Name: Sophie Myhill
Position: Behaviour Support Practitioner
Area of Interest: Neuroscience
Exploring the importance of neuroscience in behavioural support
After graduating university with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2022, I found myself continually seeking out more information around disorders, mental health, and factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of such conditions. As such, I have recommended my studies with a focus on neuroscience. For me, understanding neuroscience is crucial for working with individuals with disabilities in a behavioural support framework for several reasons:
- Neuroscience provides knowledge of how the brain functions and can assist with designing personalised interventions that cater to the specific needs of individuals.
- Neuroscience provides insights into the underlying mechanisms of behaviour, enabling professionals to better understand challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and to implement effective strategies for support.
- Neuroscience supports understanding the neurological basis of communication and can aid in developing effective communication strategies for those with speech or language impairments.
- Neuroscience increases awareness of brain development stages that helps in creating appropriate educational plans and activities that align with an individual’s cognitive abilities.
- Neuroscience sheds light on emotional regulation and social interaction, which are often areas of difficulty for individuals with disabilities.
Relevant application of neuroscience:
Through understanding neural mechanisms of disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neuroscience techniques can be used to assist in guiding the development of ASD treatment by examining distal (epigenetic) causes and proximal (symptom) causes. One example is the neuroimaging technique neurofeedback (NFB), which is a form of biofeedback that records neural signaling of different brain regions in a non-invasive manner and can be used as an alternative treatment for various disorders including ASD. NFB involves operant conditioning of electrical brain activity and is useful in identifying and remodeling neural pliability. Mekkawy (2021) used this treatment method with ASD children, with the primary aim of improving their cognitive abilities. After treatment over forty sessions, the study found that NFB was successful in decreasing heightened theta-beta ratio by inhibiting theta activity and escalating beta activity. NFB caused statistically significant changes in EEG amplitude throughout brain regions associated with socialisation, communication, and emotions. These results support EEG-biofeedback as an effective treatment tool for improving cognitive function for autistic individuals.
The link between brain function and behaviour
While there are various treatments and interventions that have proven to be effective in reducing core symptoms of ASD, such as Applied Behaviour Analysis and pharmacological treatment (medication), many of these do not target the primary neural abnormalities central to the disorder.
Advancements in neuroimaging and EEG-biofeedback for ASD treatment
Neuroimaging techniques have significantly advanced current understanding of the neural mechanisms of ASD, contributing greatly to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic treatments.
Based on findings from neuroimaging techniques, EEG-biofeedback has been used to regulate EEG activity, reducing the theta-beta ratio, and ultimately improving cognitive functioning. Various studies have replicated these results, therefore supporting the efficacy of EEG findings and treatment methodologies for use in improving the quality of life and functioning for ASD individuals.