WEBVTT 00:00:01.389 --> 00:00:05.589 I would like to mention Chroma, lights designed 00:00:05.589 --> 00:00:10.890 for humans. Chroma, a Seattle -based innovator 00:00:10.890 --> 00:00:15.929 founded by ex -NASA and Air Force engineer Michael 00:00:15.929 --> 00:00:19.670 Shapiro, is on a mission to enhance physical 00:00:19.670 --> 00:00:24.289 and mental health with purpose -built devices, 00:00:25.170 --> 00:00:28.890 unlocking peak human health, cognitive function, 00:00:29.269 --> 00:00:33.770 and performance. Shapiro launched Chroma to restore 00:00:33.770 --> 00:00:37.890 the natural light lost to screens in indoor living 00:00:37.890 --> 00:00:42.729 and delivers faster recovery, sharper minds and 00:00:42.729 --> 00:00:47.590 better sleep. Their products hit hard. The Iron 00:00:47.590 --> 00:00:51.530 Forge speeds muscle repair with red and near 00:00:51.530 --> 00:00:55.570 -infrared light, while the Skylight mimics sunlight 00:00:55.570 --> 00:01:01.679 to boost sleep and energy. A standout. the Forge 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:06.900 Lamp is a portable gem that fires 660 nanometer 00:01:06.900 --> 00:01:13.379 and 850 nanometer light to energize mitochondria 00:01:13.379 --> 00:01:18.019 and heal tissues on the go. Remember the four 00:01:18.019 --> 00:01:21.180 red light chromophores on cytochrome c oxidase 00:01:21.180 --> 00:01:25.000 frequently talked about in the podcast. This 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:29.180 is why their products are built with military 00:01:29.180 --> 00:01:35.140 grade Durability that have lasting impact. Chromist 00:01:35.140 --> 00:01:41.140 Tech fuses precision and power. Gallium titride 00:01:41.140 --> 00:01:45.260 power supplies. Smaller, cooler, and stronger 00:01:45.260 --> 00:01:49.439 than silicon. Provide flicker -free light that's 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:54.140 easy on the eyes. High -powered LEDs target key 00:01:54.140 --> 00:01:58.659 wavelengths for skin, tissue, and cellular health. 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:02.599 with smart heat management for the lasting impact. 00:02:03.659 --> 00:02:07.040 Every design decision Chroma makes serves a purpose 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:11.439 to create devices that are precise, durable, 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:17.199 and effective for improving human life. Remember, 00:02:17.699 --> 00:02:20.300 humans use different wavelengths of light for 00:02:20.300 --> 00:02:25.259 different functions of life. Remember when I 00:02:25.259 --> 00:02:32.330 ask, what do you think light is. Chroma designs 00:02:32.330 --> 00:02:37.229 with our biology in mind. From sleep aids and 00:02:37.229 --> 00:02:41.930 wound healing to mitochondrial energy, full body 00:02:41.930 --> 00:02:45.389 lights and blue light blocking glasses. They 00:02:45.389 --> 00:02:50.469 are US made and chroma ships globally and accepts 00:02:50.469 --> 00:02:58.280 FSA and HSA payments. Use autism at checkout 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:04.939 for a 10 % off discount. That's autism at checkout 00:03:04.939 --> 00:03:11.800 for a 10 % off discount. For today's episode, 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:17.479 we are going to build a map. A sensory map. And 00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:20.580 we are going to use a popular molecule in the 00:03:20.580 --> 00:03:25.319 podcast called serotonin. Remember, this is synthesized 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:31.539 from tryptophan. that aromatic amino acid. Autistic 00:03:31.539 --> 00:03:38.180 or not, we all have this sensory map. Serotonin, 00:03:38.439 --> 00:03:42.919 remember a neurotransmitter and a neuromodulator, 00:03:43.379 --> 00:03:46.740 plays a fascinating role whereby it shapes how 00:03:46.740 --> 00:03:50.919 our brain constructs this sensory map. The way 00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:55.039 it organizes and interprets sensory input from 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:59.060 the world. Remember, sensations are extracting 00:03:59.060 --> 00:04:03.560 information from the outside world, making sense 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:08.919 of the environment. You might know of serotonin 00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:12.479 as associated with mood regulation, and that's 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:16.959 true. It also influences development. We've talked 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:20.519 a lot about the maternal serotonin and the maternal 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:26.029 tryptophan during development. This key neuromodulator, 00:04:26.110 --> 00:04:30.410 this little molecule here, fine -tunes the sensory 00:04:30.410 --> 00:04:35.350 system that we use to navigate the world. Particularly 00:04:35.350 --> 00:04:40.649 early in brain development. In the brain, sensory 00:04:40.649 --> 00:04:45.029 maps are like blueprints. They're instructions. 