Autism, brain prediction & chiropractic
The expansion of neuroscience research is changing our understanding of how the brain is wired. Traditionally, it was believed that the brain functions as a reactive organ, processing and responding to sensory input from the external environment. In other words, you see things with your eyes and hear things with your ears, which send signals to the brain to tell you what’s happening ‘out there.’
However, more recent studies suggest that the brain operates as a predictive machine, constantly generating guesses about incoming sensory information and refining those guesses by comparing them to what actually happens in real-time. This process is referred to as predictive processing. Predictive processing works by creating these guesses utilizing what information it already knows from previous events. For example, when you walk through your house with all the lights off, your brain helps you navigate through the space based on memory. If you bump into a wall or piece of furniture, your brain generates what is referred to as a “prediction error”. This “prediction error” helps your brain subconsciously adjust and rewire your perception for future situations. This model helps explain how we perceive the world quickly and efficiently, even when sensory information is unclear or incomplete.
This new model of the brain reverses the old concept...maybe we predict what's going on 'out there' based on prior experiences. Have you ever avoided an accident by using a split second maneuver while driving? There is no way in a half second you could have processed all that information to create the avoidance movement you used! That comes from the brain's enormous processing capacity, much of which is predictive based.
This prediction-based model can help to understand how children learn, develop, and adapt to the world around them. During early development, the brain has heightened neuroplasticity, allowing for external stimuli to shape their perception of the world. When their predictions align with reality, their brains reinforce those pathways. Over time, these reinforced pathways grow stronger and help to build the framework of their reality. Conversely, if mismatches occur, the brain uses the error to adapt and improve. This process is not only key to cognitive development, but it also contributes to the development of emotional regulation and social skills. Viewing the brain as a prediction machine helps explain why early life experiences, both positive and negative, can have such a lasting impact on a child’s development.
People with Autism may have problems processing predictions and their errors. This is one way that chiropractic adjustments may benefit people with Autism…gentle adjustments help the body’s ability to understand itself (interoception) and understand where that person is ‘in space’ (proprioception) which leads to overall better outcomes.
References
[1] A map of neural signals and circuits traces the logic of brain ... - Nature
