NEUROSCIENCE AND THE MEMORY CODE

EXPLORING THE IMPLICATIONS FOR GESTALT THERAPY

Dr Pieter Rossouw – The University of Queensland

9th GANZ Conference 20 Sept 2014

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NEUROSCIENCE AND GESTALT THERAPY – CHALLENGE 1 DEVELOPING BRAIN

Paul D MacLean 1913-2007

MacLean, P.D. 1990. The Triune Brain in Evolution: Role in Paleocerebral Functions. (Lambert & Kinsley 2011)

P Rossouw –neuroscience and he memory code – GANZ 2014

3THE TRIUNE BRAIN (MCLEAN 1990)

P Rossouw –neuroscience and he memory code – GANZ 2014

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IMPLICATIONS:•Neural development – bottom to top •Principles of neural activation (Kandel et al 2013)•Neurochemical patterns Ne, CRF, ACTH, Cortisol,

GABA, SE (stress regulation)•Cortical blood flow(bottom up approach)

– the “dark side” of cognition •RPFC domination – learning through experience

rather than cognition (Schore 2014)

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From 1990 to the end of 1999, the Library of Congress and the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health sponsored a unique interagency initiative to advance the goals set forth in a proclamation by President George Bush designating the 1990s as the Decade of the Brain: "to enhance public awareness of the benefits to be derived from brain research" through "appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities."

P Rossouw –neuroscience and he memory code – GANZ 2014

NEUROSCIENCE AND GESTALT THERAPY CHALLENGE 2 - THE DAWN OF A NEW PARADIGM

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• Julius Bernstein 1902, • Alan Hodgkin & Andrew Huxley 1964• Focus on electrical changes in synaptic

potentials• Implications for therapy – ECT’s – • Ugo Cerletti, Lucio Bini 1938

THE BRAIN SYSTEM AND THE ELECTRICAL PARADIGM

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The chemical theory

• Henry Dale, Stephen Kuffler and John Eccles• Implications for therapy:• Case example – SSRI’s• Lilly research compound 100140• SSRIs – first line intervention• 1978 – Belgium (Rossouw 2012)

CHANGING PARADIGM – THE BRAIN AS ELECTRO-CHEMICAL SYSTEM

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•Memory and networks• Erik Kandel (1976, 2001,2005,2006,2013) •Memory research on aplysia• Environment and networks

• Spielberg and colleagues (2012)• Networks of avoidance (protect)and approach (thrive)• Developmental perspective

•Mike Merzenich (Bao, Chang, Woods, Merzenich 2004)• Networks and patterns of wiring

THE EMERGING PARADIGM – NEURAL NETWORKS

P Rossouw –neuroscience and he memory code – GANZ 2014

P Rossouw –neuroscience and he memory code – GANZ 2014

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IMPLICATIONS

• The brain as neural network• Neural plasticity, • Synaptogenesis and neural genesis – • Therapy as facilitator of new neural pathways (Hebbian and

Merzenich principles)

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NEUROSCIENCE AND GESTALT THERAPY CHALLENGE 3 – UNDERSTANDING THE MEMORY CODE

• Essence of therapy – neural plasticity – capacity to change memory systems•What is memory• The brain and memory - locality• Kandel’s Aplysia (Kandel 2005, 2006)•Memory and Diffusion studies

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CHANGES IN UNDERSTANDING MEMORY

Memory

Explicit Implicit

Facts Experiences Conditioning Skills Priming

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Implicit memory systems Explicit Memory SystemsMotor and perceptual skills • Amygdala• Cerebellum• Reflex pathways Activation through Serotonin release – work onPre synaptic neuron Continuous stimulation (long term memories)• Growth in presynaptic

neuron

Events and facts – enriched environments • Hippocampus• Medial temporal lobe Activation through Dopamine release – work onPost synaptic dendrite

Continuous stimulation (long term memories)• Growth in post synaptic

dendrite

THE MEMORY CONTINUUM –IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT THE DA AN SE SYSTEMS

P Rossouw –neuroscience and he memory code – GANZ 2014

P Rossouw –neuroscience and he memory code – GANZ 2014

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IMPLICATIONS• Understanding the development of experiences (neural

network)• Facilitation of new networks – gestalt vs. cognition•Multisensory activation of new networks• Repetition - Hebbian principle – firing and wiring (role of

neural functioning and astroglial functioning)• Pleasure and Da release (breaking the loop)

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NEUROSCIENCE AND GESTALT THERAPY NEW CHALLENGES

• Research into Mirror neurons – the interconnectedness of us (Rossouw 2012)

• Implications for the therapeutic alliance (Allison and Rossouw 2013)

•Genome studies – coded and non-coded genomes – epigenetics •Gestalt and facilitation of enriched environments

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CONTACT

pieter@mediros.com.au

www.mediros.com.au

9/20/2014