What's New in Neurofeedback

A Monthly Summary of News and Events

Vol. 1 No. 2 - February 1998

This newsletter is sponsored by EEG Spectrum International, Inc.,
a leader in providing clinical service and training professionals.

Past issues are available at www.eegspectrum.com/newsletter/

Information on how to obtain a free subscription to this newsletter or how to cancel a subscription is given at the end.

The opinions related in this newsletter reflect those of the author only.

Copyright (C) 1998 by David Alan Kaiser. All rights reserved.


  • Announcements - Neurofeedback Yellow Pages, New clinicians

  • In the Spotlight - Controversies in Neurofeedback (Part 1)

  • News & Reviews - Books, papers, popular media, old news rediscovered

  • Online Dialogue - Newsgroups, mailing lists, finding online news

  • Offline Dialogue - Conferences, training courses

  • Last Word - A recent invention

  •  

    Announcements

    Welcome to the Issue #2!


    Neurofeedback Yellow Pages

    Announcing the creation of the Neurofeedback Yellow Pages, the largest online listing of neurofeedback practitioners in the world. This database of practitioner addresses, email, and web addresses was created to deal with individuals who contact me during the month seeking a neurotherapist in their area where there is no EEG Spectrum International affiliate. As I am most confident in the protocols developed by Barry Sterman and Sue & Siegfried Othmer and believe that the Neurocybernetics is superior to the other instrumentation I've used, EEG Spectrum International affiliates are prominently listed in this index. Notwithstanding, nearly 100 independent practitioners are also listed, resulting in a total of 400+ neurofeedback practitioners from the US and 18 other countries. The URL is www.thegrid.net/dakaiser/nfyp/

    New Neurofeedback Clinicians

    Julie Koopmann
    NorCal Medical, 4121 Walnut Drive
    Pleasanton, CA 94566-6629
    510-484-0193
    
    David Sudderth, M.D.
    Neuroscience and Spine Assoc.
    8380 Riverwalk Park Blvd, Suite 320
    Ft Meyers, FL 33919-8758
    941-437-1121; Fax: 941-437-2535
    Email: galen@peganet.com
    
    William Levin, Ph.D.
    585 Broadview
    Highland Park, IL 60035
    
    W. Roy Evans, M.A., L.P.
    Orchard Park Bldg. C
    6381 Osgood Av. North
    Stillwater, MN 55082-6118
    612 439-2301
    Fax: 612 439-7368
    
    Christine Coolidge, R.N., M.A.
    Long Island Pain & Stress
    18 Duckwood Lane
    Hampton Bays, NY 11946-1115
    516 728-9275
    
    Carlos Rios, M.S.
    Carr. 877 Km 1.6
    Camino Las Lomas,  RR-2  Buzon 9
    Rio Piedras, PR 00926
    787-748-9252
    Fax: 787-761-3714
    
    Karyn D. Hall, Ph.D.
    820 Gessner, Suite 750
    Houston, TX 77024
    (713) 973-0116 x 104
    Fax: (713) 973-0104
    
    Dr Tatia Lee
    Asst Prof., Univ of Hong Kong
    Dept. of Psychology
    Bonham Road, Hong Kong
    011 852-2857-8394
    
    

     


     

    In the Spotlight

    Controversies in Neurofeedback (Part 1)

    Readers of this newsletter are officially invited to contribute to the "Controversies in Neurofeedback" Forum. Below is a sample of current controversies within the field of neurofeedback. Some are more controversial than others, a few haven't probably hit the radar screen of some practitioners and researchers (e.g., #7, 8).

    Visit the forum online at www.eegspectrum.com/html/cforum.htm.

    Selected Controversies

    1. Whether young children have the nervous system maturity to benefit from neurofeedback training.

    2. Whether neurofeedback training can be useful for the elderly.

    3. Whether quick results can be obtained with neurofeedback training.

    4. Whether neurofeedback training is applicable to a large variety of conditions, including such severe conditions as cerebral palsy, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and dementia.

    5. Whether neurofeedback training can stand alone as a therapeutic intervention.

      Part 2: To be discussed in a later edition.

    6. Whether qEEG brainmapping is required (or recommended) prior to neurofeedback training.

    7. Whether neurofeedback protocols need to be altered for left handedness and other factors that affect functional hemisphericity.

    8. What display and recording parameters are optimal for conditioning the EEG.

    What follows are brief sketches of some particularly poignant case histories that speak to these issues. These case histories do not constitute scientific proof in the conventional sense. They are what are called "anecdotal data." However, they are data nonetheless, and difficult to discount. As William James said, "In refutation of the proposition that all crows are black, one only needs to come up with one white crow." In fact, many similar cases stack up behind the ones mentioned below. The cases discussed should serve to enhance the level of interest in this field, although some will no doubt use these data perversely to try to discredit the field. - Siegfried Othmer

    We want to solicit your feedback on any condition where you had a case that did or did not successfully remediate (to some degree) with neurofeedback training. There are two ways to add your voice to this forum. Visit the forum online at www.eegspectrum.com/html/cforum.htm or contribute via email by sending a message to webmaster@eegspectrum.com, including a description of your case history. Please include enough information as possible so readers are clear about the specifics of your case.

