Referred to as the “Mother Board” by many physicians and scientists, the brain is responsible for much of how our body functions day-to-day. In particular, the autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. The cerebellum also plays a key role in the body’s coordination and ability to balance. Being that these systems play important roles in the functionality of the body from day-to-day, a flaw in these centers causes major disruptions. Neurodegenerative diseases are categorized by the effects that they have on our bodies. One disease of interest is Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a fatal disease causing loss in motor function, abnormal heart rate, increased blood pressure, and body tremors.

Perplexing to physicians is the finding that patients with the same type and degree of injury may complain of vastly different levels of pain exacerbation, including pain severity, debilitation, life effects, and relative control. Evidence suggests that this phenomenon is due to psychosocial factors that are compounded by patient’s unrelenting symptoms, an insufficient availability of impactful treatments, and the extensive effects of such pain on physical function (Moriarty, McGuire, & Finn, 2011). These factors affect cognition of pain, thereby impacting pain exacerbation and initiating neurobiochemical changes throughout the Central Nervous System (CNS) that further compound and reinforce pain conditions.

Meditation originated from ancient eastern practices and has been part of its culture for 2,500 years (Taylor, Daneault, Grant, Scavone, Breton, Roffe-Vidal, ... & Beauregard, 2012; Otani, 2003).  Meditation was used to facilitate enlightenment as a way of overcoming hardship, pain, stress, and sorrow (Otani, 2003). It is a mental process that relaxes the individual and induces multiple physiologic responses (Lazar, Bush, Gollub, Fricchione, Khalsa, & Benson, 2000).  Meditation alters both cognitive and sensory dimensions of an individual’s subjective experience (Zeidan, Martucci, Kraft, Gordon, McHaffie, & Coghill, 2011).

The practice of meditation extends beyond relaxation and the typical yoga class. There are different types of meditation such as Transcendental Meditation and Mindfulness Meditation that have received the most scientific attention. Meditation can be practiced on its own or as a part of yoga, t'ai chi and other practices. (Horowitz, 2010, p. 223). Other forms of meditation include body scanning, guided meditation, and deep breathing. Practicing meditation has the ability to benefit individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) through the association of neuroplasticity.

Each year, there are approximately 12,000 spinal cord injuries (SCI) in the United States. These devastating injuries occur occur when severe trauma to the spine fractures or dislocates vertebrae, causing the spinal cord to bruise or tear. Spinal cord injuries exhibit a broad range of severity ranging from incomplete to complete. In incomplete SCI, sensation and movement is partially lost below the site of injury. In complete SCI, all sensory and motor functions below the site of injury are completely and permanently lost, resulting in paralysis.

You wake up one morning, and slowly you prop yourself up in bed as your joints, having braved the unmerciful test of time, ache and creak. Suddenly, an elderly woman walks in with a tray of your favorite breakfast foods and radiantly greets you. Naturally, you inquire, "Excuse me, I appreciate the food but may I ask who you are?" Her smile disappears. The creases in her face deepen as she replies, "Honey, I'm your wife."

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the brain, particularly in a region known as the substantia nigra. This region is part of the basal ganglia, which is responsible for the initiation, coordination, and overall control of movement. As the disease progresses, the lack of dopamine in the brain leads to loss of control over voluntary movements, causing symptoms such as tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity in muscles. Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's include depression and loss of smell.