New DVD "Unlock your Brain's Potential”

I now have copies at my office of the newly released DVD brochure "Unlock your Brain's Potential". It features two powerful and compelling new case studies regarding autism and addictions.This new release also includes the original video case studies of people who have successfully used neurofeedback for migraines, ADD/ADHD, autism, peak performance and PTSD.

This DVD describes the basics of how and why neurofeedback works and answers some common questions such as:

· "How does this work?"
· "What is it doing to my brain?"
· "What will happen during a session?"
· "How many sessions will I have to do?"

If you would like a free copy of this DVD, you can stop by my office or contact me by phone or email to request that I mail you one.

Neurofeedback improves autism spectrum disorders

In two recent 2009 editions of Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, a group of researchers from The Netherlands reported on the effectiveness of neurofeedback in improving executive functioning in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and its long-term positive effects.

Seven autistic children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders received a neurofeedback treatment that aimed to improve their level of executive control. After 40 training sessions, the children's executive capacities were found to have improved greatly relative to pre-treatment assessment on a range of executive function tasks. Additional improvements were found in the children's social, communicative and typical behavior, relative to a waiting list control group. These findings suggest a basic executive function impairment in ASD that can be alleviated through specific neurofeedback treatment. A 12-month followup showed that the improvement of executive functions and social behavior were maintained.

Neurofeedback helps surgeons improve skills

A team of researchers has found that trainee eye surgeons can significantly improve their surgical skills by regulating their own brainwave activity, using a process called neurofeedback.

Published in BMC Neuroscience (August 2009), the study, led by Tomas Ros and Professor John Gruzelier, both from Goldsmiths, University of London, specifically looked at the effects of self-regulating brainwaves on National Health Service trainee ophthalmic microsurgeons.

Neurofeedback is a kind of "brain training" which involves monitoring brain activity with sensors, so that individuals can see the activity on a screen. The individual being monitored can then see his or her brain activity in real time and can then try to affect the activity (self-regulation). The idea is that the individual can then "train" his or her brain to perform a specific task more efficiently.The study found that neurofeedback training provided significant improvement in surgical technique in the trainee eye surgeons while also considerably reducing the time they spend performing the surgery.

Neurofeedback helps with seizure disorder

In the July 2009 edition of the Journal of Clinical EEG & Neuroscience, a group of researchers reported that EEG biofeedback was found to produce a significant reduction of seizure frequency. About one third of patients with epilepsy do not benefit from medical treatment. For these patients electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback is a viable alternative. EEG biofeedback, or neurofeedback, normalizes or enhances EEG activity by means of operant conditioning.

While dozens of scientific reports have been published on neurofeedback for seizure disorder, most have been case studies with too few subjects to establish efficacy. The researchers analyzed every EEG biofeedback study indexed in MedLine, PsychInfo, and PsychLit databases between 1970 and 2005 on epilepsy that provided seizure frequency change in response to feedback. Sixty-three studies have been published, ten of which provided enough outcome information to be included in a meta-analysis. All studies consisted of patients whose seizures were not controlled by medical therapies, which is a very important factor to keep in mind when interpreting the results.

All studies reported an overall mean decreased seizure incidence following treatment, and 64 out of 87 patients (74%) reported fewer weekly seizures in response to EEG biofeedback. This finding is especially noteworthy given the patient group -- individuals who had been unable to control their seizures with medical treatment. The title of the article is “Meta-Analysis of EEG Biofeedback in Treating Epilepsy”.

New research shows: neurofeedback is an 'Evidence-Based' treatment for ADHD

A recent publication in the journal EEG and Clinical Neuroscience shows that neurofeedback is an "evidenced based" treatment for ADHD. Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback, is a method used to train brain activity in order to normalize brain function and treat psychiatric disorders. This treatment method has gained interest over the last ten years; however, the question of whether this treatment should be regarded as an Evidence-Based treatment was unanswered until now.

Neurofeedback is a treatment where real-time feedback is provided for specific brain activity (most often EEG) in order to teach the brain to suppress or produce specific brain activity. This method was initially discovered for the treatment of epilepsy and since 1976 has been investigated further for the treatment of ADHD. This technique has become more popular with clinicians worldwide, and is currently used for the treatment of several disorders. Critics have often questioned the efficacy of neurofeedback and whether or not it can be considered an Evidence-Based treatment.

