Beyond timidity: Understanding social anxiety disorder

Many people consider themselves to be the shy type. While others grow out of feeling awkward in the presence of others, some people seem to be more withdrawn through the years. Neuroengineering and neurotherapy expert Dr. Curtis Cripe explains that the difference can be a personality trait. However, extreme self-consciousness can be a symptom of social anxiety disorder. Here are some important points worth understanding about this mental health condition:

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It is accompanied by fear.

Those who suffer from social anxiety may appear timid like others. However, in public settings, they go through the fear of being judged. Sometimes this fear gets in the way of their daily routine, such as going to work, school, or interacting with others. Simple activities, such as eating or drinking, can be a challenge for people with social phobia. Speaking in public or with an unfamiliar person may cause them to manifest symptoms such as dizziness, sweating, and an increase in heart rate.

It can be overpowering.

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Dr. Curtis Cripe explains that a person’s social phobia can be overwhelming, especially when one has no choice but to interact with others. Many individuals who have this condition are aware of their symptoms but feel that they can’t do anything to conquer it. In turn, some might miss out on opportunities that could further their growth.

It can be managed.

Seeking the help of a mental health professional can help a person manage social anxiety. Therapy, treatments, and practices can significantly encourage a person to open up to the world around them. Keeping trusted people close will provide support for people who want to expose themselves to situations they used to dread.

The expertise of Dr. Curtis Cripe has been instrumental in the development of the treatment programs used by NTL Group. One of his specializations is in the field of psychophysiology. For more information about Dr. Cripe and his work, visit this website.

Every little bit helps: Recommended food for people with depression

There have been reports that in the next 10 years, depression will be the leading cause of disability, not just in the United States, but worldwide. Add to that the millions of people who are unaware of their condition, or are unwilling to see mental health professionals, and the numbers will only continue to increase.

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While depression is one of the most common illnesses, researchers still have yet to comprehend the illness, much less come up with a solid, across-the-board plan of treatment. And because Dr. Curtis Cripe believes that every little bit helps, he recommends living a healthy lifestyle alongside regular appointments to mental health professionals.

Part of living a healthy lifestyle, Dr. Curtis Cripe notes, is adopting a healthy diet.

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First off, since people with depression often feel lethargic, they should focus on fruits and vegetables that help energize the body. Caffeine may also be an option but in regulated doses. For those who are looking to take on a new hobby or sport to fully overhaul their lives, Dr. Curtis Cripe recommends a healthy portion of carbohydrates every meal to keep the one’s energy level up. Overall, a balanced diet is a great way to keep the mind fit too.

That said, Dr. Curtis Cripe explains that people with depression should stay away from alcoholic beverages as much as possible since consuming alcohol can dampen one’s mood.

NTL Group R & D head Dr. Curtis Cripe has behind him a diverse multidisciplinary professional and academic background, having worked in aerospace, engineering, software development, bioengineering, addiction recovery, psychophysiology, psychology, and child neurodevelopment. Visit this blog for related posts.

What does transition planning for children with disabilities entail?

It’s all but natural that as parents witness their child’s growth and anticipate milestones, they also wonder whether their child’s development is normal and on track. Babies should reach developmental milestones like rolling over, talking, sitting, and walking at a given time. However, if parents do notice potential problems like prolonged delays, it is crucial that they know immediately that their baby doesn’t have any actual delay, says behavioral medicine expert Curtis Cripe, Ph. D.

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While it can be stressful to worry about it, early intervention is key if a child indeed has some disability. Many kids will outgrow mild delays, but others will just fall behind if parents don’t do anything. The best recourse is for parents to talk immediately with their child’s pediatrician. They can then refer the child for an evaluation. Parents should anticipate that the doctor will expect them to be able to describe in detail their child’s behavior both at home and in school.

Parents shouldn’t just abide by a wait-and-see attitude. To be able to truly recognize the signs of developmental delays, they should monitor and communicate exactly what they notice to the doctor, who will need detailed information on various factors including parenting style and structure at home.

