What's New in Neurofeedback

A Monthly Summary of News and Events

Vol. 13 No. 3 - Mar 2010

This newsletter is sponsored by EEG Spectrum International, Inc.,
the leader in neurotherapeutic services.

Past issues at start.eegspectrum.com and yahoogroups.com.
Opinions in this newsletter reflect those of the author only.
Copyright (c) 2010 by David and ESI. Some rights reserved.


  • Announcements  - News
  • Spotlight     - AAPB - 41st Conference
  • Reviews - Books & journal papers
  • Events - Conferences, Courses
  • Last Word    - Supersymmetry in relationships

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    Announcements

    Links at http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain

     

    Spotlight

    AAPB - 41st Conference

    It happens to each according to his consciousness," is the Law of Consciousness. - LS Barksdale

    I just returned from San Diego and the 41st AAPB conference. I missed VS Ramachandran's talk, as he moved it to Saturday (I left Friday night) but it was worthwhile and I had a workshop with some Santa Barbara clinicians, including a professor of psychopharmacology who knew many of the same UCLA professors I did. The best talk I heard by far was Jay Gunkelman's and I want to describe it fully. He was the Neurofeedback Division guest speaker and I had the good fortune to introduce him. Jay is at the forefront of neurotherapy and EEG in that he is looking at interpersonal effects and consciousness. In fact his talk was titled " QEEG based insights into consciousness and healing."

    There is a growing literature on OOBE, out-of-body experience, starting with Christian mystic and Buddhist traditions. Nowadays one doesn't have to sit on top of a mountain to have an OOBE, we simple need powerful magnets to get us there. Magnetic stimulation of the right parietal lobe causes an out-of-body experience in patients and the converse is true as well-- OOBE experiences by monks reveals disrupted or low activity at this brain area using electromagnetic measures like fMRI and EEG devices.

    Jay and others argue that consciousness is largely a direct current field (DC) phenomenon which is modulated by neural networks of the brain: glial cells create energy from the quantum foam and pyramidal neurons and other neurons regulate this energy. That glia can generate freedom and variability (energy) from nothingness has yet to be firmly grasped, of course, but with this simple understanding we can begin to create tools to address problems in consciousness, in assessment and in terms of therapy. Here is the model: DC (0 Hz) reflects consciousness and AC (0.0...01 Hz to infinite Hz) reflects regulation of consciousness, amount or intensity (DC) and where to put it or when to do it (AC). Other aspects of this model include intention, which is associated with DC negativity frontally (the Bereitschaft’s potential) preceding voluntary movement and the concept of attention is retooled as the “intention to perceive” and corresponds to DC negativity over sensory areas of the brain. We also have covert states such as motivation and mindsets or perceptual sets modulated by the amount of DC field potential in a specific brain area.

    Relevant to neurotherapy is voluntary control of DC potentials. Slow cortical potentials (<1 Hz) also come into play as they appear to reflect aspects of the 0 Hz signal that are not picked up well by modern instrumentation at 0 Hz. We can use operant conditioning of DC and SCP to assist mental training, curb responses to pain, and all facets of mind-brain interactions. We can also use external modulators of DC and infralow frequencies such as transcranial DC stimulation and rTMS and other neuromagnetic hardware.

    One of the important points Jay made was that the binding rhythm of gamma is not correct. Neither gamma activity nor the thalamus are binding agents as they are not associated with perceptual organization in the right amounts or timing. DC is needed to "phase lock" a distributed cortical network, and scientists have found DC measures that linearly correlate with attention, confirming this general point. For instance mismatched negativity during Go/No-Go tasks correlate with attention and may be useful in diagnosing ADHD deficits (Kropotov et al., 2008). Jay also talked about nesting of rhythms, which he has for more than a decade now, and he asserts that DC fields are the “base nest” which modulates the entire EEG spectra, much as Washington DC modulates the tempo of regulation in the US (though not the tempo of money, entertainment, or software, which has its own cities). The most successful QEEG product to date is a simple mathematical combination of DC and gamma rhythms -- the BIS index of Aspect Medical (Natick, MA). The BIS is used to measure depth of anesthesia with four components, but largely relies on the single cross-spectral relationship of unique delta and gamma frequencies. Another place where frequency nesting occurs is in the digit span: the number of gamma wavelets (40-100 Hz) which nest within a person's theta activity (4-8 Hz) is the number of elements one can retain in the short term, according to research.

