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Buddhi Clinic: Leading the Way in Integrated Care for the Brain and Mind

In today’s fast-paced world, a large section of the population is denied the opportunity to manage chronic diseases through a wellness, holistic and healing-oriented approach.

Dr. Ennapadam S Krishnamoorthy

The burden of chronic disorders is largely attributed to the perils of modern medicine that prioritises cure through prescription drugs instead of focusing on the entire continuum of human healthcare engagement: rejuvenation, restoration and rehabilitation. The end result: an unhealthy ageing population.This is where India’s ancient and holistic Ayurvedic system as a viable form of alternative medicine comes in. It is about time medical practitioners harnessed the full potential of Ayurveda as it’s based on a strong foundation of scientific research, much like modern medicine’s tenets. 

In recent years, a growing body of research points to integrated medical treatments—a combination of complementary (alternative) and modern (allopathic) medicine—gaining popularity. While modern medicine’s thrust is on cure, integrative medicine focuses on disease prevention, comfort and care.

However, despite the marked shift in patients’ preference for alternative forms of healing, I observed a deficit of innovation in therapies that are based on integrative medicine. This is where Buddhi Clinic’s genesis and my entrepreneurial journey can be traced. 

I realised there was no other healthcare outfit in the world that provides a unique 360° evaluation of body, brain and mind through an integrated approach. At Buddhi, we take a holistic approach to diagnose a medical condition that combines the scientific rigour of modern medicine’s diagnosis and drug treatments with the therapeutic benefits of ancient healing traditions. 

In essence, my long-term vision for our healthcare startup that was founded as a project in 2009 and company in 2013, is to make complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) gain acceptance as mainstream therapies. From my experience, I realised this would be possible only by seamlessly integrating them with modern medicine. 

Let me tell you how this is done at Buddhi Clinic.

A Game-Changer in Brain and Mind Integrated Therapy

We are the pioneers and innovators of integrated care for the brain and mind. What sets Buddhi Clinic apart from the rest is that we don’t follow a cookie-cutter approach to diagnosis and treatment. Our raison d’être lies in being able to provide unique personalised treatment strategies for patients that is managed by interdisciplinary process-driven programmes. 

Since several neurological and mental health disorders and disability are longstanding issues, patients need continuous and comprehensive care. Thus, we strive to offer a better quality of daily life to our patients by curating a range of therapeutic solutions based on considerable clinical and empirical research, and our team’s extensive experience.

Buddhi Clinic’s focus is on neurology and mental health rehabilitation and therapy. We have also created a range of interventions for pain, mental health, lifestyle and disablement conditions. 

While our diagnostic approach and internal treatments are allopathic, we also rely on traditional healing therapies to restore the equilibrium of your brain and mind interface. Buddhi Clinic’s seamlessly integrated approach offers 14 non-pharmacological treatment modalities that are an amalgamation of modern science and ancient wisdom.

We offer treatment programmes for each condition customised for children, adults and the elderly. These include: Ayurveda, Acupuncture, Acupressure, Naturopathy- water, mud, aroma and magnet treatments; Reflexology and Yoga; and Rehabilitation therapies – speech, neurodevelopmental, physiotherapy and a range of specialized psychological therapies. We have also curated treatment combinations for Psychology – CBT, CRT, Behavioural, JPMR, ERP, EMDR; and Neuromodulation or brain stimulation (a full house of treatments). 

Empowering the Patient Based on the “McDonald’s Model”

One of the guiding principles behind founding Buddhi is respecting and understanding patient preferences and engaging patients in shared decision-making. Towards this end, we perceive our startup to be the McDonald’s of “Brain and Mind Care and Rehabilitation”. 

Similar to how a customer can curate his meal in a McDonald’s outlet, Buddhi Clinic, too, offers patients the choice to curate integrated treatment programmes tailored to their specific needs. This is called the “choice model” and is better suited for mild impairment and chronic or progressive health conditions. In such situations, we give patients the choice and flexibility to select a combination of modern and ancient interventions rather than rely on a single medical treatment, procedure and therapy. It is our belief that for best treatment outcomes, the patient should be in control of his own decisions regarding his healthcare options.

That said, our team also draws up a “prescription model” when the patient suffers from a chronic condition and requires continuous restoration and rehabilitation.

Crucially, at Buddhi Clinic, we adopt a holistic approach to healing our patients and focus on their overall wellness and recovery that goes beyond cure. We think different—not just about illness or disablement but also about ability and enablement. 

Research and Innovation Led Approach

Nothing fulfils me more than making sustained efforts to give our patients a better quality of life. Our patient-focused approach includes continuously monitoring their progress and offering them quality pre-treatment, mid-treatment and end-of-treatment assessments. 

Over the years, we have delivered quality healthcare to over 10,000 patients who have received an excess of 1,00,000 interventions. Our success stories that cover conditions such as autism, epilepsy, depression, Parkinson’s disease and dementia, among others, are documented as detailed case studies in ‘Buddhi Books’. The books are aimed at fostering the spirit of research and continuous learning to enable children, adults and elders achieve a better quality of daily life.

