senses
-- normally seen as passive (ingoing only)
-- eyes are like visual-space scanners
--- 70Hz vibration for scanning
-- ears are aural space scanners
-- active perception can be interrupted by brain function [FTSD PEDAGOGY RELEVANCE/CONNECTION]
- Father's stroke - major motor loss
-- rehab, fixed time frame. Small changes
-- Paul encourages father to crawl (possibly spine based)
-- eventually rebuilt daily functions
-Mobility
-- requires sensory input for building from ground zero
- post-humous autopsy of Pedro showed that this cortical/motor area had been severely damaged
-- despite, Pedro had rebuilt most of his motor functions
- Visual stimulation of skin
-- method for building sight senors when eye dysfunction was severe
-- 'we see with our brains' ... eyes are just input
-- the brain will connect alternative input systems into the right processing areas

VIDEO
Re Bach-y-Rita's 1970's
- the brain will process any information that is accurately delivered.
- pathways into the brain are not important; processing is important

Bach-y-Rita (cont'd)
- transfer to tongue
- at the time, the research was against the main stream, so it was off-grant (perhaps less structured)
- Vestibular helmet
-- in response to a colleague that lost vestibular fxn, Bach-y-Rita's lab developed a balance helmet
-- original intent was a prosthetic
-- side-discovery was that the vestibular fxn could be restored as a side-product of training
--- became tool for generating sensory substitution (retraining/rebuilding/replacement ... without mechanical reliance)
-- treatment for 'wobblers'

Ed Taub
- & learned nonuse
-- Doidge believes nonuse is learned in all areas - physical, psychological, logical, etc.
- based upon Silver Spring research (deafferentation research/surgeries on monkies, 1960's)
-- incredibly critical research

VIDEO
- Birmingham; Michael Bernstein attends Taub clinic
- stroke at age 55
-- original diagnosis was poor (left side damage, basically permanent)
-- attended Taub clinic (CIMT for stroke victims)
--- recruits healthy sections of brain to take over lost functions
- Shaping - training technique
-- improved motor function/response in small steps
-- incremental; requires concentration/focus
--- generates/incites plastic change
-- avoid 'impossible' actions or goals - must be small steps
-- often use childrens toys/items for retraining
- brain areas either mirroring or adjacent are most likely to take over lost functions

VIDEO - on pain
- neuropathic pain - chronic pain due to neurological/system damage
- VS Ramichandran [sp]
-- researches phantom limbs
-- related face maps to phantom limb maps (causes coincident input)
-- developed treatment by generating false input
--- phantom input via visual reinforcement
--- mirror neurons (physical empathy) react to visual feedback
--- allows some identification & treatment for phantom input

CLOSING
Neuroplasticity
- fact, not fiction
- must move into (be absorbed/integrated by) the main stream
- refocuses 'child development' onto 'human development'
- plastic paradox must be acknowledged and overturned
-- rigid behaviors do not identify/justify an argument for a rigid brain

Regarding peripheral damage
- peripheral NS is still plastic, though exactly how & how to influence it is under research

Regarding age-decline of neurological function
- rxn to use it or lose it brain ... have to use it, or it will be lost
- may or may not apply to alzheimer's
-- extended study (brain development) may prevent or give cognitive defense
-- does not necessarily mean that treatment is effective at time of symptoms

Nucleus Basalis
- activates when FOA is high
- requires motivation, application (time in & focus of attention)

Talk therapy & psychoanalysis - process that leads to neuroplastic change
- prove-able by brain scans
- cortical/plastic intervention
- CBT; making things 'more conciously aware'
-- increasing awareness of a thing/concept, makes it malleable
-- awareness increases malleability (FOA increases malleability)
- affect the brain just as reliably as drugs
-- answers relevance of therapy relative to drugs