    Positive examples for controversies 1-5


    EFFECTIVE WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

    A 13-month-old child diagnosed with cerebral palsy was started on EEG biofeedback training. After one year, the diagnosis of cerebral palsy was withdrawn. The child is now age four, and his progress with the training has continued.

    A child of two and a half years old with cerebral palsy, who, according to his parents, "..had never expressed any interest in his legs," was brought in to an EEG Spectrum International office for training. Within ten sessions, he was able to walk unaided from one side of the waiting room to the other.

    A 3-year-old "drug baby" was brought to an EEG Spectrum International Office directly from a psychiatric hospital. He was aggressive, and exhibited three-hour crying spells. After only three training sessions, his crying spells were down to a few minutes, and after ten sessions, his caretaker said that he was acting like a normal three-year-old. He was successfully placed in a foster home.

    A five-year old adopted child with fetal alcohol syndrome was brought in to an EEG Spectrum International office for EEG training. Initially, he did not want to have anything to do with the training. His mother was desperate. The child was destroying the family, and she thought he would have to be returned to "the system". After EEG training, the child received student of the week awards at his school, and there was no further thought of his leaving the family. Upon checking up with the family years later, it turns out that the boy continues to do well.

    Boy of age 6, from Puerto Rico, the second most hyperactive child seen in thirty years by this practitioner: heroic 50-day treatment, first 36 sessions three times per day, then two times a day. Behavior totally normalized. It was recommended he come back the following summer for a tune-up. However, this turned out to be unnecessary.

    6-year-old boy, the third most hyperactive youngster seen in 30 years of practice; complicated by neglect and abuse in first four years of life. Complete normalization of behavior and school success was achieved in 60 training sessions.


    EFFECTIVE WITH ELDERLY

    "I am a woman of 89 years. I started with EEG Spectrum International biofeedback training in August the eighth of 1995. I had trouble sleeping. It might be well to mention that I had been taking sleeping pills for the past 50 years. I took them every night. After about ten sessions with you I was able to stop taking the sleeping pills and I haven't taken any since. I have been freed from a habit that I was convinced that I would have to continue for the rest of my life."

    With only nine training sessions, an eighty-year-old man was able to recover his verbal skills to the point that his wife said, "You have given me my husband back".

    A recent review of 42 middle aged+ clients (age 40-79y, mean 50.7) who underwent 20 or more sessions of neurofeedback at EEG Spectrum International produced significant improvements in inattention, impulsivity, and response variability measures of the TOVA.


    QUICK RESPONSES

    A man who had been nearly electrocuted three years before in an accident, and who had been suicidally depressed since, came to EEG Spectrum International for training after becoming non-responsive to pain medications. After six training sessions, he became sufficiently pain-free to resume his professional life.

    A person was referred to EEG Spectrum International with fibromyalgia. After ten training sessions, he came in to the office and pronounced himself to be completely pain-free.(The training had to be continued in order for him to consolidate his gains, but his first pain-free experience came early in the training.)

    A child that was scheduled for brain surgery for intractable seizures came to EEG Spectrum International for brainwave training. After less than two months, and with less than twenty training sessions, he became totally seizure-free. The surgery was cancelled. 2/96

    A child diagnosed with autism was given EEG training. After the end of the second session, the child started talking. Many more sessions were needed, but a breakthrough had clearly already occurred early on in the training. (Moreover, it is clear that the child had already acquired some language skills, although he did not use them.)

    One clinician reported that over the past several months he has seen three people in his office who were acutely suicidal, and they would ordinarily have required hospitalization. In each of these cases, a single session of EEG training aborted the suicidal experience and allowed them to return home.

    A woman came in for training for her migraines, and she happened to have a migraine at the time of her first training session. After only three minutes of EEG training, the migraine headache was gone.

    A woman who happened to be in our EEG Spectrum International office, and who had never done EEG training before, started developing an aura, which presaged the onset of her usual migraines within about twenty minutes. She was asked to try the training for her migraines. Within minutes, her aura was aborted, and she did not get her usual migraine headache.

    A nine-year-old was brought in for EEG training for hyperactivity. As it turns out, he still regularly wet his bed at night. After only a single training session, he stopped wetting his bed.(Of course the training continued in the usual fashion for a number of sessions.)

