What's New in Neurofeedback

• Brain chip reads man's thoughts
• Neural disease researcher melds optics and computer software
• College May Buff Up Aging Brains
• Some 'Senior Moments' Are Signs of Epilepsy
• Rainbow Coalition of the Brain
• Big Brains Not Always Better
• Bird Brains Get Some New Names, And New Respect
• Brain Immaturity Could Explain Teen Crash Rate
• Special caps fight brain damage
• New method captures brain cells in action
• Booze boosts brainpower
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  All links at: http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid=34&in=science&cat=brain_research

When most people think of synchrony measures they think of coherence. Coherence is a measure of phase relationship between EEG signals (Walter, 1968) To calculate Coherence (Thatcher, 1992, but calculating for magnitude, not power)

1. Compute cross-spectra for two signals
	- cosine and sine coefficients for same frequency
	- calculate cospectrum & quaspectrum 
2. Compute cross-spectrum amplitude
3. Multiply auto-spectral amplitude of A & B
4. Divide cross-spectra by auto-spectra of both signals

This gives magnitude coherence, not power coherence. Coherence (Coh for short) ranges from 0 to 1.0

Comodulation, on the other hand, is a measure of amplitude relationship between EEG signals (Kaiser, 1994), and is far simplier to calculate. Compute amplitude for a frequency at each moment in time, then correlate amplitudes of two sites across time for entire state. Short moving segments provide a fluidic and point-like representation of comodulatory energy. Comod values ranges from -1.0 to 1.0

Coherence measures stability of phase between signals. Shared timing indicates a common origin (df=0). Comodulation measures stability of amplitude between signals Shared energy indicates functional unity. Energy is independence, higher degrees of freedom. Both are across time. Coherence averages across time (sameness) whereas Comod evaluates changes across time (differences). Coherence quantifies the degree of similar influences and comodulation quantifies the degree of similar autonomy

If the definitions above don't do it for you metaphorically or mathematically, try stability of phase difference, or amplitude difference, may be clearer. And stability is equivalent with consistency, conformity, congruity, correspondence, similarity, stationarity, harmony. Unity akin to integration, reconciliation, consolidation, synthesis, orchestration, blend, arrangement, all leading to percept formation, that is, perception, a shared moment between brain sites

In comodulation we are looking at shared energies -- even a child can understand this. In two related measures of comodulation, one shows ADD kids with less global comodulation, less coordination across the head. In another, called Rogue Site Analysis (RSA), which I'll explain here eventually, I index which part of the cortex is most often involved in disrupting the dominant frequency, which goes rogue most often. It's this site that direct the transformation of processing. The cool thing about RSA is that although no reliable differences in normals, each normal person has a very reliable pattern, probably showing the nature dispersion patterns they stay in, what is most rewarding for them. In ADHD, the motor site C4 was significantly different than controls during eyes closed, and the visual site O2 by Asperger's children during eyes open. Both have intuitive appeal. I also found evidence of focality in Asperger's -- not using the full cortex in processing.

Synchrony appears to be the primary state. The neuron is an autorhythmic system and we develop a go-to part of the brain to break synchrony, and one form of illness (ADHD, autism) is over-reliance on these areas, but I'll have to prove that later.

-DK

News & Reviews NEW BOOKS

Framing ADHD Children: A Critical Examination of the History, Discourse...
by Adam Rafalovich
Examines the three social worlds of ADHD: home, classroom, and clinic.

Traumatic Brain Injury: Associated Speech, Language, and Swallowing Disorders
by Kim Lourinia
Case studies illustrate assessment and treatment of communicative and swallowing disorders in adults and children.

Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think
by Dennis Greenberger, Christine Padesky
Workbook for therapy clients suffering from mood, addiction, and relationship problems

Clinical Neurophysiology at the Beginning of the 21st Century
by International Congress
Global view of the role of clinical neurophysiology.

The Brainstorms Woman: Epilepsy in Our Lives
by Steven C Schachter, et al
Describes how seizures affect female hormones over the menstrual cycle and at menopause.

Electroencephalography: Basic Principles, Clinical Applications, and Related Fields
by Ernst Niedermeyer, Fernando Lopes Da Silva
The one and only classic textbook on EEG. An incredible resource.

St. John's Wort And Its Active Principles In Depression And Anxiety
by Walter E. Muller
Reviews biochemical, functional, and behavioural pharmacology of Hypericum and its active constituents.

Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging: Linking Cognitive and Cerebral Aging
by Roberto Cabeza, et al
Effects of aging on neural activity during cognitive functions such as perception, attention and memory. Also describes normal versus abnormal/clinical decline.

Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine
by Meir H. Kryger, et al
Encompasses pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders resulting from disruptions of sleep-wake cycles and circadian rhythm.

The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment
by Babette Rothschild
Somatic memory of trauma experienced is discussed with case studies.