00:04:45.670 --> 00:04:48.209 Remember the episodes on sensory processing? 00:04:49.310 --> 00:04:53.009 Serotonin here. helps lay out touch receptors. 00:04:53.209 --> 00:04:55.550 We've covered the touch receptors. Some of those 00:04:55.550 --> 00:04:59.449 hypo and hyper sensitivities with the touch receptors. 00:04:59.970 --> 00:05:02.149 Running up through the spine and brain stem. 00:05:02.470 --> 00:05:04.509 We're going to talk about more of the brain stem 00:05:04.509 --> 00:05:09.930 as well. And also the visual field. How we interpret 00:05:09.930 --> 00:05:13.689 the world visually. Remember the eyes are in 00:05:13.689 --> 00:05:19.290 large part how humans navigate the world. Serotonin. 00:05:19.339 --> 00:05:23.220 acts as this neuromodulator during this developmental 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:28.100 window and helps refine these maps by influencing 00:05:28.100 --> 00:05:33.259 neuronal growth, synaptic connections, and plasticity. 00:05:33.879 --> 00:05:36.560 We've talked about each one of those three and 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:41.060 in large part that explains autism single -handedly. 00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:46.759 When serotonin is high or low, either way the 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:50.439 sensory map can be disrupted. It's not as accurate. 00:05:50.939 --> 00:05:53.180 Now just imagine that. You're navigating the 00:05:53.180 --> 00:05:57.879 world and your map is wrong. How is that going 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:00.220 to make you feel while you're trying to reach 00:06:00.220 --> 00:06:04.920 your destination? With vision, serotonin helps 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:09.959 regulate the pruning of connections. In the thalamus, 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:13.399 we've talked about the thalamus and in the cortex, 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:17.180 and this ensures that inputs from the eyes traveling 00:06:17.180 --> 00:06:20.730 downstream are properly wired, properly connected 00:06:20.730 --> 00:06:26.670 to help create this visual map. The serotonin 00:06:26.670 --> 00:06:31.529 molecule fine -tunes how sensory neurons compete 00:06:31.529 --> 00:06:35.730 for space inside the brain's map. Remember, we 00:06:35.730 --> 00:06:40.509 have three main types of neurons. Sensory neurons, 00:06:41.129 --> 00:06:45.769 motor neurons, and interneurons. And remember 00:06:45.769 --> 00:06:49.480 our conversations about Sensory integration. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:52.220 This is in large part what we're doing because 00:06:52.220 --> 00:06:57.160 rarely, if ever, that sensory processing is singular. 00:06:57.480 --> 00:07:00.740 Meaning it's just vision without auditory or 00:07:00.740 --> 00:07:04.779 without touch or it's just auditory without vision 00:07:04.779 --> 00:07:10.379 or without touch. So rarely, if ever, that sensory 00:07:10.379 --> 00:07:14.399 processing is singular. We are always integrating 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:17.930 sensations. Remember the role of the mesencephalon. 00:07:18.569 --> 00:07:21.610 This is a large part what it's trying to accomplish. 00:07:22.870 --> 00:07:25.750 In conditions like autism and even schizophrenia, 00:07:26.430 --> 00:07:30.629 these things are abnormal. One thing to highlight 00:07:30.629 --> 00:07:34.250 is this is huge in development. However, this 00:07:34.250 --> 00:07:39.269 remains through adulthood. So some mechanisms 00:07:39.269 --> 00:07:43.250 behind the serotonin making the sensory map. 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:49.800 Serotonin has several receptor types, over 14 00:07:49.800 --> 00:07:53.339 identified subtypes. We won't go into many details 00:07:53.339 --> 00:07:56.220 here. For instance, if you remember the dopamine, 00:07:56.439 --> 00:08:00.199 dopamine is easy. There are two dopamine types, 00:08:00.899 --> 00:08:05.939 excitatory, which are DR1 and 5, and inhibitory, 00:08:06.300 --> 00:08:12.339 DR2, 3, and 4. However, with serotonin, serotonin 00:08:12.339 --> 00:08:16.439 has seven types. And this is pretty complicated. 00:08:16.500 --> 00:08:20.220 This is not really critical information for us. 