Showing posts with label neurofeedback. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neurofeedback. Show all posts

Saturday, February 18, 2017

First Master Trainer on EEG biofeedback for SBCIA in Asia Region

It is my honor and pleasure to be one of the first Master Trainers on EEG biofeedback for SBCIA in Asia region. It is one of the highest levels of qualification in Asia EEG biofeedback/Neurofeedback field. Thanks my mentor Dr Kang who has supported and guided me throughout the journey since long time ago:) Thanks Dr Kang and Prof Dato Dr Susie See for trusting me. I believe that 2017 will be a good year for all of us. We will do our best in offering the neurofeedback training to make sure that the services you enjoy are of the very best quality.

Friday, February 10, 2017

Sleep disorder-Insomnia therapy in Malaysia (Neurofeedback method)


Sleep Difficulties Have a Variety of Contributors 
Many complex factors contribute to sleeplessness and insomnia including stress, anxiety, trauma, and habitual over-thinking resulting in abnormal brain wave function.

Why am I Tired All of the Time? 
Until recently, insomnia was studied from a behavioral perspective, but as this problem grows, new research and insights have been discovered. Recent studies suggest that in cases of insomnia, the brain is unable to process information properly due to cortical hyperarousal. This creates abnormal brainwave function.

Restore Sleep Naturally
By retraining the brain and improving brainwave function in those key areas affected by insomnia, the brain is rewarded through neurofeedback for creating healthier patterns. As the brain learns new responses, new patterns and pathways develop improving brainwave function as you begin to sleep better, longer.

Does Neurofeedback Work? 
Clinical studies have shown neurofeedback to be an effective, drugless, natural approach to insomnia, especially for people who have struggled for years. If you are ready to be able to fall asleep and stay asleep, for improved energy, health and wellbeing, then it’s time to relax and reward your brain.


Why Does Neurofeedback Work? 
Neurofeedback takes advantage of the brain’s ability to change itself through a process known as Neuroplasticity. It utilizes the same learning process that occurs whenever we acquire a new skill. The brain learns by forming connections between nerve cells and utilizing important pathways that connect different locations in the brain. The more frequently you utilize these pathways the better the brain becomes at performing the associated task. In psychology, this type of leaning is called “Operant Conditioning”. It is a type of learning in which responses come to be controlled by their consequences. Quite simply, Neurofeedback offers the perfect learning conditions, since it facilitates awareness of when the brain is producing healthier brainwave patterns, provides reinforcement for the positive change and multiple opportunities to provide practice during a training session.

How do I start with neurofeedback?
A comprehensive assessment is where neurofeedback therapy begins. The assessment allows me to determine whether a client’s brainwave patterns are different from normal. Based on your brainwaves analysis results, we then create a restorative plan of care. Each assessment provides me with neurofeedback training protocols. These protocols are designed to retrain the brainwave patterns towards better pattern. The result of rebalancing these brain waves improve health, healing and functionality for lasting results.


Contact us if you would like to do a brainwaves analysis assessment. 
Kindly note that this is not a medical diagnostic but merely provides additional information for your brain to run more efficiently and sleep better. 
The price of this assessment is RM190 (Report will be provided).



Source:
https://braincoretherapy.com/brainwaves/

Friday, October 28, 2016

EEG biofeedback training in Malaysia

Can you retrain your brain?
YES! EEG biofeedback training is the answer.

EEG biofeedback/Neurofeedback training (Brain entrainment) is a safe, painless and non-invasive training method to improve your brain function. Brain entrainment falls under the jurisdiction of the Association of Hypnotherapy Practitioners, Malaysia (AHPM) - clause 3(b). EEG biofeedback method is not a medical diag­nos­tic tool but a training device. It is designed to give the client’s subconscious mind a voice, and allow the Clinical Hypnotherapist to reveal the various underlying factors that shape the client’s cognitive abilities, emotional responses, and automatic behavior. 

It is based on operant conditioning concept, a reward system for the brain, to change the amplitude of brainwaves within a given frequency. There is no input of energy or drugs in the EEG biofeedback that we provide. What is the purpose of that? It can change the way you function... for example if you are too anxious we reward reduction of high-frequency waves which relate to tension and anxiety. This will train your brain to calm itself, and after repeated training, the calm state becomes more of a trait. EEG biofeedback training can be used to improve concentration, calmness, focus, stability of mood and to address many symptoms. Many patients with ADHD or anxiety or depression find neurofeedback to be a very useful alternative to drug treatments. Many people struggle to cope with cravings due to addictions... EEG biofeedback training can assist with the process of recovering from addictions. We train children, adolescents, and adults. Many people use neurofeedback training to reduce or terminate reliance on medications (with medical doctor supervision). Most people find meaningful changes in the short term in a few sessions and longer term changes in 20-40 sessions.

More info:

Disclaimer: Brain Entrainment method (Neurofeedback/EEG biofeedback) is not a diagnosis tool or a cure for any diagnosed conditions. It works by resolving the underlying imbalances and brain dysregulation. It is clearer viewed as personal training rather than a treatment.



Source:
http://www.eeginfo.com/what-is-neurofeedback.jsp
http://www.neurofeedbackandtherapy.com/menu/

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Beating depression the natural way - EEG biofeedback training


The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is important for "cognitive" and "executive" functions such as working memory, intention formation, goal-directed action, abstract reasoning, and attentional control. It is also known that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) plays an important role in top-down regulation of emotional processing as part of the more extensive cognitive network that is also critically involved in emotion regulation, particularly by distraction from the emotional stimulus. This dlPFC is important for the reappraisal/suppression of negative affect and a defect in this regulation of negative affect due to a dysfunction of the dlPFC appears to play a very important role in clinical depression. 