    Such rapid changes do beg the question whether each condition would have remediated spontaneously on its own. That is why such anecdotal evidence must be viewed with some skepticism. SOME skepticism -- not total skepticism. Despite what many scientists would have you think, the scientific processes is more about finding out what is right with a model or theory or experimental design as it is finding out what is wrong. The best scientists are those who recognize concepts amid ambiguities. (And the worst scientists are those who recognize ambiguities where there are none.)


    VARIETY OF CONDITIONS

    The above cases already reflect the spectrum of psychological, neurological, psychiatric, and somatic conditions that can be impacted by neurofeedback. Establishing the effectiveness for each condition in the minds of the scientific community, however, is where the controversy lies as most clinical researchers demand extremely rigid experimentation for proof of an intervention's effectiveness, especially when faced with treatments that they did not learn about in grad school.

    Brief recap of the conditions mentioned above: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Insomnia, Autism, Suicidal Depression, Dementia, Epilepsy, Traumatic Brain Injury, & Chronic Pain. Other conditions with clinical reports or published articles include ADHD (of course), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Autoimmune dysfunction, Tourette's Sydrome, and Learning disabilities.

    Additional cases from EEG Spectrum International:

    Conduct Disorder: A 17-year old was referred to EEG training after many years of school failure and behavior problems. After 40 training sessions, his grade point average improved from 0.5 to 2.8. The conduct problem was resolved as well. In one instance, in which a kid turned on him at school, which would previously have led to a fight, he instead brushed it off, and was able to talk about it with his parents later, asking their advice on how to handle such a situation.

    Nocturnal teeth-grinding (bruxism): A child was brought in for EEG training for Attention Deficit Disorder. However, parents reported that he also ground his teeth at night--so loud that it could be heard in the adjacent room. After only six training sessions, the teeth grinding stopped.

    Hair-pulling (trichotillomania): A child who was already under medical management of Tourette Syndrome was brought to EEG Spectrum International for Tourette's. The most irritating behavior was that of hair-pulling. The child had no eyelashes or eyebrows. After EEG training, the child was able to stop pulling, and his eyelashes and eyebrows returned. Upon inquiring with the parents years later, it was found that the gains had been retained. There was no more problem with hair- pulling.

    Panic Disorder: A woman who had been under medical, psychiatric, and psychological care for ten years for panic disorder, with numerous hospitalizations, medications, psychotherapy, and even conventional biofeedback, came to an EEG Spectrum International office for EEG training. After only eight training sessions, she declared that she never thought she would ever feel this good again in her life. She no longer has panic attacks, and all other therapies could be terminated.

    Bipolar Disorder: A person who had a long-term history of cycling with a 24-hour period between mania and depression, despite the best medical management, came to an EEG Spectrum International Office for brainwave training. After only twenty-two sessions of training, the cycling stopped completely.

    It costs approximately $500,000 to $1,000,000 to complete only the first series of controlled studies required by NIH/FDA/etc. to establish neurofeedback's efficacy for any single disorder. To date, only ADHD and epilepsy have gained moderate acceptance as disorders treatable with neurofeedback. And still there is much resistance. After 25 years of research and probably about $300,000+ in studies, the impact of neurofeedback training on epilepsy was openly and publically "criticized" in the New York Times in the following manner: The neurologist quoted in the NY Times article "was not familiar with the studies of neurobiofeedback and its effect on epilepsy." However, according to this well-informed individual, "there was no way such a system could work. He attributed success stories to people who might be able to control seizures naturally. There are some people who can do that, (he) said. "My guess is that would be one out of a thousand."

    Another fine example of post- post-modern criticism : Criticism without reference to or knowledge of the work criticized.

    As it so happens, in over 25 years of clinical and scientific work, the 0.1% of epileptics who can "control seizures naturally" are the only individuals who sought out and completed neurofeedback training.

    STANDS ALONE AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION

    What is an effective treatment for fetal alcohol syndrome? Exactly.... The case briefly described above of the five-year old adopted child with FAS demonstrates the possibility that neurofeedback may be one of the best, if not the best, treatments for this difficult condition.

    A woman who had been hit on the back of the head by a falling piece of furniture in a department store lost her vision as a result over the subsequent two weeks. After a year of functional blindness, with no one able to help her (medical or alternative) she came for EEG biofeedback training at EEG Spectrum International. After no more than 14 training sessions, and in less than two months, she recovered her vision. In fact, it cleared up on Christmas Eve 1995 in time for her to take her children Christmas shopping. Her chronic pain also remediated, and her emotions returned.

    A man came to an EEG Spectrum International office for his migraines. He had a migraine history going back some twenty-five years. As soon as Imitrex came on the market, he used it on a weekly basis. From the very first EEG biofeedback training session on, he no longer needed the Imitrex, and after eighteen training sessions, he no longer reported any migraines.

    A man was referred to EEG biofeedback five years after a left- side stroke that affected his speech, gait, balance, and right- hand function. He came in using a cane, could not use all the letters of the alphabet, and could not use his right hand. All other therapies had been terminated. After numerous training sessions, he was able to use his right hand, to speak haltingly, and even to resume skiing.

