EEG Neurofeedback

[Bernard]

Siegfried Othmer wrote a very interesting blog post about the process of gaining medical acceptance for a new treatment paradigm and it's lessons for neurofeedback.

I'm still digesting it in light of my nascent effort to push neurofeedback into the mainstream (see post Dec. 10, '08).

[RobinN]

His article was very good. I enjoy reading his work, because he writes so that I understand. Many in the industry do not.

What frustrates me is the reliance on the "drug" aspect, and not going back to square one with the nutritional approaches that are being used with other neurologist improvements.
Perhaps a collection of personal videos of these children will be the turning point for the Powers that Be, to raise an eye and realize that we have something here. It takes time but the body does know how to heal itself when given the right fuel.

I envision a wave, and how it takes its strength far from the shore, and away from the limelight. It pulls together and creates such energy not seen for sometime. Then it displays its beauty and force for all to see.

Is this what we have to do? Instead of going the traditional route of knocking on doors. Pull together all that have been helped and make them realize that we are a force to be listened to. All the studies in the world will not replace the fact that we have created stability, and a quality of life that was not there when moving along the conventional path.

Neurofeedback has actually grown into a robust discipline for the best of reasons, namely the relatively high degree of client satisfaction experienced for conditions that are otherwise rather intractable.
Siegfried Othmer

[John-Forrest]

I'm still bugging MassHealth in MA to be open-minded to pay for EEG feedback treatment (there's one in Northampton, MA). I'm waiting for them to come out with those game helmets (inexpensive) that could be hooked to special software to measure brainwaves. Should be coming out this year.

[Kansas Educator]

Does anyone know how I can find out if neurofeedback is available in Wichita, KS?

[John-Forrest]

Emotive is going to put out this helmet for $300 next year. Check this:

http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/03/08...or-the-masses/

Legally, it's supposed to be only for games, but I see no reason it could not be connected with special software that lets you see what's happening in your brain.

[RobinN]

Does anyone know how I can find out if neurofeedback is available in Wichita, KS?

check EEGinfo and there is a place on the left side of the page, where you can put in your zipcode, and it tells you what is available.

[Bernard]

Does anyone know how I can find out if neurofeedback is available in Wichita, KS?

In addition to the directory at EEGInfo (which is also being advertised with a banner at the top of the page), you will find more practitioner directories on the CWE resources page.

[Kansas Educator]

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone less than 100 miles from where I live. Maybe a practitioner will come into the area soon. I'll keep my finger crossed.

[John-Forrest]

With all the stuff going on about health insurance reform, I think we are going to have politcally organize or write rep/sen to make biofeedback insurable. I finally found a progressive neurologist who thinks it's a good idea!

Actually, meditation is a method to get into those "slower" brainwaves. Just close your eyes and breathe deeply when you feel borderline.

[Bernard]

With all the stuff going on about health insurance reform, I think we are going to have politcally organize or write rep/sen to make biofeedback insurable.

Trying to find answers as to what it would take for the insurance or medical industries to acknowledge neurofeedback as efficacious is mind boggling difficult. You'd think there were clear guidelines on the threshold criteria/basis necessary for consideration, but there apparently isn't. It's a judgement call in an environment ruled by egos and money.

I finally found a progressive neurologist who thinks it's a good idea!

Awesome!

[RobinN]

Neurofeedback. Also called EEG biofeedback, this treatment tries to train patients to control brain waves typically associated with focus and attention. Unlike medication, which must be taken for years, neurofeedback is said to work permanently after the training sessions are completed. It seems to be safe. Numerous studies of the technique "all have some flaws, but it looks like a promising treatment," says Eugene Arnold, professor emeritus of psychiatry at Ohio State University and lead researcher of a current federally funded clinical trial of neurofeedback on a group of children with ADHD. He notes, however, that this approach is difficult, labor intensive, and expensive—as much as $5,000, a cost that health insurance is unlikely to cover until there is clear evidence that neurofeedback works. Such evidence, Arnold says, is accumulating.

http://health.usnews.com/articles/he...ging-adhd.html

August 15, 2009

Dear Mr Arnold,

At the website Coping-With-Epilepsy, I came across an article in the News files that discussed your study of Neurofeedback.
I read that you are doing a research study of Neurofeedback on children with ADHD. Two years ago my daughter began Neurofeedback for a seizure disorder, and it has been highly successful. She had been having seizures about 6x per month on medication, and with Neurofeedback the seizures have been reduced over time.

However, the one thing that really pushed her toward health, has been changing her nutritional habits. Even The EEG Institute, where we received the Neurofeedback therapy, suggested that as successful as NFB is, the brain needs to be receiving the best nutrition possible. We have followed a Gluten free, Casein free, Soy free and Corn free diet. Reducing refined carbs, balancing proteins with complex carbs. Eliminating all the additives, and preservatives, flavorings, HFCS, etc. My daughter has been seizure free for four months now, and is med free.

There is in fact a study that was done in Norway:

Paul, et. al. are paraphrased by Reichelt et. al. in THE EFFECT OF GLUTEN-FREE DIET ON GLYCOPROTEIN ATTACHED URINARY peptide EXCRETION Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 1990; 5: 223-239.