In collaboration with researchers from Tubingen University (Germany), Radboud University (Nijmegen, the Netherlands), Brainclinics and EEG Resource Institute, a meta-analysis was conducted on all published research about neurofeedback treatment in ADHD. This meta-analysis included 15 studies and 1194 ADHD patients. Based on this study it could be concluded that neurofeedback can indeed be considered an Evidence-Based treatment for ADHD. The results show that neurofeedback treatment has large and clinically significant effects on impulsivity and inattention and a modest improvement of hyperactivity.

Chronic pain and TMS

A few years ago I read John Sarno, MD’s book Healing Back Pain, and was impressed with the concept that most chronic pain and many chronic conditions were due to unconscious and unresolved emotions. Medical journals consistently estimate 70-80% of all doctor visits are due to stress and not to a “true medical condition”. I have seen many clients in my practice who have painful conditions that have not resolved with medical treatment.

In his several books, including the latest, The Mindbody Prescription, Dr. Sarno explains the cause of pain as being Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS). TMS is a harmless and yet painful condition that occurs in muscles, tendons or nerves where capillaries (tiny blood vessels) constrict; which causes restricted blood flow. Restricted blood flow causes mild oxygen deprivation and this results in pain. These physical symptoms may occur as numbness, tingling, weakness or burning; but it's always harmless in spite of how intensely painful it can be.The cause of TMS is not physical, but rather psychological. To fully understand this diagnosis, one must acknowledge the existence of the unconscious mind and accept the powerful influence it holds on our lives. The diagnosis of TMS acknowledges that unconscious, unresolved emotions of sadness and rage start to become conscious, and present a threat. And so, our brain creates the pain in order to distract our conscious mind from the unconscious negative emotions.

When clients have already seen many doctors without relief, I recommend they see David Schechter, MD, in Los Angeles, a physician trained by Dr. Sarno (who is in New York) for an opinion whether TMS is the actual condition. If it is, the process of healing can begin, and my role is to assist in accepting the diagnosis. I have videos to watch and methods that help a person reduce their pain and start getting on with their lives. Some of these methods may include alpha-theta neurofeedback training, Open Focus training, HRV training, or the Alpha-Stim SCS.

Exercise improves brain functioning

One of the more effective ways of improving brain functioning is to exercise at least three times weekly for 30 minutes. Exercise has been shown to help build new capillaries, thereby increasing oxygen and nutrient supplies to brain cells as well as removing waste. Virtually any type of exercise is better than none, whether it’s walking, biking, jogging, sports, or lifting weights. However, I tend to recommend interval training rather than endurance training. The difference is that after you get your heart rate up, you either slow down, or better yet, take a 4-5 minute compete rest. Then you repeat the cycle. Preliminary studies have shown that this can increase heart rate variability, which is associated with good health. Feel free to contact me for more specific details on interval training.

Omega-3 shown to help depression and bipolar disorder

Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that is found in fish and in certain plants such as flaxseed, pumpkin seed, and walnuts flax seeds. Omega-3 appears to be critical to the growth and maintenance of brain cells. It is strongly implicated in helping depression and Bipolar Disorder. A 1999 Harvard pilot study was conducted on 30 patients with bipolar disorder. The trial was supposed to go on for nine months, but was stopped after four due to its outstanding results. Psychiatrist, Andrew Stoll, MD, faculty member at Harvard Medical School, wrote the book, The Omega-3 Connection, where he documented how daily intake reduces depression and improves heart function. He set up www.omegabrite.com to distribute high quality Omega-3 supplements. I’m pleased to report that more than one of my clients have had excellent results from taking Omegabrite as predicted by Dr. Stoll. Omega-3 supplements, however, should not be taken without first consulting your doctor or psychiatrist.

Neurofeedback helps Bipolar Disorder

Siegfried Othmer of eeginfo wrote, “Some 57 years ago the efficacy of lithium was discovered in Australia for what was then called "Manic-Depressive Illness." The finding took another fifteen years or so to gain acceptance in the United States, but then lithium changed the face of American psychiatry almost single-handedly. By now, of course, treatment with lithium and the anti-convulsants is standard. But we are still just trying to manage the condition with the medications.