Modification of a negative attentional bias by cognitive training alters dlPFC activity in response to emotional stimuli and this is likely the primary result of successful treatment by means of cognitive and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies. AThe results of a recent study examining the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left dlPFC on temporary reduction of negative attentional bias during learning in depressed versus non-depressed college students supports the suggestion that tDCS may actually enhance the learning of cognitive-behavioural therapeutic strategies.

 While there is some strong evidence suggesting that a reduction in dlPFC activity and/or over-activity of the vmPFC may play a major role in the development of depression brain imaging studies continue to reveal other areas of the brain that are also involved in depressed mood and suggest that depression is largely a result of reduced activation/metabolism in a number of brain areas and reports of increased activation of any particular brain area have not consistently been associated with depression. Anxiety, on the other hand, correlates with increased regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in posterior cingulate and bilateral inferior parietal lobules. Since comorbid depression and anxiety are quite common, it is important to recognize the different areas that are activated or inhibited by both depression and anxiety.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) studies have largely confirmed these findings by demonstrating increased alpha (8-12 Hz) EEG relative power in the left frontal regions of the brains to be associated with dysthymia and major depressive disorder (MDD) as well as the onset of depression in patients with damage to the left frontal lobe. Since alpha is generally viewed as a cortical idling rhythm and is inversely related to neuronal activity, increased left frontal alpha results in deactivation of the left prefrontal cortex and a functional dominance of the right prefrontal cortex. Indeed, a number of brain researchers have suggested a laterality of the brain’s affective system; with negative emotions having a bias in activating the right hemisphere and positive emotions activating the left hemisphere. The left frontal lobes may be considered to include an “approach behavior” circuit whereas the right frontal lobes may include an “avoidance-behavior” circuit. As the left becomes more active, we tend to see things as generally more interesting, more rewarding, more approachable (i.e., the cup as half-full). In contrast, activation of the right circuit causes us to see things as potentially more dangerous and less rewarding (i.e., the cup as half-empty). Brain research suggests that a person's mood may largely depend on which side of the prefrontal cortex is more active.

In this vein, Henriques & Davidson (1990, 1991) examined frontal EEG asymmetry in currently depressed versus never depressed individuals and found elevated left frontal alpha power in the depressed individuals. Other researchers have confirmed these findings as well as observing that individual differences in frontal asymmetry emerge early in life and are associated with individual differences in “approach-withdrawal” behavior and the “introversion-extroversion” personality dimension. Taken together, these findings suggest that EEG asymmetry marked by relative left frontal hypoactivation may be a biological marker of familial and, possibly genetic risk for mood disorders. 


EEG biofeedback or Neurofeedback is direct training of brain function, by which the brain learns to function more efficiently. We observe the brain in action from moment to moment. We show that information back to the person. And we reward the brain for changing its own activity to more appropriate patterns. This is a gradual learning process. It applies to any aspect of brain function that we can measure. Neurofeedback is also called EEG Biofeedback, because it is based on electrical brain activity, the electroencephalogram, or EEG. Neurofeedback is training in self-regulation. It is simply biofeedback applied to the brain directly. Self-regulation is a necessary part of good brain function. Self-regulation training allows the system (the central nervous system) to function better.
Neurofeedback addresses problems of brain disregulation. These happen to be numerous. They include the anxiety-depression spectrum, attention deficits, behavior disorders, various sleep disorders, headaches and migraines, PMS and emotional disturbances. It is also useful for organic brain conditions such as seizures, the autism spectrum, and cerebral palsy.

We offer brainwaves assessment service. It is a tool that designed to give the client’s subconscious mind a voice, and allow the Clinical Hypnotherapist to reveal the various underlying factors that shape the client’s cognitive abilities, emotional responses and automatic behavior. Contact us now for more info.


Source:
http://www.edmontonneurotherapy.com/treatment_depression.html
http://www.eeginfo.com/what-is-neurofeedback.jsp

Monday, September 12, 2016

第11届马来西亚华社辅导研讨会11th Malaysian Chinese Counseling Conference - Research Paper Presentation by Hiro Koo


I was sharing about my research related to clinical hypnotherapy and sleep quality in this national counseling conference in Malaysia. This is research for my master's thesis. I am grateful to my advisor and supervisor for their guidance. To the event organizer, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your invite and the excellent organized Conference.



研讨会主题源自于生命线协会去年所推展“我听见了你”运动。生命线协会透过全国巡迴讲座、工作坊、青少年营、父母成长班、教师工作坊等,唤醒社会大众对“倾听”的觉醒,希望校园、企业界及社区等,皆能理解“倾听”的可贵及重要,一起建立“会倾听,愿倾听”的社会,陪伴家人朋友及时面对压力、困扰与生活瓶颈,进而达到减压力、抗忧鬱、防自杀的健康社会目标。

除了工作坊,研讨会的内容还包括研究报告、研讨课题、公开演讲及华社辅导机构交流会。感谢主办单位,让我有幸可以在这个意义非凡的活动中与大家分享我的研究报告。让心理健康工作者了解到临床催眠和脑电波反馈疗法对心理健康所扮演的角色。也感谢在场500名参与者的支持与鼓励。




Friday, July 29, 2016

2nd Asian Neurofeedback Conference 2016




During the 2nd Asia Neurofeedback Conference this year, I speak about Tic disorder and Tourette syndrome management by using Neuro-hypnotherapy and EEG biofeedback. I am really glad to be here today. 
😄
Abstract
This paper discussed EEG biofeedback as a standalone tool or used together with neuro-hypnotherapy approach for Tics and Tourette Syndrome. In this paper, the advantages of EEG biofeedback alone or integrating EEG biofeedback in neuro-hypnotherapy were explained. Four cases of patients with presenting problems related to tics and Tourette syndrome were presented. The protocol and improvement were mentioned and highlighted. 







