Neuro Developmental “Hubs” & Why the Tongue is a Master Switch

Neurodevelopmental hubs are key integrative regions of the nervous system that coordinate sensory input, motor output, and regulatory functions during early growth and lifelong brain-body connection. These “hubs” serve as critical control centers for building movement, posture, emotion, attention, and behavior.

They are not just brain structures—they are functional systems made up of:

• Neural circuits
• Cranial and peripheral nerves
• Fascial pathways
• Reflex loops and sensory-motor zones

Why Are They Called “Hubs”?

Think of them like train stations in the brain-body network:

• Multiple “lines” (sensory inputs) arrive
• A central processor (the hub) integrates the signals
• Outgoing “lines” (motor responses or emotional reactions) are sent to the body

When a hub is underdeveloped or blocked, it affects downstream development—leading to delays, imbalances, or compensation patterns.

Key Neurodevelopmental Hubs (with Functions)

1. Brainstem Hub
   • Controls primitive reflexes, breathing, and arousal states
   • Integrates early sensory input (touch, vestibular, sound)
   • Foundation for posture and autonomic regulation
2. Vestibular-Cerebellar Hub
   • Located in the inner ear and cerebellum
   • Organizes balance, coordination, and spatial awareness
   • Links to eye tracking, attention, and emotional stability
3. Orofacial-Hyoid Hub
   • Involves the tongue, jaw, lips, hyoid bone, and cranial nerves
   • Essential for suck-swallow-breathe, feeding, speech, airway, and vagus nerve tone
   • Plays a huge role in facial development and emotional regulation
4. Limbic-Prefrontal Hub
   • Combines emotional memory (amygdala, hippocampus) with executive function (prefrontal cortex)
   • Integrates social bonding, behavior regulation, and attachment
   • Matures later but is affected by earlier sensory/motor hubs

What Happens When a Hub Is Delayed or Blocked?

• Retained primitive reflexes
• Speech or feeding difficulties
• Sensory processing issues
• Poor coordination, handwriting, posture
• Anxiety, inattention, or emotional dysregulation

How to Support Neurodevelopmental Hubs

• Reflex integration therapy
• Movement-based neurodevelopmental exercises (e.g., crawling, rhythmic rocking)
• Craniosacral or myofascial release
• Oral-facial therapy
• Laser or vibrational input to reactivate underused neural areas
• Nutrition + vagus nerve support (for brainstem-limbic regulation)

Why the Tongue Is a Master Switch

The tongue is:

• A midline muscle with dense proprioceptors and cranial nerve innervation
• Linked to cranial nerves V, VII, IX, X, and XII
• A key player in swallowing, posture, speech, and breath

When the tongue presses up and back against the palate during a proper swallow, it:

1. Activates cranial nerve pathways — especially the vagus nerve (CN X) through the pharynx
2. Stimulates the brainstem — regulating autonomic balance
3. Connects into the fascial web — especially via the deep front line (tongue → hyoid → diaphragm → pelvic floor)

Swallowing as a Neurofascial Reset

Each functional swallow is like a neuromuscular “ping” that:

• Regulates the nervous system (parasympathetic tone)
• Releases fascial tension patterns held in the jaw, neck, and diaphragm
• Helps integrate left-right brain coordination
• Enhances CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) movement via tongue-palate pressure

In Dysfunction:

If swallowing is disordered (due to mouth breathing, low tongue posture, tethered oral tissues, etc.), those “neuro switches” stay dim or offline — contributing to:

• Emotional dysregulation
• Chronic tension in the face, neck, or even hips
• Poor vagal tone and autonomic dysregulation
• Brain fog or fatigue (linked to weak proprioceptive feedback)

The Swallow as Afferent Messaging

• Afferent signals = sensory information traveling from the body to the brain.
• During swallowing, mechanoreceptors in the tongue, palate, pharynx, and fascia send rich afferent input through:
  • Cranial nerves V, VII, IX, X, XII
  • Especially the vagus nerve (CN X) — the key to parasympathetic safety
  • These signals go to the brainstem, insular cortex, and limbic system — areas tied to autonomic regulation, emotion, and interoception

Fascial Connection

The deep front line of fascia connects:

• Tongue → Hyoid → Sternum → Diaphragm → Psoas → Pelvic floor
• When the tongue lifts and swallows with good tone and alignment, that entire fascial chain sends proprioceptive feedback to the brain:
  • “I’m grounded.”
  • “I’m organized.”
  • “I’m safe.”

This afferent loop tells the brain:  “The body is functioning well — we can relax.”

Schedule a complimentary evaluation to learn how you or a loved one might benefit from an improved airway. Dr. DeLurgio can customize your orthodontic plan to start making improvements today in Sacramento, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Orangevale, Carmichael, Rancho Cordova, Gold River, Citrus Heights, Roseville, Granite Bay, South Lake Tahoe, Davis, Yuba City, Vacaville, Fairfield and Chico CA. Call 916.966.5517 or click here to schedule your appointment today.