Can Increasing the Daily Amount of Neurofeedback Training Improve the Clinical Outcome and Other Case Histories?

The following case histories may have useful implications for neurofeedback because they imply possible clinical effectiveness with immune disorders, anorexia, and obsessive, compulsive disorders. In addition the neurofeedback timing strategies used suggest that the length, frequency and total number of sessions may be as important in achieving best neurotherapy results as titration is in the administration of medications.

A DANGEROUS OBSESSION

He had reached an advanced stage of anorexia. As a 54 year old construction worker, he was normally 6′ and a well muscled 155 lbs. At the beginning of therapy he was 118 lbs., eyes sunken, somewhat manic, claiming his diet of mostly lettuce was making him high and filling him with energy. He was almost completely isolated as his behavior had destroyed his marriage and alienated him from his friends.
He had not worked for five years at his trade as he was on disability. He was almost broke even though he earned between sixty and one hundred thousand per year when he was working. He was obsessed with a well known cult which had counseled him to distance himself from his family, and against seeking therapeutic help. He had invested over $200,000.00, virtually his life savings, in the cults system of “therapy and enlightenment.”

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Adding The Intelligence of the Heart in Performance Enhancement Training

Introduction
For centuries the heart has been considered the source of emotion, courage and wisdom. Neurocardiology is the relatively new science of exploring the physiological mechanisms by which the heart communicates with the brain; thereby influencing information processing, perceptions, emotions and health.

Neurocardiology asks questions such as: Why do people experience the feeling or sensation of love and other positive emotional states in the area of the heart, and what are the physiological ramifications of these emotions? How do stress and different emotional states affect the autonomic nervous system, the hormonal and immune systems, the heart and brain?

Over the years scientists have experimented with different psychological and physiological measures, but consistently heart rate variability, or heart rhythms, stands out as one of the most dynamic and reflective measures of inner emotional states and stress.

It is clear that negative emotions lead to increased disorder in the heart’s rhythms and in the autonomic nervous system, thereby adversely affecting the rest of the body. In contrast, positive emotions create increased harmony and coherence in heart rhythms, and improve balance in the nervous system. The health implications are easy to understand. Disharmony in the nervous system leads to inefficiency and increased stress on the heart and other organs, while harmonious rhythms are more efficient and less stressful to the body’s systems.

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Harry
Bio-FeedBack Resources International Corp.



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Is There a Neurofeedback Tsunami? (It is Synchrony.)

I think so and its name is Synchrony. Synchrony training is of great interest to many Neurofeedback practitioners. However, there seems to be a number of opinions about what synchrony means. We hope to add to the confusion by explaining our views. We will also explain why we feel synchrony training is an important part of Neurofeedback’s present and an even more important part of its future.
As multiple channel Neurofeedback systems come into fashion synchrony strategies will become critically important to this field. Stroebel, Fehmi, Green and others came to the view that there was a special relationship between EEG Synchrony and quality of some mind states in the early 70’s.
This insight came as a result of measuring the synchrony present as unusually gifted individuals demonstrated relatively high orders of perception and self-regulation.Not many are aware that the Nobel Laureate Francis Crick, coming from the traditional neuroscience “Binding” theory of consciousness, is reported to have speculated that EEG Synchrony may be an accessible and practically usable signature of consciousness. To quote from his book Astonishing Hypothesis, ” Both German groups suggested that these 40hz oscillations might be the Brain’s answer to the binding problem. They proposed that the neurons symbolizing all the different attributes of a single object (shape, color, movement, etc.) would bind these attributes to each other by firing together in synchrony.”

Now, Crick is limiting his investigation to visual awareness or “consciousness”. His notion is that synchronous firing is a way different types of neurons bind their different perceptions producing the phenomenon of consciousness. Others are signing on to this speculation. I doubt they are aware of the work that inspired the same kind of insight by early biofeedback researchers.

Our considerable experience with synchrony training has convinced us that it has substantial applications with problem patients including Alpha P and Minus types. However, we believe that synchrony will play an even greater role in Performance / Life Enhancement training. The value of right / left hemispheric synchrony training is widely recognized but less is known about rear /frontal. It is a reasonable hypothesis that rear / frontal is at least as important and relates to perception of the principle, the idea, the vision, if you will, and then the bringing of that vision into the real world, via the frontal lobes.

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Harry
Bio-FeedBack Resources International Corp.

Theoretical Implications of Neurofeedback Integrating Bowen Theory

Simple statements often conceal a great deal of complexity. The notion that the brain learns from experience is one such statement. The brain develops the internal connections by fitting with the external world. Learning then can be defined as the struggle to make sense of human interactions. The efforts to integrate feeling and thinking, or values and impulses, are what gives each person their own unique self. Reflecting on much of life’s experience, furthers one’s goal and thereby enables humans to escape a deterministic world.
PET scans, MRI and EEG look at evidence that the brain does reflect the nature of relationship sensitivity, physical and emotional challenges and eons of evolution. For the EEG one arena, sleep states; have been very well documented. Eventually waking states of conscious will be as well investigated.
As in many areas of medicine much has been learned from symptoms. Diseases have taught us about the functioning of the different parts of the brain. Neither of the brain’s two information systems, chemical nor electrical has a one to one correspondence with functional states in the human. Rather the state of the body reflects the overall adaptation that any individual has made. Certain areas bind anxiety, and no one area can reflect a life history. An EEG may give us more insight into the overall way that feelings and thinking have been integrated and how we pay attention.