Buddhi Clinic also endeavors to offer innovative products and services to enhance the integrated approach to long-term brain and mind care. For instance, we use Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and transcutaneous auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) are also the Neuromodulation innovations we bring in. While the former two, rTMS and tDCS stimulate specific brain pathways for specific conditions and outcomes, the latter tAVNS stimulates the auricular (ear lobe) branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN), an easily accessible target that innervates the human autonomic nervous system. Like this, there are other innovations in the pipeline that we hope will lead to paradigm disruption in this space.

Building a Service-Oriented Approach

In order to create a healing environment based on holistic principles, we aim to continue to provide personalised and meaningful patient experiences at competitive rates. Since today’s patients have greater discernment, patient satisfaction is paramount to us. Our service-oriented approach helps us deliver, on an average, 10-20% more therapy to each paying client, apart from serving the disadvantaged at low cost or free of cost.

In the coming years, it is our goal to collaborate with doctors and diverse talents in the healthcare sector to serve populations beyond Chennai and India. Our objective is to demonstrate our capability as pioneers and leaders in integrated care with a brain and mind focus. 

One of my key learnings as a healthcare entrepreneur has been that it’s not enough to achieve a robust bottom line growth. It is equally important to sustain it by creating impact at scale through a committed patient-focused approach.

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Adults COVID-19 Elders Expert Blogs Featured

Did you know? COVID-19 vaccination can also be associated with unexplained neurological symptoms!

Recently Mrs. R aged about 55 years consulted us with a range of symptoms that closely followed the first dose of vaccination for Covid-19. They included

  • Pricking and pulling pain in the hands and feet
  • Pain in the neck and shoulders
  • Altered sensation in the soles, feels roughness in them.
  • Pulling pain in the back of the knees and legs
  • Palpitations on exertion.
  • Disturbed sleep

She had visited her family doctor and an orthopaedic surgeon and was diagnosed as having cervical and lumbar spondylosis and carpal tunnel syndrome. When it became apparent to us that her symptoms had followed vaccination, she having not considered this piece of information important in her earlier consultations, we proceeded to carry out our comprehensive 360* evaluation at Buddhi Clinic. Mrs. R met our team- physician, physical therapist, psychologist and electrophysiologist and was evaluated for a neuropathy as well as dysautonomia.

Lo and behold we discovered evidence of both a peripheral neuropathy (responsible for the pain in her hands and feet and altered sensation in her soles) as well as clinical autonomic dysfunction (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome being the diagnostic indicator) contributing to fatigue, palpitations and sleep dysfunction. There was also considerable health related anxiety about her new and unusual symptoms. A working diagnosis of “post vaccination neuropathy and clinical autonomic dysfunction” was made and Mrs. R inducted into our comprehensive care program. From a drug perspective we used pregabalin (a nerve membrane stabilising agent and weak anti-epileptic drug that helps with both neuropathy and dysautonomia), nortryptyline (a conventional antidepressant with anti-pain and anxiety relieving/ sleep promoting effects) and baclofen (for muscle spasm identified in clinical evaluation). 

She started also on our comprehensive care (non-drug therapy) program with our Mobility & CAM labs. The mobility lab team delivered manual and electrotherapy treatments for pain/ dysasthesia and a comprehensive exercise therapy program for dysautonomia. The CAM lab team delivered focal abhyangam with Sahachadhari thailam and kizhi together with acupressure, reflexology and mud therapy sessions. 

After 15 hours of each treatment paradigm Mrs. R was reviewed in our case conference, with the following outcomes. 

Mobility Lab:

  • Muscle spasm and pain in the neck and shoulders has reduced completely – the Visual Analogue Scale scores were- Pre therapy-8, Mid therapy-4, End therapy-0
  • Mild pain in the right brachioradialis continues with a Visual Analogue Scale Score of 2
  • Altered sensation in the hands and feet has reduced by 50% but tends to fluctuate, being present on and off
  • Grip, grasp and fine motor skills are improving

CAM Lab: 

  • Pricking and pulling pain in the legs improved
  • Her metabolism improved and she perceives overall wellness in her daily functions
  • Sleeps 5 hours fitfully but would like that to return to her customary 7 hours  
  • The self-application (assisted by family) of lepam (herbal paste) in both palms and soles is helping her; when her night time symptoms are bothersome she has learnt to apply ice packs to the dysasthetic areas and is able to sleep
  • Abnormal sensation in palms continues to fluctuate

Summary:

A vaccination is nothing but a minor and contained infection inducer, designed to help people develop immunity. Not just COVID-19 vaccination, but all vaccinations can induce some adverse effects, unexplained neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms not being uncommon. The temporal relationship between the de novo symptoms that Mrs. R developed, detailed by our comprehensive evaluation and targeted testing, confirmed for us new onset peripheral neuropathy and dysautonomia. As is our practice in Buddhi Clinic we combined modern drug treatment with the wisdom of convention (physiotherapy) and ancient traditions (Ayurveda and Naturopathy) to give Mrs. R much needed relief. Mrs. R continues in a step down program combining weekly clinic visits with our “Do it Yourself” (DIY) Buddhi kits and is on the pathway towards complete recovery. She discovered Buddhi Clinic and in her we have evolved the pathway to helping people with post-vaccination neurological symptoms. 

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Stimulation for the brain!

What is deep brain stimulation?