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:25.699 However, they still share the excitatory and 00:08:25.699 --> 00:08:29.720 inhibitory. Something interesting here is the 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:33.200 critical period. Remember, we learned so much 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:36.539 during this critical period at an early age. 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:43.019 Sensory neurons form excessive connections here. 00:08:43.070 --> 00:08:46.970 and this allows for that accelerated learning, 00:08:46.970 --> 00:08:53.830 if you will. Serotonin helps prune these back 00:08:53.830 --> 00:08:57.830 through activity -dependent processes. It modulates 00:08:57.830 --> 00:09:03.289 the release of brain -derived neutrophic factor 00:09:03.289 --> 00:09:06.990 BDNF, which is a molecule. We've discussed this 00:09:06.990 --> 00:09:11.509 in episodes three, four, and five. We discussed 00:09:11.509 --> 00:09:15.340 it in A couple of those are all three of those 00:09:15.340 --> 00:09:19.200 episodes. This is a molecule that strengthens. 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:22.440 Active synapses. And this tells the nervous system 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:25.279 these things are important. We're going to keep 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:30.000 these. And the ones not stamped by the BDNF are 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:37.600 lost. They're just washed away. Not needed. Another 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:41.210 thing about the serotonin is... Axonal guidance 00:09:41.210 --> 00:09:45.230 and serotonin influences how each axon grows 00:09:45.230 --> 00:09:47.909 and navigates to their targets. Remember, this 00:09:47.909 --> 00:09:54.370 is huge in connections, partly by altering cytoskeletal 00:09:54.370 --> 00:10:00.669 dynamics. So here we go. Microtubules. Very fascinating, 00:10:00.889 --> 00:10:03.549 especially in quantum biology, quantum physics. 00:10:04.509 --> 00:10:10.990 Remember these microtubules. Serotonin will then 00:10:10.990 --> 00:10:15.129 affect neurogenesis and migration. This is huge 00:10:15.129 --> 00:10:17.870 in autism and it determines how many neurons 00:10:17.870 --> 00:10:21.710 are born and where they will go, where they will 00:10:21.710 --> 00:10:25.850 migrate and settle in sensory regions. Remember 00:10:25.850 --> 00:10:30.129 what the microtubules are doing. Performs a frame 00:10:30.129 --> 00:10:34.190 for the cell and tracks for the cell so that 00:10:34.190 --> 00:10:41.460 they can travel. In addition to the BDNF, glutamate, 00:10:41.860 --> 00:10:47.000 the excitatory neuron, and GABA, the inhibitory 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:50.340 neuron, are also playing critical roles here 00:10:50.340 --> 00:10:53.960 in helping serotonin outline what is important 00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:59.139 and what is not needed. Some brain regions involved 00:10:59.139 --> 00:11:03.259 here. Somatosensory cortex. This is at the top. 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:08.519 In the middle, part of the brain. Remember, we've 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:12.759 talked about the frontal eye fields, the somatosensory 00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:16.759 area, and the parietal lobe. From the front to 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:18.919 back, at the top of the head, if you'd split 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:22.179 them in thirds, equal thirds, the frontal eye 00:11:22.179 --> 00:11:24.840 fields is about the first third, and then the 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:27.480 somatosensory is about the middle, and then the 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:35.360 parietal lobe. Somatosensory here receives inputs. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:39.600 Afference from the brain stem, those key areas 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.059 that we've discussed, especially the mesencephalon. 00:11:42.460 --> 00:11:46.200 Remember the mesencephalon's role of motor control 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:51.659 and sensory integration and biasing the attention 00:11:51.659 --> 00:11:54.419 of the living organism to the outside world. 