Neuro Biofeedback: A Blessing For The Brain

If you have been following my exclusive series on Neuro Biofeedback, we’re now at the stage with Lucy where she is going through actual treatment. She has needed some time in between sessions to rest, and so I have been patient, while still staying supportive from afar.

It’s quite amazing to watch brain waves fluctuate on screen, during a Neuro Biofeedback session. Sitting in front of a computer with electrodes attached to your scalp doesn't seem like the most comfortable feeling in the world, but in fact, once you do it a few times, it becomes routine. Lucy knows the drill now, so when she arrives, there are no surprises. After setting up, Lucy is able to discuss any events that have caused issues for her since the last time she had a session, or the psychologist may want to delve into a subject that has previously caused distress, in hopes of releasing pent up feelings. Lucy told me that “It’s really helpful to use talk-therapy in conjunction with bio-feedback because then I can just fully relax and get in sync with the program.” She told me though that “talking about my past trauma’s is still very difficult and there is a box of Kleenex that is set out for me because even to this day, the stuff I thought I was properly dealing with still seem to be impacting my present life.”

After a bit of talking, a bunch of buttons are clicked and adjustments are made, and she’s good to go with the brain activities. Someone is always present (one of the two psychologists, they rotate depending on schedules) to ensure her comfort, and to monitor progress or any changes that need modification. The main goal is to reduce the heightened brain wave activity in the theta/beta range for Lucy and going on her 7th sessions now, it has reduced her anxiety dramatically. “When my time is up, I feel a sense of calmness that I haven’t experienced in a long time and it is starting to last longer and longer. I am even sleeping better without waking up drenched in sweat.”

As stated in my last article, every program is customized to meet the needs of the individual, based on the brain mapping results. During a single session, Lucy is given several breaks for a few minutes because it’s important to give the brain a rest in these circumstances, instead of doing trial after trial. Without giving too much away here, Lucy’s tasks involve trying to lower her brain wave pattern activity as much as possible by focusing and also listening to certain sound patterns, both with her eyes open and closed. If you came into the room while she was in a session, you’d wonder why she is just staring hypnotically at a screen, but there is constant brain activity happening on deeper levels.

Although Lucy is still experiencing episodes of panic and anxiety, I can tell just by talking to her that she is making huge strides. She did have a little bit of a set back a few nights ago where she recalls, “it was like a terrifying moment where I just felt so dizzy and fearful that I had to leave the situation, but instead of beating myself up about it like I would before, I just realized that this is a temporary glitch and I am safe now.”

With her medical coverage just about to run out, Lucy realizes that there are going to be some tough times ahead, but she is confident that this was a better investment than anything else. Knowing that many people are facing similar issues, a reduced rate will be discussed next time she’s in, which is so hopeful for not just Lucy, but anyone who is considering Neuro Biofeedback, who cannot afford the high cost of these treatments. There is a lot of time that is put into every patient’s experience and so accountability for the psychologists services are a must, but it’s great to know that they have a human side too and realize that with government cuts and only a small portion of money aside from insurance companies, accommodations can be made. “I am not considered mentally ill enough to be put on disability, but I’m not well enough either to function like I see people my age, so before knowing this, I felt kind of like a rock stuck in a hard place.”

Lucy has begun to blossom into the woman that I knew was underneath all the pain. It’s not an easy road, especially with so many dissolving friendships along the way, but her core support system has been unwavering. When I asked her what she sees in the mirror now when she looks at herself, Lucy tells me “I see the beauty that comes after the breakdown.”

Neuro BioFeedback: Mind On The Matter

Last week Lucy had her Neuro-Bio Feedback testing and this week she went to get her results. It was a rather eye-opening experience to learn so much about her brain and the way she is currently functioning. Presented to all company at the session, was a binder filled with pages of brain activity images and information on what the tests revealed. Everything was explained in great detail and included many real-life examples, since some of the information was very technical and comprehension can be varied between individuals.

So it is clear that Lucy’s symptoms correlate very well with the results of the brain mapping. There is no doubt that she has been under tremendous stress and although many people can just bounce back after a trauma, severity and duration play huge factors. “I feel like I've been traumatized for a very long time and it just took one more event to send me over the edge.” It’s interesting to note that Lucy had excellent functioning in certain areas of the brain, while other parts had impairment, or rather over activity. Lucy told me that “It was a relief to know that I’m not totally broken, I just need some tweaking.”