They say: In celiac children provocation with gluten after diet causes alarmingly high frequency of EEG changes that persist up to a year (Paul et al 1985).

I highly recommend that along with stabilizing the brain, that your patients include a sound nutritional plan as well. That is my opinion, from the research I have done for my daughters care.

I wish three years ago I had been offered this advice, as we would not have gone through hell and back.

Good luck with your study. It is very important for insurance companies and the medical community at large, to see that this is a viable option for those with neurological disorders.

Sincerely,

Robin Neudorfer
http://www.feedbackmatters.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/kt29v8



Within ten minutes I had a response:

Thanks for your interest. I agree on the importance of sound nutrition.
We are, in fact, doing several studies on nutrition in neuropsychiatric disorders.
LEA

If you are in Ohio, you might contact Dr. Arnold

[Ruth]

My insurance will not cover neurofeedback. I cannot afford it. Insurance figures medicines will fix our problems with epilepsy. My insurance is not thrilled paying for my health problems, as it is.
Ruth

[John-Forrest]

I think you could get a very similar effect with meditation, learning to focus the mind. Meditation or simply closing your eyes and breathing deeply will put you in alpha state. It is at least something to try while trying to convince insurance companies to cover the high cost of biofeedback. Are there less expensive alternatives?

[Ruth]

Hi John-Forrest,

What is an alpha state? Bernard has Alternates under his messages. Check that out. Robin uses diet, as well as neurofeedback. Biofeedback is a part of the neurofeedback.

Ruth

[Bernard]

... The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is sponsoring the first government-funded, peer-reviewed study to put heady claims such as Gibbons's to the test, investigating whether the offbeat therapy makes sense for some of the millions of American children and adults coping with ADHD and similar disorders.
...
Ohio State University child psychiatrist L. Eugene Arnold, the NIMH project's director, says the institute agreed to fund the study as a result of new interest by the influential national advocacy group Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. CHADD receives about one-third of its revenues from pharmaceutical firms and historically has vigorously supported medication as a first-line treatment for ADHD. Yet in recent years the group has grown more willing to consider nondrug therapies.

"A lot of CHADD's members wanted to know about neurofeedback," says Arnold, who is on the group's advisory board. "The claims looked pretty good, but there wasn't enough data to make the recommendation."
...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...rss=rss_health

It is my hope that one day the epilepsy community will speak with a similar voice to the EFA, CURE, Epilepsy Therapy Project, etc.

[Bernard]

...
MY EXPERIENCE WITH USING NEUROFEEDBACK

A year ago, after three and a half months of this insanity, my doctors were still trying to convince me to change my meds. I decided to try something new and different. I found a neurofeedback specialist who had experience with epilepsy and started doing neurofeedback in conjunction with the epilepsy medication I was taking. By accident, I came across neurofeedback on the web and learned that it was designed for treating epilepsy. Although, no huge study has been made, what has been done showed a high success rate. It was an easy decision for me - go on the medical rollercoaster again with drugs that never seem to work, except to make me feel sick, emotionally out of control, unclear in my mind, gain weight, anorexic, grow facial hair, irritable, and basically not feel well on a daily basis; or try something new and alternative. I figured what did I have to loose, -time and money. But what I had to gain seemed to offer me a much better outcome than all the drugs normally given to people with epilepsy.

I have had epilepsy for over 35 years. Neurofeedback takes time and patience, especially for someone who has had long-term epilepsy; whereas, a person who had epilepsy for a short time, may see immediate changes more quickly. Since I started, I have noticed some significant changes. For example, these days I don't always have seizures when I am sleep, especially if I take a nap. Before my pregnancy, anytime I dozed off like on an airplane, or took a nap during the day I would have a seizure. My seizures were like clockwork. They happened at specific times in my sleep; ten to fifteen minutes after I started to fall asleep and if I had additional seizures it would usually occur just before I was waking up in a similar timeframe. In general, my night seizures these days are not as disruptive. Before my pregnancy, I existed in constant sleep deprivation because my seizures would be so disruptive. These days they are much more gentle. Often, I am not sure if I had any seizures, or how many. I also do not feel sleep deprived, like I did in the past. The other significant change that has happened to me is that I am starting to have occasional nights without having any seizures. This never occurred over the previous twelve years before my pregnancy.

I still have a long road to continue on regarding my epilepsy and using neurofeedback. What I do know is that the neurofeedback has made a positive contribution to my seizure control. I am hopeful that it will make further contributions. But as I said earlier, for someone like me who has had epilepsy for 35+ years, neurofeedback needs time and patience to retrain the brain from behaving in ways it has become accustomed. For now, neurofeedback has been a worthwhile investment that I continue to pursue and so far I have been able to avoid the medical rollercoaster and all it's difficult side effects.

http://www.womenwithepilepsy.org/mystory.html

I got an email from Elizabeth crediting the CWE chart for introducing her to neurofeedback.

[Nakamova]

That's great to hear! If only there were more neurofeedback specialists around with training in epilepsy. And insurance coverage.