Our brain is a wonderful organ. Designed by the chief architect, this is the most complex CPU ever built. Like our computer’s CPU, this CPU in our body can also be thought of a bundle of electrical wires criss-crossing in a highly complex fashion. Every once in a while, there can be something that happens to cause some malfunction in this circuit. DBS can be thought of as an operation to set right this malfunction by inserting a pacemaker into the brain.

Miss J, a 22 year old girl had been diagnosed with a brain tumour as a child and had undergone radiation for that. While the tumour was successfully treated, this radiation to the brain had a nasty side-effect. Some of the circuitry in her midbrain had been altered, leaving her with a permanent tremor in the right hand and leg.

She was suffering silently for more than 10 years, not knowing that this problem has a solution in the form of DBS! While the damage to the brain that is an inevitable consequence of radiation cant be undone, by placing a pacemaker into the brain, the imbalance in her movement circuitry could be modulated.

The result is almost instantaneous since the operation is done with the patient awake in the operating room. Once the electrode reaches the correct area in the brain and electrical current is sent through it, the tremor reduces immediately and her slow movements become rapid.

DBS is helpful in a wide variety of conditions apart from tremors. It is very useful to improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, Dystonia, drug resistant Epilepsy, Obsessive compulsive disorder, major depression and Chronic Pain syndromes.

The deep area in the brain which is stimulated varies according to the condition treated. However, in all conditions the patient is awake during surgery and is being tested with stimulation and a wide variety of observations are done as and when surgery is in progress. Therefore, the success of surgery involves the active co-operation of the patient.

Before surgery is considered, all patients undergo a detailed assessment to look for factors in favour and against surgery.

Each patient and family are thoroughly counselled about what to expect before, during and after surgery. After successful surgery, they need to be followed up for programming sessions where the stimulator is turned on and tuned in order to achieve the best clinical benefit with the least side-effects.

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Adolescents Adults Children COVID-19 Elders Epilepsy & Seizures Expert Blogs Featured

Managing epilepsy during COVID-19

Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological disease affecting over 50 million people worldwide and an estimated 5 million plus people in India.

People with epilepsy have recurrent, unprovoked seizures and these have to be differentiated from provoked seizures that follow a tumour, stroke, infection, inflammation, metabolic disease (like very low or very high blood sugar) and so on. A seizure is an electrical storm in the brain; a short circuit in the brain’s normal electrochemical activity.

World Epilepsy Day or Purple Day just passed us on 26th March. In this time of COVID let’s ask ourselves what the implications are for people with epilepsy. Here are some common FAQs.

Can COVID-19 cause epilepsy?

According to the International League Against Epilepsy, there is no direct evidence that the coronavirus infection can directly cause epilepsy. However, like all infections that can cause high fever, breathing difficulties and other problems with normal functioning, being infected can result in a person who is susceptible to epilepsy, suffer breakthrough episodes.

Does epilepsy or its treatment make one more susceptible to COVID-19?

At present there is no information to suggest that either epilepsy or epilepsy treatment (anti-epileptic drugs, most commonly) will in any way make a person susceptible to COVID-19. Indeed, there is no suggestion that people with epilepsy have any special immune vulnerability either. However, the stress a pandemic of this nature can induce in people, the sleep deprivation and attendant lifestyle changes, can all make a person already vulnerable to seizures, express them more frequently.

What should I do if I have a seizure in this time of COVID-19?

If one has never had a seizure before in their lives, it is obviously imperative that they consult a neurologist, urgently and undergo relevant investigations as advised. As most routine clinics are cancelled, the emergency room of a hospital may be a better point of access at this time. However, for people with pre-existent epilepsy, a single seizure is no reason for panic. Call your usual doctor and discuss what you can do to manage your epilepsy better; follow your doctors advice.

Avoid visiting clinics and hospitals for single breakthrough seizures unless you feel it is absolutely necessary. However, if seizures cluster together, or indeed a person suffers continuous seizures with no recovery of consciousness in-between, what is called “status epilepticus”, it must be treated as an emergency.

What precautions should a person with epilepsy take at this time?

People with epilepsy are advised to stock up adequately on their anti-epileptic drugs, as even missing a single dose can cause a breakthrough seizure for some. Compliance with drug treatment is extremely important for people with epilepsy. Stress is inevitable and managing it with meditation, yoga, a healthy diet and lifestyle are all possible. Many good online tutorials exist on all the above. If one is very stressed out an online consultation with a psychiatrist or psychologist can be helpful. Sleep deprivation is another risk factor for people with epilepsy; adequate rest and sleep are therefore very important. Sleep can be disturbed due to stress or indeed due to excessive exposure to digital media — televisions, computers, tablets and smartphones.

Good sleep hygiene: making oneself clean and comfortable before going to bed, making the temperature and lighting in the room ambient and suitable to the extent possible, putting way all digital media and retiring to bed with either a book or gentle instrumental music (if one must have a distraction) are all encouraged.

Are there special precautions?

Unless one is a healthcare worker or otherwise at high risk of exposure, no special precautions are recommended. If a person with epilepsy belongs to this category, they are encouraged to speak with their usual doctor about drug prophylaxis and other precautions. For all other people with epilepsy, the principles of social distancing, avoiding unnecessary contact with people outside one’s immediate family, or indeed taking due care around anyone who is symptomatic of COVID, is adequate.