Below I will highlight some of the points that were discussed in the session. It was over 2 hours long, and so I've tried to compile the main ideas. Keep in mind that everyone’s results will differ, but certain patterns of behaviour are evident when you suffer from mental distress.

Brain Mapping show 3 basic ranges: under activity, normal activity, and hyper activity

There are 4 different types of brain waves:

Alpha – these waves are emitted when we are in a state of physical and mental relaxation, although still aware of what is happening around us. Frequencies are around 7 to 13 pulses per second.

Beta- these waves are emitted when we are consciously alert, or when we feel agitated, tense and afraid. Frequencies range from 13 to 60 pulses per second

Theta – a state of drowsiness (otherwise known as somnolence) with reduced levels of consciousness. More or less 4 to 7 pulses per second.

Delta – when there is unconsciousness, deep sleep emits between 0.1 and 4 cycles per second.

*Lucy had quite a bit of hyper activity in the theta, which corresponded to the rear part of her brain. This translates to the idea that when she wakes up in the morning, since theta is relative to sleep and there is a lot of hyper activity going on, she can feel symptoms of panic and agitation.

• The computer program filters out noise and unwanted frequencies to focus on problem areas and to obtain the most accurate results
• Results are compared to people Lucy’s age, who have complete healthy brain functioning in all areas
• Obtaining reliability (measuring consistency) and validity (measures accuracy) are always at the forefront of this type of research.
• Every Neuro-BioFeedback program is customized based on individual results.

So how does Neuro BioFeedback help in getting, what is known as the “dysregulated” parts of the brain, back to optimal regulatory levels?

During the actual sessions for Lucy, less EEG is used on the head now that areas of concern are pinpointed.

It was described as if you are watching a bar graph (once connected to the computer) which will show the elevated levels. The main focus is to trying to bring the bar down. During Lucy’s session, she was given an example. If you want to touch a table, you basically envision doing so and then do it. Whether you actually touch it or not is irrelevant to the point, it is the envisioning that remains the same and that is what is being worked on, in essence.

According to the doctor, Lucy needs around 25 sessions of Neuro BioFeedback, which will be done twice a week, for 1 hour each and then tapered to once a week, for 1 hour each. She is going to start off with 10 sessions, and see how she feels. When I asked Lucy her thoughts, she told me that “It’s a big investment, both mentally and financially, but I want to get better, so if that at least gets my life somewhat normal again, I would be thrilled. I have such support from my loved ones too, so that makes a world of difference.” With the economy the way it is, as well as her own mental health, she’s just been doing odd jobs here and there, so the financial commitment will definitely tighten up the household’s belt a lot more now.

Neuro-BioFeedback therapy is rather expensive, and insurance plans only cover a certain amount and then you’re on your own. It’s a tough call for people who want the help but cannot afford the high price tag, but it has been proven to work. It is paving the way for many individuals to get their psychological well being in order, without always relying on medication. Children with ADD/ADHD are especially great candidates and success rates have been high.

Lucy’s story is not unfamiliar. There are thousands of people here in Windsor, Ontario who are suffering from a variety of illnesses and are left undiagnosed or sadly, misdiagnosed. The impact felt when you cannot function is strong, as I learned by going with Lucy to her meeting. Family, relationships, careers, and of course the actual self are in jeopardy and so it is amazing to know that we have a service like Neuro BioFeedback.

Realistically speaking, both Lucy and I realize that there are no guarantees and her anxiety may never fully go away. What we both hope though is that through these sessions, she will learn to control her anxiety, stress, painful memories, and move forward in her life as a confident, successful and more relaxed human being. “I just want to reduce my stress, I know that life is not always happy….I just never thought it would be this sad for me.”

Neuro Biofeedback: Mapping The Brain

Talking to Lucy the night before she was going in for her Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG), she was relatively calm. Washing her hair with baby shampoo, as advised, brought her back to a time where she truly felt nurtured. “I felt like I was a new-born baby, being gently caressed and protected, without a care in world,” stated Lucy.

The next day, I was out of the house around 8:30 am to meet up with Lucy for her appointment at 9 am. I must say that having staff that are friendly can make a world of difference, especially to those who suffer from a variety of conditions. The simple “hello” is often taken for granted and I wish that more places were so reassuring and caring. The receptionist had a smile on her face and even though she could have been having the most miserable start to her day, she treated Lucy like a person, not just another number. It was awesome to see.

So what is QEEG? Digital technology is used to measure electrical patterns at the surface of the scalp (called brain mapping), not the structure (like in an EEG), which reflect cortical electrical activity or what is known as “brain waves.”