Neurofeedback now seems so tailor-made for Bipolar Disorder that we may well be on the way to a second revolution in psychiatry to supersede the pharmacological revolution spurred on by lithium. The problem is one of brain instability, and this instability appears to be lodged in the cerebral networks. Neurofeedback can be used to train the brain toward stability.

Neurofeedback represents a more organic remedy is buttressed by the reports that people don't experience the constriction of their functionality that is sometimes seen with the meds. Successful training may mean that trainees must forego the euphoria that can attend uncontrolled mania, but at least there is no evidence that function is constrained or that a person's spark and spunk are somehow dulled.

In practice, Neurofeedback is usually combined with a medication strategy. People will usually already be well medicated when they seek us out for Neurofeedback, and successful training will usually result in a downward titration of the medication dose. Where that process ends is a very individual matter, and also depends on the judgment of the responsible physician.”

Ode Magazine writes about neurofeedback

In the March 2009 edition of Ode Magazine, writer Blaine Greteman offers an in depth view of neurofeedback. She writes, “After years on the outskirts of medical respectability, neurofeedback has been vindicated by a growing body of evidence showing its potentially remarkable benefits to everyone from elite athletes and musicians to violent criminals and children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The U.S. National Library of Medicine's database of scholarly articles, for example, contains dozens of positive scientific studies on neurofeedback published in the last two years. The results, from some of the world's top universities and research hospitals, suggest that neurofeedback is a promising treatment for a range of cognitive health issues: seizures, low IQ in kids with learning difficulties, vertigo and tinnitus in the elderly, and substance abuse, even with notoriously addictive, destructive drugs like crack cocaine.” To read the entire text, go to http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/61/neurofeedback

Rapid recovery from PTSD

In the latest eeginfo newsletter, Siegfried Othmer presented a case history of a successful outcome of Vietnam veteran using neurofeedback. He wrote, “We have just experienced a remarkably quick recovery from PTSD symptoms in a Vietnam veteran. The case is illustrative of the more rapid pace of recovery that is achievable with the latest neurofeedback techniques that encompass the infra-low range of EEG frequencies. The veteran has had a forty-year history of PTSD, and was rescued from homelessness by the Salvation Army here in Los Angeles. He came to our offices for intensive neurofeedback training through the auspices of the Salvation Army. In exchange for our providing services at no cost, the veteran has allowed us to make his case history available for the benefit of other clinicians.

After 18 sessions, the veteran reported more than an 80% reduction in overall symptoms and 93% reduction in PTSD symptoms. Even more significantly, nightmares, flashbacks, suicidal thoughts, and binging and purging were all eliminated within three sessions. You can read the full story at http://www.eeginfo.com/newsletter/02.20.09.html

I was trained by Sue and Siegfried Othmer and use the latest neurofeedback techniques they describe in this article.

HEG helps with ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, and Migraine

The most recent technology to be added to my practice is Hershel Toomin’s biofeedback unit, the nirHEG. This unit trains a person to increase blood flow in the brain, with a special focus on the prefrontal cortex. An optical sensor is placed on the forehead using a headband, and a person is instructed to watch the display and increase their score. HEG is not relaxation. It is concentrated attention. Hershel Toomin and his wife were directors of the Los Angeles Biofeedback Institute for four decades and developed this technology out of their research attempting to find the most effective form of self-regulation.

The nirHEG is very easy to use. Voluntary control of blood flow in the pre-frontal area is quickly learned, seldom requiring more than 5 minutes. The results are quantifiable as growth in vascularity between exercise sessions. For some conditions, exercising enhanced blood flow may be more efficient and effective than EEG training.

SPECT and PET studies have implicated insufficient blood flow (hypoperfusion) in specific areas brain areas as a factor in various brain dysfunctions. Most brain disorders are candidates for improvement by means of increased cortical vascularity. Those brain difficulties that tend to respond best to HEG are: ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, Migraine, Traumatic Brain injury, Toxic Encephalopathy, Epilepsy, Endogenous Depression, Ageing Dementia, Autism, Aspbergers Syndrome, Schizophrenia, and perhaps Alzheimers Disease. Improvements in memory and cognitive functioning typically are seen within the first 10 sessions for most clients.

Over 2000 clinicians internationally have been using it for clearing mental fog, increasing motivation, improving memory capacity, controlling impulses, recouping lost vascularization, and increasing bloodflow to regions of the brain.