Sensory processing, Synapses, Energy, the Immune System & Emotional Dysregulation

Val's Take/Conjecture

• Carly is not a person with an "INVISIBLE DISABILITY" --- people around her knew she had some challenges even if they misunderstood the nature of those challenges.
• CARLY IS A SLOW PROCESSOR AND SHE IS INTELLIGENT.

Most people with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, etc. have invisible disabilities  --- that is most other people do not see the disability-- and they also often do not see the need for accommodation.

• And that also often includes the person themselves.
• Even though I'm not a big fan of DSM 5 diagnostic categories --- they can alert people that there is an issue.
• Like the situation for Carly, the true nature of the challenges is often misunderstood.

Microglia: Synaptic modulator in autism spectrum disorder (2022)

"Mounting evidence indicates that microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, are required for proper brain function, especially in the maintenance of neuronal circuitry and control of behavior.

"Dysfunction of microglia will ultimately affect the neural function in a variety of ways, including the formation of synapses and alteration of excitatory-inhibitory balance."

Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Neurons: How and Where (2021)

"Neurons rely mostly on mitochondria for the production of ATP and Ca2+ (Calcium ion) homeostasis."​

​Dissecting depression symptoms: Multi-omics clustering uncovers immune-related subgroups and cell-type specific dysregulation (2025)

Burden of Proof

More Conjecture

• Greater sensory processing demands as the result of greater number of synapses
  • create greater ENERGY needs in people with Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders .
• The CATCH-22: Many of these Neuro-Developmental & Psychiatric Disorders have idiosyncratic and varied "DYSREGULATIONS,"  including Metabolic Dysregulations involving Mitochondria, and Microglia -- the Brain's Innate Immune Cells.
• It it is very hard to say current understandings are TOTALLY WRONG --- but newer understandings go back in the CHAIN OF CAUSALITY and explain things that current understandings often do get wrong.
• Further, researchers are not done yet.

Star Institute posted this 20/20 episode on YouTube in 2012.
Star Institute is in Centennial, Colorado.

The video is of Carly Fleishmann with non-verbal autism.

What about the kid or adult who is verbal but is nonetheless getting overwhelmed with sensory input of one or more types?

Concepts of Neuroinflammation and Their Relationship With Impaired Mitochondrial Functions in Bipolar Disorder (2021)

​​Abstract

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic psychiatric disease, characterized by frequent behavioral episodes of depression and mania, and neurologically by dysregulated:

• neurotransmission,
• neuroplasticity [for people with ADHD and/or Autism they may have hyper-plasticity],
• growth factor signaling, and
• metabolism,
• as well as oxidative stress, and
• neuronal apoptosis [apoptosis is a type of cell death],
• contributing to chronic neuroinflammation.

These abnormalities result from complex interactions between multiple susceptibility genes and environmental factors such as stress.

The neurocellular abnormalities of BD can result in gross morphological changes, such as reduced prefrontal and hippocampal volume, and circuit reorganization resulting in cognitive and emotional deficits.

The term "neuroprogression" is used to denote the progressive changes from early to late stages, as BD severity and loss of treatment response correlate with the number of past episodes. 

In addition to circuit and cellular abnormalities, BD [Bipolar Disorder] is associated with dysfunctional mitochondria, leading to severe metabolic disruption in high energy-demanding neurons and glia.

[synapses are the connections between neurons not the neurons themselves but synapses take a lot of energy too]

Indeed, mitochondrial dysfunction involving electron transport chain (ETC) disruption is considered the primary cause of chronic oxidative stress in BD.

The ensuing damage to:

• membrane lipids,
• proteins, and
• DNA
• further perpetuates oxidative stress and neuroinflammation,
• creating a perpetuating pathogenic cycle.

A deeper understanding of BD [Bipolar Disorder] pathophysiology and identification of associated biomarkers of neuroinflammation are needed to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of this debilitating disorder.