Speakers of the day




*Special thanks to Miss Tan Wan Yen. Thank you for giving me a hand in doing research.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Tourette Syndrome Treatment in Malaysia - EEG biofeedback/Neurofeedback

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (TS) is characterized by motor and vocal tic manifestations, often accompanied by behavioral, cognitive and affective dysfunctions. 

Electroencephalography of patients with TS has revealed reduced Sensorimotor Rhythm (SMR) and excessive fronto-central Theta activity, that presumably underlie motor and cognitive disturbances in TS. 

Some evidence exists that EEG biofeedback or neurofeedback (NFB) training aimed at enhancing SMR amplitude is effective for reducing tics. The present report is an uncontrolled single case study where a NFB training protocol, involving combined SMR uptraining/Theta downtraining was delivered to a 17-year-old male with TS. 

After sixteen SMR-Theta sessions, six additional sessions were administered with SMR uptraining alone. SMR increase was better obtained when SMR uptraining was administered alone, whereas Theta decrease was observed after both trainings.

The patient showed a reduction of tics and affective symptoms, and improvement of cognitive performance after both trainings. 

Overall, these findings suggest that Theta decrease might account for some clinical effects seen in conjunction with SMR uptraining. Future studies should clarify the feasibility of NFB protocols for patients with TS beyond SMR uptraining alone.



Source:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51641932_Neurofeedback_Training_for_Tourette_Syndrome_An_Uncontrolled_Single_Case_Study

Saturday, February 20, 2016

马来西亚妥瑞症治疗Non-drug therapy for Tics/Tourette syndrome

妥瑞氏症 (Tourette Syndrome)
妥瑞氏症也稱妥瑞氏綜合症,患者會有不自主重複性動作的癥狀,表現在臉部、手部或腳部可觀察的小肌肉規律性抽動,以及額頭、眼尾、鼻子、嘴部肌肉群的區塊抽動。重症者會出現頭部、頸部、肩膀、身體、腳部的上下前後扭動,以至二個手臂連接整個上半身的大擺動,再結合從小聲至大聲的囈語或穢語。抽動的範圍愈大,時間愈久、次數愈頻繁,顯示癥狀愈為嚴重,反之則癥狀愈為緩解。



妥瑞氏症簡介 妥瑞氏症也稱妥瑞氏綜合症、吐雷氏症、吐雷氏綜合症。此症是法國妥瑞(last nameJean-Nartub Charcot ,first name Gillies de la Tourette)醫生於1885年提出的8個病例報告。此種患童會不自主動作,包括抽搐、眨眼睛、噘嘴巴、裝鬼臉、臉部扭曲、聳肩膀、搖頭晃腦;及不自主出聲,包括清喉嚨、大叫或發類似「干」的怪聲。約有百分之五十的患者會伴有注意力缺陷過動症。

症状 聲語上的抽搐(Vocal Tics) 聲語型抽筋可說是妥瑞氏症最為人所知的癥狀。聲語型抽筋包含廣泛,從單純的清喉嚨,擤鼻涕,發出象豬的咕嚕聲,狗叫聲,到突然說一些詞語或發出無意義的聲音。絕大多數的人以為妥瑞氏症患者會突然口出穢言。事實上,大約只有15%的妥瑞氏症病例會出現這種情形。如同運作型抽筋,聲語型抽筋的嚴重程度是變動的,且形式經常改變(譬如說,從發出象豬的呼嚕聲到說一些話語),癥狀隨著狀況不同時好時壞。 聲語型抽筋可分為簡單型以及複雜型。簡單型聲語抽筋包括發出一些簡單的聲響象是清喉嚨或是擤鼻涕。複雜型的聲語抽筋則包括任何言語,連猥褻的言詞也囊括其中;重複別人的話;或是反覆喃喃自語。

動作上的抽搐(Motor Tics) 動作型抽筋是一些不自主的運動,通常發生於臉和脖子的肌肉。這些不自主的運動包括聳肩,眨眼,以及擤鼻子。當手臂伸展,踢腿或跳躍時,身體其他部位也參與其中。動作型抽筋通常發生於身體的同一部位,但是隨著時間的過去,抽筋的現象可能從一部份消逝而在另一個部位又冒出來。


動作型抽筋可以分為簡單型以及複雜型。 簡單型抽筋是突發的、短暫動作,它通常的發作模式是一次只有單一一個位置的肌肉抽筋。象是眨眼、聳肩或是搖頭晃腦都是簡單型動作抽筋的例子。 複雜型抽筋則是一連串的動作。看起來好象是有目的,象是那個人刻意有那些舉動,但實際上他們是不自主的做了那些動作。 舉例來說,複雜型抽筋可能是聞東西(它包含了把東西拿起來,將物體靠近鼻子,聞一聞,然後放下)或是模仿別人的動作(稱為仿作"echopraxia")。 這些舉動很可能被解釋成是患者刻意作出來的。但有一些複雜型抽筋看起來並非刻意而為,象是反覆的踢腿或是搖頭聳肩。 感覺上或心理上的抽搐 大部分的妥瑞氏症兒童都有出現癥狀的前兆,譬如:眼皮酸而眨眼睛,脖子酸而搖頭聳肩,通常是抽搐前兆。也有單獨的燒灼感、緊繃感、肌肉緊張、疼痛。甚至於覺得別人搔癢而去抓人,也有在心理說粗話或重複說一樣的話妥瑞氏兒童在專心於某一行為時(例如:談鋼琴、看錄像帶、玩電動遊樂器、看漫畫書等)抽搐常會消失,熟睡或酒後多半癥狀也會消失;相反地,壓力疲憊無聊及興奮時,會明顯加重抽搐的頻率與強度。 伴隨癥狀過動、注意力不集中(ADHD)及強迫症。根據葉啟斌醫師的說法約有40%的妥瑞氏症兒童有強迫症。Deputy( 2002)表示:至少有五分之一的妥瑞氏症兒童伴隨有注意力缺陷過動症(ADHD)。 

