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What is Dysmetria of thought? Neurofeedback Perspective and possible treatment options

September 20, 2010 by brainfeedback

What is Dysmetria of Thought:

Short Answer:

Dysmetria of thought is scientific idea that is based on the study of brain. In a nutshell, my understanding of it is as follows:

Any injury to cerebellum (a certain part of brain) – can affect the functions of almost all other parts of the brain.

So: whatever you are experiencing, i.e.,  problem with creativity, feelings, moods, thinking, behaviour etc – we can say that it is all due to ‘Dysmetria of thought’.

Of course: It doesn’t help you get better. But it helps the professionals look around and see what the best ways to help you may be.

Explanation:

Cerebellum is a part of the brain that sits right at the bottom, where brain joins with spinal cord. Previously people thought that this part of the brain was not involved with problems in thinking, mood, language, decision making and what they thought were ‘executive’ functions. Mostly, the cerebellum was thought to be concerned with movement and balance functions of the body.

Later studies of cerebellum showed that in fact the cerebellum was very well connected – with almost all other parts of the brain.

So – any injury, due to any reason (see table 2 in the paper below) such as tumour, infections, physical problems etc. – that affected the cerebellum – could affect the functioning of almost any other part of the brain.

Below is link to a paper by Schumahamann who I think originally proposed this idea – called ‘Dysmetria of thought’. The whole paper may be too jargon-some for you, but have a look at the tables, and conclusion at least. That will give you an overall idea.

http://www.pnns.org/Schmahmann paper August 2004.pdf

Treatment:

Certain medications may be helpful in improving certain specific symptoms that you experience. Whether or not they can reverse the injury to the brain – I do not know – probably unlikely.

Whether or not – over time, the brain can heal itself in such a way that your symptoms go away or get better – it is a possibility.

EEG neurofeedback (neurofeedback) may well be one of the potential promises that can help  that possibility.

Brain Injury Rehabilitation; This can include a number of practical ways to help each one of your symptoms.

For example, a therapist or counsellor could talk you into coming to terms with this change in your life. A speech therapist may help your speech – if that is a problem.

An occupational therapist may help look at work possibilities for you. A physiotherpist may help with movement if that is an issue – etc etc.

Here is a good article about brain injury rehabilitation.

http://www.headinjury.com/rehabcognitive.html

Neurofeedback Perspective:

From Neurofeedback point of view – Dysmetria of thought can be considered quite simply as brain injury (due to a tumour or its after effects). Here is a link where you can see information about neurofeedback for traumatic brain injury, and brain injury.

http://www.eeginfo.com/therapeutic-applications/ther-applications-t.htm#traumatic-brain-inj

http://www.eeginfo.com/therapeutic-applications/ther-applications-b.htm

Summary:

As an understanding of what you have been diagnosed with – I will be inclined to simply say that there was an injury to the brain – which at times leads to certain symptoms. Like your body, if it is injured the brain also heals itself.

Professionals can help the brain perform better through training and therapy and help some unwanted symptoms with medications. And that is pretty much what they do for any illness or disease. In that way, dysmetria of thought is no different to any other problem that affects the body and mind.

Written in response to the query here:

Mind Secrets

The Forgotten Laws

Posted in brain/mind/body complex | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

What is Alpha Theta Training? Deep state or Alpha Theta Brain Wave Training With Neurofeedback.

April 6, 2010 by brainfeedback

Quite often I get asked questions about Alpha Theta Training with Neurofeedback

Generally this is how I explain it to people:

There are brain Waves with different Names:

When we ‘hook your brain up’ with a device that measures its electrical activity, what we see in that measurement is this:

Waves:

The waves have different amplitudes (highs and lows) and frequencies (highs and lows/second).

On the basis of amplitude and frequecny – we can see that there are at least 4 major types of waves

Types of brain waves:

Beta Waves

Beta waves are the highest frequency brain waves that occur between 12 – 30 Hz. They are the most common found brain waves and are abundant during ordinary wakefulness, with eyes open.