00:11:54.679 --> 00:11:58.200 This is all very important, all very underestimated 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:01.919 and overlooked quite frankly. The smite of sensory 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:04.480 will also receive inputs from the thalamus at 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:07.950 sensory relaysation. Very, very important here. 00:12:08.289 --> 00:12:10.970 In addition, something we've talked about quite 00:12:10.970 --> 00:12:13.830 frequently is the basal ganglia. Remember the 00:12:13.830 --> 00:12:16.730 basal ganglia episodes, three or four episodes. 00:12:17.409 --> 00:12:21.149 The somatosensory will send signals to the input 00:12:21.149 --> 00:12:24.629 areas of the basal ganglia called the dorsal 00:12:24.629 --> 00:12:28.309 striatum. But specifically, the somatosensory 00:12:28.309 --> 00:12:33.330 will connect to the dorsal lateral region, which 00:12:33.330 --> 00:12:37.360 is heavily involved in habit. Formation. Remember 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:41.740 restricted repetitive behaviors and habit formation. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:44.779 The autistic phenotype very much loves their 00:12:44.779 --> 00:12:49.100 routine and habits and obsessions. This connection 00:12:49.100 --> 00:12:53.159 ought to be very concerning and a region of interest. 00:12:55.139 --> 00:12:58.039 So the visual cortex as well. Serotonin shapes 00:12:58.039 --> 00:13:02.399 those ocular dominance columns which organizes 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:05.559 inputs from each eye. Remember, we've talked 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:08.539 about the lateral geniculate nucleus, especially 00:13:08.539 --> 00:13:13.500 in the roles of the oxytocin and vasopressin 00:13:13.500 --> 00:13:17.059 in the Autistic Phenotype episode. An early stop 00:13:17.059 --> 00:13:19.820 for the visual inputs is the lateral geniculate 00:13:19.820 --> 00:13:23.159 nucleus. These have spatial relationships with 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:25.860 the superior colliculus. Remember, the superior 00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:28.840 colliculus of the midbrain, the mesencephalon, 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:32.259 they are all very tight here. They can just reach 00:13:32.259 --> 00:13:34.480 out and give each other high fives essentially. 00:13:34.700 --> 00:13:37.440 The thalamus, the lateral geniculate nucleus, 00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:41.580 the superior colliculus. These are very important 00:13:41.580 --> 00:13:45.700 for vision. And very early in the processing 00:13:45.700 --> 00:13:49.659 stage. They're very upstream in visual processing. 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:55.559 In the auditory cortex, serotonin helps define 00:13:55.559 --> 00:13:59.759 tonotopic maps, which are frequencies of organization. 00:14:00.740 --> 00:14:04.259 and it modulates the thalamocortical connections. 00:14:05.059 --> 00:14:07.220 So you hear a noise, and then you're trying to 00:14:07.220 --> 00:14:09.519 make sense of the noise, determine what it is, 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:13.539 what it means. Serotonin here is helping that, 00:14:13.820 --> 00:14:17.440 helping those connections. And of course, the 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:20.360 thalamus, heavily involved here with sensations. 00:14:21.100 --> 00:14:24.320 But if we're talking about brain serotonin, central 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:27.919 nervous serotonin, the hot spot where these are 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:32.129 released, part of the brainstem called the raffae 00:14:32.129 --> 00:14:37.049 nucleus, specifically the dorsal raffae. This 00:14:37.049 --> 00:14:41.370 brainstem structure is where serotonin lives, 00:14:41.389 --> 00:14:44.690 and it projects widely to sensory corticals and 00:14:44.690 --> 00:14:48.309 subcortical areas. So anytime we're talking about 00:14:48.309 --> 00:14:52.750 brain serotonin, it's the raffae. An interesting 00:14:52.750 --> 00:14:56.370 consideration here is the impact of stress, stress 00:14:56.370 --> 00:15:00.179 levels, because Probably. People are familiar 00:15:00.179 --> 00:15:04.940 with the APA axis that releases cortisol. Remember, 00:15:05.059 --> 00:15:09.460 hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. So the adrenal 00:15:09.460 --> 00:15:12.679 glands are the final destination here. And then 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:16.679 cortisol is released. Releasing cortisol will 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:19.340 then down regulate the serotonin though. And 00:15:19.340 --> 00:15:23.659 this is huge. This impacts the development of 00:15:23.659 --> 00:15:26.950 the... of serotonin creating these sensory maps. 00:15:27.210 --> 00:15:30.210 Now if you