Exploration Journal Reflection
It is so fascinating that something as powerful as the human brain has yet to completely understand itself. Sure, the brain did name itself, but unless someone is interested in medicine, been to a neurologist a few times, or is just a little nerdy, their brain probably does not know that the area associated with remembering these names is called the hippocampus, which is located in the frontal lobe. There are many other aspects of the human brain that have yet to be discovered, including the physiological differences that can help explain the comorbidity of Autism and pediatric epilepsy.
I began my initial research on Autism Spectrum Disorder by reading scientific articles that discussed the genetic components of the disorder as well as its wide-ranging physical manifestations such as difficulty sleeping and poor motor skills. A self-proclaimed-nerd myself, I began to wonder how Autism is formed--do these changes to the brain occur during fetal development, at a specific point or age, or all of the above? The more that I delved into scholarly articles with foreign diction, I realized that if scientists do not yet understand these changes, how can I? Thus, I stubbornly refused to relinquish my neuroscience and Autism research aspirations and decided to further specify. I recalled a daunting statistic that I came across in my first few Google searches on ASD that some surprisingly significant amount of children diagnosed with Autism also receive a diagnosis of Epilepsy. Even more interesting, both ASD and Epilepsy are largely associated with left-handedness--so even though this synthesis of subjects has yet to be researched by accredited neuroscientists, I believed that with the right motivation, I could spend many hours reading, note-taking, and poster-board making and eventually come up with an explanation for this, or in the least, a suggestion as to how someone with the proper equipment may conduct this research to which I hope to contribute.
I initiated my exploration of Autism on Noodle Tools, where I annotated and collected data about the genetic and environmental factors that knowingly contribute to ASD. I do not often prefer to call learning experiences a “waste of time”, it is safe to say that I learned taking notes on paper with my favorite black ink pen and highlighter is a much more effective method. I spent the majority of the middle few weeks taking notes on ASD and the corresponding brain structure and pediatric Epilepsy and its corresponding brain structure. Once I felt I had a sufficient understanding of the basic anatomies of these two structures, I combined them using my favorite 2nd-grade activity: making a colorful poster with a summary of all I learned so that I had an accessible and clear visual of what topics to further explore in the weeks to come.
I began my initial research on Autism Spectrum Disorder by reading scientific articles that discussed the genetic components of the disorder as well as its wide-ranging physical manifestations such as difficulty sleeping and poor motor skills. A self-proclaimed-nerd myself, I began to wonder how Autism is formed--do these changes to the brain occur during fetal development, at a specific point or age, or all of the above? The more that I delved into scholarly articles with foreign diction, I realized that if scientists do not yet understand these changes, how can I? Thus, I stubbornly refused to relinquish my neuroscience and Autism research aspirations and decided to further specify. I recalled a daunting statistic that I came across in my first few Google searches on ASD that some surprisingly significant amount of children diagnosed with Autism also receive a diagnosis of Epilepsy. Even more interesting, both ASD and Epilepsy are largely associated with left-handedness--so even though this synthesis of subjects has yet to be researched by accredited neuroscientists, I believed that with the right motivation, I could spend many hours reading, note-taking, and poster-board making and eventually come up with an explanation for this, or in the least, a suggestion as to how someone with the proper equipment may conduct this research to which I hope to contribute.
I initiated my exploration of Autism on Noodle Tools, where I annotated and collected data about the genetic and environmental factors that knowingly contribute to ASD. I do not often prefer to call learning experiences a “waste of time”, it is safe to say that I learned taking notes on paper with my favorite black ink pen and highlighter is a much more effective method. I spent the majority of the middle few weeks taking notes on ASD and the corresponding brain structure and pediatric Epilepsy and its corresponding brain structure. Once I felt I had a sufficient understanding of the basic anatomies of these two structures, I combined them using my favorite 2nd-grade activity: making a colorful poster with a summary of all I learned so that I had an accessible and clear visual of what topics to further explore in the weeks to come.
Following my oh-so-satisfying poster endeavor, I continued collecting data and piecing together the differences between the various structures of the brain that I researched. For example, I found enough data to support that changes in the development of the amygdala are strong indicators of both disorders, especially when they exist in the same patient. In toddlers (ages 2-4) with ASD, the amygdala, which controls emotional responses, appears to be larger in volume than the control group. Larger brain structures may sound like a bonus, but this just means more neurons to confuse the communication process within the amygdala. A poor connection between the correct neurons creates seizures, and Autism is categorized as a neurological disorder involving the connections between brain structures. Thus, it is obvious that the physiological changes from a neurotypical structure might explain why seizures are so prominent in children with ASD.
From the research process this far, I have not only confirmed my passion for neuroscience and medicine, but began to understand that a natural part of this research is reframing and adapting ideas. Going into the research process, I had a particular field of interest, however, I did not know what specific aspect of neuroscience/neuro-developmental disabilities I could research. After enjoying more hours learning about ASD and the biology of the brain, I could shape my ideas more specifically, and I am very excited to continue with my project. I look forward to seeing how it takes form.
From the research process this far, I have not only confirmed my passion for neuroscience and medicine, but began to understand that a natural part of this research is reframing and adapting ideas. Going into the research process, I had a particular field of interest, however, I did not know what specific aspect of neuroscience/neuro-developmental disabilities I could research. After enjoying more hours learning about ASD and the biology of the brain, I could shape my ideas more specifically, and I am very excited to continue with my project. I look forward to seeing how it takes form.