These waves are most prominent when a person is attentive, concentrating, planning or performing a task. They are also seen in anxiety state

Beta activity is also seen in access when people are under influence of benzodiazepines and barbiturates.

Alpha Waves:

Alpha waves frequency is between 8 to 12 Hz. They are associated with state of awake state when a person is relaxed. They are also found in states of free association, meditation and in people who use cannabis.

Theta Waves:

These are 6 to 10 Hz waves and are associated with REM sleep or light sleep state. These waves have also been found in people under hypnosis and in advanced meditators.

These waves are considered important in creativity, memory processing and important in accessing deep unconscious states.

Delta Waves:

These are 1 – 4 Hz activity waves that are most prominent in newborns and are associated with deep dreamless sleep. In ordinary people maintaining consciousness is lost during Delta activity. However, very advanced meditators show delta activity during deep states of Samadhi.

‘Different Minds’ and  Brain Waves:

From another perspective – Alpha and Theta waves are considered to be states of mind – when we have a greater access to the unconscious mind.

As compared from the conscious mind, the unconscious mind is considered to be more autonomous, non-thought-dependent and the ‘iceberg’ below the ‘tip of the iceberg’ – that is the conscious mind.

Functions of the Unconscious mind:

Many brain functions that happen autonomously and independent of volition are thought to be in the realms of ‘unconscious mind’.

These involve:

Learning, Breathing, autonomic functions such as heart beat, digestion, growth, survival, memory and so on.

Habits, addictions, emotional and psychological traumas and other habitual patterns that come out of unresolved and ‘forgotten’ experiences are also thought to be ‘stored’ and coded within the unconscious mind.

I like to think of the unconscious mind as the ‘collective unconscious’ that includes archetypes, collective cultural and biological heritage of species.

Basically it includes every thing that we are not conscious of.

Whether there is a mind like this or not – is another debate.

But we do get an idea and as sense that there is a certain greater and deeper intelligence within the mind/brain/body complex that makes it possible for us to function in a coherent and sane way.

And the roots of that intelligence seems to go deeper and farther than what we can comprehend as the functions of ‘the conscious and thinking mind.’

So what does Alpha Theta training of the brain do?

It gets the brain to access – those ‘deep and unconscious resorvoirs’ of intelligence within the brain/mind/body complex.

Alpha theta training puts you in touch with a state of the brain that is associated with the unconscious mind – while the brain is conscious – and relaxed – and awake.

What do people say after an alpha theta training session?

‘It was Reealy Good’ – is often a comment that I hear, after the training session is finished and people sort of ‘come out’ from the ‘deep state’ (another name for alpha theta brain wave training with neurofeedback).

Some days or weeks later,

I hear the the comments such as:

  • ‘my brain seems to be working in a different way’
  • ‘I don’t need to make lists anymore, things just come up to my mind, when I need them’.
  • ‘I seem to be functioning in a totally different way – I do things that I didn’t do before’.
  • ‘I don’t know what it is – but there is something that is happening in my brain and I just do things more easily’.
  • ‘I am sleeping much better, I am not restless anymore, I feel more refreshed’.
  • ‘I seem to have more energy and positive outlook on life.’
  • ‘Something has changed in me…and it’s good’.

It is often at this point of Neurofeedback Training that many people ‘click’ and ‘get it’ that something is actually happening in their brains through neurofeedback training.

They no longer feel skeptical or think that it was something else that changed their way of functioning. They begin to understand that Neurofeedback is a training – just like physical training.

And there comes a time – when one starts to realise and see – that all that training is actually paying off in no uncertain and intangible ways.

Posted in alpha theta brainwave training, neurofeedback | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Free Health Care is Great Thing, But it Makes You Not to..Shop Around and Learn about Stress.