    Finally the talk turned to healing and how healers need to synchonize with healees for growth and renewal to occur. This synchronization can occur locally and at a distance, so the questions is, how do you create an effect on someone else’s neurophysiology? The study of EEG itself emerged from this question: Hans Berger in the 1920s wanted to understand an emotional/psychic communique he had with his sister years before across many miles. Jay studied the EEG rhythms of healer and healee and found overlap between the two, notably Fourier spectral peaks which another scientist/shaman Juan Acosta-Urquidi replicated. His talk turned to the Schumann resonance of the Earth, how often the same photon passes you by each second in time as it orbits Gaia, Mother Earth (7.81 Hz), and how this resonance may been useful to understand human EEG activity (as 7.8 Hz is where alpha activity starts for the most part).

    For further reading, Jay provided a plethora of citations including the following:

  • Koenig, T., Prichep, L. S., Valdes-Sosa, P., Braeker, E., Lehmann, D., Isenhart, R., & John, E. R. (2002). Developmental norms for brain microstates. International Journal Psychophysiology. In press.
  • Jefferys, J.G.R. (1995) Nonsynaptic Modulation of Neuronal Activity in the Brain: Electric Currents and Extracellular Ions. Physiol. Rev..75(4):689-723.
  • Herculano-Houzel, S., Munk, M. H. J., Neuenschwander, S., & Singer, W. (1999). Precisely synchronized oscillatory firing patterns require electroencephalographic activation. Journal of Neuroscience, 19, 3992-4010.
  • Engel, A. K. & Singer, W. (2001). Temporal binding and the neural correlates of sensory awareness. Trends in Cognitive Science, 1, 16-25.
  • Efron, E. (1970). The minimum duration of a perception. Neuropsychologia, 8, 57-63.
  • Varela, F. J. (2000). Neural synchrony and consciousness: Are we going somewhere? Consciousness and Cognition, 9, S26-S27.
  • Tallon-Baudry, C. (2000). Oscillatory synchrony as a signature for the unity of visual experience. Consciousness and Cognition, 9, S25-S26.
  • Steriade, M., Gloor, P., Llinas, R. R., Lopes Da Silva, F., & Mesulam, M. M. (1990). Basic mechanisms of cerebral rhythic activities. EEG Clinical Neurophysiology, 76, 481-508.
  • Sebel, P. S., Lang, E., Rampil, I. J., White, P. F., Cork, R., Jopling, M., Smith, N. T., Glass, P. S., & Manberg, P. (1997). A multicenter study of bispectral electroencephalogram analysis monitoring anesthetic effect. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 84, 891-899.
  • Pantev, C. (1995). Evoked and induced gamma-band activity of the human cortex. Brain Topography, 7, 321-330.
  • Naatanen R, Syssoeva O, Takegata R. (2004). Automatic time perception in the human brain for intervals ranging from milliseconds to seconds, Psychophysiology, 41, 660-3.
  • Libet, B. (1973). Electrical stimulation of cortex in human subjects, and conscious sensory aspects. In A.Iggo (Ed.), Somatosensory system. Handbook of sensory physiology. Vol. 2 (pp. 743-790). Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
  • Lehmann, D., Strik, W. K., Henggeler, B., Koenig, T., & Koukkou, M. (1998). Brain electrical microstates and momentary conscious mind states as building blocks of spontaneous thinking. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 29, 1-11.

     

    Reviews NEW &/OR USEFUL BOOKS



    Biofeedback for the Brain: How Neurotherapy Effectively Treats Depression, ADHD, Autism, and More P Swingle
    Neurofeedback is physical therapy for the brain and provides drug-free therapy for numerous conditions.

