When this little girl came in, we had already run a full set of labs, and what we found were clear markers of neural inflammation that directly affect the basal ganglia. This part of the brain plays a major role in emotional regulation, sensory processing, sleep, and anxiety. When it is inflamed, kids often become overwhelmed, anxious, or hypersensitive, not because they are choosing those reactions but because the brain is struggling to regulate. Once we started care, we focused on lowering tha