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The Curious Case of Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh is one among many famous personalities in history who have rightly or wrongly been credited with having suffered from epilepsy. It seems fairly clear that Vincent van Gogh did suffer from symptoms of brain and mind; seizures, hallucinations, mood swings and explosive impulsive behavior that have been variously attributed to bipolar disorder, Meniere’s disease and interestingly, personality features linked with epilepsy.

Van Gogh was not just a productive painter (over 2000 works in a relatively short lifetime); he was a very prolific letter writer. Indeed, in one very productive period in Arles (1888-1889) he is believed to have produced 200 paintings and 200 watercolors, a painting every 36 hours; he also managed to write to his brother Theo, an art dealer in Paris, and to fellow impressionists, 200 letters filling 1700 pages, the shortest six pages long.

van Gogh was probably hypergraphic, both in letter and painting, the latter having been described as a manifestation of hypergraphia by Michael Trimble, the eminent London-based Behavioral Neurologist. van Gogh had a history of seizures, probably even experiencing one while painting the portrait “Over the Ravine” revealed in the rough brush strokes and resulting in a torn canvas.

He also probably demonstrated other traits of the Geschwind Syndrome: intense mood swings, with irritability and anger; and a spectrum of sexual behavior (hyposexuality, hypersexuality, bisexuality and homosexuality). The last (among others) was with Paul Gauguin, in an intense argument with whom he experienced hallucinations (a voice that asked him to kill).

Provoked to be aggressive, he then experienced a biblical injunction “And if thine offend thee, pluck it out” and turned the razor, famously, on to his own ear (self portrait with a bandaged ear).

Indeed, his relationship with Gauguin was typically intense. van Gogh was observed by Gauguin to experience difficulty in terminating arguments and discussions (emotional stickiness). Another intense argument is thought to have resulted in van Gogh’s suicide: he threatened his physician with a pistol, was rebuffed, left the office, and shot himself in the chest.

He died two days later. It is noteworthy that van Gogh was the son of a preacher and started his life as one (probable hyper-religiosity). Indeed, it has been proposed by the neurologist and art scholar Prof. Khoshbin that van Gogh had all the five core traits of Geschwind Syndrome ( http://goo.gl/VyjxzK ). His extraordinary creativity and inspired genius makes his case all the more curious, indeed!

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Adolescents Adults Cerebral Musings Children Elders Expert Blogs

Why Humans Like to Cry? Tragedy, Evolution & The Brain

Professor Michael Trimble the renowned British Neuropsychiatrist begins this,  his second popular science work, by stating affirmatively that emotional crying is unique to the human species. He goes on to dismiss as myths reports about apes, elephants and dolphins being capable of crying for emotional reasons. Not only is emotional crying unique to us, says the good professor, we have through our tradition of “tragedies” converted it over centuries, into an fine art form.

Music, gave rise to the birth of tragedy, which according to Nietzsche contains a fusion of Apollonian beauty with Dionysian creative energy and art.

Many other philosophers have taken up this two god theme- Mann, Hesse & Ibsen to name a few. “Apollo is the cold hard separatism of Western personality and categorical thought. Dionysius, is energy, ecstasy, hysteria, promiscuity, emotionalism, heedless indiscriminateness of idea or practice….Complete harmony is impossible, our brains are split and the brain is split from body. The quarrel between Apollo and Dionysius is the quarrel between the cortex and the older reptilian limbic brain”.

And thus does Trimble set the stage for his dissertation. From why and how we humans cry, through the neuroanatomy of the limbic system and it’s association areas, its neurobiological links with the lacrimal gland which causes us to tear (both in joy and sorrow); through the power of aesthetics- art, poetry, literature, painting, archeology, but most of all and most significantly so, according to the author, music!

What follows is a smorgasbord of philosophical, neurobiological, cultural and literary information; pearls of wisdom in every page. The “cutaneous shiver” of William James, and Shelley’s verse on the power of music, all find a place in the author’s evocative descriptions.

“I pant for the music which is divine
My heart in its thirst is a dying flower;
Pour forth the sound like enchanted wine,
Loosen the notes in a silver shower;
Like a herb less plain for the gentle rain,
I gasp, I faint, till they wake again.”

Using the theory of mind as the centrepiece of his dissertation, the author delves into the role of altruism and empathy in the development of the human social brain, which a number of studies of emotional-facial recognition using MRI scans have pointed to. “The evolution of cognitive empathy with corresponding increase in the size of the human pre-frontal cortex, provides experimental and neuroanatomical evidence explaining, from a neurobiological perspective, the human ability to feel the sadness of others, and cry emotional tears”. From an anthropological perspective, he also links empathy and tears to an awareness of the self: which according to Clive Finlayson “produced an animal capable of locating itself in space and time, an animal that became aware of the consequences of its own behaviour and mortality”.

The importance of language and linguistic processing is well brought out in the book. “Linguistic representations can influence how emotional states are represented and thus experienced”. Trimble points to the right hemisphere of the brain, quoting Norman Cook “At every level of linguistic processing that has been investigated experimentally, the right hemisphere has been found to make characteristic contributions, from the processing of affective effects of intonation, through the appreciation of word connotations, the decoding of metaphors and figures of speech, to the understanding of the overall coherency of verbal humour, paragraphs and short stories”. Trimble also points to the amygdala as a central organ that modulates human emotion, alluding to the elegant work of Zeki and colleagues who have used functional imaging to extensively study emotion.

