Maps Page

The maps and power maps in the TQ assessment have colors assigned based on the relative values or percentages of amplitude and power of an individual frequency relative to the total. Those are not norms. They are useful for identifying hot spots (e.g. a spike of alpha at Fz).

If you look at the Maps page, you can usually very clearly see if there are frequencies with higher percents on the midline than the two lateral sites. There will be a brighter (or lighter) band running from the front to Cz. If you see that in the low frequencies, like delta, theta or slow alpha, it would suggest an underactive cingulate–not able to effectively do its job–perhaps one tired by severe demands on its emotional regulation function over years. I always start looking at an assessment with an overview, trying to get an overall sense of the brain’s “style”. If the first segment on the Analyze page shows lots of red in the fast% line, that suggests the brain’s style is to produce a lot of fast wave activity regardless of demand. If that’s the case, then I may decide (especially looking at the graph in the Blocking section) that the lower amount of fast activity (i.e. slower cingulate) is actually probably a good thing. If you have a bright band from Fz to Cz in beta or high beta and above, then that very well may indicate Amen’s “hot cingulate.” The cingulate is working extra hard to control the flow of emotional inputs into the prefrontal to participate in decision making. This can certainly be related to excessively intellectual approaches to living (obsessiveness, compulsivity, even addictions) and it often shows as denial.

The Client Summary Report was added to the TQ8 in response to requests from trainers for something they could share with referral sources and/or other professionals working with the same client.

I used to teach that I never reviewed the assessment with the client or family. When they would ask, I would tell them that the technical details of the brain’s patterns would mean little or nothing to them; they were useful to me in determining what and where to train. If they take their car to a mechanic, they may ask what the diagnosis is, and the mechanic may tell them (though in most cases they won’t really understand it), but what they really care about is whether the thing that wasn’t working in the car before starts to work. Since I only see the client from a few times a week in the office, I can’t judge that very well, but they, who live with the client, can tell me how he/she is changing.

I also take that opportunity to explain to them about homeostasis–how families and groups tend to form sets of expectations and roles within themselves and resist changes to them. If one person in a family changes, then everyone has to change, and most of us don’t like to change. I mention the research that has shown that in families with an alcoholic, when the alcoholic stops drinking, in a significant number of these families someone else begins to drink out of control. I tell them this is a perfectly natural social response, but it’s one which they can help to resist and by doing so improve the chances of success for the client.

I like to use the Tracking page with the client and the family/support system. We select from the list of highest rated issues 6 that are important and more measurable. For example, “frequently feels anxious” is not easy to measure objectively. “Panic attacks” can be counted, and the time they last measured, etc. Then I give the family and/or client the “impossible” job (they always tell me it is…)

For the next week, I want you to assume that when the client does one of those things that make you want him to change, he already remembers from the past 238 time you’ve told him how much you hate it. You don’t need to tell him for the 239th time. Take a deep breath and don’t reinforce it. Instead, every day look for 2-3 things–they may be small–which surprise you a little, things you didn’t expect. Point those out to the client and reinforce THOSE.

For example, after homework is finally completed, a parent could say, “Oh my god! Almost TWO HOURS again to do 45 minutes of homework. You’re hopeless!” Or, he could say, “Wow! Do you realize that you finished your homework in an hour and 54 minutes tonight? That’s the first time since we’ve started measuring that you got it done in less than two hours! I think your hard work is starting to pay off!”

Don’t show them the gory details of brain patterns, but do give them something to do: something you CAN’T do, and something that can have a critical effect on the training: Become the mirror of changes in the daily life of the client.

Same with the client himself. I tend to say something like, “Well, the good news is that there’s a reason why your brain isn’t helping you do the things you want it to. It’s not because you are dumb or lazy or crazy or don’t care. Your brain has developed some habits that are programmed in to how it works, and they block you from being able to do certain things or certain ways. The BETTER news is that, if you’ll make the commitment to training the plan I set up for you, coming regularly and working while you are here and maybe between sessions as well, you can change those habits in a lasting way in 6 months or less.”