Wider than the Sky: The Phenomenal Gift of Consciousness
by Gerald M. Edelman
How do neurons give rise to subjectivity? From Nobel Laureate. Pertinent findings of modern neuroscience

What is the most effective treatment for ADHD in children? : Combination drug therapies offer no advantage to stimulants alone unless it addresses a comorbidity. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15689294

Neurobiological findings in bipolar disorders : Neurobiological studies do not differentiate bipolar I from bipolar II subtypes despite genetic evidence of differences. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15679202

Resting cortical brain activity and social behavior in higher functioning children with autism. : High functioning autistics with right frontal EEG asymmetry were more socially impaired than a left asymmetry group, but the latter reported more social anxiety and stress, and less satisfaction with interpersonal relations. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15679529

Supportive neurodevelopmental evidence for ADHD as a developmental disorder. : Maturation of the right orbitofrontal cortex, which dominates both sympathetic and parasympathetic limbic systems, is essential for the regulation of emotion. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15694693

EEG abnormalities and two year outcome in first episode psychosis. : Patients with normal EEG show more reduction in positive and negative symptoms of psychoses over 2 years. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15701105

Effectiveness of neurofeedback and stimulant drugs in treating AD/HD. Replication. : Neurofeedback produced patient outcomes equivalent to those obtained with stimulant drugs (n=31 matched groups). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15707253

Is anterior cingulate cortex necessary for cognitive control? : Four subjects with damage to dACC showed normal adjustments in performance following manipulation of response conflict in Stroop and go-no go tasks. Cognitive control appears to be intact in these patients. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15705613

Quantitative electroencephalography patterns in patients suffering from tinnitus. : Gender differences in QEEG were found: increased average total power in female tinnitus patients and decreased average total power in male patients. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15732509

Laterality of motor control revisited: directionality of callosal traffic : Interesting argument against non-dominant hemispheric input to motor control. If it turns out to be true, it would be very useful for assessment and treatment issues. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15736003

Sex differences in brain activation during stress imagery in abstinent cocaine users : Females show more activation in left middle frontal, anterior cingulate, and inferior frontal cortices and insula during stress imagery, possibly because they use a more verbal coping strategy than males. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15737663

This is the draft of a paper I'm working on that started out as an EEG paper -- power versus magnitude values -- and why magnitude is needed in the world-to-brain-to-mind correspondence.

If the relationship between a single specified time series (e.g., 0 1 1 0 1) and its frequency spectrum can be equivalently derived by two or more mathematical functions (e.g., fourier analysis, non/recursive filters, moving averages/difference/ratios, Haar's wavelets, higher-order cross correlation, return maps, maximum entropy, state space methods, etc.), then each of these functions are one and the same function (relation) despite superficial computational differences.

And if one relationship (time and frequency) can be described by more than one computational method, all mathematical relationships can and do have multiple (countably infinite) computational surfaces (e.g., variants where coefficients are set to zero). [or think of thermometers in two rooms, one measures Fahrenheit, one Celsius, you constantly take the ratio of the results. So what happens when one room hits zero degrees Celsius. Had you measured molecular motion another way than temperature....]

As every relationship has a countably infinite number of surface appearances or functions, no surface function is any more valid than any other surface function, and all are equally poor when they approach division by zero. Therefore no surface function can be the deep relationship, parsimony or other considerations notwithstanding.

A relationship cannot be specified by any function. A relationship can only be described by the entire set of corresponding values in both domains. Thus mathematical functions are a convenient fiction. There are no rules in math, only relations. Relationships do not possess the property of sequence or successive order. Order emerges from the next dimension of relation.

I make the supposition that real numbers that do not relate to positive integers do not exist, but this is a side argument. Also all infinities must be countable and no uncountable infinities can exist, have any reality, again a side argument.

Down to the matter: For f(x) equals x divided by 0, as the denominator approaches 0, the relationship increases linearly until it reaches a maximum degrees of freedom which is c. c is the dimensions of representation, a unitless measure of the speed of light.

Also, more importantly, for x divided by 0 equals c, x is set to 5. c0=5. And c0 avoids being transformed from without, no multiplication or addition on both sides will work. Think of c0 as having a barrier [c0], a Kaiser perimeter. No other operation can impact [c0]. [c0] must change from within and must always be paired together. c= globality, 0= locality

The value of [c0] informs us of the number of times the universe has been created to date. From my perspective, it has had five starting points, five zeros, five instances when nothingness divided itself, five orthogonal divisions. Five times locality (zero) advanced globality (the infinite).

Here is what I think those divisions or dimensions are:

Division 1 by zero is singularity, electromagnetism, being +

Division 2 is symmetry, the weak nuclear force, non-being -

Division 3 is infinity. strong nuclear force leading to matter, globality acting as locality, form, degree of good and bad, +/-

Fourth division is relation, math, word, a symbol being all and one at the same time. Quantum mechanics describes the rules of globality becoming locality, infinite transforming to finite.

Division five is priority of relation, order, sentence, agency, feeling, a new 0

The 5 dimensions humans currently use to represent themselves are length, width, height (body); thought and feeling (mind). Feelings is being (the inhabitation of oneness), thought non-being (the infinite state of judgment, of allness), and each division was a new representation, a new freedom of relation.

Energy is the maximum degrees of freedom a system has for representation. Related to this is beauty, which is freedom of representation divided by constraint, akin to intelligence divided by fear, so if fear is zero, beauty = c -DAK