病因 

過度敏感反應 目前所知的病因是腦基底核的多巴胺過度敏感反應,及腦基底核與腦皮質之間的聯繫出現問題,導致出現慢性、反覆、半不自主的動作及聲語上的抽搐(tic)。約50-70%的妥瑞兒與遺傳有關。 與鏈球菌感染有關 根據國外的研究約有四成的妥瑞氏症兒童與鏈球菌感染有關。妥瑞氏症可能與紅斑性狼瘡一樣,是一種自體免疫疾病,鏈球菌感染是危險因子。有妥瑞氏症家族史及體內B型淋巴結免疫缺損的孩童應盡量避免感染鏈球菌。   感冒對神經傳導物質多巴胺也會有所破壞,造成多巴胺不足而導致妥瑞氏症及帕金森症。

其它環境因素 環境因素如有毒物質、心理興奮劑、過敏原、食品等。


發病人群 妥瑞氏症在所有人種皆可見。 妥瑞氏症的病徵通常在18歲之前出現,在7 歲半左右發作。 男性妥瑞氏症的發生率比女性高三到四倍。

诊断 雖然說並無法使用單一一個測驗即可檢測出一個人是否罹患妥瑞氏症,但是某些檢驗,例如:MRI,CT,EEG 以及血液測試皆可幫助醫師將癥狀與妥瑞氏症類似的疾病排除。假如受檢對象在其他的檢查的結果都是陰性的,而此人長期以來一直有多重的動作型或聲語型抽筋,癥狀持續超過一年以上,則可以做出此人為妥瑞氏症患者之臨床診斷。

治療 妥瑞氏症的心理治療分成二個階段,分別處理癥狀與癥狀造成的影響。
第一階段是抽動動作、行為的矯治,以及腦部異常放電之腦電波心身回饋治療
第二階段是偏差行為矯治、人格重建以及深度心理治療。 父母親的協助以及當事人意志力的激發,是治療妥瑞氏症最重要的助力。若無家屬和患者的全力配合,通常心理治療作業都會中斷無法建構療程與療效。

对于妥瑞症的治疗,Newmindcentre.com的治疗师和医师们提供以下服务:


1) 了解病因:检测环境因素
Nutritional therapy合格的营养咨询师将教导您使用食物保養神經的作用穩定 大腦中有許多神經細胞,靠神經傳導物質當「傳令兵」,幫忙傳達指令,身體各部位一收到訊息,就會有所反應。 神經傳導物質有上百種,其中和情緒、壓力有關的包括多巴胺、正腎上腺素、血清素等。好消息是,一些食物可以增加神經傳導物質的濃度,維持神經的作用穩定,不妨適量攝取。营养咨询师可透过头发重金属检测Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA)的方法了解环境因素,对症下药了解身体里超标的有毒物质并改变您的饮食,从而帮助您改善身心状态。重金屬藉由飲食、呼吸或是直接接觸方式進入人體,但重金屬不似其他毒素能在肝臟進行分解代謝後排出體外。相對的,它非常容易囤積在大腦、腎臟等器官,漸進式破壞身體的正常功能。簡單、精確、無侵入性的重金屬檢測幫助您提早發現不正常警訊和預防疾病發生。近代學術研究發現,近頭皮的頭髮所含之元素與體內之元素有密切的相關性,並且有強大的學術支持,這些由頭髮檢測之元素即代表體內的元素含量,其中包括了有毒金屬及營養性元素。因頭髮之分析檢測比血液檢測更加的靈敏,可發揮提早發現不正常警訊及與防疾病之優點。














2) 第一階段治疗:抽動動作、行為的矯治(Habit Reversal Therapy)与腦電波心身回饋治療(EEG biofeedback/Neurofeedback)
我们拥有在马来西亚极少数受过合格脑电波心身回馈治疗与拥有丰富临床经验的治疗师。治疗师除了提供科学,安全无痛又无副作用的脑电波心身回馈治疗,也会教导客户如何使用Habit Reversal Therapy等对抽動動作、行為的矯治疗法。



3)第二階段治疗:偏差行為矯治、人格重建以及深度心理治療(Psychotherapy and Neuro-hypnotherapy)
我们拥有执业临床催眠师,可以透过临床催眠疗法除了可以减轻妥瑞症的症状,也能帮助客户进行偏差行为矫正,情绪与心理治疗以帮助客户进行完善的人格重建。我们所使用的脑电波心身回馈治疗也专门设计了针对客户的智力与情绪进行正面的调整功能。



4) 提供客户的亲属适当的心理建设Psychoeducation 
我们提供父母或亲属适当的心理建设与应对措施,让他们了解如何与病患相处。同时也可以和家属亲人一起探讨对策,帮助病患一起面对来自学校,工作以及社会所给予的压力与不平等对待。