    "My son has been a severe stutterer since the age of three. He has been in speech therapy since the age of five and now he is 10 years old. We were told that his type of speech disfluency is very rare and can't be helped. Basically, he would talk fine, then it was like his tongue forgot how to work. his turned into spastic motions with his face and into tics.

    My husband and I took him to psychologists for self-esteem therapy, to homeopaths, to several other speech tharapists, to chiropractors, etc. At the age of nine, he became so discouraged that he stopped talking on the phone and refused to say his name because he would stutter. A dear friend told me about EEG Spectrum and how their training might teach our son to relax. That's all I was hoping for -- relaxation. It has been six sessions now and the stuttering has completely disappeared. My husband and I are in shock as are his teachers and speech therapist.
    He has so much confidence now that he told me, "Mom, I haven't had any trouble talking. I even raise my hand in class and participate." He is a changed child! It really is like a miracle. Researchers should look into EEG work for stutterers." (The child ultimately took the training for many more sessions, as stuttering was still a problem for him episodically. He would return for some tune-up sessions whenever that became necessary. However, the above does show that early results can be obtained in the training.)

    As noted above, neurofeedback is typically not the first treatment tried by most patients or parents. For many it is the last, after years of failures with more conventional treatments.

     


     

    News & Reviews

    New Books

    The Cognitive Neurosciences

    by Michael S. Gazzaniga, editor-in-chief

    List: about $100; Hard cover, 1447 pages, MIT Press, 1995

    Sections: Molecular & Cellular Plasticity; Neural & Psychological Development; Sensory systems; Strategies & Planning: Motor Systems; Attention; Memory; Language; Thought & Imagery; Emotion; Evolutionary Perspectives; Consciousness.

    The most exciting and promising field in psychology today is cognitive neuroscience. The goal of cognitive neuroscience is to identify and describe the underlying biological processes of the mind. As Michael Gazzaniga sets out in the preface of this volume, "at some point in the future, cognitive neuroscience will be able to describe the algorithms that (result) in perception, cognition, and perhaps even consciousness." This 14447-page tome, consisting of 92 journal articles, provides an exhaustive foundation upon which to build toward this objective. Neurofeedback should be one of the major beneficiaries of this field as it matures and achieves these objectives. Of particular interest to neurofeedback clinicians and investigators today will be the sections on attention, memory, language, and emotion as well as individual articles on frontal lobe damae, learning, and hemispheric asymmetries. This volume begins at the neuron and ends with the obligatory (but useful!) "explanation of consciousness" chapter. This encyclopedia of psychophysiological mechanisms is heavy on empirical results, but it is also filled with clear theoretical discussions. This volume will act as a powerful reference tool well into the first decade of the next century, and possibly longer -- just don't drop it on your foot! - Reviewed by David Kaiser

     

    The High-Performance Mind : Mastering Brainwaves for Insight, Healing, and Creativity

    by Anna Wise

    List: $15.95; Paperback, 271 pages
    Published by J P Tarcher on January 1, 1997

    Synopsis:
    Using the latest scientific research and dozens of case histories, Wise shows readers how the four types of brainwaves--beta, alpha, theta, and delta--communicate with each other to pass information between the conscious and unconscious mind to help them become more productive and creative and sharpen their powers of intuition and perception.

    Table of Contents
    I. You And Your Brainwaves
    II. The Body Connection
    III. Meditation And Higher States
    IV. Meditation And The Material of The Mind
    V. Healing
    VI. Creativity, Learning, And The Awakened Mind
    VII. Brainwaves In Relationships: Empathy, Intuition And Connection
    VIII. Full Circle - Conclusion And Commencement

    MEDIA REPORTS

    THE DOCTOR IS IN: Attention Deficit Disorder: Adults

    "The Doctor Is In" is a nationally syndicated television series on health. Its aim is to inform and sensitize people to a wide variety of illnesses and diseases, and to support those dealing with the challenges. It recently ran a 28 min show on Adult ADD which included a segment on the use of neurofeedback. Here is the show's synopsis:

    "Adults with ADD talk about how the disorder that went undiagnosed for so many years has affected their choice of spouses and work, and what they have found to help them. Biofeedback, which is growing as a treatment, is explained and demonstrated. Medical treatments like antidepressants and stimulants are discussed, along with behavioral changes that can help the person with ADD and his or her spouse and family. Psychiatrists John Ratey and Ned Hallowell, who have written two books on the subject, provide background and perspective. "

    To order the 28 min VHS tape, see http://www.dartmouth.edu/~drisin/order.html
    For more information, contact: Heidi.L.Berry@Hitchcock.org, Department of Visual Media, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756
    (603) 643-7400 (Voice), (603) 643-7404 (Fax)


    Merrow Report - PBS Health Show

    Date & Time: Aired on October 20th, 1995.

