Good feet… good eye?

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How true is it that the feet are somewhat connected to the eyes?

What we do know is that it is vision, proprioception and the sensation of the plantar sole that contribute to postural equilibrium.

The goal of a recent study was to see if ocular movement (saccades) could improve the sensation of the foot sole in specific individuals.

Here, 104 women aged 75 years old (average) were studied. 52 of them were selected to perform ocular saccades while 52 performed ocular pursuits.

If it’s true that ocular movement participates in the elaboration of equilibrium strategies, it is also true that saccades offered a bigger payoff.

In the context of Posturology, we focus on the efficiency of the ocular pursuit before we address the saccade. This is because, on a neurodevelopmental level, pursuits are simply more accessible.

The winning strategy, for a better posture, according to posturologists, is to stimulate the feet with a postural insole, which turns on the sensory areas of the brain. The sensory areas connect to the motor areas in order to create optimal recruitment of the muscular chains in order to stand upright as economically as possible.

We also train or retrain ocular movement patterns (pursuits and saccades). To do so, specific exercises are suggested!

The cerebellum and migraines

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According to the WHO, 10-12% of worldwide population is affected by migraines.

What defines a migraine?

– Duration: 4-72 hours.
– Unilateral.
– Affects specifically the anterior part of the cranium.
– Can be intense enough to get in the way of professional activities.
– Can be associated to nausea, vomiting and photophobia.
– There can be an aura preceding the migraine.

If it’s true that no one knows the origin of migraines, some studies show that the issue could be of cerebral origin. There is, to this day, a debate as to whether migraines are of vascular or neurological nature.

That being said, it seems that the possibility that migraines are caused by cerebral hyper excitability is generally accepted.

The role of the cerebellum in cases of migraines with and without an aura

Published force plate measurements have revealed that migraine sufferers had less balance. As well, it was revealed that individuals afflicted by migraines had ocular saccades that were less precise. Finally, it was mentioned that individuals that suffer from migraines tend to have less fine motor coordination.

These findings seem to highlight the role of the cerebellum in migraines. To add to it, it is apparently 2/3 of migraine sufferers that are sensitive to movement!

The role of the cerebellum in basilar type migraines

Some think that basilar type migraines find their origin in the brainstem and/or in the brain hemispheres and are sometimes accompanied by motor deficits.

Some of its symptoms, again, make you think of the cerebellum:

– Dysarthria: difficulty with the TMJ for speech.
– Vertigo: difficulty with organ of equilibrium.
– Diplopia: double vision.
– Visual symptoms.
– Ataxia: lack of coordination of movements.

The role of the cerebellum with familial hemiplegic migraines

Familial hemiplegic migraines are characterized by the presence of an aura and motor weaknesses. We can also find ataxia. As it is the case for other types of migraines, we recognize, for familial hemiplegic migraines, symptoms that belong to the cerebellum.

Conclusion

Based on the information herein provided, we can think that the cerebellum is involved in different types of migraines.

In Posturology, the fact that we improve proprioceptive information that is captured by the cerebellum and that we decrease the quantity of work that the vestibular system needs to accomplish to stand us upright (the inner ear connects to the cerebellum), it is quite possible that we can have a positive effect on the probability of developing migraines.

Clinically, we often find that these migraines are on the side of the hypo convergent eye, where facial muscles show less tone. These clinical findings can be a reflection of the postural system. If we improve that system, it is possible to have results on migraines.

Righty lefty: to be skilled in mathematics?

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There is controversy surrounding the topic of handedness and the ability to do well in mathematics.

Some studies demonstrated that left-handed individuals are gifted for umbers while it’s also been shown that right-handed individuals aren’t so great at math!

More recently, a study demonstrated that ambidextrous individuals were the ones who were the most disadvantaged when it came to performing in mathematics.

In 2016, researchers from Liverpool University found that, when children were well lateralized, they actually did not do so well in math.

That being said, in teenagers, being well lateralized was actually beneficial for performing in mathematics.

To be lateralized means you are developing one side of your body more than the other one for purposes of fine motor skills.

This is well known to cognitive neuroscientists: lateralization is a process that takes place between 0-7 years old. If this lateralization develops too early, fundamental stages of brain development can be compromised, which could play against performing in mathematics.

When the stages of brain development are respected, we have a tendency to stimulate and develop the brain optimally, allowing it to perform complex tasks more easily, whether it be mathematics or any other cognitive task.

In conclusion, in the context of Posturology, the goal is to refine this development for motor gains. It would be normal to expect cognitive gains from a methodology that targets areas of the brain that are responsible for both motor contributions and learning.

Eyes and Alzheimer

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Let’s not lie to each other… in posturology, eyes are pretty important! The posturologist assesses ocular motility in order to evaluate coordination and so much more.

Actually, Posturology borrowed from orthoptics the notion of testing the efficacy of eye movement with the idea of assessing more than how we see.

Knowing this, in 2013, researchers sought to find out if specific eye movements were affected in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s. We already knew that patients who suffered from Alzheimer have affected horizontal saccades. We wanted to know, here, if vertical saccades were also affected.

The study concludes, indeed, that vertical saccades are also affected in patients with the illness.

Saccades are eye movements where we go from looking at one target to another, very quickly.

Saccades are initiated in an area of the brainstem called the midbrain and the motor visual areas.

When calibrating with Posturology, via specific exercises, we stimulate the pathways that link the midbrain to the motor visual pathways.

To activate the brain via specific eye exercises such as the ones we suggest to improve saccades is as essential for the brain’s health as it receiving enough glucose and oxygen.

Posturology can be seen, therefore, as a tool to improve brain function and hopefully decrease the likelihood of neural degeneration and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.