    Principles of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology M-Marsel Mesulam
    Biological foundations of mental health and disease are reviewed.

    Acquiring a Conception of Mind: A Review of Psychological Research and Theory P Mitchell
    The human intellect now lets us study the human intellect itself. This classic surveys theory of mind development.

    Introduction to Theory of Mind: Children, Autism and Apes P Mitchell
    A cross-species review of developmental issues.

    Emotion, Memory and Behavior: Studies on Human and Nonhuman Primates T Nakajima & T Ono
    A cross-species review of affective neuroscience in its infancy (1995).

    User's Guide to the Brain: Perception, Attention, and the Four Theaters of the Brain JJ Ratey
    John explains basic principles of brain function and how to optimize them. (2002).

    Individual Differences in Theory of Mind B Repacholi & V Slaughter
    Understanding individual differences in theory of mind is critical to neurotherapy.

    Synesthesia: Perspectives from Cognitive Neuroscience L Robertson & N Sagiv
    Synesthesia -- multimodal processing of a single modality -- is a skill that helps scientists understand brain function.

    Imitation and the Social Mind: Autism and Typical Development S Rogers
    Imitation in typical and atypical development is described, including neural and evolutionary bases of mirror neural systems.

    Biological Psychology: An Introduction to Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience MR Rosenzweig SM Breedlove, & NV Watson
    A comprehensive textbook on biological bases of behavior.

    Face Processing and the Own-Race Bias: A Study of Typical Development and Autism N Sasson
    The "Own-Race Bias" which psychologists encounter has no clear neural nor biological basis yet, nor are races clearly delineated by genes or biology.

    Young Children's Cognitive Development W Schneider, R Schumann-Hengsteler, & B Sodian
    Summary of early mental development.

    Learning and Cognition in Autism E Schopler & GB Mesibov
    A successful high-functioning woman with autism discusses learning problems and learning strengths that characterize her development.

    How the Special Needs Brain Learns DA Sousa
    Individuals with special needs learn best when their self-esteem is elevated and they are providing reasonable strategies for engaging information.

    Social Cognition, Development, Neuroscience and Autism T Striano
    Survey of social cognition research.

     

    JOURNAL PAPERS

    Social and Emotional Impairment in Children with ADHD and QoL
    Reviews impact of emotional difficulties on quality of life. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20159496

    Sleep deprivation impairs object-selective attention.
    Sleep deprivation impairs selective attention and may reduce functional connectivity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20140099

    Neural correlates of response inhibition in pediatric bipolar disorder.
    Children with bipolar disorder show increased recruitment of executive control regions to inhibit responses when necessary. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20166792

    Neurobiology of moral behavior: review and neuropsychiatric implications.
    Moral dilemma are resolved in a network centered in right ventromedial prefrontal cortex http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20173686

    First decade of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network
    The CTN completed 20 trials using more drugs (pharmacological), behavioral, and integrated approaches in 11K individuals, though they failed to evaluate neurotherapy due to some blindness. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20307794

     

     

    Events

    Upcoming Courses

      4-Day Comprehensive Course on Neurotherapy (dates subject to change)
    • Chicago IL Apr 10-13
    • Washington, DC May 13-16
    • Buffalo, NY Jun 10-13

    Our course is a hands-on experience right from the start. Attendees consistently say this format is a very good way to learn neurofeedback.

    "Neurofeedback should be viewed as one of the three essential or primary forms of intervention - psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and neurofeedback. In my experience, neurofeedback is every bit as important and powerful as the other two forms of treatment." - Dr. Laurence Hirshberg, Brown University Medical School, psychologist specializing in Developmental Disorders and Autism.

    Contact EEG Spectrumfor more information 818-789-3456 or see www.eegspectrum.com/Training

    * EEG Spectrum International, Inc. is approved by the APA to offer continuing education to psychologists. ESII maintains responsibility for the program.

