Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics

I have been sitting in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics case‐based training series led by Dr. Bruce Perry and hosted by The ChildTrauma Academy. The aims to aid practitioners better understand the neurodevelopmental principles involved in primary symptoms as seen in the children they serve.  This has been an immensely valuable teaching when working with and examining long-term effects of trauma in children, adolescents, and adults as well as describing how traumatic events in childhood change the biology of the brain.

For those not familiar with this, the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics is an approach to clinical work that is informed by neuroscience. The primary assumption is that the human brain is the organ that mediates all emotional, behavioral, social, motor, and neuro-physiological functioning.

 


Three central elements of the model:

•            Developmental history
•            Current assessment of functioning and
•            Recommendation for intervention

The goal of this approach is to structure assessment of the child, the articulation of the primary problems, identification of key strengths and the application of interventions (educational, enrichment and therapeutic) in a way that will help family, educators, therapists and related professionals best meet the needs of the child.  

Reseting the brain

Jack Dikian

March 2012

Tinnitus is a medical condition with patients complaining of a perceived ringing, buzzing, swishing or other type of noise that seems to originate in the ear or head. In many cases it is not a serious problem, but rather a nuisance that eventually resolves. Tinnitus is common, however, few risk factors for tinnitus are known. Up to 50 million US adults reported having any tinnitus, and 16 million US adults reported having frequent tinnitus in a period of a year.

Up to 10 per cent of adults are thought to have it to some extent, according to the British Tinnitus Association, although most only mildly.

The prevalence of frequent tinnitus increases with increasing age, peaking at 14.3% between 60 and 69 years of age. Some report that when they are focusing on tasks, conversations or where there is adequate background noise they experience some relief of the symptoms. Many sufferers however never experience pure silence, and struggle with asleep.

Recently a new therapy, Acoustic Coordinated Reset published in the journal Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience has shown that it reduces the loudness and annoyance caused by tinnitus in seven out of 10 patients and being made available to British patients, albeit, at a price of about a £4,500.

It’s been found that playing sufferers the same tone which they "hear" in their mind stops auditory brain cells from creating the perceived noise. It is said that the brain manages to "unlearn" the neurological processes which cause it to generate the "phantom" sounds.