March 26, 2010 by brainfeedback

Some months ago, my father visited his GP and had his blood cholesterol levels tested. The results came out to be ‘abnormal’ – a few points more than the normal of 5.5 for men in UK.

His GP suggested that he started taking Statins. A category of drug that lowers cholesterol.

My father, being a health conscious person refused.  Instead, he decided to lower his cholesterol himself.

After a few months of cutting down on oil and fatty foods, he had his cholesterol re-tested. This time it was ‘normal’.

Many consider that NHS in UK is a ‘Great Thing‘. National Health Service provides free care to all.

It is perhaps a ‘Great Thing’. However, there are hidden trade-offs, which can be summed up as the following:

Free health care can make you irresponsible towards your own health.

  • When you know that you are going to get health care for free – you can tend to become a little irresponsible for your health. You leave it to doctors and specialists. You do not have the incentive to learn about yourself nor ‘shop around’ for the best deal.

Many people with high cholesterol take ‘Statins’ – and continue eating high cholesterol food. Both causing damage to their bodies independently.

Same goes for numerous other mild to moderate health concerns – such as high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, diabetes and so on.

Look at it this way.

Hypnotherapy has been used to lower stress for at least 4000 years. NHS does not prescribe hypnotherapy – but will prescribe Benzodiazepines, Antidepressants and numerous other therapies for stress.

If you are stressed – and you go to your doctor you are likely not going to get a prescription for Hypnotherapy, NLP,  floatation therapy, neurofeedback, acupuncture and many such therapies – so you miss out on many well established treatments that have no side-effects because:

  1. You doctor does not know these to be effective treatments for stress.
  2. Your doctor can not prescribe them under NHS
  3. Or both.

Since you are stressed and want a relief – and you do not want to pay for your health – you end up accepting drugs and whatever is given to you for free.

Result:

  • You do not learn about yourself, your stress and
  • You get a treatment that may or may not be the best one.

It is a well established fact that

Nearly 75% of all diseases are in one or another way related to STRESS

And Stress does not mean mental or emotional Stress alone.

Continuing to eat fatty foods when you have high cholesterol – is also a Stress – on your system.

Posted in NHS, responsibility, stress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Is Neurofeedback available under NHS in Scotland? No, & Yes…If you can get Direct Payments from your Council

March 26, 2010 by brainfeedback

Many people ask whether Neurofeedback treatment is available or funded by the NHS in Scotland and England.

The answer at present is both No and Yes.

This is how.

As of today, there are no practitioners of Neurofeedback who work within the NHS Scotland. In fact there are only 2 or 3 people in Scotland (all work privately) who provide complete Neurofeedback training service for people with all kinds of mental and physical health problems.

Considering the above, the answer to the question: is neurofeedback available or automatically funded by NHS Scotland, the answer would be No.

However, Department of health has something which is called – ‘Direct Payments’

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/financialsupport/DG_10016128

The website address above gives details of what Direct payments mean and as I understand them – I would say the answer to the question: is neurofeedback something that NHS would or should fund, the answer would be Yes.

It is a little complicated Yes – but Department of Health has made it an obligation for local councils to offer people cash payments – instead of social care provisions.

So it is not really NHS but your local Coucnil that would fund the neurofeedback treatment. Since NHS and local Councils often work in partnership  – one can generally say that NHS will  fund the private treatment under Direct payment schemes.

Take for example a person who is receiving support from a care worker for certain number of hours per week – at their home – for whatever reasons, mental or physical, children or elderly.

It is a duty of the council to offer you payment as an alternative to the social care it provides, may be in the form of a support worker visit for example or some other social facility.

If you find that a complementary and alternative therapy or private service may be of better value to you, you are entitled to buy that – instead of a visit from a support worker – or visit to a drop in centre or some other social services’ funded provision. This is my brief understanding of how these payments possibly work, but I am not an expert on these.

