What's New in Neurofeedback

Is asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism necessarily a disability? : Does Asperger syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA) lead to a disability or merely a "difference"? Two models summarize how these individuals are "different": the central coherence model, and the folk psychology-folk physics model.

Neuroimaging in bipolar disorder: what have we learned? : Besides possible structural abnormalities associated with bipolar disorder, decreased activity of the prefrontal cortex is found for bipolar patients during depression, though it is not clear if these changes are reversed with mania.

Global processing in high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder. : Using a global-local identification task (e.g., a letter outline consists of smaller letters, same or different) the autism group made more global errors than controls (indicative of right-hemisphere dysfunction) whereas the Asperger's group did not.

Effect of somatic comorbidity on alleviation of depressive symptoms. : Moderate somatic comorbidity has only a minor effect on recovery from depression.

Structural and functional brain development and its relation to cognitive development. : Recent pediatric neuroimaging studies suggest that increasing cognitive capacity during childhood coincides with a gradual loss rather than formation of new synapses and presumably a strengthening of remaining synaptic connections.

History, evolution, and diagnosis of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. : Premenstrual problems with mood and behavior have been widely known forever, but has been formally recognized since 1987. Its history and how it differs from other conditions are reviewed.

Early maternal depression on infant-mother attachment : Infants of depressed mothers often lack secure attachment and occasionally exhibit avoidant and disorganised attachment.

Effects of nicotine and caffeine on EEG topography : Nicotine increases EEG power in some higher frequency bands in some conditions whereas caffeine decreases EEG power across almost all conditions.

Neuropsychological consequences of abstinence among older alcoholics : Memory and executive skills only slowly recover, if at all, with abstinence.

Evidence of an amygdala hypothesis of autism. : A developmental malformation of the amygdala may underlie high-functioning autism. These individuals often show enlarged amygdalas and characteristics assoc. with amygdala damage (impaired recognition of fear expressions, perception of eye-gaze).

Discussion of developmental plasticity: factors affecting cognitive outcome after pediatric traumatic brain injury. : Discusses current research in the context of a model of the numerous factors influencing recovery after brain injury in children including brain plasticity.

Neurologic evaluation of violent juveniles. : Argues for a systematic, meticulous neurologic evaluation of any juvenile who has acts violently. This evaluation should include tests of cerebral-cortical function and waking and sleep EEGs, and other neuroimaging investigations.

Polysomnographic and spectral sleep EEG in primary alcoholis : Ethnicity interacts with alcohol dependency in prolonged sleep latency, loss of delta sleep, and short rapid eye movement (REM) latency. African-American alcoholic patients show more severe sleep abnormalities than Euro-American alcoholics.

Interhemispheric asymmetry of motor cortical excitability in major depression : Major depressive disorder patients show interhemispheric differences in motor threshold due to lower excitability on the left hemisphere. Controls do not.

The 9th Annual Winter Brain 2001 Neurofeedback and Brain Sciences Meeting, Feb 2-6, 2001 Miami FL
Lectures on Peak Performance, QEEG, ADDHD, Transpersonal experience, and more. Selected speakers include Karl Pribram, Thom Hartmann, Jay Gunkelman, Robert Gurnee, Joel & Judith Lubar, Sig and Sue Othmer, & Barry Sterman. Includes 30+ workshops and an exhibit hall.

A recent issue of Science Magazine (Volume 289,18 August, 2000, p1137) reflects on yet another report of research fraud. The editorial observes "So far, the incidents have been concentrated in the life sciences, particularly basic biomedical research." Why should this be so? Perhaps it is because of the proximity of the life sciences to the end product, which is not so much scientific knowledge as it is medical practice. And medical practice tends to lean on science much the way the priesthood relies on sacred text. In medicine, science is more about truth rather than process. For example, it has been said that "It is no longer true that neurons don't regenerate." Of course if it is not true now, then it was never true. The only way the statement makes sense is that in medicine we are dealing with a provisional truth, arrived at by concensus, that has a certain declarative validity quite independent of any true "scientific" basis.

So, in biomedical research, there may be an undue primacy given to the collective body of declared "truth," and experimental science is simply marshaled in the service of this truth. If one can be more efficient in helping nature along in revealing its secrets, what's the harm, since we know what the answer is anyhow? The culpable scientist was surely not trying to rewrite the laws of nature. He was just being a good acolyte in helping the natural progression of research along its most efficient path.

It is only on this basis that we can understand the visceral opposition to the claims of neurofeedback within the anointed (or self-anointed) scientific priesthood. It is not yet within the scope of what can be believed. The workhorse that is drafted in support of such thinking is, of course, the long-suffering placebo effect. In thinking further about the placebo effect, I realize that it serves the same function in biomedical research as the stork does in childhood. That is, it deflects the discussion from what is really being asked. The stork theory does not really answer the question of where babies come from. And the placebo model does not really provide an answer to the question of what might be going on. Both answers instead close the door on the intended inquiry. Just to bring this analogy closer, I think we should in future simply stipulate that all vaunted placebo effects are probably valid, and brought to us by that famous Spanish tenor, Placebo Degringo. Then we can get back to the real issue of what is going on. (A debt of thanks to Mark Steinberg.)

It is time, I think to hold our critics up to ridicule for their position. In the late sixties, Richard Feynman gave his BBC lectures at Cornell, and the auditorium was filled with people from the Physics Department. After the end of one of the lecture, with the mikes presumably turned off, Feynman carried on. He said, "Physics is sex; and mathematics is masturbation." This brought down the house. Experimental science engages with the real world. To a man, our critics have distanced themselves from any experimental verification or contradiction of our claims, even though this could be trivially done. In this regard, then, they should be classified with the mathematicians.