    The dramatic growth in the number of children labeled as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) has been largely man-made. Our program--and subsequent coverage of the issue on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and NPR--seems to have slowed down the 'bandwagon.'

    Since 1988, Ciba-Geigy, maker of the popular ADD drug Ritalin, has quietly propped up the national ADD 'support group' CHADD (for Children and Adults with ADD) with more than $1 million in grants and valuable services. As we reported, CHADD has been distributing misleading information to hundreds of thousands of parents and teachers that exaggerates the benefits of drug therapy, including Ritalin. The result: a 500% increase in the number of children labeled and medicated since 1990.

    Our reporting produced results: the Drug Enforcement Administration put a stop to CHADD's efforts to relax controls on Ritalin, the US Department of Education withdrew videos that we discovered had been taken over by CHADD's leadership, and CHADD appears to have lost thousands of members; according to Newsweek, 200 families dropped out of the Queens Chapter alone.

    To purchase a VHS copy, please call 1-212-941-8060

    OLD NEWS REDISCOVERED

    Suddenly nearly every major newspaper and magazine have placed their archives online. Most allow free searching, some provide the entire story for free, though the current trend is paying $1 to $1.50 for archived stories. Here are some stories out there in the cyberether.

    Los Angeles Times articles - at www.latimes.com:

    "Brain wave technology has medical benefits"
    Sunday, October 8, 1995 - Business - Letters to the Editor

    "Tuning In to Concentrate; Proponents say that EEG biofeedback can benefit children with Attention Deficit Disorder. But critics still have doubts about the treatments."
    Sunday, October 4, 1992 -Section: View

    "Positive feedback; 2 O.C. doctors use obscure therapy on children with Attention Disorder"
    Sunday, September 6, 1992 - Orange County Edition - View

    Susan Callison will never forget how terrified she was when at the
    beginning of second grade, it took her son, Chad, two hours to complete
    a simple homework spelling assignment.

    "Positive view of biofeedback"
    Tuesday, July 14, 1992 - Valley Edition - Metro - Letters to the Editor

    In response to your article about EEG biofeedback for learning
    disabilities and behavior problems in the Valley Life Section, June 19, I
    would like to tell you of our own good experience with the training.

    "FOR KIDS; Thought Provoking; Siegfried Othmer says brain-wave training can help children with learning disabilities and other disorders."
    Friday, June 19, 1992 - Valley Edition - Section A

    To the uninitiated, it sounds weird, strange, even screwy, but to
    Siegfried Othmer--and numerous others who swear that it really

    Articles from newspapers & magazines from around the country.

    Most can be purchased for $1 each from www.elibrary.com/

    "Decoding the chemistry of love / Psychiatrist's book describes good medicine for paramours"

    10/24/97, SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS

    LOVE, THEY say, makes the world go 'round. But all it takes is a little glitch in brain chemistry to wreak havoc on your love life and spin your world out of control.

     

    "Migraines mean misery / People with migraine headaches must cope not only with debilitating pain, but with a society that is often misinformed."

    06/30/97, TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

    Denver Broncos star running back Terrell Davis isn't a poster child for migraine headaches. But when he's sitting on the sideline, hands on head, face contorted in agony, he might as well be.

     

    "New brain-wave therapy: a cure --or just relaxation?"

    03/30/97, THE MIAMI HERALD .

    After nine years of freebasing cocaine, Gregory Todd says he owes his clean lifestyle to a new therapy that uses soothing musical tones to stimulate brain waves. ``I found me again,'' said Todd, of Sunrise, who last fall received the therapy -- known as neurofeedback -- at the Share drug rehabilitation center operated by Memorial Healthcare System.

     

    "The pain, the pain "

    02/25/97, THE BRADENTON HERALD .

    Denver Broncos' star running back Terrell Davis isn't a poster child for migraine headaches. But when he's sitting on the sideline, hands on head, face contorted in agony, he might as well be. Davis isn't alone in his misery. More than 23 million Americans suffer from migraines, which are to an ordinary headache what World War II was to the invasion of Grenada.

     

    "More children put on ritalin"

    02/24/97, ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS

    Michael Stuck bounced through first grade like Tigger the tiger from ``Winnie the Pooh.'' ``He couldn't pay attention and was very impulsive,'' says his mother, Tammy Stuck, president of the Colorado Springs Chapter of Children and Adults With Attention Deficit Disorders.

     

    "Drug gets results, but parents worry"

    02/02/97, THE SUN NEWS

    Michael Stuck bounced through first grade like Tigger the tiger from ``Winnie the Pooh.'' ``He couldn't pay attention and was very impulsive,'' says his mother, Tammy Stuck, president of the Colorado Springs Chapter of Children and Adults With Attention Deficit Disorders. ``His teacher chalked it up to immaturity and suggested we hold him back.''