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Even if certain issues have already been ruled out, parents need to maintain regular dialogue with their child’s doctor. Again, the doctor will not know the child the way parents do. Parents should keep a record of all developmental milestones and, if they notice a problem, track how long it has been going on. The bottom line is to allow their child’s doctor to come up with both an assessment and recommendation that are specific to the child, adds Dr. Curtis Cripe.

Curtis Cripe, Ph.D., is the director of research and development of neuroengineering services provider NTL Group. He has published two peer-reviewed papers and wrote two book chapters on neurotherapy and neuroengineering. For related posts, visit this blog.

What are degenerative disorders?

First off, it must be established that degenerative disorders are part of the canopy term developmental disability. These begin during the developmental period and often lasts an entire lifetime, significantly affecting a person’s everyday functioning, explains neuroengineering expert Dr. Curtis Cripe.

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The Center for Disease Control or CDC defines developmental disabilities as a group of conditions resulting from impairments in a person’s physical, language, behavior, and learning areas. Some common examples are Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cerebral Palsy, ADHD, and vision impairment.

A degenerative disorder or disease is the result of a continuous process of deteriorating cells, affecting our organs and tissues. In neurology, cells affected by neurodegenerative diseases in one’s central nervous system will eventually cease from working. Alzheimer’s disease is a good example of this condition. Aside from neurodegenerative diseases, the other common degenerative disease types are neoplastic (like cancer) and those that affect one’s circulatory system (e.g., coronary artery disease).

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Again, while some are connected to aging and lifestyle choices, some degenerative disorders are partially or mainly genetic in nature (like Huntington’s disease). It could also be that the disease is caused by exposure to chemicals, viruses, and poison. In a nutshell, depending on the specific defect, degenerative disorders can lead to sensory, mental, and physical issues, adds Dr. Curtis Cripe.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the director of research and development at the NTL Group. He has published two peer-reviewed papers and wrote two book chapters on neurotherapy and neuroengineering. For similar posts, visit thisblog.

How neuroengineering can translate brain signals into speech

Modern-day medical sciences have welcomed significant technologies. While there are several new breakthroughs in the medical field, there are also those that help us understand the human physiology better.

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One such technology can be found in neuroengineering and its latest attempt in translating brain signals into speech. According to neuroengineering expert Dr. Curtis Cripe of the NTL Group, this new development has potentially boundless applications in the field of medicine and technology in general. What does this technology do specifically?

Firstly, this new technology is able to reconstruct the words that a person can hear by monitoring brain activity. And through the power of speech synthesizers and AI, it represents a new way to directly communicate with the brain. What it can mainly do is translate thoughts into something intelligible such as speech.

Lines of communication are transformed and received by the brain as signals. This process includes imagining speaking or internal dialogues, listening to someone actually speak, actual speaking, or even imagining someone else speak. And one of the goals of current research is to translate brain signals into speech at will.

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This technology is groundbreaking in terms of possible applications in the field of medicine as well as communication. According to Dr. Curtis Cripe, the research is deemed as groundwork for helping those who are unable to speak. These could concern people with disabilities from birth such as muteness and deafness, as well as those with medical conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or other illnesses that prevent them from speaking.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the head of research and development at the NTL Group, which specializes in neuroengineering programs aimed at the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders connected to head injury, depression, anxiety, memory disorders, and learning disorders. To know more about Dr. Cripe and his works, visit this website.

Common causes of developmental disabilities in children

Developmental disabilities involve a wide array of disorders that lead to intellectual and physical impairments, speech disorders, and medical conditions. And while such disabilities often get diagnosed at birth, certain disorders may not be identified until a child turns three to six years old, explains neuroengineering expert Dr. Curtis Cripe.

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 While some developmental disabilities may be mild, some may be severe and require the full attention of parents and neurologists. The most common ones are autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, Tourette syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, spina bifida, Velocardiofacial syndrome, syndromes related to drug use and fetal alcohol, and chromosome abnormalities.