know anything about the HPA axis, 00:15:30.690 --> 00:15:34.710 it doesn't take much for this to come into play 00:15:34.710 --> 00:15:39.070 here. It is healthy and a requirement even that 00:15:39.070 --> 00:15:42.450 we have a proper cortisol release that peaks 00:15:42.450 --> 00:15:45.509 in the morning. Cortisol is what will wake you 00:15:45.509 --> 00:15:49.009 up in the morning. Not anything else. It's a 00:15:49.009 --> 00:15:52.039 spike in cortisol is what wakes you up. Now, 00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:55.200 if you think about the mismatched circadian rhythms 00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:58.360 even, and how much that must be in play here, 00:15:58.600 --> 00:16:02.379 very underrated, very overlooked in all of research. 00:16:03.340 --> 00:16:06.840 Having these mismatched cortisol releases and 00:16:06.840 --> 00:16:10.279 mismatched circadian biology, circadian rhythms, 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:15.059 that alone is probably enough to impact the sensory 00:16:15.059 --> 00:16:19.500 map. I would like to take a moment and mention 00:16:19.500 --> 00:16:23.519 a pressing issue. we are seeing in our modern 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:31.059 world. And that is tech use and tech light. The 00:16:31.059 --> 00:16:35.399 data are impressive and concerning on isolated 00:16:35.399 --> 00:16:40.700 wavelengths of light, especially shorter wavelengths, 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:46.000 which is blue light. For those that don't know, 00:16:46.299 --> 00:16:50.159 we have chromophores. which are special proteins 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:55.919 that absorbs specific wavelengths of light. For 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:59.940 blue light, the light that is LED light and tech 00:16:59.940 --> 00:17:06.180 light, that protein is called melanopsin. Melanopsin 00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:11.920 is responsible for our circadian biology, physiology 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:16.880 and cell functioning, hormone regulation, and 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:23.000 even a connection to an area huge for mood. A 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:26.960 consideration we should include is this protein 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:32.640 was not even discovered until 1998. It seems 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:37.400 important for us to understand how our biology 00:17:37.400 --> 00:17:42.579 uses the different wavelengths of light for various 00:17:42.579 --> 00:17:47.880 aspects of our biology. This blue light chromophore 00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:54.500 is our master controller, our master clock. Remember 00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:58.400 circadian rhythm is a two -part process, two 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:05.279 independent parts. Light and dark. For a quick 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:11.119 reference, see the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:16.099 and Medicine. But for now, I have something exciting. 00:18:16.299 --> 00:18:19.240 I want to introduce a product unlike any other 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:23.960 product available. A highlight is the product 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:27.660 from Daylight Computer Company created their 00:18:27.660 --> 00:18:31.720 product based on these factors. The Daylight 00:18:31.720 --> 00:18:37.319 Computer is completely blue light free. It has 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:41.740 no flicker. Short wavelength flicker is extremely 00:18:41.740 --> 00:18:45.440 harmful for our eyes and downstream biology. 00:18:45.900 --> 00:18:49.400 light flicker is constantly turning our central 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:54.359 nervous system on and off. Essentially, it is 00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:57.599 like going to a light switch and repeatedly turning 00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:02.980 it on and off. The problem is blue light and 00:19:02.980 --> 00:19:08.180 LED light does this and it is so rapid you cannot 00:19:08.180 --> 00:19:13.000 even perceive this in real time. The daylight 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:17.710 computer is the lowest stimulation, and foremost 00:19:17.710 --> 00:19:22.750 for sensory sensitive users. It is no question 00:19:22.750 --> 00:19:26.910 that the alternative product, especially when 00:19:26.910 --> 00:19:31.710 used at night, do not address or consider this 00:19:31.710 --> 00:19:36.849 in their product. It is so toxic to human biology. 