    At the end of Michael's second trip through first grade, however, he still had no self-control. His teacher recommended he be evaluated for Att

     

    "Alternative to ritalin: a new focus on ADD / Controversial eeg biofeedback regimen claims to help super-hyperactive children learn to concentrate, but some experts say treatment lacks research"

    12/05/97, AKRON BEACON JOURNAL

    Not every super-hyperactive child with a concentration problem belongs on Ritalin. Cindy Piszczek realized that fact whenever her son, who has attention deficit disorder, displayed a peculiar form of behavior that she associated with his medication.


    OF INTEREST

    True or false: More Americans visited mainstream primary care doctors in 1990 than saw alternative practitioners.

    The answer: False. According to the National Institutes of Health, 425 million visits were made in 1990 to U.S. alternative health practitioners, compared to 388 million to conventional primary care physicians. An estimated 61 million Americans used an alternative therapy and 22 million saw an alternative medicine provider for a principal medical condition. What's more, the cost of all those trips to alternative caregivers, an estimated $13.7 billion, were mostly paid out of pocket, as alternative medicine is often not covered by medical insurance. A recent managed care poll revealed that 70% of all plans are reporting increased requests for alternative therapies from members


     

    Online Dialogue

    Talking to Strangers

    Various threads about neurofeedback have developed on five Usenet newsgroups in the last month. Most have been short-lived.
    Thread subject            Newsgroup
    -----------------------   ------------------------
    med: neurotherapy?        alt.med.cfs           
    Spontaneous auditory hab. alt.support.tinnitus  
    Neurofeedback             alt.support.ibs
    Neurofeedback             alt.support.attn-deficit 
    Information Request       bit.listserv.tbi-support 
    
    Here was part of my contribution to attn-deficit thread:

    Here is a simple model of the brain taught to me by Joe Bogen -- and it is my new year's gift to everyone in this newsgroup who is still in college. With this knowledge you will essentially be able to skip over Neurophysiology 101.

    The brain consists of inhibitory systems that inhibit inhibitory systems which inhibit inhibitory systems. (See David McCormick's work, for instance, for a clear and very cool presentation on neuronal feedback loops - http://info.med.yale.edu/neurobio/mccormick/seminar/seminar.htm).

    In brief, I believe that neurofeedback impacts psychopathology and cortical dysfunction by means of the following steps:

    Step 1. Neurofeedback provides an external feedback loop that can come under some volitional control.

    Step 2. This feedback loop impinges on the extensive feedback loops inherent in the thalamocortical circuitry.

    Step 3. The therapist uses these feedback loops to tweak your brain...

    (Obviously further research is needed to understand Step 3. See Abarbanel or Sterman 1996, below, for their elaborate and interesting theories on brain "tweaking")


    Chatting with Strangers

    Need to talk to shop at 3 am in the morning? Here are some relatively safe outlets:

    Send an email to the following address with the appropriate information in the message body.

    Mailing list title - Email address - Message

  • Clinical Psychophysiology and Biofeedback -majordomo@listp.apa.org- subscribe psyphy your name
  • Current issues in psychology/psychiatry -listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu- subscribe psych-ci your name
  • Mental Health Professionals- alternative income sources -listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu- subscribe PsyBUS your name
  • Mental health workers -listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu- subscribe mental-health-worker your name
  • Neuro-psych -majordomo@psycom.net- subscribe neuro-psych your name
  • Psychologists, Chat informally (PsyUSA Network) -listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu- subscribe PsyChat your name
  • Psychologists, Clinical -listserv@listserv.nodak.edu- subscribe clinical-psychologists
  • Psychology, Developmental Disabilities -listserv@listserv.nodak.edu- subscribe psych-dd
  • Psychotherapy Practice -majordomo@psycom.net- subscribe psychotherapy-practice
  • Psychotherapy Research -majordomo@psycom.net- subscribe psychotherapy-research
  •  


     

    Offline Dialogue

    EEG Biofeedback Training Course for Professionals

    EEG Spectrum International presents the emerging field from a perspective well-grounded in clinical phenomenology, but it is also based on a neurophysiological model of efficacy originally proposed by M. Barry Sterman, Ph.D., and recently augmented by Andrew Abarbanel, M.D. The clinical database and the model combine to yield a variety of protocols which have proven to be effective in the treatment of behavior, mood, pain, attention and learning problems, seizure disorder and the consequences of brain injury. A coherent picture emerges about how protocol choices may be made in the face of complex presenting symptoms.

    The training also includes the all-important practicum section which focuses on actual operation and use of instrumentation. Additionally, opportunity is provided outside the formal curriculum for practitioners to experience training on themselves as well as discussing professional issues, marketing, and the particulars of establishing a financially successful practice based on this modality.