总结,我们治疗的5大特点是:
科学验证疗法,
非侵入性并完全无痛,
安全并无副作用,
完全不使用任何药物,
许多成功减轻病情临床案例






 资料来源: http://www.twwiki.com/wiki/%E5%A6%A5%E7%91%9E%E6%B0%8F%E7%97%87

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Keeping Emotions in Check With Neurofeedback

Difficulty handling emotions and keeping them under control can cause various psychological issues, and may even lead to full-blown psychiatric problems. This is especially true in childhood. Trauma experienced in youth can contribute to later problems such as depression and anxiety. There are various techniques for helping people control their emotions. One of these is neurofeedback; a training method in which information about changes in an individual’s neural activity is provided to the individual in real-time. This enables the individual to self-regulate thier neural activity and produces changes in behaviour. While already in use as a treatment tool for adults, this method has not been used on young people until now. Researchers believe neurofeedback could help younger people by providing more efficient control of their emotions.

The new study used real time fMRI-based neurofeedback on a sample of kids. “We worked with subjects between the ages of 7 and 16,” explains SISSA researcher and one of the authors of the study, Moses Sokunbi. “They observed emotionally- charged images while we monitored their brain activity, before ‘returning’ it back to them.” The region of the brain studied was the insula, which is in the cerebral cortex.
The young participants could see the level of activation in the insula on a “thermometer” presented on the MRI projector screen. They were instructed to reduce or increase activation with cognitive strategies while verifying the effects on the thermometer. All of them learned how to increase insula activity, although decreasing was more difficult. Specific analysis techniques made it possible to reconstruct the complete network of the areas involved in regulating emotions (besides the insula) and the internal flow of activation. The researchers observed that the direction of flow when activity was increased reversed when decreased.
“These results show that the effect of neurofeedback went beyond the superficial- simple activation of the insula- by influencing the entire network that regulates emotions,” explains Kathrine Cohen Kadosh, Oxford University researcher and first author of the study. “They demonstrate that neurofeedback is a methodology that can be used successfully with young people.”


“Childhood and adolescence is an extremely important time for young people’s emotional development,” says Jennifer Lau, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London, who has taken part in the study. “Therefore, the ability to shape brain networks associated with the regulation of emotions could be crucial for preventing future mental health problems, which are known to arise during this vital period when the brain’s emotional capacity is still developing.”

Source:
http://neurosciencenews.com/emotion-psychology-neurofeedback-3201/

Monday, January 25, 2016

Brain Training for Anxiety, Depression and Other Mental Conditions

A new treatment for psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety uses real-time scans to show patients how their brains go awry—and how to fix the dysfunction.
The treatment is called neurofeedback.
There is an urgent need for new approaches for psychiatric disorders, particularly depression. Almost 17% of Americans will suffer from major depression during their lifetime, according to a 2012 study published in the International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research.
Not everyone responds to current treatments like antidepressant medication and talk therapy. In one study of almost 3,000 patients, only about 1/3 of them achieved remission from their depression after up to 14 weeks on the drug citalopram (brand name Celexa).
An fMRI scan from a participant in a study using neurofeedback for spider phobia. The study targeted activity in part of the insula, a brain region implicated in sustained anxiety. It is at the center of the white cross. PHOTO:ANNA ZILVERSTAND, ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI

Neurofeedback aims to be more precise than current therapies. It directly targets the brain dysfunctions and emotional and cognitive processes that are understood to underlie psychiatric disorders. Doctors hope that treatments could also be personalized to address the issues in each individual’s brain.
Besides depression, neurofeedback is being studied in phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, addiction, traumatic brain injury and chronic pain, among other illnesses.
With neurofeedback, “there’s no need to take medication and no need to talk about your mother to a stranger,” says Kymberly Young, a postdoctoral associate at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa, Okla.
In neurofeedback, patients lie in a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. In general, they are told to conjure memories or look at pictures while their brains are scanned. The activity of certain brain regions related to subjects’ illnesses is analyzed via computer. Patients see visual representations of their brain activity almost in real time—often presented in the form of a thermometer or colored bar.
Based on what their brains are doing, subjects are told to enhance or suppress that activity. Patients “need to train their brain like they train their muscles when they want to be fit,” says Anna Zilverstand, a postdoctoral researcher at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and lead author of a 2015 study using neurofeedback to treat women with a phobia of spiders
The science on neurofeedback for psychiatric disorders is in its early days. So far, studies are very small and researchers are still figuring out which brain areas to target and how many sessions to try. Results are modest and it is unclear how long the effects of the treatment last. Also, fMRI scans are expensive, costing hundreds of dollars. Some researchers believe that neurofeedback will most likely be used in addition to current medications and talk therapies.
Dr. Young led a study of 23 depressed patients published in 2014 in the journal Plos One. In it, those who received one session of active neurofeedback for their illness saw their scores on a measure of happiness increase significantly more than those in a control group.
The happiness scores in the active group jumped 20%; the control group went up just 2%. Depression scores and an anxiety measure also dropped after treatment. But depression also dropped among those in the control group, and the difference in the drop between the groups wasn’t statistically significant.
In results from a more recent study, Dr. Young says that after two sessions of neurofeedback, depression scores dropped 50%. In the control group, they dropped 10%. These results are not yet published, but were presented at the Society of Biological Psychiatry annual meeting in 2015.
Neurofeedback didn’t work for everyone: About 10% of depressed participants had normal amygdala activity at the beginning of the studies. Another 10% of participants couldn’t learn how to regulate the amygdala.
While in the scanner, study subjects were told to recall positive autobiographical memories. At the same time, they were shown an image of a red bar, which coordinated with their own brain activity. Subjects in the active group received feedback from their left amygdala, a part of the brain that processes emotional memories.
The amygdala generally isn’t as active in depressed patients when they think of positive autobiographical events. The level of blunting correlates with the severity of symptoms. The control group also received feedback, but from a part of the brain involved in processing numbers and unrelated to depression. Subjects were then told to make the red bar rise.
Beyond recalling happy memories, subjects weren’t given specific strategies on what to do to boost activity. But Dr. Young says that for women, thinking about childbirth or playing with pets boosted amygdala activity the most. For men, pondering thrilling pursuits like sky diving and sex led to the biggest rises.
Zac Williams recently participated in two of the Tulsa neurofeedback studies for depression. “I was going through a tough time. My father had just died and my girlfriend broke up with me,” says the 26-year-old phone repair technician from Tulsa.
While he was in the scanner and trying to get the red bar to rise, researchers told him to pick several happy memories. He said he thought of getting his first car, a camping trip with friends and his first time riding a motorcycle. But those memories, he said, “weren’t necessarily making the bar go up.” So he tried thinking about funny movies. When he recalled scenes of “Dumb and Dumber,” he says the bar spiked. “It was kind of crazy to see something react based on your thoughts.”

