Fort Wayne Neurofeedback, LLC

ADHD Case Study
“The distinguishing feature of CADD (Common Attention Deficit Disorder) is excessive theta activity over the sensory motor cortex on top of the brain. Prominent characteristics of this condition are being easily distracted, daydreaming, and having problems retaining information. To give an example of how a CADD case is treated, let’s look at Molly. Molly, who was nine years old, had been adopted by a loving and strongly supportive family. She was polite and shy, a little afraid, as many children are on the first visit, and clearly unhappy about herself. Molly reported that she had trouble paying attention in class and was often reprimanded by the teacher for “daydreaming.” Molly had no behavior problems in school or at home, but she found doing her homework unpleasant, and this trait caused some family friction. Molly tearfully revealed that she felt that she could not learn as quickly as her classmates and “always'” forgot what she had just studied. She felt stupid.

Molly’s case is one of the kinds that often go undiagnosed. Working hard, she still cannot perform well, so she concludes that she is simply stupid and that her teachers and parents either have not discovered that fact or are trying to be kind by telling her that she is smarter than she knows she is. With poor self-esteem and the feelings of emotional abandonment that adopted children commonly endure, Molly was on a path in life toward disappointment, unfulfilled dreams, and personal dissatisfaction.

The first visit included an assessment of the five hot spots on the brain. She had excessive theta amplitude over the top of her brain. Her theta/beta ratio was 3.5 when it should have been below about 2.3. I used a protocol to suppress theta and enhance beta amplitude. When the brain was performing correctly, theta decreasing and beta increasing, a balloon icon moved around the computer screen. Molly started racking up points as the balloons moved. As she became capable of effecting the desired brainwave changes, the conditions that needed to be satisfied to move the balloons were made increasingly difficult. In addition, because the initial assessment found that the Alert harmonic reliably reduced the amplitude of the theta waves, Molly used the harmonic at home when she did her homework. Using this treatment not only helped her stay focused and increased retention but also progressively lowered the theta waves and therby reduced the total number of neurotherapy sessions required.

A year or so after her treatment was completed, Molly’s parents wrote a letter from which the following paragraph is excerpted: “We are both very grateful for all you did for Molly. It was a real tribute to you that after only one week of school, Molly brought in her flute to play a ‘solo’ for her new classmates and she wasn’t even nervous about it! Last year at this time that would have been impossible for her.” Molly’s self-esteem was profoundly changed by the neurotherapy, and her newfound self-confidence helped her to succeed in school. As a colleague of mine has said, “Fix self-esteem and you fix everything.”

Molly’s case illustrates the simplest form of CADD and is the easiest to correct; it takes the fewest sessions and usually responds favorably to home treatment with the Alert harmonic.” pp. 144-145 Biofeedback for the Brain by Paul G. Swingle Ph.D. Questions? Treatment begins with a brain map qEEG. Call Fort Wayne Neurofeedback to set an appointment and ask questions. Ph. 260 432-8777

Neurotherapy and Home Treatment
“With the development of relatively low-cost devices for brainwave biofeedback, clients occasionally inquire about the possibility of treating themselves or their children at home. When considering self-treatment, you should keep in mind that neurofeedback is not a stand-alone therapy. A widely held notion is that all a therapist needs to do to treat depression, for example, is to place EEG sensors over the left frontal lobe and tell the client to “increase the amplitude of beta.” It is true that beta enhancement generally helps in treating depression, but it is never adequate as a sole treatment. Some form of additional cognitive therapy or behavioral therapy or both is always required. The combination makes for remarkably rapid, efficient, and lasting treatment. Indeed, the treatment of any disorder rarely, if ever, involves only one method. Treatment requires work at various sites on the brain to modify brain activity that may be exacerbating the condition. Learning to correct brain functioning is, in some ways, similar to using a personal coach in physical training. One of the major functions of the neurotherapist is to help the client learn to modify brain activity by a process called behavioral shaping. Shaping refers to gradually increasing the level of difficulty as the client becomes better at producing the response. Thus, I advise people not to engage in unsupervised neurofeedback at home unless they are training merely for relaxation or focus. However, using home-based treatments under the supervision of a well-trained neurotherapist can be helpful. The newer equipment systems have been designed so that specific treatment protocols can be loaded into the unit for home use. The results of each treatment session are retained in the unit. The therapist can the analyze and modify the method as treatment progresses. Some systems now available are linked to a central computer in the therapist’s office; the therapist can directly monitor each session the client is receiving at home, making changes as needed. ” pp. 123-124 Biofeedback for the Brain by Paul G. Swingle Ph.D. Questions? Treatment begins with a brain map qEEG. Call Fort Wayne Neurofeedback to set an appointment and ask questions. Ph. 260 432-8777

Frontal Lobes and Frontal Midline
“The frontal lobes are the executive portions of the brain. Consider them to be your mental managers. Traditionally, the left lobe is thought to control the rational, objective, quantified, and linear activities of the brain. The right lobe controls the emotional, subjective, creative, parallel, and associative brain functions. Frontal-lobe dysfunctions can have severe behavioral and emotional effects. An example of excessive slow-frequency alpha is associated with many problematical conditions, including dementia, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and brain injury. Better intellectual performance is directly associated with faster alpha frequencies. Here’s a clinical example of Ken, a large 17 year old boy who arrived in office with the diagnosis of “high functioning autism.” He appeared sullen and noncommunicative but quite willing to let me do a brain assessment. I started with positive features and I reviewed the results of the assessment with him and his mother. In this case I found a low ratio of slow to fast alpha. The ratio was only 0.74, and told his mother that this superb ratio was one of the important factors contributing to a high IQ and good cognitive efficiency. Ken flew through his treatment; the HF amplitude was reduced over the frontal midline, and the frontal lobes were normalized. Ken’s attention and interpersonal skills improved markedly. His grades became excellent, and he prepared himself to apply to university. Ken started to develop a sense of humor, which is alway a strong indicator of improvement in children with autism. He frequently commented to me that he always “felt smart”, but people “treated me dumb.” This case is an excellent example of the power of revealing positive attribues when a child expects more of the same old criticism of his behavior.” pp. 77-81 Biofeedback For The Brain by Paul G. swingle Ph.D. Questions? Treatment begins with a brain map qEEG. Call Fort Wayne Neurofeedback to set an appointment and ask questions. Ph. 260 432-8777