00:19:37.470 --> 00:19:41.869 Big tech corporations have patents on how their 00:19:41.869 --> 00:19:44.880 short wavelength implicate the human nervous 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:50.619 system. And a bonus, despite daylight computer 00:19:50.619 --> 00:19:55.019 not having backlight, it is very functional for 00:19:55.019 --> 00:20:00.019 outdoor use. And of course, increased sunlight 00:20:00.019 --> 00:20:05.400 is always preferred. I am happy to offer a discount 00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:09.319 for the daylight computer. You can use the code 00:20:09.319 --> 00:20:16.380 AUTISM for a $25 off coupon. Again, use the code 00:20:16.380 --> 00:20:22.420 AUTISM and the discount code for $25 off. See 00:20:22.420 --> 00:20:25.539 the link in the show notes to Daylight Computer 00:20:25.539 --> 00:20:28.440 Company or just give it a quick search in your 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:33.599 internet browser. Use the code AUTISM for $25 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:38.259 off. So imagine the maternal. She's pregnant. 00:20:38.900 --> 00:20:42.940 She's already vulnerable to stress. Maybe she's 00:20:42.940 --> 00:20:45.609 working. Maybe she's working odd shift hours. 00:20:45.990 --> 00:20:50.170 Maybe her saccading rhythm isn't proper. That 00:20:50.170 --> 00:20:53.730 alone is a concern because of what we've covered 00:20:53.730 --> 00:20:56.049 with the maternal roles. And remember the short 00:20:56.049 --> 00:20:59.990 from Dr. Hannah Stevens. Maternal contribution 00:20:59.990 --> 00:21:04.829 is massive here, especially prenatally. Serotonin 00:21:04.829 --> 00:21:08.529 comes from the maternal peripheral and enteric 00:21:08.529 --> 00:21:11.470 nervous system given to the placenta through 00:21:11.470 --> 00:21:15.700 the placenta. and arrives in the uterus, the 00:21:15.700 --> 00:21:19.859 developing child in the uterus, supplying the 00:21:19.859 --> 00:21:23.859 fetal brain. It's serotonin. Because remember, 00:21:24.059 --> 00:21:28.680 the raffae part of this brain stem, this comes 00:21:28.680 --> 00:21:32.920 from the rhomb encephalon. And this doesn't come 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:36.900 onto play right away. The raffae comes much later 00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:41.750 in the embryogenesis. Another underrated aspect 00:21:41.750 --> 00:21:46.369 is modern light, the LED and tech light will 00:21:46.369 --> 00:21:51.789 release the cortisol via this HPA axis on its 00:21:51.789 --> 00:21:56.390 own and at odd times. Just being under this LED 00:21:56.390 --> 00:22:00.190 and tech light will release the cortisol. So 00:22:00.190 --> 00:22:04.049 just imagine how much time humans, especially 00:22:04.049 --> 00:22:07.710 mothers, are spending indoors under this modern 00:22:07.710 --> 00:22:11.559 lighting. Now, we will get into more detail about 00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:16.519 this momentarily, but this is, this is, in my 00:22:16.519 --> 00:22:21.599 opinion, the cause of the rates of autism. We've 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:25.599 talked a lot about proliferation, differentiation, 00:22:25.859 --> 00:22:29.059 and migration, even in this episode with the 00:22:29.059 --> 00:22:32.980 microtubules. Serotonin, the maternal serotonin, 00:22:33.059 --> 00:22:35.880 has a big influence on this regarding the sensory 00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:40.289 regions, specifically. in the cortex and in the 00:22:40.289 --> 00:22:43.710 thalamus, which by now shouldn't be a surprise 00:22:43.710 --> 00:22:47.029 because of the roles here with the sensory map. 00:22:48.289 --> 00:22:52.849 Maternal physiology is huge here. The physical 00:22:52.849 --> 00:22:56.069 and mental state of the mother, the environment 00:22:56.069 --> 00:23:00.849 of the mother, is in large part a factor here. 00:23:01.549 --> 00:23:06.230 Not just the diet. Not just necessarily the mental 00:23:06.230 --> 00:23:09.559 stress. or even physical health implications 00:23:09.559 --> 00:23:13.700 like inflammation and so forth. And this is on 00:23:13.700 --> 00:23:17.000 a feedback loop the maternal and fetal are communicating 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:20.579 with each other. The fetus can signal back to 00:23:20.579 --> 00:23:24.359 the mother. The fetal demand for the tryptophan 00:23:24.359 --> 00:23:27.940 might subtly shift maternal metabolism. Each 00:23:27.940 --> 00:23:31.900 one can influence one another. So let's talk 00:23:31.900 --> 00:23:36.849 about tryptophan hydroxylase 1. This is how serotonin 00:23:36.849 --> 00:23:40.690 is synthesized in the peripheral and enteric 00:23:40.690 --> 00:23:45.829 nervous system. TPH1 is not brain serotonin. 