Image source: http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/images/chicken-and-egg_problems.jpg
Theres a new kid on the "mental dis'ease" block. I invented it, and named it Neuroliminal Training" (NT). Its simple to use and costs a small fraction of the cost of clinical Neurofeedback (AKA EEG Biofeedback & HEG biofeedback).
Neurofeedback has been well proved to be the most effective brain training for virtually every mental or brain problem. (The FDA doesnt allow the word therapy to be used in this context - they keep insisting that only MDs can cure with drug therapy". This is in spite of the proved fact that this (and other trainings) can and do take away the same symptoms that result in an even better cure than that done by dangerous drugs.
The FDA protects the chemical and drug companies - not the public it is supposed to do.)
For almost 40 years, EEG Biofeedback has proved to be the most effective training tool known for such problems as:
ADD/ADHD/Autism
Depression/Anxiety/PTSD
Insomnia
Epilepsy
Schizophrenia
Addictions
Fibromyalgia/CFS
When combined with HEG Biofeedback, the results for Autism, Stroke Recovery, and Brain Damage are considerably mproved.
(Many of the more serious ADD/ADHD cases are closer to the Autism area and misdiagnosed).
Such a biofeedback combination (called Neurofeedback) is now used by many clinicians for all the above. The only real drawback is cost. The EEG and HEG electronic machines are expensive, and clinicians charge from a low of $75 up to $250 per half hour session. Typical number of sessions for ADD/ADHD is 40-60.
(Some Autism cases have required up to 200 sessions for good improvement.) The same (or more) holds true for HEG BF added. While this therapy is definitely the best, it is also completely out of the range of mid and low income families. Their only economical choice is Ritalin and other dangerous drugs, as Neurofeedback is not usually covered by insurance.
What does EEG Biofeedback actually do?
In actual practice its absurdly simple. Brain waves are obtained by contact sensors, amplified a million or so times, then filtered to separate out various bands, and these bands are used to train the client in various ways to raise the amplitude of one small band, and lower the amplitude of another.
The hard part is the electronics and the computer used. Otherwise its just a matter of connecting the sensors, explaining what to do, and the clinician oversees a few sessions, and then leaves the client with the machinery.
Few clinicians even to begin to understand the electronics, nor do they have to. Its so simple that I started a company (BHT Inc) in 2000 to lease such machinery for home use.
This cut the price drastically (cutting out the doctor time), and proved to be just as good as the average clinician insofar as results are concerned. My company (Biofeedback Home Training Inc) and I stopped doing this back in March, 2005 as I considered that leasing or selling such expensive machines is immoral when I can sell this Neuroliminal system for a small fraction of even that lowered cost.)
EEG Biofeedback isnt exactly rocket science, although the amplification and filtering does come from this era of science. Using the audio signals obtained as above, we can drive different visual displays.
Originally, the audio signal was hooked up to an averaging voltmeter, and the client used the conscious mind to keep trying to raise this output voltage. Later, it became a computer display that was a circle or square that the client kept trying to increase in size. Still later, it was used to drive game like displays, making it a bit more fun. (The voltmeter and the circle/square displays are pretty boring, and motivation is harder.)
The actual brain wave band mostly involved in mental/brain problems seems to be a small band just above the Alpha brain wave. It was named Sensory Motion Response (SMR). It seems that most mental/brain problems originate in this wave band of 12-14 Hertz. Raising this amplitude seems to solve most of the mental/brain problems outlined above. (My original theory (stated in 2000) is that raising SMR somehow changes the brain/body response to various allergens that cause such symptoms or diseases. This has been shown in volunteer testing to be the case in all probability.)
Why this is so, we dont know. The unconscious mind is still largely unknown and undiscovered territory. Like many other phenomena - while we dont know how it works exactly - we do know how to use it. Hypnosis, and, for that matter, even electricity are examples of such!.)
HEG biofeedback is a relative newcomer. It uses infrared sensors to determine the actual blood flow in the brain. The same principle of feedback is used to consciously try to increase this blood flow. This has proved to be very effective when combined with EEG biofeedback in cases of Autism, Stroke Recovery, and Brain Damage cases. Of course, it can also help in all other brain problems where poor blood flow may occur undetected. The same cost factors as EEG Biofeedback obtain here.
In most cases, HEG training seems to only increase frontal brain blood flow. I believe that in cases where blood flow is lowered as a result of a stroke or brain damage, increasing the blood flow in this particular area would be more efficient. By letting the unconscious mind decide where to increase this blood flow, the Neuroliminal training may very well be superior to HEG BF. The unconscious mind knows much more what needs to be fixed than the conscious mind.
So what is Neuroliminal, and how does it work?
Instead of using the conscious mind to gradually train the unconscious to modify the amplitude of various brain waves, Neuroliminal therapy trains the unconscious mind in a very direct form. It uses subliminal messages while the client sleeps, or works, or relaxes. This accomplishes the same brain wave training as Neurofeedback.
The original volunteer testing (raising the SMR brain wave only) used 40 plus persons, and over 20 persons completed the four week test. A second similar test showed very good results, and showed that this training is analogous to EEG Biofeedback, with each night sleep roughly equivalent to one half hour session.
The results for insomnia and several cases of depression were all very good. ADD/ADHD results were also better than expected.
Neither NT nor NRF are "fast" working therapies in general. It takes time to change brain waves.
(The result summaries of all volunteer tests are shown at: http://DrBate.com/Ref/SubliminalSynopsis.html)
Since NASA research in attention/concentration improvement showed clearly that lowering the Theta brain wave increased attention, a further set of over 40 volunteers were tested in the fall of 2005, primarily for ADD/ADHD. This test both raised the SMR brain wave, and lowered the Theta brain wave.
The results in this test were excellent, with 23 subjects finishing a minimum of 4-5 weeks (most actually completing the full 8-10 weeks. All the 23 either solved their brain problems (mostly ADD/ADHD or depression), or were still improving. Two autistic cases had greatly improved, and both were continuing to use the CD audio.
In August/September 2006, I started a new volunteer test program of 8 weeks. This audio incorporated both the EEG Biofeedback routine of raising SMR and lowering Theta, but also included a brain blood flow set of instructions. This test concluded in early 2007. The results were beyond expectations.
The only two epileptic persons in this test have been free of seizures for at least a week. Both have had almost daily seizures for years, and both have allergic reactions to drugs.
Of the Autism cases, and a few severe ADHD cases, all have improved better than expected from previous testing. All of the volunteer parents elected to keep the test materials instead of getting a $100 refund.
Previous testing of ADD/ADHD/Autism cases showed that the greatest improvement in symptoms usually comes AFTER the first 3-4weeks, and here, it seems to be coming even faster.)
Dr Bate has a Patent Pending on this usage of subliminal messaging used to change brain wave amplitudes and increase brain blood flow.