Doctors may refer to developmental disabilities as developmental delays, but this umbrella term can be misleading. A child with a developmental disability may be the result of a genetic disorder, and it isn’t possible to grow out of it if such is the case. It is, of course, still possible to get treatment if, say, a child only exhibits a mild version of a disability. But this entails a great amount of therapy.

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Therapy will allow a child to function at age level for a certain period, but remember that their level of functioning, as well as their social and career success, will largely depend upon the type and severity of the disability, Curtis Cripe adds. As children with developmental disabilities turn into adults, much depends upon the quality of therapy they’ve had as children, as well as existing social network and support.

Curtis Cripe, Ph.D., heads research and development at the NTL Group, which works with neuroengineering technology to treat addiction, head injury (TBI), depression, anxiety, memory disorders, and neurodevelopmental delays in children with learning disorders. Visit this blogfor related posts.

The common speech disorders affecting learning

Communication plays a vital role in facilitating learning in children. As early as 6 months, a baby starts communicating. From that point, communication will be an invaluable tool for learning as the child progresses in age.

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 This is why speech disorders need to be addressed, as they have a significant impact on learning, emphasizes Dr. Curtis Cripe, a renowned authority in neuroengineering and neuropathy.

A common example of a speech disorder is apraxia of speech. This disorder occurs when speech signals are lost or obscured during their transmission to the brain. Children with apraxia of speech know what they want to say but are unable to articulate. This creates a clear hindrance to communication as parents get very limited feedback from their children. At the same time, these children can experience distress from not being understood by their parents.

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Another speech disorder is speech language delay, which manifests in several signs parents can look out for. These include slower than average speech development, inability to form phrases or sentences, incorrect usage of words, and difficulty in understanding words. Speech language delay hinders the ability of children to follow simple instructions in school. It can also affect their ability to read, write, and spell.

According to Dr. Curtis Cripe, parents should constantly monitor their children during their developmental stages and be particularly observant about developmental milestones. Speech disorders could pose some difficulties, but there are methods such as therapy which can mitigate them and prioritize children’s needs.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the head of research and development at the NTL Group, which specializes in neuroengineering programs aimed at the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders connected to head injury, depression, anxiety, memory disorders, and learning disorders. For more reads on neurological disorders, visit this website.

How substance abuse rewires the brain

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For a long time, history had judged addiction as a failure in morals. Thankfully, the rise of more scientific and behavioral approaches to the handling and treatment of substance abuse has overridden the pervading notions that moral and religious reeducation was enough. These likewise made it clear that neuroscience is key in understanding addiction, says Dr. Curtis Cripe of the NTL Group.


Scientists now know that chronic exposure to and abuse of drugs alter the brain, particularly leading to the so-called fragile X mental retardation protein or FMRP. This very protein is also the leading cause of intellectual disability and autism. Researchers are now keen on looking further at brain molecules that control the development of drug addiction with the hope of discovering new treatment methods.

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FMRP is particularly an issue for those repeatedly exposed to cocaine, as the drug uses the protein to create changes in the brain that are connected to addiction-related behaviors. It must be noted that while some experiences modify the brain by allowing one to remember and learn, alterations caused by substance abuse are harmful, end up reinforcing addictive behaviors.

It is the conditioned brain that itself makes addiction recovery difficult, and those affected by chronic drug use will struggle to combat a brain that has been rewired to accommodate addiction. But to beat it, the very mechanisms that have caused it must be used, consciously working rigorously on the behaviors to live more healthily, adds Curtis Cripe. It will take time and much effort to rehab the drug-conditioned brain, but it must nonetheless be done.

Dr. Curtis Cripe has behind him a diverse multidisciplinary professional and academic background, having worked in aerospace, engineering, software development, bioengineering, addiction recovery, psychophysiology, psychology, and child neurodevelopment. For similar posts, visit this blog.

Some characteristics of concealed depression

Many people struggle daily with depression. Some hide their depression to look “happy” for their friends and relatives. Others conceal their depression because they do not want to acknowledge the severity of what they are going through and feel that it will go away on its own. On this blog, neuroengineering expert Curtis Cripe details further some of the obvious characteristics of concealed depression.