    Faculty: Siegfried Othmer, Ph.D., BCIAC; Susan Othmer, BCIAC ; M. Barry Sterman, Ph.D. ; Nancy White, Ph.D. ; Julian Isaacs, Ph.D. ; Pat Fields, Psy.D. ; Martin Wuttke, BCIAC ; William Scott, BSW, CCDP   BCIAC - Certified by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America


    LOCATION DATES
    Scottsdale, AZ
    Info about accomodations www.eegspectrum.com/html/hotel.htm    
    Feb 19-23, 1998
    No.Miami, FL
    Info about accomodations www.eegspectrum.com/html/hotel.htm    
    Mar 5- 9, 1998
    Encino, CA
    Info about accomodations www.eegspectrum.com/html/hotel.htm    
    Mar 26-30, 1998
    St. Louis, MO     Apr 16-20, 1998
    Atlanta, GA     May 14-18, 1998
    Encino, CA     Jun 6- 8, 1998
    Toronto, ONT     Jun 14-18, 1998

    TOPICS COVERED
    EEG Biofeedback Theory: Neurophysiological Basis; Research History
    Clinical Applications: Assessment, Protocol Selection, Practicum & Case Review
    Specialty Applications: For Behavior Modification & Performance Enhancement
    COST (5-Day Course): $895.00
    Additional Attendees from Same Facility: 30% discount     Reattendees: $200.00

    To enroll, contact Dennis Campbell or call EEG Spectrum International at 800-789-3456 or (818) 788-2083.
    Please include your name and phone number in all email messages.



    Conferences for Neurofeedback Clinicians & Researchers

    CONFERENCELOCATION DATES
    Futurehealth (see below) Palm Springs Feb 6-10, 1998
    Learning Disabilities Assn Washington, DC Mar 11-14, 1998
    Calif. Psych. Assn Pasadena Mar 26-29, 1998
    Assoc. for Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback (see below) Orlando, FL Apr 1-5, 1998
    Society for the Study of Neuronal Regulation (see below) Austin, TX September 10 - 13


    FutureHealth Conference - February 6 - 10, 1998

    6th Annual Winter Conference on Brain Function/EEG, Modification & Training:
    (Neurofeedback, qEEG, Brain Mapping, ADD, Sound/Light, Consciousness, Peak Performance)

    February 6-10, Palm Springs CA

    Pre-conference: Feb 5 Neurofeedback Foundations Course & Optimal Functioning Meeting

    Selected Speakers (partial list)
    Barry Sterman - Issues in Topographic Mapping for Neurofeedback Providers
    Karl Pribram -Relationship of EEG & Microelectrode Data
    Siegfried Othmer & Susan Othmer - The Grand Unified Theory of EEG BF-- Implications for Protocol
    David Kaiser & William Scott - Neurofeedback training for chemical dependency in the context of the Minnesota Model
    John S. Anderson -Five years of NF in a Public Charter School - Building a Base & Expanding into the Community.
    Dennis Campbell - Performance Enhancement Strategies
    Rob Kall -Politics of Self Awareness/ discipline & Consciousness
    Barbara A. Linde -Applications of NF for Domestic Violence
    Gene Penniston -PTSD & Addictions & The Penniston Protocol: An Update.
    Joel Lubar -An Evaluation of the Short-term & Long-Term Effects of AVS (Sound & Light) on QEEG.
    David Cole & David Warner -Interventional Informatics: Applied psychophysiological Telemedicine
    Valdeane Brown - Peak Performance: “Get OFF it” and Take out the Garbage
    Adam Crane - Integration of MindFitness, Motivation, and Neurofeedback Strategies

    Selected Workshops (partial list)
    Sterman & Kaiser - A New Approach to NF; Event Related EEG Responses
    Karl Pribram - Theta Brain Activity
    Anna Wise - Theoretical Aspects of The Awakened Mind - from protocol to matrix.
    Tom Budzynski -Optimizing EEG Signatures in The Elderly
    Bill Scott - Using alpha theta with addictions.
    Sue Othmer -Advanced Neurocybernetics Instrumentation User Practicum
    Susan Dermit & Valdeane W. Brown - Period 3 Approach to Neurofeedback:
    Sue Othmer -Case conference & clinical decision making for Beta/SMR trng
    Julian Isaacs -EFT
    Adam Crane - The Process - Performance / Life Enhancement Training with Integration of EEG Biofeedback

    Selected Exhibitors (partial list)
    EEG Spectrum International
    Aquathought Labs
    Universal Attention Disorders (TOVA)
    Bioresearch Institute
    Thought Techology
    Autogenics/Stoelting
    Focused Technologies
    Biocomp Research
    American Biotec

    For more information on this conference http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/SMILE/97brainm.htm


    AAPB Conference: April 1 - 5, 1998

    The 29th annual meeting of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback will be held at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel in Orlando, Florida, adjacent to the Disney Village. Spouses and children are welcome.