To find out more, speak with your GP or contact within the council – about direct payments – and find out whether or not you are entitled to a sum of money to buy yourself neurofeedback or any other form of complementary and alternative therapy privately.


Following information about Direct Payment is copied from the Department of Health website:

  • What are Direct Payments:

Direct payments are cash payments made to individuals who have been assessed as needing services, in lieu of social service provisions.

  • Who can receive Direct Payments

They can be made to disabled people aged 16 or over, to people with parental responsibility for disabled children, and to carers aged 16 or over in respect of carer services. A person must be able to consent to have a direct payment and have the capacity to manage one, although they can have assistance to manage their payment on a day-to-day basis

  • The duty to provide Direct payments.

The law has been changed so that it is a duty to make direct payments. This means that councils must make a direct payment to eligible individuals who are able to provide consent. Direct payments should be discussed as a first option at each assessment and each review.

The latest community care statistics indicate that the changes are having a positive effect. From 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006, 37,000 adults received direct payments during the year, a rise of over 50 per cent from 24,000 in 2004-05. This figure does not include children or carers.

  • Direct payments are a success for those who have them. Unfortunately many people are simply not being offered them when they should be. There are wide variations in uptake, both between council schemes and across the different groups of individuals.

Check Department of Health Website for more details:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/DG_10018517

Posted in council, direct payment, funding, Funding for neurofeedback, neurofeedback, NHS, NHS Scotland | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

National Health Service – NHS & Private Healthcare Providers Vs. Ordinary Man in UK – Fed on Slithers from the Pie-Of-Health

March 25, 2010 by brainfeedback

Many people think that healthcare in UK is free and also think that they do not have to pay for their health care.

Is this really true?

I think it is true – but in a very limited sense.

And since it is true in a very limited sense – this gives general public in UK a very limited perspective of what health care is.

The result is a common observation by many health care practiotioners who see that compared from our neighbours in Europe and farther neighbours in North America – general public in UK is quite  ‘behind’ – in their understanding of healthcare.

In other words – UK public has less comprehensive and well-rounded understanding of ‘Health’ compared to their counterparts  in Europe & North (& even South) Americas – and Asias (& sometimes Africas).

In many (even common) senses they are at a loss.

Let me illustrate it by an example:

Last year I went to attend a Neurofeedback training program that was held over 5 days in the outskirts of Munich, Germany.

The group was made up of 40 or so people with only 2 people from UK, my wife and I. Most others came from different parts of Europe – Holland & Switzerland in particular.

Over lunch one day I was sharing my experiences in Scotland with NHS colleagues – none of whom had ever heard of something called Neurofeedback its history or applications. A gentleman from Amsterdam said that when he spoke about coming to this course in a meeting with his work colleagues – a builder was also present in the meeting. Not only all of his colleagues had heard of Neurofeedback – this builder, said; ‘is it the therapy that you use for ADHD?’. ‘Of course’, the gentleman said. ‘That’s the one’.

£104.6 billion was the budget of NHS for the year 2009-10. For 2010-11 it is planned to be £102.3 billion. (Anyone in UK who thinks that healthcare is free – think again – where does this money come from?)

UK has no shortage of private hospitals. Mental health facilities in particular – such as eating disorder, intensive care, forensic services, learning disability, residential and nursing care facilities are largely run by private organisations or individuals.

A large chunk of the money that runs these private health care facilities comes from the NHS budget of over £ 100 billions each year.

The problem with awareness of new therapeutic modalities within the NHS and private health sector is this:

Private health sector – very often is an extension of NHS and depend upon NHS money for their survival. They are established as businesses – by enterpreneurs – to cater the needs of a niche market – make profit – and multiply.

Take people with early onset dementia as a niche market.

There are very few specialised places in UK who cater for people with early onset dementia exclusively. Early onset dementia can be seen in individuals in their 40s – as opposed to ‘ordinary’ dementia that is more common in over 65′s or 70′s – 80′s.