Since the treatment, Mr. Williams says his mood has improved. He says he’s also using the skills he learned in the scanner when he feels down. “If there is something that bogs me down, I try to find a way to make myself laugh,” he says.
While fMRI neurofeedback is only a few years old, its principles have been around for decades. Doctors and researchers have long used electroencephalograms (EEG), tests that record electrical activity, to perform a version of neurofeedback. The approach is particularly popular as a treatment for ADHD in children.
But there are drawbacks with EEG. It is much less precise in targeting brain areas than fMRI, says David Linden, a psychiatrist and professor of translational neuroscience at Cardiff University in Wales who has studied the use of fMRI neurofeedback in depression. In a 2012 study of his, depressed patients saw their symptoms drop by 30% after four sessions of neurofeedback.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are trying a novel approach. Instead of displaying feedback as a chart or temperature gauge, they are using pictures that change based on subjects’ brain activity. Depressed patients tend to have what is known as a negative attention bias: They pay more attention to negative stimuli and have a harder time disengaging from it. The goal of the neurofeedback training is to get depressed patients to disengage from the negative.
In a small pilot study without a control group, depressed patients were shown a series of images while in the scanner. In each one, a sad face was superimposed on a neutral scene, of a living room, for example. Patients were told to focus on the scenes and ignore the faces.
Because emotional stimuli like faces activate certain parts of the brain, the fMRI scan could distinguish what the subjects paid attention to. The image was then changed based on the subjects’ brain activity: The more they paid attention to the scenes, the fainter the faces appeared. Seven depressed adults had three sessions of neurofeedback in a five-day period. Depression symptoms continued to improve during the following month.

Source: The wall street journal
http://www.wsj.com/articles/brain-training-for-anxiety-depression-and-other-mental-conditions-1453144315?mod=trending_now_2

Monday, October 26, 2015

【我的少女時代 Our Times】观后感

最近听说在台湾制作的【我的少女時代 Our Times】好评如潮,于是抱着好奇的心去观赏了这部电影。 



我个人认为这部电影里头人物的心理发展建构得很写实,也善用了亲和感(rapport),呼应(pacing)和镜像术(Mirroring)的催眠原理。善于运用这些手法,确实能成功勾起我们潜意识里的情绪。 当我们情绪随着剧情达到高峰点时,电影里开始播起舒服调调的主题曲“小幸运”,确实能在我们心里造成个心瞄(anchoring)。这或许就是为何我们每次听到这首歌曲就不自觉勾起潜意识里的情绪反应。一直想要重播这首歌曲,去勾起潜意识里那悸动的情绪。

最让我印象深刻的就是男主角因为好友逝世而性情大变的情节。当一个人的情绪无法得到适当的宣泄,会在心理形成一个伤口,或许就是如此造成了反叛的个性。一个人在无法原谅自己的情况下(内疚),变得反叛再让人责备这补偿效应比起让他接受自己那内疚的情感来得容易许多。这行为其实并不出奇,许多人在现实生活中都会运用简单快速的补偿方法来“解决心理的情绪问题”。就如一个人心情不好,与其寻找适当方法来应对内心的情绪,大部分的人都会运用简单快速的方法来暂时麻木情绪;如睡觉或大吃大喝这种补偿效应。

看似自信的徐大宇,其实被内疚这情绪反应折磨得很痛,实在让人看了心疼。
然而现实生活中,我们身边有许多人被情绪所扰从而个性被扭曲。如果你们去了解他们的故事,你也会有不同的见解。

总结来说,我觉得拍摄手法有非常好的运用了心理学与催眠的原理,是很用心的创作。

*纯属个人意见和以催眠角度来分析该电影。绝对尊重制片人的用心和创意。


那什么是临床催眠疗法?
脑科学研究证明,大脑前额叶不仅与意识和思维等心理活动有关,而且前额叶与调节内脏器官活动的下丘脑之间也存在着紧密的纤维联系。这种结构上的联系可能是人类能主动利用意识和意象来调节和控制内脏生理功能的主要物质基础。潜意识对调节和控制人体的呼吸、消化、血液循环、免疫反应、物质代谢以及各种反射和反应均起着很大作用。许多研究证明,在催眠状态下暗示身体处于不同状态,代谢率就出现相应的变化。如催眠暗示正在从事重体力劳动时,代谢率可上升25%,应用自体发生训练法进行自我催眠,使心身放松后,代谢率比平时的安静状态降低15~20%。因此,在催眠状态下,根据强化的原则,自己不断地强化积极性情感、良好的感觉以及正确的观念等,使其在意识和潜意识中印记、贮存和浓缩,在脑中占据优势,就可以通过心理生理作用机制对心身状态和行为进行自我调节和控制。