    Selected Keynote Speakers:
    Eugene Peniston, Ph.D. - EEG Alpha-Theta Neurofeedback Training for Addictions
    Allan N. Schore, Ph.D. - Affect Regulation, Neurobiological Maturation, & the Origin of the Self
    Bernard S. Brucker, Ph.D. - Recent Discoveries of Central Nervous System Plasticity & the Future Role of Biofeedback
    Bernard T. Engler, PhD - Self-Regulation and Aging: The Challenge in Everyone's Future
    E. Dale Walters, Ph.D. - EEG, Alpha-Theta States of Consciousness, and Self-Programming

    Conference includes programs on geriatrics, respiratory physiology, stress management education, optimal performance, new technology, and biofeedback applications in school settings: Workshops and Short Courses

    Contact AAPB for further information
    10200 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
    1-800-477-8892
    e-mail aapb@resourcenter.com
    www.aapb.org


    1998 SSNR Conference in Austin Texas, September 10 - 13

    "CALL FOR PAPERS": The Society for the Study of Neuronal Regulation (SSNR) is seeking original research papers for presentation at the 1998 SSNR Conference in Austin Texas, September 10 - 13.

    Research papers will be given either as a forty minute presentation, twenty minute presentation, or poster presentation. We are also seeking workshops for the conference of either two or three hour duration. Presenters should submit abstracts of under 300 words, indicating the type of presentation desired (40 minute, 20 minute, or poster or workshop). Entries need to be submitted by via e-mail, fax, or regular mail to David Trudeau, M.D., SSNR Program Chair (see addresses below) as soon as possible (deadline by 1 August 1998). Earlier is better, as last year we quickly filled all our presentation and workshop slots.

    David L. Trudeau, MD
    SSNR Program Chair
    #4402 168 E. 6th St.
    St. Paul, MN 55101
    Fax 612.725.2292
    Voice 612.298.9773
    trude003@maroon.tc.umn.edu
    

    All submissions will be reviewed by the program committee and those accepted will be assigned to the program. The program committee will determine the type of presentation for research papers (40 minute, 20 minute, or poster) based on the content of the abstract, the judgement of the committee and the preference of the presentor. Every attempt will be made to notify presentors of their position/time on the program by August 15.

     


     

    Last Word

    A recent invention

    The human mind is an invention, much like language and the automobile. It is a recent and continuing invention, one which is becoming increasingly sophisticated by scientific and cultural exploration. Homo sapiens, the mindful ape, has not always possessed a well-delineated interior space. Although the behavior of our brains has always been relatively inaccessible to others, this fact has not been known until very recently. The widespread and public recognition that the behavior of one's brain can be private, that every individual possesses an inaccessible realm, is a recent discovery dating back only 2600 years or so. But discovery is the wrong word -- it was an invention. The ancient Greeks (notably) invented a new approach for understanding the behavior of the brain -- they represented it. For the first time in the history of the world the invisible operations of the brain were themselves represented. Using the vast limitless world as a model, they attempted to describe this new unchartered realm and in so doing, they helped form it. The mind is the only entity in which the concept and the object refered to by the concept are the same thing. The better we conceive our minds, the greater we represent and delineate the interior space, the more mind we have and the more mind we share with our fellow primates.

    Children learn mindfulness, they are not born with this skill. Children learn that much of the brain's behaviors exist in an interior space. (Space and interiority are themselves simply metaphors we attach to our brain's behavior due to the vastness and variety of its contents, much like the earth's, and its inaccessibilty to others, much like a closed room or drawer.) Like any skill, the human mind must be modelled for children by adults and older children, those who have already acquired it. That this process occurs is readily witnessed in young children by their failings, having not yet acquired our particular concept of mind in its entirety (e.g., they exhibit signs of egocentrism, solipsism, belief in psychic powers, etc). Fortunately, most children, if they are healthy and happy, rapidly acquire their culture's model to a good extent and then use it to organize their experiences and understand others. But if circumstances exist which hinder or interrupt this prolonged learning process, the seeds of psychopathology are sown. That life is worthless, that the world exists only because of you or exists apart from you, that other people glorify or villify your existence, that other people can inject their thoughts into you or withdraw your thoughts out of you; all of these projections about brain behavior conflict with the consensusal representation of mind and subsequently induce inappropriate and unpredictable behaviors in the individuals who possess them.

    The relevancy of this argument to neurofeedback, a method for helping individuals learn to regulate brain function, is this: Our mental health, the contents of the mind, and the structure itself, were not prefabricated by our genes nor are they an amalgamation of fears, instincts, and the unconscious; instead they are the product of volutional learning. And as every Skinnerian knows, what is learned can be unlearned.

    David Kaiser


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