Of music, Trimble points to, apart from linguistic impact, the triadic quality of the tonal Western harmonic system, whereby the tonic pitch on which harmonies are built, by means of progression from chord to chord, using such musical techniques of composition such as repetition, modulation and transformation, move away from these centres only to return with harmonic resolution. Through this “acousamatic” quality, calm and tension are developed, discord requiring a return to concord, provoking restlessness, suspensions and anticipation all requiring resolution. At these moments of “chills” or “shivers down the spine”, scientists have described changes in brain imaging (MRI and PET) involving the amygdala, insula, cingulate, per-frontal cortex and limbic association areas. Further, music has been demonstrated to elicit autobiographical memories, thus underlining its power to influence human emotion.

The author concludes that “Tears are an accompaniment of tragedy as an art form, and they reflect the tears of everyday human tragedy, which is linked to loss and mourning. These feelings have arisen in the course of our long evolutionary history, notably with the rise of self-consciousness, the development of small communities, the growing potential of love and hence an even greater sense of loss”.  As Semir Zeki, Professor of Neuroesthetics, University College of London has elegantly put: “This book is not a page turner. It is much better than that, one that is full of insights and of material for reflection on almost every page”.

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Adolescents Children Expert Blogs Neurodevelopmental Disability (NDD)

Understanding Developmental Disability

Sad but true! One in five children, in a developing nation like India, emerge into this world with their innate human capital compromised. A range of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are the outcome of such compromise: learning disability, childhood epilepsy, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, autistic spectrum disorder; conditions that strike early and leave lasting impact on the child. On the occasion of the International Day of People with Disabilities (3rd December) we delve further.

What is neurodevelopmental disability?

A range of conditions that follow abnormal brain development and impact on motor function (strength, dexterity, coordination); or cognitive function (intelligence, learning, aptitude); or emotions & behavior (temperament, mood swings, emotionality, aggression, hyperactive-impulsive behaviours, socialization issues etc.). In all these instances, there are demonstrable changes in the brain and its development, either structural or in it’s functioning.

Why NDD? 

While some humans have NDD imprinted in their biological code (through genetic, hormonal, and other neurobiological factors), for many others, the causes lie in critical stages of development, with a range of factors causing compromise. Factors that affect maternal health around conception and through pregnancy; trauma through injury, drugs (both prescription and non-prescription), alcohol, smoking; exposure of the pregnant mother to infections or toxins; and maternal malnutrition, commonly compromise this desired state of “optimality”. Factors affecting the child include birth trauma and infection through poorly planned and executed deliveries, neonatal compromise (asphyxia, jaundice, early trauma through accidents or abuse, infections, malnutrition); untreated epilepsy; other progressive neuropsychiatric disorders etc. Contributory factors include late recognition of the problem, failure to be evaluated in formal medical settings, and the failure to seek and secure early interventions.

Who is at risk?

The global lesson from the “Human Genome Project” was that about 10% of all neurological conditions are explained by abnormalities in a single gene. The majority of disorders were thus deemed to be multifactorial- more than one genetic abnormality being responsible, with strong contributions from environmental events that have impact. This probably holds good for NDD as well. In general, having a parent or first degree relative affected by a neuropsychiatric or developmental condition, may double the risk of NDD.

When should we suspect NDD?

At the one end of the spectrum are children with overtly manifested disability with severe problems that are apparent early and demand medical interventions. They only form the tip of the iceberg. The larger group who go undetected, are children with minimal brain dysfunction. Typically, they are slow-learners in school, who find academic progress challenging; may be clumsy and lack dexterity, with poor handwriting; or indeed demonstrate a range of emotional and behavioral patterns.

Why should we take action early?

These children are often the poor performers and/or perceived troublemakers in school. Rather than receiving special attention, they are at worst punished and at best ignored, in many mainstream schools. Without adequate help and support, these children will slowly and surely slide down the educational scale, out of mainstream schooling, into special schooling systems that cannot really tap their potential. Further, children who do not receive support are likely to feel stigmatized and lose their self-confidence.

Where should I take my child, when in doubt?

Your pediatrician should be the first port of call. The class teacher may also have valuable inputs. When either pediatrician or class teacher (or both) suspect a problem, more specialized inputs become necessary. Problems in learning and intelligence are best assessed by a clinical psychologist; problems in motor or other brain function (like epilepsy) by a neurologist, sometimes with the assistance of an occupational therapist; problems in behavior by psychiatrists, often with the assistance of a counselor. When language development is affected, ENT doctors supported by speech and language therapists may need to be consulted. In many instances, comprehensive assessment requires a team approach. Depending on the problem the specialists consulted may require a range of laboratory tests- brain scans, brain wave (EEG) and other electrophysiological tests; blood and urine tests including hormonal assays and so on.

How should I progress once diagnosed?