催眠时的脑电波状态?
催眠时脑波主要呈现ALPHA状态。ALPHA脑波在8至14赫兹,ALPHA脑波在优势脑波时,人的意识清醒,但身体却是放松的,它提供意识与潜意识的桥梁,由于在这种状态下,身心能量耗费最少,相对的脑部获得的能量较高,运作就会更加快速,顺畅,灵感及敏锐。脑的活动活泼,现代科学积极倡导ALPHA脑部视为人们学习与思考的最佳脑部状态,道理就在于此。慢速ALPHA脑部频率在8至9赫兹,多见临睡前茫茫然的状态,意识逐渐走向模糊。中间ALPHA脑部在频率9至11赫兹,多见点子或灵感发挥威力的状态,身心集中而注意力集中。快速ALPHA脑部频率在12至14赫兹。





部分资料来源:
http://baike.baidu.com/view/41417.htm

Monday, July 6, 2015

Treating ADHD, Anxiety, Depression: Here are 6 Important Things Your Doctors Won't Tell You

Treating ADHD, Anxiety, Depression: Here are 6 Important Things Your Doctors Won't Tell You. 



1. Your child is most likely suffering from a nutritional deficiency and/or a food sensitivity

2. Genetically modified foods (GMOs), food preservatives & chemicals are contributing to many of your child's attention, focus, sleep issues and even psychiatric symptoms. 

3. For every medication that benefits a person, there is a natural plant or remedy that can achieve the same result without the consequence of side-effects. 

4. Our emotions are largely governed by the state of our intestinal system. There is more serotonin in our bowels then in our brain. 

5. Research has shown that the brain has a tremendous amount of neuroplasticity. Brain training therapies such as Brain Balance, Integrative Reflex, Vision & EEG biofeedback can make a world of difference. 

6. The body has a greater ability to heal than anyone has permitted you to believe and recovery is possible without the need for potentially dangerous medication. 




Source: www.healingwithouthurting.com

Thursday, June 11, 2015

[Event] Public health talk: Alternative treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at LPPKN








We have been invited to give a talk about alternative treatment for Autism. 
Special thanks to Lembaga Penduduk dan Pembangunan Keluarga Negara (LPPKN) for the invitation.

Today psychologists know that autism is a problem in the way the brain works, not in how people are raised. That discovery has led them to develop medical, educational and behavioral approaches to treatment. Autism is a brain disorder that often makes it hard to communicate with and relate to others. With autism, the different areas of the brain fail to work together. Most people with autism will always have some trouble relating to others. But early diagnosis and treatment have helped more and more people who have autism to reach their full potential.

Yes, EEG Biofeedback is very useful for ASD.
Reports from caregivers of people with autism suggest people have witnessed improvements in a variety of areas including speech and irritability after EEG biofeedback training. A few scientific reports have highlighted that a demonstrated increase in social interaction may be seen in child with autism following treatment. One study suggested that parents who noticed an improvement continued to see the benefits for at least a year after EEG biofeedback. We know from other studies that the brainwaves of children with autism may well be different in many ways to the brainwaves of their non-autistic peers (www.psychologytoday.com).

Other kind of therapies include:
Occupational Therapy, Sensory Integration Therapy, Speech Therapy, Complementary and Alternative Treatments such as special diets, Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), acupuncture, homeopathic medicine etc.



You can contact us now for a free brain assessment session:

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

马来西亚非药物科学疗法【脑波反馈疗法】改善耳鸣问题


耳鸣源于大脑

在嘈杂噪音下,内耳听觉细胞就会受损,向大脑传递错误听觉信号,从而引发耳鸣。耳鸣患者常常感觉耳朵不断听到一些特殊声音,例如嗡嗡声、嘶嘶声或尖锐哨声。
由于经常置身于爆炸隆隆、机器轰鸣的环境中,不少退役士兵患上耳鸣。一些老年人也会出现耳鸣症状。
科学家目前尚未研究出根治耳鸣的方法,但是他们普遍认为,耳鸣病根源于大脑,并非耳朵。
耳鸣是迄今治疗最困难的一种耳科疾病,既无有效的药物,也无立竿见影的手术能处置效果。超越上亿的患者至今依然在嗡嗡不息的耳鸣声中挣扎。也屡次报道各种新型技术和方法,虽然有些技术尚处于实验阶段,效果难以界定,有些方法能够初期效果较好,依然需求经过更多、更普遍的实际来论证其疗效的真实性和继续性。


脑波反馈疗法(EEG biofeedback/neurofeedback)是一种以训练脑部功能来增进脑部支配身体各部份动作的复建技术。当脑部功能不建全,或是我们说的发育不完全,那麼由电子脑波图就可以明确的看出来,而这电子脑波图其实就是EEG﹙Electroencephalogram﹚。因此神经回餽主要概念便是基於不断的训练脑部神经的动作,也就是我们讲的脑神经运动,藉由不动的运动,增强脑部的发育,帮助脑神经的动作更完整。EEG biofeedback改善大脑的功能作用明显。对顽固性失眠、神经衰弱、强迫症、焦虑症等神经症、更年期综合症等一系列心身疾病都有独特疗效,作为脑中风后遗症、原发性高血压、考生考期综合症、小儿多动症的辅助治疗手段也有其独到之处和广阔的应用前景。最近研究对药物依赖和药物成瘾者,脑波同步疗法也有一定的治疗作用,目前正在进一步的探索中。


