[News] Neurofeedback to be tested on veterans

[Nakamova]

Promising nfb news from an article in the NY Times:

Earlier this year, the Department of Defense awarded a $2 million grant to Brain Plasticity Inc. to study the effectiveness of Posit Science software in restoring memory and attention in victims of traumatic brain injury, or T.B.I. Posit Science, based in San Francisco, is one of several companies, including Nintendo and Luminosity, that sell brain health software products to consumers.

If the Posit Science software is proved effective, it could become one of the first medical applications of an approach to brain improvement that remains controversial. Such software could potentially help T.B.I. patients and also those who have been determined to have autism, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and other psychiatric and neurological diseases.

“This is the beginning of a revolution,” said Michael Merzenich, the co-founder and chief scientist of Posit Science; the president of Brain Plasticity; and a celebrated University of California, San Francisco, neuroscientist who pioneered the idea of neuroplasticity.

Full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/us..._r=1&src=rechp

[Bernard]

I wonder how that company landed the contract. Seems odd considering all the work the Othmers have done laying the groundwork.

In any event, it's good to see more research in this field getting funded!

[eegbiofeedbk]

Dear Listmates,
The work the Othmers have done in PTSD is primarily unscientific, i.e. unsubstantiated except by case reports and self promotion, but this is why he appears all over the internet and gets recognition.

The real work with PTSD begin quite by accident and was published by Peniston and Kulkosky in their work with veterans in the late 80s and has been replicated and had other dependent measures like MMPI testing. Further, work was done in conjunction with brain injury by Thatcher in his multi year contracts with Defense and VA. Based on Thatcher's and others work, not Othmer (who denies the need for controlled and validated co measures like QEEG or MMPI), the DOD has established I think 3 centers that use Z score training and LORETA. Further Thatcher's work correlates highly with neuroimaging, eg. fMRI and PET and SPECT. The newest center is at Fort Campbell in KY near the 101st Airborne. I have had contact with the neuropsychologist involved there. Thatcher and Peniston's work has considerably more science and peer review basis to it and no iatrogenic or adverse events reported.

I think the future for tx for PTSD and TBI vets is bright when we stick to solid science. The hard scientific work that is more effective usually does not see the glitzy light of publicity.

Jerry Gluck