  • Your pediatrician should be your primary support
  • Your child’s school needs to be briefed transparently and kept in the loop. Don’t worry about being asked to leave. If the school cannot accept the problem and work with you, it may not be the best place for your child.
  • Identify a team of professionals; be consistent in your interactions and regular in follow up. Make sustainable plans and set realistic goals. Prepare for the marathon, not a sprint.
  • Don’t focus only on the disability; your child may also have special interests and abilities. Put focus on them too.
  • Don’t be preoccupied by academic results; focus on overall development.
  • Caregiving is challenging and tiring; share the care as a family, develop your own support networks with other parents and keep your spirit up.
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Adolescents Adults Cerebral Musings Children Elders Expert Blogs Featured

The Quintessential Rational Mind

The day of Vaisakh Purnima (May 27 this year), is significant for three reasons. It was on this day that Gautama Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha at Lumbini in Nepal in 560 B.C; the day when he attained enlightenment at Gaya in India; and the day he attained Nirvana (Unity with the Absolute) in 480 B.C. It is, therefore, observed as Buddha Purnima, worldwide. To mark this day in 2010, we examine the rational mind, as conceived by Buddha.

It has become fashionable and commonplace to associate Buddhism with the metaphysical. This is in stark contrast with Buddha’s emphasis on rational thought and insistence on empirical verification. He encouraged the development of theories that were verifiable and was strongly opposed to dogma, which he viewed as an impediment to the truth. To him the truth was supreme, and ideas that hinder the discovery of truth best avoided. He believed in full freedom in thought and action; “the gates of freedom will cease to be gates, if people start clinging to the gates.”

Buddha also had very interesting, remarkably contemporary views on the mind and some of these are enumerated below.

On Thoughts and Ideas: The very first verse of the Dhammapada translates as“you are nothing but your mind”, based on which, “Sarvam Buddhimayam Jagat” has been proposed. The word used by Buddha ‘ mana’ translates both as thoughts and as mind, and can be interpreted to mean the brain. Buddha’s emphasis is on the flow of thoughts and the continuous change in the thinking process. In his concept, ideas are not constant, they change all the time. Ideas have no independent origination; they have ideas preceding and following them. Consequently, all ideas are interrelated and there are no stand alone or absolute ideas. The thinker, the thought and the concepts therein cannot be separated. Interestingly, this concept has parallels in modern psychiatry. A primary delusion, a first rank symptom of Schizophrenia is said to arise when the person, following a “delusional mood” has a thought “out of the blue” and “without antecedents”. To have such a thought that has no thoughts preceding it, and possibly therefore no basis in fact, was abnormal to the Buddha, and remains so in modern concept.

On Perception: Both the Surangama Sutra and the Lankavatra Sutra attribute perception, physical and emotional, to the mind. “Both delusion and enlightenment originate within the mind and every existence or phenomenon arise from the functions of the mind.” The Surangama Sutra poses an interesting question: “A man opens his hand and the mind perceives it; but what is it that moves? Is it the mind, or is it the hand? Or is it neither of them? If the hand moves then the mind moves accordingly, and vice versa; but the moving mind is only a superficial appearance of mind”. According to the Buddha, all perception had basis within oneself. This concept of the Buddha has neuro-scientific underpinnings. If one were to replace the “mind” as Buddha called it, with “brain” as he probably meant, and is contemporary concept; that all our perception and action has basis in the brain, is truism. Prof. VS Ramachandran has described in his book Phantoms in the Brain, novel representation areas for human body parts that have been amputated, developing in the brain.

This illustration leads to another important question, namely, what is ‘me’ and what is ‘mine’? Buddha, through fables, encourages us to think about this existential dilemma. The parable is about a man who takes shelter in an abandoned structure on a stormy night. Sitting in a corner of a dilapidated room he sees around midnight, a demon enter, with a corpse. The demon leaves the corpse on the floor; suddenly another demon appears and claims the corpse. Both demons turn to the man and ask him to decide on the ownership of the corpse. Being truthful, he indicates he saw the first demon bring in the corpse. On hearing this, the second demon is enraged, tears away and eats the hand of the unfortunate man, which the first demon, immediately replaces with the one taken from the corpse. After the demons leave, the man wonders and thinks aloud, “the replaced hand is ‘mine’ but is it ‘me’?

Again, the questions raised have neuro-scientific relevance. After damaging physical trauma, and transplants, it is well reported that people sometimes feel dissociated from their new organs. Indeed, having an organ replaced can be a life-changing experience. At another level, damage to the brain, the parietal lobe in particular, can result in the sufferer neglecting his body parts, as he does not recognise them as his own. The phenomenon of anosognosia, leading to neglect of one half of the body (hemi-neglect), is a well described phenomenon after a stroke. Here, the person sees the paralysed limb lying beside him on the bed, but is unable to recognise it as his own.

Buddha did, therefore, begin the mind-matter debate much before it became fashionable in contemporary philosophy. He placed human emotion firmly within the organ he referred to as the mind, which we now understand to be the brain. His statement – “If we learn that there is no world of delusion outside the mind, the bewildered mind becomes clear” – is remarkably accurate.

On Perception and Memory

Buddha made a distinction between the flow of thoughts and the stock of memory influencing our perception. In his view our perceptions are influenced by our memory. Thus we view the present through the coloured glass of past experience and do not see things as they exist or as they are constituted. When a person perceives an object, both the memory of the same or similar object and the feelings the person had on the earlier occasion are rekindled. Moreover, comparisons are made between imaginary constructions of the object and the object itself. However, this distinction between stock and flow is more analytical than exclusive. Indeed, stock and flow interact all the time.