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Unusual sleep patterns and drinking habits. One of the strongest signs of hidden depression is when a person starts to drink more and more to get some sleep. Negative thoughts always cloud the mind, and for those with depression, drinking may be an escape to cover sadness and feelings of loneliness.

Possibilities of a 'cry for help' which they take back. People who have hidden depression might make an appointment with a doctor or a therapist and would barely make it to the schedule. Dr. Curtis Cripe suggests that people who suffer from hidden depression could also mention hints of suicide in conversations or in social media, and then retracting the statement.

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They tend to have more intense feelings than usual. A person suffering from masked depression feels emotions more intensely than how others feel. Samples of instances are sudden bursts of tears, or a sudden gush of anger over the simplest, more usual statements. They could also be more irritable than usual and would usually spark arguments even if there is no need for one.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the head of research and development at the NTL Group, which specializes in the development of brain-based technology for healing and repairing neurological dysfunctions. For more articles like this, visit this page.

When does anxiety become a medical concern?

Anxiety is defined as a heightened feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease regarding events that have passed or have yet to come. Although most people experience anxiety, there are those whose anxiety require medical attention. Anxiety can sometimes manifest themselves physically in the form of headache, sweating, palpitations, tightness in the chest region, and an upset stomach. According to neuroengineering expert Dr. Curtis Cripe, certain levels of anxiety are medical concerns requiring medication and therapy to manage. Here are some major types of medical anxiety disorders.

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) GAD is described as chronic anxiety heightened by worry and tension. GAD can be triggered even without the presence of outside stimulus. Like most anxiety disorders, this condition can affect a person’s lifestyle in terms of social activity, work, and personal health.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) This unique anxiety disorder is described as having recurring unwanted thoughts or behavior. According to Dr. Curtis Cripe, people suffering from OCD with behavioral compulsions tend to have repetitive ticks such as washing their hands, counting objects, checking and re-checking the status of the room, or performing small rituals before they can go about an activity.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) This unique anxiety disorder only occurs after a person is subjected to a terrifying ordeal or event such as surviving an accident or having their lives seriously threatened. This disorder is common among war veterans as well as people who were harmed repeatedly over a period of time.

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Social Anxiety Disorder Lastly, social anxiety disorder occurs when a person has crippling levels of anxiety and self-consciousness which occur in regular social interactions. This can manifest itself in different ways like fear of speaking or being spoken to. Dr. Curtis Cripe Ph.D., is the head of research and development at the NTL Group. The group specializes in neuroengineering programs aimed at the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders. connected to head injury, depression, anxiety, memory disorders, and learning disorders. To know more about Dr. Cripe, click on this link.

What are the potential causes of speech disabilities?

We must be aware of the causes of developmental delays among children, if only to understand the implications of these in mental, physical and emotional growth. Enabling our children to catch up quickly is a matter of detecting delays and providing early treatment.

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One of the most common types and manifestations of developmental issues is speech delay. This refers to a noticeable lag in verbal expression, in the formation of words. It must be noted that language is a broader system for giving and receiving information and is therefore different from speech, as the former includes gestures.


There are many possible causes of both speech and language delays, which could be rooted in the emotional, mental, and physical. A cause could be an inherent learning disability. It could also be that the child has autism spectrum disorders, which refer to various neurological issues impairing both communication and cognitive skills, as well as the ability for social interaction.

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Speech disability may be due to a disorder called dysarthria, in which the child has problems with the muscles controlling his or her speech. This is a concern that should be detected by a language speech pathologist. More situational causes of the delay include early exposure to more than one language, hearing loss after an unchecked ear infection, and the trauma from child neglect or child abuse.

Dr. Curtis Cripe heads research and development at the NTL Group. He has published two peer-reviewed papers and written two book chapters on neurotherapy and neuroengineering. Follow this Twitter page for more posts and updates related to neurology.