相关科学临床研究显示,脑波反馈疗法可改善耳鸣问题:
(Neurofeedback for subjective tinnitus patients)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21592701
(Neurofeedback for treating tinnitus) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17956812
(Neurofeedback in therapy of tinnitus) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11219406
(Thalamocortical dysrhythmia) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC24801/
Reduced Variability of Auditory Alpha Activity in Chronic Tinnitus http://www.hindawi.com/journals/np/2014/436146/


希望以上文章可以帮助到面对耳鸣问题的大众。
我在工作上遇到不少面对耳鸣问题却求救无门的人,在接触到EEG biofeedback和Neuro-hypnotherapy后得到很好的治疗效果。希望这篇文章可以让大家知道其实还有方法可以帮助到您面对的问题的。





资料来源:
http://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2011/1/242908.shtm

Friday, April 17, 2015

[Sleep Specialist Malaysia] Brain waves predict our risk for insomnia


There may not yet be a cure for insomnia, but Concordia University researchers are a step closer to predicting who is most likely to suffer from it—just in time for World Sleep Day on March 13.


In his study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Thien Thanh Dang-Vu, from Concordia's Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology and PERFORM Center, explores the impact of stress on sleep. Although researchers already know that stressful events can trigger insomnia, the experiment reveals that some people are more vulnerable than others to developing the condition.
To determine the role of stress, the study examined the sleep cycles of 12 Concordia students as they went through the nerve-racking experience of finals. Measuring students' brain waves at the beginning of the school semester, Dang-Vu and his team found that students showing a lower amount of a particular pattern of brain waves were more at risk for developing insomnia afterwards in response to the stress of the exams.
The brain—specifically the deep, inner parts of the brain called the thalamus and cortex—produces electromagnetic activity during sleep. When monitored by diagnostic tools, this activity appears as patterns of squiggly lines that scientists refer to as spindles.
In a previous experiment, Dang-Vu and his team discovered that greater spindle activity helps sleepers resist waking, despite noise. The new study aimed to test whether there would be a similar relationship between spindles and stress.
The hypothesis proved true. "We found that those who had the lowest spindle activity tended to develop more disturbances in response to stress, when comparing sleep quality at the beginning of the semester and the end of the school semester," Dang-Vu says.
"We are not all equally armed when facing stress, in terms of how we can manage our sleep. Some people are more vulnerable than others."

How to increase spindle?
The preliminary studies carried out for the FWF project showed the positive effects of EEG biofeedback training on healthy people. This method has therefore now been tested in a pilot study on patients aged between 19 and 50 who suffer from sleep disorders. "The brain oscillations are trained during waking to a frequency range of between 12 and 15 hertz, known as the sensorimotor rhythm. This frequency range is also prominent in light sleep and manifests itself as sleep spindles, particularly when a person is falling asleep", explains Schabus. The patients were able to observe and learn to control their own sensorimotor rhythm (measured using EEG electrodes) on the computer screen. They were tasked with moving a compass needle on the screen to a green dot using only the power of mental relaxation. They received positive visual feedback each time they reached this dot, i.e. to increase the band power between 12 and 15 hertz.
"Using the training, we managed to strengthen the sensorimotor rhythm in a waking state and the sleep spindles in 16 out of 24 patients with mild insomnia. Those who responded well to the training reported an improvement in the quality of their sleep. This was ascertained by self-monitoring methods like sleep diaries and importantly also verified in our sleep laboratory", says Schabus, outlining the process. Each of the participants visited the sleep laboratory a total of 21 times, which meant that the effects could be studied in great detail. The researchers were also able to establish positive effects on memory consolidation when word pairs were retested after sleep following earlier learning. Interestingly, the subjective sleep quality among patients who successfully completed this type of biofeedback training also showed improvement

What is sleep spindle?

A sleep spindle is a burst of oscillatory brain activity visible on an EEG that occurs during stage 2 sleep. It consists of 12–14 Hz waves that occur for at least 0.5 seconds. Sleep spindles are generated in the reticular nucleus of the thalamus.


How newmindcentre.com can help you? 
1) Neuro-Hypnotherapy:
Doctors at Harvard University found that hypnotherapy actually promotes faster healing. Get hypnotized. Many insomniacs have tried this with great success. Under hypnosis, you might work out any personal issues that are robbing you of sleep. A clinical hypnotherapist can also "program" you to sleep. Our neuro-hypnotherapy technique able to help you! Personalized self-hypnosis method to fall asleep will be developed based on your brainwave response.

2) EEG biofeedback therapy/Neurotherapy 
Our EEG biofeedback/Neurotherapy is based on the international standardized 10-20 electrode location system. it is essentially a way of teaching you how to self-regulate your own electrical activity in the brain. A powerful tool for helping people fall asleep and stay asleep. Over 3,000 licensed health professionals such as psychologists, therapists, and doctors now use this new technology daily with patients. As a group, they report significant and consistent improvements for client sleep problems.


Call to schedule an appointment to meet me.
Based on your condition, I can help you to find the cause and suggest appropriate treatment.
Contact me now for more information.



Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-04-brain-medication-counter-insomnia.html
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-brain-insomnia.html#nRlv