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About Dan Tuttle

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www.MindBodyQEEG.com

Dan Tuttle, LCSW

Neurofeedback

 

 

“In my opinion, if any medication had demonstrated such a wide spectrum of efficacy it would be universally accepted and widely used.”

 

—Frank Duffy, MD. Associate Editor for Neurology, Director of Harvard Medical School Neurophysiology Lab, speaking about Neurofeedback.

How does Neurofeedback work?

Neurofeedback is a form of operant conditioning. Sensors are placed on your head and these sensors are attached to a special machine and that is then attached to a computer. This equipment then separates the brainwave into its components (alpha waves, theta waves etc.).  Let's say we learn that you have an excess of theta wave activity in a certain area of your brain. We can downtrain (or inhibit) this activity by offering you "feedback" whenever your brainwave moves in the direction we want it to go. "Feedback" can come in the form of a noise (beep or click), music, visual images (i.e. movies) tactile stimulation or a combination of any of the above.  By reinforcing activity in the direction we want the brainwave to go, brain function changes. Over a series of sessions this change can become permanent and then no more training is needed. 

1. Pascual-Marqui RD, Michel CM, Lehmann D. Low resolution electromagnetic tomography: a new method for localizing electrical activity in the brain. International Journal of Psychophysiology 1994, 18:49-65.

2. Pascual-Marqui RD. Review of Methods for Solving the EEG Inverse Problem. International Journal of Bioelectromagnetism 1999, 1:75-86.

Getting started

 

The first thing to do when someone begins Neurofeedback treatment is to run an analysis of brainwave activity throughout the entire brain. This results in  reports like the ones outlined above. Brainwave activity that is significantly outside the range of normal is then compared to a presenting symptoms. From this, a treatment plan with Neurofeedback can begin. Sessions are usually 1-3 times a week.

 

Research

 

There is a continually increasing abundance of  clinical and research literature documenting the successful use of Neurofeedback. Common topics covered in this research include ADHD, Traumatic Brain Injury, Depression, Anxiety, alcoholism/addictions, OCD, epilepsy, Bipolar Disorder, learning disabilities, Dyslexia, Autism and other Pervasive Developmental Disorders, sleep disorders, headaches, and fibromyalgia. See the links section of my website for more information.

 

Dravet Syndrome

 

I am an expert in qEEG and Dravet Syndrome, also known as Severe Myolclonic Epilepsy of Infancy (SMEI). Dravet Syndrome is a rare and chronic form of epilepsy that starts in infancy. Dravet Syndrome does not respond to most typical epilepsy drugs. Children with Dravet Syndrome usually develop symptoms similar to “Autism Spectrum Disorders.” You can learn more about Dravet Syndrome at www.idea-league.org .

 

Alpha/Theta Training

 

Check out the Psychotherapy section of my website.

 

“But I don’t have any of the above issues. Can Neurofeedback help me?”

 

Yes! Neurofeedback is also used for performance training. People such as PGA golfers, professional athletes, business executives and others who simply want to improve their lives and perform better can use Neurofeedback to help them achieve their goals.

What is Neurofeedback?

 

Neurofeedback is a form of Biofeedback that deals with activity in the human brain. Data is gathered using the electroencephalogram (EEG) to evaluate the functioning of your brain. Brainwaves are analyzed mathematically (making it a quantitative EEG or qEEG). As one might expect a certain "normal" value of blood pressure or body temperature, so is the case with your brainwaves. This analysis of the brainwave information can then be used to develop a treatment plan to “train” and improve the functioning of the brain.

Using a program called Neuroguide, brainwaves can be compared to an age-regressed normative database to determine areas of the brain that have activity outside the average range based on age.  In the image above, areas of green are average. Colors increasingly red or blue indicate activity increasingly outside the range of average.