"One of the current hypotheses about the biological basis of autism is that individuals with autism differ in their patterns of brain connectivity.
Specifically, it's believed that individuals with autism may have decreased amounts of long-distance brain connections. Because conversation between distant brain regions is necessary for the most complex and integrative brain functions, including emotion and behavior, the "functional underconnectivity" hypothesis of autism may explain the social, communication, and behavioral challenges seen in autism." This quote was taken from this research project is taking place at NYU Child Study Center.
When we do various tasks in IM, what are we doing inside the brain? Are we simply mylinating pathways that are already present, or are we creating new neuronal connections, or both? If indeed we are connecting new pathways through repetitive motor movements, then what tasks connect what parts of the brain? My experience with the struggling population and the typical population says there is a significant, predictable difference in not just timing, but the motor skills involved in the timing. Some tasks are nearly impossible for some struggling learners. When you focus on these nearly impossible motor pathways, increase skill and fluency, the students gain in COMPLEX AND INTEGRATIVE brain functions such as emotion and behavior! My hypothesis is we are connecting long distance brain connections that are not connected properly pre IM.
Here are some more quotes from the paper (quotes are in italics): "Brain "teams" are essentially brain circuits. The "players" (brain cells) that communicate a lot with each other invest in better connections." One of the most important aspects of IM is getting through many many repetitions, I always strive for at least 30,000 reps (What most research is based on). Many children continue to see gain with 60,000 or 90,000 reps working on different tasks, different neuro-networks. Communicating a lot creates better connectivity. It takes A LOT of reps (repetitions) to build a brain connection, and then you need to strengthen that connects by mylination through exercise.
"Adriana Di Martino, M.D., along with her colleagues at the NYU Child Study Center examined previous autism fMRI studies and found that activity in two specific areas were lower in children with autism as compared with typical children are the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex and together they are involved in processing sensory and motor events and their emotional content ..." My goodness! IM is all about sensory motor events and their emotional content! Are we exercising the exact two areas of the brain in IM that research has shown are not well connected in autism?
"The functional connectivity .... in children with autism resembles a more "immature" state of neurodevelopment". I see many children that have retained infant reflexes or simply movement patterns that are very immature. One of the most common comments from parents about the gains they see is 'maturation.' Parents often say, "My child is just maturing, quickly!"
"In August, the Castellanos group published a study that highlights another intriguing piece of the autism puzzle using functional connectivity. The paper showed that the degree of social competence was related to how well-connected their anterior cingulate cortex was with another important brain region known as the insula." So, the question remains, are there motor tasks that activate the pathway between the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula? So many of the students I see with autistic like or the actual ASD diagnosis see gains in their social competence. The parents LOVE that the child is connecting and seeing the world from another's perspective for the first time in their life! Is this the neuro- connectivity that is improving? It makes sense enough to me to want to look deeper. IM and Autism needs some quality research with some brain imaging!!!! We are finding answers every day!
"Adriana Di Martino, M.D., along with her colleagues at the NYU Child Study Center examined previous autism fMRI studies and found that activity in two specific areas were lower in children with autism as compared with typical children are the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex and together they are involved in processing sensory and motor events and their emotional content ..." My goodness! IM is all about sensory motor events and their emotional content! Are we exercising the exact two areas of the brain in IM that research has shown are not well connected in autism?
"The functional connectivity .... in children with autism resembles a more "immature" state of neurodevelopment". I see many children that have retained infant reflexes or simply movement patterns that are very immature. One of the most common comments from parents about the gains they see is 'maturation.' Parents often say, "My child is just maturing, quickly!"
"In August, the Castellanos group published a study that highlights another intriguing piece of the autism puzzle using functional connectivity. The paper showed that the degree of social competence was related to how well-connected their anterior cingulate cortex was with another important brain region known as the insula." So, the question remains, are there motor tasks that activate the pathway between the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula? So many of the students I see with autistic like or the actual ASD diagnosis see gains in their social competence. The parents LOVE that the child is connecting and seeing the world from another's perspective for the first time in their life! Is this the neuro- connectivity that is improving? It makes sense enough to me to want to look deeper. IM and Autism needs some quality research with some brain imaging!!!! We are finding answers every day!
