Neurofeedback brain-training is an energy intervention. It improves the brain’s ability to produce a range of energy levels, to reduce levels of inflammation and hyper-sensitivity, to communicate efficiently within itself, etc. There are physical issues like Parkinson’s (the death of dopamine-producing neurons), Alzheimer’s (physical blocks by amyloid plaques within synapses), loss of myelin sheaths on axons which slow down transmission in disorders like MS or ALS, white-matter brain injuries which sever neurons from the communication systems, etc. Training energy patterns […]
Impedances The higher the impedance–the resistance to passage of the signal between the scalp and the electrode metal–the poorer your signal will be and the more likely you are to have electromagnetic fields enter artifact into the signal. High impedances are usually the result of poor connections. If you have high impedances, redo your connections. 60 Hz is always and everywhere present in any US environment. Think of the old analog radios that you had to tune in by turning […]
It’s pretty common to see bruxism in folks with very low levels of SMR. They also tend to be rather rambunctious sleepers in other ways as well and may have sleep-onset insomnia. Try training SMR% (adjust to get the right frequency for the client) at Cz/A2 or at C4/A2.
Using a Gauss Meter You may pick up a Gauss meter ($36 at http://www.lessemf.com/gaussmaster.html) and see what the levels are inside where you’ll be doing your training. You’ll probably find that the field produced by the transformer on the AC adaptor for your computer are much larger than those from other sources (since the strength of the signal falls at a rate that is the square of the distance (my recollection of physics may be a bit rusty). (You can […]
Burnout is not generally a mental issue (nor is it usually simple). The term suggests that the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which kicks into sympathetic gear in response to stress, has gone beyond its ability to respond anymore; literally the adrenals are burned out. Absolutely certainly you want to make sure that the client is taking some B-vitamin complexes (since cortisol burns up B vitamins), and it’s worth checking to see about the status of the adrenals, since there are […]
Linking Training Sites Symmetry, synchrony/coherence and assessments should always be linked because they are training comparisons or relationships between the two channels. Comparing each channel against a separate reference allows error to creep into the measurements by adding another variable (the signal at the reference) to change the apparent relationship. The jumper/linked references allow you to combine the signals from the two reference sites, and compares each of the actives against exactly the same value. I guess you could say […]
For most people, Alpha Theta Training is recommended every five sessions. It is a protocol designed to produce a pathway from the subconscious to the conscious, and trainers use it for everything from addictions to peak performance. It is especially used to “lay in” training achieved in the previous four sessions. Why Do Alpha Theta Training 6-8 Hz theta seems to be the frequency that most relates to memory, visualization, and access to the subconscious. We train for 7 Hz […]
Muscle Tension Some clients I used to run into in Atlanta would have excessive levels of muscle tension that was “invisible”. I could never find anything tense, yet they produced very high EMG levels no matter what they did. Usually training them, SMR was a good option, with whatever signal we could get, would slowly bring it down within a session and the “interference” would go away. It would take a number of sessions for the release to last. I’ve […]
Not Getting Results Asking about signs that neurofeedback is not working or is having negative effects is perfectly valid and answerable. It’s not working if the desired changes aren’t starting to happen within about 10 sessions or less. I know lots of folks (with knowledge bases 14 feet wide and 3/8 inch deep) who keep slogging along at the client’s expense for 30, 40, 50 or more sessions doing the same thing religiously and getting the same results–none. You can […]
Session Timing and Length When we set up designs, we don’t know if the trainer will be working in sessions that combine HEG and EEG, or doing EEG only, doing one exercise per session or three. The choice of training time is usually based on the degree of activation involved. If you are training to speed up brain activity–increase energy expenditure–then most of those protocols will be run for shorter periods. If I have a really slow brain, I may […]