Keywords visual system, nervous system, neuroplasticity, vision therapy, stress and vision, eye health, cranial nerves, emotional vision, visual processing, brain function Summary: In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the intricate relationship between the visual system and the nervous system. He discusses how stress impacts vision, the role of neuroplasticity in vision rehabilitation, and the importance of understanding the visual pathway and processing in the brain. The conversation highlights the significance of the vagus nerve, emotional states, and various therapies that can enhance visual health and overall well-being. Takeaways: • The nervous system is crucial for resilience against stress. • Vision is not just about the eyes; it's a brain-body connection. • The visual pathway includes the retina, optic nerve, and brain regions. • Stress can lead to visual issues like myopia and eye strain. • The vagus nerve plays a key role in relaxation and vision. • Neuroplasticity allows for improvement in visual processing. • Visual therapy can help rewire the brain for better vision. • Emotions significantly influence our visual perception. • Craniosacral therapy can aid in visual and nervous system balance. • Understanding the connection between stress and vision is vital. Sound Bites • "The nervous system reflects our ability to become resilient." • "The eyes are a sensory organ connected to the brain." • "Visual processing occurs in the occipital lobe of the brain." Chapters 00:00Understanding the Visual System and Nervous System Connection 02:59The Visual Pathway and Brain Processing 05:57The Role of the Nervous System in Vision 08:52Neuroplasticity and Vision Rehabilitation 11:03Stress, Vision, and Neurological Disorders Hey everybody. Welcome to the Berne podcast. It's great to be in today. And today I want to talk about understanding your visual system as it relates to the nervous system. This is one of the topics we talk about in our practitioner training, but I also talked to many of my patients about it because they're so stressed out and our nervous system reflects our ability. to become resilient with stress. So there is a very strong relationship between the nervous system and our vision. In fact, it is so deeply interconnected because it's not just about our eyes, but it's about the process between our eyes, our brain and our body. And since the eyes are a sensory organ. We can see the nerves that are connecting into the eyes like our pupil responses as one example. Another example is eye movements. In fact, there are three cranial nerves that innervate the eye muscles cranial nerve 3 cranial nerve 4 and cranial nerve 6. So if we've got visual coordination problems strabismus amblyopia, sometimes it's related to an imbalance in the nerves as it relates to the eyes. So the first thing I want to bring up in our visual system is something called our visual pathway. And so the eyes convert light when the light strikes the retina. These electrical signals are stimulating the photoreceptors the rods and codes in the retina and sending these signals. They're transmitting them basically through I call the fiber optic pathway the optic nerve and this visual pathway includes the retina. which is the photoreceptors the optic nerve, which is that fiber optic pathway that connects the retina to the brain something called the optic chiasm the point where the nerves cross in the brain and then this visual information we then reaches the hemispheres of the brain. have the right brain and the left brain. So we talk about the visual information processing and another part of the brain. We talk about is something called the lateral geniculate nucleus, which is located in the thalamus and this is related to our visual information to the visual cortex the back part of the brain. This is the occipital lobe of the brain where the majority of our visual processing occurs.
