Sites on the Scalp and Cortical Functions The Brain-Trainer approach uses the standard international 10-20 system that neuroscientists and neurologists use. This system is basically an address book to find specific locations on the scalp and the brain function that can be detected at that site. The 10-20 sites are, in turn, located on larger geographic portions of the brain: frontal and pre-frontal cortex, sensory-motor strip, temporal lobes, parietal lobes, and occipital lobes. You can think of this as countries […]
Frontals The pre-frontal is the part that lies behind the forehead. Everything from the central sulcus, which runs from ear to ear across the middle of the central sensory motor strip, to the very front of the head is frontal lobes–about half the cortex. The PFC (pre-frontal cortex) is the executive center of the brain, so it controls attention, screening of distractions, processing of sensory information, organizing, planning, short-term working memory, impulse control (verbal, physical, emotional) and (on the left) […]
Anterior Cingulate Since the anterior cingulate is active in controlling the flow of emotional material to the prefrontal–like a mixing valve for intellectual and emotional elements in the decision-making process–when it is stressed by trying to block lots of material, it can get “hot” (Daniel Amen’s term), and this is often a period of anxiety (which precedes depression for many folks) and stress. When the cingulate (and/or adrenals) start to get tired, then the cingulate (at Fz) can begin to […]
Central Strip If you look at a picture of the brain, you’ll note that the central sulcus, which divides the front from the back runs in a chevron shape across the center of the head. It veers toward the rear in the middle. The sensory motor cortex runs about an inch on either side of the line, sensory behind it and motor in front. The sensory-motor cortex follows the central sulcus, the valley across the brain from side to side […]
Basal Ganglia The best connections to the Basal Ganglia would be at Cz. You won’t “see” the Basal Ganglia in EEG, since it is not made of the pyramidal cells that show up in EEG (only the cortex, hippocampus and cingulate are), so you have to go where it’s connected and train there.
Temporals T5 and T6 are on the equator that runs around the circumference of the head from the middle of the valley that crosses the forehead above the supra-orbital ridge, just touching the top of the left and right ears and running through Oz (about 1.5 inches above the inion). They are 70% of the total distance from Fpz to Oz on that line back from Fpz. T3 and T4 are 50% of the distance and Oz is 100% of […]
Parietals The parietals are math calculation and concept territory. P3 can be helpful in calculation and counting; P4 more for math concepts. P4 is the site where we distinguish ourselves in space, where I end and the rest of the world begins. People who are under-activated here can bump into things a lot. Facial recognition is generally found to be in the right parietal lobe, somewhere just above T6. The area between P3 and T5 is very active in integrating […]
Left Hemisphere vs. Right The right and left hemispheres are geographically and functionally different. The left has more neurons, more closely packed, and the left side neurons tend to have short connections, so they work in their own neighborhoods. Frontal neurons work with frontal neurons; parietal with parietal, etc. They don’t pay much attention to other points of view. The left hemisphere is the side of rules, so rule-based processes like language and calculation are handled there. The left side […]
Mastoid Crease Behind the ear, near where the ear attaches to the scalp at the top, there is a valley in the heavy bone there, running usually from the ear toward the back of the head. It is called the mastoid crease. It can also be found just below the level of T4 and T6, partway between them. On the left, the site is referred to as MC1, and on the right, MC2. Although A1 and A2 technically refer to […]