The human brain is the master regulator in charge of receiving, interpreting, and responding to various sensory inputs from the environment. However, disturbances of this process have an effect on general brain health and can manifest as hyper-sensitivity, or hypo-sensitivity thereby impinging upon an individual's capacity to function optimally in daily life. The five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. The “sensory diet” is not food but a program of structured activities...

Our brain is considered a “protected” organ in the body since it is surrounded by an anatomical structure, made of different cell types that controls what can go inside and what can exit. The structure is called “the blood brain barrier” and as the name suggests, it is a “barrier” that acts like a gatekeeper to the brain. Normally, it keeps harmful things out and hold “good” things in. It also controls how various chemical molecules (including compounds we need or even make ourselves) enter...

Often when we think about an individual with dementia, a condition characterized by a significant decrease in memory skills and cognitive abilities, we think about someone who is typically an older adult of 65 or more, and most likely affected by a chronic neurodegenerative condition such as Alzheimer’s disease. Surprisingly, this is not always the case since children and adolescents can also be affected by progressive cognitive decline, learning and memory problems (aka dementia) secondary...