Low Beta/SMR

SMR is the frequency above alpha in the sensorimotor cortex, between C3 and C4.  In adults, alpha is expected to have its peak at 10 Hz, in a band from 8-12 Hz, so SMR is likely to be around 12-15 Hz. In children of 8 years, the peak alpha frequency is often around 8 (perhaps lower in children who are behind the developmental curve, as most ADHD people are), so the alpha band might be closer to 6.5-9.5 Hz, which would put SMR around 9-12 Hz.

Starting there usually makes sense and saves time with younger children, but often titrating down the frequency further will end up discovering a band where the body begins to relax and slump, eyes get heavy, breathing deepens and the client gets still.  Some will even fall asleep.  If the client becomes drowsy, you can start bumping the frequency back up 0.1 Hz at a time.

Remember that SMR does not exist in most neurology texts.  It is simply called Beta 1 or Low Beta.  Even in neurofeedback, it only exists in the central strip, between C3 and C4.  It is a frequency that relates to the thalamic filtering system functioning effectively, controlling inputs and outputs from the brain.

ALL frequencies are variable by person.  The definitions of frequencies were not brought down by Moses on stone tablets–they were defined by men (and there are many different definitions of them).

The best way to find the SMR band is empirical:  start at 12-15 Hz (I like to use 13-15 or 12-16, so we keep 14 Hz in the center of the filter) and adjust it downward a little at a time if you don’t get the desired response.  For those younger than 16 years, it will almost certainly be a lower frequency.  You can look for the alpha band by looking at the power spectrum (brain mirror display) at P4 with eyes closed and eyes open.  In most people a particular band will surge out and become dominant with eyes closed and then drop down sharply when eyes are opened.  When you know where alpha is, then SMR is likely to be just above that.

The key, though, is to see the client’s body relax, muscle tone dropping significantly, and often becoming sleepy.  SMR is also called “sleep spindles” at night, and it is correlated with the move from stage 1 to stage 2 sleep.  When you find the right frequency, the change is often quite dramatic.

Training up SMR (or SMR%) at C4/A2 or Cz/A2 (often better for muscle and sleep issues) will actually lead the brain to increase the SMR relative levels at the target site.

SMR, like the other faster frequencies, is not intended to be a dominant frequency. It appears, as you can see on the Power Spectrum and the waveform display, in spindles or packets–as does beta. The question can be re-stated as, “should relaxing the muscles become the most important function the brain is performing at any given time?”, and the answer is very likely no. There are many other things happening at any given time.

Sleep and SMR

SMR helps you get to sleep, but the brain’s ability to stay out of beta and produce synchronous resting frequencies, including alpha, and to be able to desynchronize into beta without locking up are very related to ability to sleep restfully, have good REM cycles, etc.

In my own opinion, training for a symptom–no matter how important–and sleep issues are near the top of the heap–often doesn’t have the desired effect.  Training a range of patterns that actually exist in the client’s brain to help it improve its efficiency and effectiveness overall will likely have a better result on sleep along with many other things.

If you train SMR in a person who is sleep deprived, it is not uncommon–or undesired–to have him appear to sleep during the session. Watch for the big spikes in Theta and drop in alpha, if he has any, to see that he is really sleeping and not just in a deep resting state. In any case, training during this state can be very helpful in my experience.

Training Band for SMR

Train SMR where it is in children and where it should be in adults.  Looking for the alpha shape, alpha strongest with eyes closed and then blocking 30-50% when the eyes are opened, is one way of identifying where the alpha peak frequency is–and that can help us determine where the SMR band may be.

If you are training SMR, you will be either inhibiting slow activity (and fast activity if it is present), or training to increase the percent of SMR (often achieved by reducing the activation in other frequencies.

Look for the client to become calmer and more still, perhaps begin to slump in the chair a bit (low muscle tone) and even sometimes get heavy eyes and have trouble keeping them open.

SMR helps with restless sleep, bruxism, tics, tremors and other involuntary uncontrolled behaviors.

Training SMR

The coaching for SMR is just let it happen.

I’ve had numerous experiences of clients who trained SMR and became ravenous following the session. We actually kept power bars and juice in the office because a) kids would arrive not having eaten anything in 3-5 hours; or b) kids who didn’t feel hungry at all suddenly became incredibly aware of their appetites following an SMR session.

Usually the only reason I’d train it down would be to see its effect in someone with spasticity or a locked up physiology. If it is super high percentage-wise, then I’d look at what is very low (unless the microvolt levels are really high as well). First thing to look at would be whether you have alpha bleeding over into SMR, very high Alpha PF. But if you have a very hyper kid, you could try training it down if it’s very high.

I’ve seen a nasty response to SMR on occasion, generally from people who don’t express anger easily, swallow or bury it. It seems to take the lid off a little and let some of the steam out.