00:23:46.049 --> 00:23:51.490 Brain serotonin is TPH2. But in order to understand 00:23:51.490 --> 00:23:54.289 the maternal's role here, we need to further 00:23:54.289 --> 00:23:57.430 go into TPH1. We've talked about this in the 00:23:57.430 --> 00:24:00.430 Autism and Gastrointestinal Problems episode. 00:24:01.450 --> 00:24:04.609 And this is even important in the neural tube. 00:24:04.670 --> 00:24:07.029 We've talked about that in the embryogenesis 00:24:07.029 --> 00:24:10.589 episodes, and even today with the proliferation, 00:24:10.910 --> 00:24:15.089 differentiation, and migration. But let's talk 00:24:15.089 --> 00:24:19.089 about tryptophan's role here, making the serotonin 00:24:19.089 --> 00:24:24.769 and tryptophan's influence by the aromatic amino 00:24:24.769 --> 00:24:29.599 acid properties. We've discussed that the light 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:33.519 impact on the cortisol release is already a factor. 00:24:34.140 --> 00:24:39.140 Maybe, single -handedly, the factor. Remember 00:24:39.140 --> 00:24:43.140 tryptophan is a building block protein. Along 00:24:43.140 --> 00:24:45.940 with methionine and tryptophan, they each have 00:24:45.940 --> 00:24:50.059 one codon. Essentially, all other proteins are 00:24:50.059 --> 00:24:54.319 developed through these amino acids. However, 00:24:54.940 --> 00:24:59.380 specifically, the aromatic amino acids and the 00:24:59.380 --> 00:25:04.940 methionine. Tryptophan peak absorption is right 00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:08.319 around 280 nanometer light, which is the strongest 00:25:08.319 --> 00:25:12.019 wavelength of light reaching terrestrial land. 00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:16.920 It starts the UVB wavelength. And then that enzyme 00:25:16.920 --> 00:25:22.000 comes into play, be it TPH1 or TPH2, tryptophan 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:25.559 hydroxylase, and this is going to synthesize 00:25:25.559 --> 00:25:30.809 serotonin and melatonin. But in addition to that, 00:25:30.890 --> 00:25:34.650 there's this other pathway here, chyneurin. And 00:25:34.650 --> 00:25:39.269 this is not necessarily a good thing. Tryptophan 00:25:39.269 --> 00:25:42.529 can also be metabolized into this chyneurin, 00:25:43.109 --> 00:25:47.549 which is a downstream neuroactive compound. And 00:25:47.549 --> 00:25:52.490 this can influence inflammation and excitotoxicity, 00:25:53.190 --> 00:25:57.309 overly excitation. And this is often found in 00:25:57.309 --> 00:26:04.089 autism. This kynurenian pathway can produce acids, 00:26:04.750 --> 00:26:09.170 a quinolenic acid. And this is very toxic. This 00:26:09.170 --> 00:26:13.490 has implications on NMDA receptors, which are 00:26:13.490 --> 00:26:16.829 huge for learning and excitatory. Remember, it's 00:26:16.829 --> 00:26:23.289 an excitation receptor, NMDA and AMPA. And this 00:26:23.289 --> 00:26:27.250 acid has massive implications to neuronal life. 00:26:28.460 --> 00:26:33.960 life. Okay, just briefly on postnatal, because 00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:37.140 obviously with this mood regulation and allowing 00:26:37.140 --> 00:26:40.799 the serotonin to work, properly work, fall into 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:45.460 place and build a sensory map, postnatally, after 00:26:45.460 --> 00:26:50.339 birth, the maternal role is still in force with 00:26:50.339 --> 00:26:53.819 this comforting and touch and bonding and so 00:26:53.819 --> 00:26:59.779 forth. Remember, in the oxytocin episode, socialness 00:26:59.779 --> 00:27:04.700 is rewarding. Only happens when serotonin and 00:27:04.700 --> 00:27:09.640 oxytocin converge in the nucleus accumbens. And 00:27:09.640 --> 00:27:12.200 remember, we just briefly talked about the oxytocin 00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:18.180 here in this episode. So this comforting and 00:27:18.180 --> 00:27:22.559 these kind of stress buffering which both serotonin 00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:27.289 and oxytocin have is important. now the living 00:27:27.289 --> 00:27:30.809 arrangement the environment of the mother post 00:27:30.809 --> 00:27:35.150 -natally even now and Going back to work being 00:27:35.150 --> 00:27:38.990 forced back into work has changed drastically 00:27:38.990 --> 00:27:43.730 even though over the last 20 to 50 years and 00:27:43.730 --> 00:27:48.950 the past 100 to 150 years now we