This view mirrors our current understanding of how the limbic system in the brain works. It has been proposed that the hippocampus is the storehouse of memories. Adjacent and connected to it by a chemical rich neural network is the amygdala, an organ deeply concerned with human emotion.

Any external stimulus results in activation of both organs; thus when a person sees a snake, his memory (and learning) tell him that it could be dangerous, and he experiences fear as a consequence. Memory and emotion are therefore in continuous interplay, as conceived by Buddha.

The Rational Mind

Buddha’s understanding of the human mind (and brain) was unique; both rational and contemporary. He encouraged debate and discourse; raised questions more often than he provided answers; encouraging his followers to think like him, with freedom. He recognised the pitfalls of blind faith, unquestioning belief and intolerance of contradictory ideas. He laid emphasis on empirical verification and on understanding the world, as it is and as it is constituted. Indeed, through his radical empiricism, he laid the foundations of scientific spirit and enquiry 2500 years ago. His was the quintessential rational mind.

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Cerebral Musings Children Expert Blogs

The Predominance of Brain Dominance

On the threshold of a new academic year, parents and students are again confronted by the dilemma of career choices. But insights from neurological and behavioural sciences can help you make an appropriate choice.As schools and colleges reopen, those of us with an interest in brain development and behaviour are witness to, yet again, a stream of anxious parents and their wards seeking advice and support. Course and career choices that young people are about to embark on challenge the best equipped families and provoke considerable debate (and conflict). What is clearly apparent is that both parents and their wards have not, in most cases, prepared themselves adequately for these unique milestones.

We live in an aspirational society, where higher standards of achievement are generally, constantly, being set as the norm. Also one where success has acquired many new connotations! This has its effect on both parents and their wards. Many people set as targets for their children all those goals they wanted to achieve (or wish they had achieved) but couldn’t. Others are keen to ensure their wards follow in their own footsteps, in the belief that this will give them “a leg up” in their careers. What gets forgotten amidst these parental aspirations is that the child may not share these parental goals, nor have the aptitude and ability to see them to fruition. Youngsters too, influenced as they are by a changing society, sometimes set unreasonable targets for themselves; targets for which they may not necessarily have the ability, aptitude or at a pragmatic level, wherewithal. Peer pressure also plays on both parents and their wards. One often encounters otherwise relaxed parents degenerating into a state of panic at the thought of admissions and career choices. There is no doubt therefore that this scenario causes much distress to all concerned.

Help at Hand: A question that is not asked often enough is whether there is a science that will help us approach career and course choices logically. Today, neurological and behavioural scientists have a sophisticated understanding of human brain development and behaviour. Application of even working knowledge in these fields can help both parents and their wards. The concept of hemispheric dominance, i.e. which side of the brain has a more dominant effect in the concerned individual, is one example of how brain function may influence aptitude, learning, behaviour and consequently success.From a cognition perspective, people who are left brain dominant have a better verbal memory, better linguistic abilities, reasoning and logical skills and better vocabulary! From a behavioural perspective, these left brain dominant individuals tend to be more ideological and philosophical in their approach; more motivated by social and pragmatic, rather than emotional concerns; more diligent, purposeful, capable of greater tenacity and driven more often by a sense of duty. On the other hand, people with right brain dominance have a better visual memory, better perception of space, better appreciation of the fine arts, and greater creative ability. They also tend to be more mood and emotion driven in making their choices. As a consequence, they may work with inspirational bursts of energy, not for reasons of purpose, duty, outcome or workplace ethic alone. Those in the creative professions are commonly observed to have such predilections. Put simply, left brain dominant individuals think with their heads; those who are right brain dominant, with their hearts!

Plenty of Options: Can these concepts be useful in making course and career choices? Courses and careers that leverage on a person’s natural aptitude and ability are most likely to be enjoyed and to result in successful outcomes. Pre-eminent among these for the left brain dominant individual are careers that demand literary learning, verbal memory, logical reasoning and diligence; medicine, law, business studies, accounting and finance, computing, research, some humanity disciplines (philosophy, psychology, sociology, history, economics etc.), teaching conventional subjects, to name a few important choices. On the other hand a right brain dominant person may choose the fine arts, theatre, cinema, music, architecture, design, advertising and media, and a range of other careers that demand creative endeavour. Indeed, it may not be just in the choice of careers that brain dominance plays a role. Even within these professions, brain dominance may help define specialisation, role functioning and ability.Parents and their wards may therefore do well to consider these factors in making decisions about courses, careers ands the future. The rapid strides that we have made in economic and social development in urban India have engendered a certain egalitarian ethos in our work places and across professions. No longer does one have to be a doctor, lawyer, accountant, bureaucrat or manager in order to “succeed”. While these career choices remain rather more secure and acceptable across social strata, the career buffet that the young person is presented with today accommodates a range of aptitudes and abilities, with differences in qualification or educational endowment not really being reflected in the pay cheque, in the grossly discriminatory manner so familiar even a decade ago. Young people today have the option of starting work relatively early in life, with fewer formal qualifications, often being paid better for their efforts than older, more experienced and perhaps better qualified individuals in their own families. When such glasnost has percolated into the workplace, then pray why the angst and obsession about traditional and safe career choices? Why not just allow young people to make the choices their brains are dominant for; accepting thereby the predominance of brain dominance!

