In my practice and in my Facebook group, I often have parents share that suddenly their child's speech has regressed, dysregulation has increased, or negative behaviors have emerged. Usually, a recent illness precedes this new development.
A couple of months ago, I had a wild and scary experience. Due to a very stressful situation in our lives, my EBV (Epstein Barr) and CMV (Cytomegalovirus) were reactivated. Within a couple of hours of feeling unwell, a fever spiked, and I found myself unable to speak. My brain was working, and I had all the thoughts locked inside, but I could not get any words out of my mouth. After some ant inflammatories at the ER, my speech promptly returned.
These two things together made me think deeply about the role of inflammation in speech development and, more broadly, brain development in young children. It didn't take long digging around in the research to discover I was on the right path in my thinking.
The brain of a developing baby, infant, and toddler grows at a record pace. Connections are made from the brainstem, the first part of the brain to develop, to the midbrain, neocortex (cerebrum), and prefrontal cortex, as well as the left and right hemispheres. During the first three years of life, the brain forms more than 1 million neurons every second! Every second! The brain prunes itself, beginning at age 2, of unneeded neurons along the way, ensuring efficient development. Pruning helps replace simpler connections made in early childhood with more complex connections (Cafasso, 2018).
Inflammation in the brain, also called neuroinflammation, can interrupt or alter brain connectivity, growth, and pruning. Golgi and Purkinje neurons connect the cerebellum (the bottom of the brain) to other brain regions and coordinate communication within the cerebellum. The cerebellum is the home of motor coordination but is also deeply involved in speech production, auditory processing, and sensory processing.
When we talk about brain cells, we normally think about neurons, but there are other cells that are just as important as neurons--glial cells. There are different types of glial cells in both our central nervous system (brain, brainstem, spinal cord) and our peripheral nervous system. Glial cells help support neurons and keep them in place. However, they do much more than that. They assist with the development of white matter in the brain (think corpus callosum) and myelin, the fatty coating that surrounds our nerves and allows for efficient transmission of messages around the brain. (National Cancer Institute, n.d.). Glial cells are a key component in developing the auditory brainstem pathways. They contribute to these pathways' connection, maturation, and function (Cramer & Rube, 2016).
Neuroinflammation can also interrupt the development and function of neurons like those mentioned above, affecting motor control, social skills, and emotional regulation New research shows that brain inflammation may be the cause of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia (Aunast, 2023). Previous research has established neuroinflammation as a common feature in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons as well (Guzman et al, 2019). It has also been found to be a risk factor for ADHD (Dunn, Nigg, & Sullivan, 2019).
Not only does neuroinflammation affect glial cells and specific types of neurons, but in the presence of inflammation, IL-6 is produced. IL-6 has been shown to decrease synaptic activity (how cells communicate) in the hippocampus, where our long-term memories are stored. IL-6 also reduces neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to change and activity in the prefrontal cortex, the home of executive function (Kelly et al, 2023).
Finally, neuroinflammation can impact sensory processing, such as hearing and vision, visual acuity, speech production, and light sensitivity. Our autonomic nervous system, which includes our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, can be greatly impacted by inflammation as the brain senses this as a threat to survival (Straub et al, 2007)
I realize that was a lot of information. The question you are probably asking is, "What causes neuroinflammation in babies and children? There are various causes. Some of these include maternal infection during pregnancy; bacterial, viral, or fungal (like Candida) infections; parasites; and trauma.
If you suspect your child has or has had neuroinflammation, seek out a qualified naturopathic physician or functional medicine doctor who can run tests for inflammatory markers and microbes that may still be lingering in the body. Then, a plan can be made to remove any microbes and reduce the inflammation. Brain Training or other therapy may be needed during or after the treatment to improve the functioning of areas of the brain impacted by the inflammation.
References
Aunast.H. (2033). New research shows how brain inflammation in children may cause neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism or schizophrenia. University of Maryland School of Medicine. https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/news/2023/new-research-shows-how-brain-inflammation-in-children-may-cause-neurological-disorders-such-as-autism-or-schizophrenia.html
Cafasso, J. (2018). What is synaptic pruning? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/synaptic-pruning#:~:text=Synaptic%20pruning%20is%20a%20natural,and%20learn%20new%20complex%20information.
Dunn G., Nigg J. & Sullivan E. (2019). Neuroinflammation as a risk factor for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. (182)22-34. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.05.005
Glial Cells (n.d.). National Cancer Insitute https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/glial-cell
Cramer, K. & Rube, E. (2016). Glial cell contributions to auditory brainstem development. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, (10).
Guzman-Martinez,L., et al. (2019). Neuroinflammation as a common feature of neurodegenerative disorders. Frontiers in Pharmacology (10). https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.01008/full
Kelly, S.B., Tran, N.T., Polglase, G.R. et al. (2023). A systematic review of immune-based interventions for perinatal neuroprotection: closing the gap between animal studies and human trials. Journal of Neuroinflammation 20, 241. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-023-02911-w
National Institutes of Health (2019). The inflamed brain. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2019/04/inflamed-brain#:~:text=Avindra%20Nath%2C%20a%20neurologist%20at,%2C%20hearing%2C%20or%20vision%20problems.
Straub, R. et al. (2007). The inflamed brain. NeuroImmune Biology, (7) 267-288. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1567744307002153#:~:text=Depending%20on%20the%20site%20of,autonomic%20nervous%20system%20are%20accessible.
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