As a business person, you set up a facility that caters for this niche market – of early onset dementia – and build a residential long-term care facility with 20 or 40 beds for people between the ages of 40 – 65 with a diagnosis of early onset dementia.

Once you have built such a place – the local NHS and social care services come to know about it. They already have such people in their services – many of them are ‘blocking’ beds – in ederly units, or neurology wards, or medical wards.

A blocked bed costs the hospital in £thousands per week – compared to your unit – which charges £hundreds per week – for the care of these people.

In no time your facility is full to the capacity.

All sounds like a good business plan and sound way to invest money. There are dozens if not hundreds of private groups who are doing such jobs of creating their niche markets.

Why is it then that while a majority of dementia care in UK is run by private health organisations – none of them will incorporate new and alternative therapies (which have been researched and ‘proven’ to have benefits) such as Neurofeedback  and other Holistic therapies to care for their residents better.

Simply because they don’t need to.

Their job is not to cure or treat their residents – their job is to make profit. Not only to NHS, but to a private hospital as well,  it does not make any financial sense to bring in extra and new therapies – that may add a few months or years of quality life to their residents.

They already have a waiting list of clients. Adding  life and enhancing the quality of life – is no concern for many private healthcare providers – at least in mental health – at least in my experience.

This goes just as well for the NHS – where it is not imagination nor innovation that develops a service. It is money that develops it and money that keeps it in status quo.

As consumer, most public knows only what will be given to them by their GPs, NHS hospitals or nursing homes from beginning to the end of their lives – which is a fraction and a tiny slither of the whole pie -of-health – already present and waiting to be discovered and eaten ‘out there’.

Posted in awareness, neurofeedback, NHS, nursing homes, private health care, private health uk | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

is there a cure for phobias?

March 19, 2010 by brainfeedback

Yes there is.

Posted in awareness, cure, NLP, phobia | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

How to deal with thinking and over thinking – well ordinarily speaking…

March 9, 2010 by brainfeedback

Have you ever asked yourself such questions?

What is seeing?

What is hearing?

What is thinking?

These questions are quite different from the following questions? This article is about the above questions but not the questions below.

What is it that is seeing?

What is it that is hearing?

What is it that is thinking?

There are many people who find over thinking or incessant thinking a problem. They would say that they can’t get their minds to stop thinking.

Do these people ever worry about seeing or hearing too much in the same way?

You open your eyes and a flood of sights come rushing in – sights from the outside world. This is called seeing. Sounds from the outside world, we call hearing. Tastes, smells and touch from the outside world – we call tasting, smelling, and touching.

You close your eyes and images from the past and scenarios about the future, conversations that you may have had or will have in the form of words, sentences and scenarios arise and fade away. All these we call thinking.

If the above happens when we are asleep – we call it dreaming.

Seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting, smelling and thinking are all what?

- Let’s call them ‘experiences‘ -

We are used to calling the first five of them – five senses; and the last one - thinking.

This is just how most of us are taught.

For example:

As I sit and notice the words taking form on the computer screen in front of me – through the window to my left; I see a train arriving at the platform. I hear the sound it its engine and a ‘ting, ting, ting’, as its doors open..

At the same time and in between these ‘experiences’ of typing, seeing and hearing – I also have thoughts about what I am going to have for lunch today.

All of these are experiences. As far as we can tell and know about – ALL OF US have experiences during waking, and sleeping hours – and may be even after we are dead.

We break the experiences down into various notions for the sake of making our communication both simple and complex.

So why am I writing all this?

To address a question that says the following in many different ways.

  • What shall I do when I can not stop thinking?
  • I am overthinking all the time. What can I do to stop it?
  • I am an over thinker, what shall I do?
  • How shall I deal with thinking too much?

The answer is simple:

You do nothing.

And why do you do nothing?

Well, why don’t you think about it?

Posted in doing nothing, over thinking, thinking, what is an experience, what is thinking | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

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