have this movement 00:27:48.950 --> 00:27:53.329 almost in society about mothers and women being 00:27:53.329 --> 00:27:57.509 important in the professional roles and so forth 00:27:57.509 --> 00:28:01.609 and that has overtaken it has kind of made an 00:28:01.609 --> 00:28:04.730 imbalance of what is important here the care 00:28:04.730 --> 00:28:08.630 of your newborn child through this critical development 00:28:08.630 --> 00:28:11.970 period or getting back to work and showing your 00:28:11.970 --> 00:28:16.869 value in a professional role we all make decisions 00:28:16.869 --> 00:28:20.589 i just hope it's informed decisions i hope you 00:28:20.589 --> 00:28:24.049 understand the impact here when this movement 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:29.980 and how evolution says in many species or in 00:28:29.980 --> 00:28:34.140 all species essentially that the mother's role 00:28:34.140 --> 00:28:39.880 here for nurturing is vastly important. But we 00:28:39.880 --> 00:28:44.559 neglect that. We neglect it so bad. And there 00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:47.500 could be some societal issues here, some systematic 00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:52.339 issues here with the family or the mother needing 00:28:52.339 --> 00:28:56.009 the income. right away they're struggling to 00:28:56.009 --> 00:28:58.750 make the income so they have to get back to work 00:28:58.750 --> 00:29:03.369 early and then the child the baby or infant is 00:29:03.369 --> 00:29:05.950 off to a babysitter where they can just feed 00:29:05.950 --> 00:29:11.730 them change them comfort them when needed it's 00:29:11.730 --> 00:29:17.049 all very fascinating and wrong but it is so easy 00:29:17.049 --> 00:29:20.500 just to overlook that because everybody's focused 00:29:20.500 --> 00:29:23.660 on the wrong things. And maybe by design, maybe 00:29:23.660 --> 00:29:28.079 not. But if you think about the roles here postnatally 00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:32.000 of serotonin and oxytocin that share similar 00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:36.400 roles here with the maternal bonding, the parental 00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:41.059 bonding, remember the magnocellular type oxytocin. 00:29:41.740 --> 00:29:46.000 Remember that with the parental bonding. This 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:50.299 is huge here. and oxytocin's other roles with 00:29:50.299 --> 00:29:55.359 the fear and anxiety buffering. It sends projections. 00:29:56.480 --> 00:29:59.720 Oxytocin is released in the hypothalamus and 00:29:59.720 --> 00:30:03.720 one of the central nervous system receptors is 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:07.220 in the brain stem area. And this is what it's 00:30:07.220 --> 00:30:11.079 doing. It's helping us modulate our attention 00:30:11.079 --> 00:30:15.940 and making sense of the world around us via these 00:30:15.940 --> 00:30:20.089 brain stem areas. That's important for the sensory 00:30:20.089 --> 00:30:24.230 integration and biasing the attention of the 00:30:24.230 --> 00:30:27.609 living organism to the environment. If the outside 00:30:27.609 --> 00:30:31.089 world is chaotic, we are not going to want to 00:30:31.089 --> 00:30:35.230 spend time there. Why would you? If you think 00:30:35.230 --> 00:30:38.309 something is chaotic, you're not going to want 00:30:38.309 --> 00:30:43.529 that. That's not a high desire. So these sensory 00:30:43.529 --> 00:30:50.049 maps are vital for understanding, knowing, and 00:30:50.049 --> 00:30:54.210 moving, learning, and connecting with the outside 00:30:54.210 --> 00:30:59.250 world. If you're listening to the podcast or 00:30:59.250 --> 00:31:01.809 listening to the episode, please feel free to 00:31:01.809 --> 00:31:05.309 leave a review or rating. In podcasting, reviews, 00:31:05.690 --> 00:31:09.049 ratings, and downloads are huge and I very much 00:31:09.049 --> 00:31:11.930 appreciate your feedback. You can contact me 00:31:11.930 --> 00:31:18.069 on X at rps47586 And we can have any discussion 00:31:18.069 --> 00:31:20.849 about autism. I very much appreciate your conversations 00:31:20.849 --> 00:31:24.750 about autism. You can check out the YouTube channel 00:31:24.750 --> 00:31:28.089 for full length videos and shorts and clips. 00:31:29.130 --> 00:31:31.950 You can check out the hop link for links to all 00:31:31.950 --> 00:31:34.250 of the shows across the different podcasting 00:31:34.250 --> 00:31:42.950 platforms. And contact me. Email info .fromthespectrum 00:31:42.950 --> 00:31:48.579 at gmail .com. Thank you for listening to From 00:31:48.579 --> 00:31:50.180 the Spectrum Podcast.