In a nutshell, it’s an assessment tool that clinicians use to detect and identify areas of dysregulation in a person’s brain. So if you’re suffering from sleep problems, emotional or even behavioural difficulties, this helps to understand the cause of symptoms and ultimately puts a plan of action in place to get you back on track.

Next, a full statistical analysis is done comparing the person’s brain wave profile to the norm for his/her age and gender. This is where stats is handy and the dreaded course that everyone wants to avoid taking at university. However, in this scope of work, it’s a must.

The concept is interesting and according to Lucy, all the electrodes that were hooked up to her head, “made her feel like Frankenstein’s monster.” She also said that, “we joked about putting my photo on Facebook.”

When I asked Lucy about any discomfort, she said that it wasn’t painful at all, the baby shampoo just allowed for the electrodes to activate and function on the screen properly, since any other shampoo contains problematic chemicals that could interfere. She just had to follow some specific tasks, but a majority of the process kept her in a relaxed state.

It also helped that she was told what would go on every step of the way, a little background history on the procedure, and of course, some comic relief to lighten the mood. If she needed to stop for any reason, she was welcomed to. With two clinicians in the room making sure everything was accurate and running smoothly, the whole session took about an hour. “It’s great to find people who genuinely want to see me get better,” said Lucy.

After the session, Lucy seemed to be in fine spirits. Unfortunately, her post-traumatic stress seems to come back at very random times. Sometimes it’s the abuse she suffered from for countless years, other times, it’s the medical trauma she’s endured. It takes a toll on her physical and mental wellbeing, not to mention her loved ones.

“I keep trying to push forward and not let all these memories consume me, but sometimes it’s a losing battle and I just want to scream, but the only thing I can do is cry,” she says.

It took quite a few days to settle her down and so I wanted to give her all the support and time she needed. She’s still pretty on edge in general, but trying to do her best to realize that she’s not going to be abandoned and no matter what, as Maroon 5′s song goes, “She will be loved.”

It takes several hours to analyse the results and then compile everything for discussion, so Lucy will be back next week to figure out the results and where to go from here.

Neuro-Minded: Insight into Neuro-Biofeedback

Have you ever felt like the weight of the world was on your shoulders? For many people, this statement can be taken to heart. Problems exist in everyday life and some may be as insignificant as a hang nail or be as catastrophic as a terrible life-changing accident. Most view stress as simply an inconvenience and have the ability to move on. They can go grocery shopping with ease, have regularly scheduled medical appointments, socialize with friends, and even travel.

However, there is a darker side to stress that cripples both the body and mind. It eats away at reality and harbours the most painful memories, to the point where functioning is grossly impaired. Sometimes you’re okay and no one would ever suspect you had an issue, and other times, for no apparent reason, you’re whipped into a mind-set of uncontrollable fear and panic that takes over. You try and stop it by using all the different techniques, but nothing helps and so when the episode finally ends, all you want to do is cry because of how physically and emotionally exhausted you feel inside.

Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder is real and not an imaginary condition. It’s not an illness that only war veterans suffer from, it could plague your neighbour, parent, sibling, or even your partner. With the amazing advances in modern medicine, Neuro-Biofeedback is a technique used by many professionals to help people who suffer from a wide range of conditions and it is available here in in many places, including my home town of Windsor, Ontario. Many doctors are proponents of this form of therapy and have seen great results from their patients, along with psychological counselling, and without the long-term use of medication (which often can be more harmful because of the nasty side effects).

I am fortunate to bring my readers some insight into this procedure, by following a woman through Neuro-Biofeedback. To preserve her dignity, she has asked me not to disclose her name, due to the fact that she is worried that she’ll lose any chance of gaining future employment, and the stigma it will bring to her older children/family, since not everyone understands and may see her in a negative light.

However, she was touched that I reached out to her and I have committed myself to documenting her progress until her sessions are done. So, we came up with the name of “Lucy,” named after icon Lucille Ball, whom she admires greatly. She’s excited, yet a little nervous to be sharing, but feels happy for a chance to get her life back on track. I also note that you’ll be able to get an idea of what goes on, but the main purpose is the content you will read from her personal feelings after each session. If you are interested in the actual barebones, it makes sense to book a consultation with someone who specializes in this form of therapy.

So what’s next? Lucy washes her hair with baby shampoo to get ready for her first “brain-mapping” session.

Stay tuned.