Facts:

  • Courses and careers that leverage on a person’s natural aptitude and ability are most likely to be enjoyed and to result in successful outcomes.
  • Reading the brain Put simply, left brain dominant individuals think with their heads; the right brain dominant, with their hearts! Why not just allow young people to make the choices their brains are dominant for? Both parents and wards are not prepared adequately to tackle these unique milestones.
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Adolescents Adults Canine Neuropsychiatry Cerebral Musings Children Elders Expert Blogs Featured

Temperamental, Indeed

Life with my pet canines is not just joyful and entertaining; it reveals to me each day, profound neuro-scientific insights. Carlo, my German Shepherd, is a classic example of his breed; in looks and temperament. A “Master’s” dog, his life revolves around my routines. A glance in his direction, slight change in tone, low whistle, all will ensure his immediate compliance with “his Master’s” desires. Obedient and devoted to a fault, Carlo is also extremely high strung and anxious, alert to every change in his environment, and protective of it; so much so that I rarely catch him in fitful slumber. Blessed with an uncanny sixth sense for “his Master”, a trait that his breed is famous for, Carlo actually heads for the gate, minutes before my arrival at home from work. Not one to break rules, he will not enter a room or defile a piece of furniture, once forbidden. Natty and fastidious about his appearance, he remains shiny coated through the week, not an ounce of dirt on him, nor a doggy odour.

Unpredictable and Wilful: Contrast this with my later acquisition Coco, a Basset Hound. A handsome specimen with the classic sad and droopy face, jowls et al, Coco suffers from both occasional seizures and frequent mood swings. An approach in his direction, with best intentions, can evoke dramatically different responses: from a friendly, excited, tail-wagging welcome, to total loss of control; sometimes a resentful, even angry growl, bark or snap in the general direction of approach. Unpredictable mood swings from hypomania and hyperactivity to depression and profound apathy characterise his eventful existence. Disobedient, wilful and obstinate, he can be depended on to do exactly the opposite of what is intended, oblivious to “his Master’s” pleas, commands and threats. Indeed so agnostic is Coco of his surroundings that he can collapse like a sac, his numerous folds spread around him, in fitful slumber, no matter what the circumstances are. House rules mean little to this brat! Stride he will into any room at will, climb on any piece of furniture that strikes his fancy; and somehow manage at least once in each week to manifest for our benefit the pinnacle of filth; no part of the garden, however muddy, having been spared during his meanderings.

Not surprisingly, he emits a profound doggy odour so striking that dog lovers claim it should be bottled and sold (Chanel by Coco is our private joke). Guests without a fondness for canines, beat a hasty retreat from our abode when he decides to bless our company with his presence.

The contrasts in doggy behaviour become most apparent in our morning walk together. Carlo, the German Shepherd, needs no leash, walking three to four kilometres on the footpath that runs alongside arterial roads near our home. Rarely straying more than 10 feet from “his Master”, purposeful in his stride, nary a glance asunder, whatever the provocation, Carlo is the epitome of walking propriety, even his ablutions being timed for completion at a certain discreet spot.

Coco, the Basset Hound, on the other hand, treats the walk as a grand exploration of sorts; an opportunity to experience for himself this beautiful world that the good God has created. Constantly tugging at his leash in an angle perpendicular to the general direction of travel; sparing no human, animal or plant form en route from his nasal excursions, Coco is anything but purposeful about his morning constitutional, his ablutions being intermittent and erratic, intruding into the well directed journey of his fellow canine and Master, much to their combined annoyance. No order is heard, let alone obeyed; no single purpose complied with, other than that, which his doggie mind is set on.

My clinical experience in brain and mind matters has led me to conclude that Carlo, my German Shepherd, is left-brained and Coco, my Basset Hound, right-brained. The concept of hemispheric dominance, i.e. which side of the brain has a more dominant effect in the concerned individual, is one example of how brain function may influence behaviour and temperament.

Left brain dominant individuals tend to be more ideological and philosophical in their approach; more motivated by social and pragmatic, rather than emotional concerns; more diligent, purposeful, capable of greater tenacity and driven more often by a sense of duty.

On the other hand, right brain dominant people have a better appreciation of the world around them, greater creative ability; a proclivity for the finer aspects of life; and tend to be more mood and emotion driven in making their choices; both day to day ones and those that are life-defining. Put simply, left brained individuals think with their heads, the right brained with their hearts; and can be quite a study in contrasts, experiencing great difficulty understanding one another. Little wonder then that many professional and personal relationships run into rough weather; the two parties failing to understand each other’s contrasting preferences and predilections.

Unique Temperamental Attributes

Carlo and Coco have taught me that brain dominance is not an exclusive prerogative of the human race. And love them as I do, equally, I have learnt through them to celebrate rather than despair in these unique temperamental attributes conferred on us by our brain, that marvellous wonder of creation. To understand my family and friends better by observing their brain dominance. To choose correctly my activity companions: left brained for the purposeful and right brained, the hedonistic; and to tailor my expectations of them, appropriately. Carlo and Coco have enhanced my understanding of human nature; and thanks in part to them, I find myself at peace with my fellow men; well most of the time. It is a dog’s life, indeed!

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