In 1929, Hans Berger measured the brain’s electrical activity. The activity was recorded in the form of line waves and now these same waves can be fed back to the brain as information. EEG Neurofeedback is a relatively new discipline that enables us to understand how the brain functions and also promotes the brain’s ability to learn from observing itself.

Neurofeedback has been documented to be useful for serious symptoms. People have been able to function after sever head trauma. Epileptics have been taught to reduce the severity and numbers of seizures. Headaches, and other types of physical pain, have been reduced. In addition to physical symptoms, emotional and physical symptoms, such as ADD, have been reported to decrease by Lubar, Tansy and others. There are a wide number of manufactures of equipment and most have reported positive results in working with various symptom groups.

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Harry
Bio-FeedBack Resources International Corp.

The Hidden Challenge in Alcohol and Drug Abuse

“Alcohol and drugs are essential to my creative process” is a thought, sometimes a confession made, usually privately, by millions of creative people, many of them at the pinnacle of success in their fields. Yet, I have heard very little serious discussion by substance abuse professionals about the profound implications of this phenomenon.

Some say that psychoactive drugs will be with us forever and maybe they will. However, my life improved immensely and was probably saved by my liberating myself from the pleasures, enthusiastic bursts of creativity and agonies of alcohol and smoke.

In fact, our society has declared a “war” on drugs and a sort of “police action” on alcohol. Humorous, isn’t it since far more damage is done in the aggregate by alcohol than by all other drugs combined?
As a society we believe that we must solve this catastrophic problem; or at least understand it enough so that we reduce the destructive pressure on our culture. Having come from a family of beautiful people who have been tragically impacted by alcohol and other drugs, I have had an intense interest in how and why this disaster happened to my dearest loves and beyond that to our civilization as a whole. What is the most effective way to heal the damage already done and reduce the problem in the future?

This led me into one of the most fascinating investigations of my life. I delved deeply into all of the conventional wisdom I could find… and I did most of my investigation while continuing to drink and smoke. I was what you call a highly functional substance abuser. In fact, my problem was never diagnosed by a professional or even a friend. I had to come to the realization that I had a substance abuse problem through self study.

Self study which involved a lot of EEG biofeedback and meditation.

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Harry
Bio-FeedBack Resources International Corp.

Neurofeedback Equipment for Mental Health

Mental health symptoms and solutions are being openly discussed more than ever. Most days that I turn on the news I hear at least one story related to mental health. Just today I heard a report about three separate people who were survivors or a relative of a survivor of a school shooting who committed suicide. We often hear reports of the devastation across the country related to abuse of opioid drugs. Concussions caused by car accidents, slip and falls, sports injuries cause memory loss, behavior and mood changes as well as other problems. People are being diagnosed with ADD and ADHD and prescribed medications that may have to be taken for the rest of their lives with potential side effects.

Neurofeedback equipment is being used as one therapy modality that can help with many mental health conditions. Healthcare professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, mental health counselors, social workers, nurses, chiropractors are using neurofeedback adjunctively with other therapies to help people with many of these mental health problems.  For more information on conditions that neurofeedback therapy is used for refer to Comprehensive Neurofeedback BibliographyD. Corydon Hammond, PhD.

The electrical signals that are produced by the brain are measured using a device attached to the person by sensors placed on the head.  The signals are separated into Delta, Theta, Alpha, (SMR) Sensory Motor Rhythm, Beta, and Gamma. During an assessment it is determined if there are imbalances in the brainwave activity. The same or similar neurofeedback equipment is then used to measure, give visual and or auditory feedback, and train the brain to produce more regulated or “normal” electrical patterns.

This usually will help to decrease the types of mental health symptoms mentioned earlier.

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Neurofeedback Training For Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain injuries can be caused in many different ways. Whether they are diagnosed or not can depend on how severe they are, where they happen, who is around when they happen, and whether the injured person seeks medical care. Some of the sources of brain injuries include car accidents, sports injuries, slip and falls, physical fights and assaults among other things. When the brain is injured the electrical activity and function of the brain is affected. Neurofeedback training is a way to help to normalize the electrical activity of the brain which in turn helps improve function.

Some of the problems that may develop with a head injury include problems with memory, difficulty focusing, anger, and diminished self-control. Some of these problems are similar to what normal teenagers struggle with. This is often attributed to incomplete development of the front of the brain.

Interestingly, many people who suffer these symptoms also show abnormal EEG when tested with neurofeedback equipment. One of the patterns that is common is high amplitude delta and theta in the frontal areas of the brain. This seems to interfere with normal functioning and can be part of the cause of some of the symptoms. By using neurofeedback equipment to measure and feedback EEG information on a computer screen clients can learn to regulate their brain activity. After a series of training the EEG is often normalized and symptoms decreased.

Besides rest, there are relatively few effective treatments for brain injury. Neurofeedback training seems to be a good non-invasive therapy for brain injury.

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