    Conferences for Neurofeedback Clinicians & Researchers

    CONFERENCELOCATIONDATES
    ISNR - isnr.orgDenver CO Sep 29-Oct 3

     

    Last Word

    Supersymmetry in our relationships

    There are many models of cosmology and its relationship to humanity. The anthropic principle in particular comes to mind. One version of this principle holds that the conditions necessary for intelligent life to develop appear in only selected regions of the universe or multiverse. Which translates to the idea that we live in prime real estate for intelligence to evolve but this is largely due to luck -- and unlike most places in the universe. Another formulation of this principle holds that the entire universe follows a graceful set of laws so that we can exist everywhere we want to, which is very kind and thoughtful to do.

    Dirac asserts that an idea which is more aesthetically pleasing is better than one which isn't. People like to think about beautiful ideas is at the core of his understanding. And in science this translates to the outcome that the more people who subscribe to a theory, the more data and research is done for a theory. This works for mental health and neuroscientific theories as well. Freud held our thoughts for so long because of the ideas' beauty, their economy: behavior is driven by psychosexual forces and follows a common developmental trajectory.

    Let's change our scale of thinking to the small for a moment. The Coanda effect refers to the fact that fluids tend to flow along surfaces more than flow through open space. Fluids tend to cling. Most behavior has a similar clinginess to it. We may follow a surface we perceive even where others cannot.

    Bohr (1940) developed the principle of complementarity: no system can exhibit both wave-like behavior and particle-like behavior at the same time. We cannot be hard and soft simultaneously; we have to choose which way we want to respond at each moment in time. We cannot be flighty and grounded, everywhere and here, not at the same time at least. We may alternate between behavioral aspects but we cannot be both simultaneously -- or can we? Maybe some of these ideas are limited when extended to human truths.

    Let's go on. To explain both superconductivity and superfluidity, physicists assert that two electrons act as a single unit, a spousal pair, and it takes energy to break such pairs apart. But when the electrons act as individuals -- two units -- superconductivity and superfluidity are lost. That's clear enough.

    Albert Einstein postulated many things, including the constancy principle and equivalence principle which can be extended to human relationships without breaking a sweat. Others postulated black holes, where light cannot escape, and event horizons, where any further movement towards the black hole means all is lost, a point of no return, though Hawking and others have found some ways to salvage information from the infinitely compressed. Most of us haven't.

    There are some ideas in physics which walk arm-in-arm with New Age thinking such as the Fermi paradox, which wonders aloud about intelligent life in the universe. If it ever arose a 2nd time, given how late we are to the party (14 billion years by some estimates), the question Fermi posed was, "Where are they?" The Galaxy should be filled with intelligent and technological civilizations, and they should pop in on us regularly, unless we are a human Zoo, off-limits for some archeological or moral reasons. On the other end of the spectrum is the Gaia hypothesis by Lovelock (1969) who considers the Earth as a single organism and we biological processes help stabilize it. Reminding people of how the Earth makes us who we are, the co-creation of life, would be good!

    Here is a better one to understand human relationships: Lagrange points. These are the balance points when you find yourself in the vicinity of massive bodies. There are 5 Lagrange points of balance between the Earth and Moon, places where the gravities balance each other. We've all woken up at a point in a relationship and any movement results in chaos. We were at a Lagrange point and didn't know it. We were at rest. How many times have we been safe in a storm solely because we did not get involved? There are five Lagrange points in any two-body system, which means we have 5 stable relationships in our dyadic relationships. Let's give them names. Madison, Amy, Julian, Grant, and Jerri. You probably have other names for them.

    Each of us is a set of balancing principles, more than the universe can fathom (which explains its constancy and equivalency). We are each an intricate mix of feedforward and feedback, more principles than we need, a particle zoo of principles, not unlike the quarks, muons, neutrinos, pions, photons, neutrons, positrons, cylons, physicists call their many Lagrange points. Neurotherapists can adapt the principles of chemistry, physics, and biology that underlies existence to the study of behavior, while keeping in mind how people are far more exotic, more evolved than universes. Here is a jumping off point of physics principles and as it says, "This list is not intended to be complete." -- http://www.alcyone.com/max/physics/laws/

    -DK