HEG Without (Vulgar) Behaviorism

Greg Alter, Ph.D.

September 7, 2005

HEG as Interpersonal Communication You Cannot Not Communicate Content Meta-communication Brain in the Mind Mind in the Person, Mind Interpersonally Ericksonian Hypnosis

Biofeedback in Primary Care

Lateralized EEG Studies and Me Peripheral: 1980 Parasympathetic Tone Stress Management and Psychosomatic

Medicine Self Regulation Strategies (Mindfulness: 2005)

Neurofeedback Multi Modal

Electrophrenology vs. QEEG Comprehensive 2nd Order Variability Training:

Val Brown’s “Turbulence” Micro Stimulation: Len Ochs and Delta Mind Gear vs. Mind Alive and AVE:

NeuroAdvantage in 2005 Jeff Carmen and pIR HEG: Black Box 2000

HEG Training: First Iteration

Thresholds ON Carmen: .3 to 1 degree F manual thresholds

controlling DVD reward Toomim: 10 minute focused effort, 10% over

baseline controlling DVD reward

pIR

ADHD IVAs Group Setting (2-5 participants, some on

EEG) 18 months, 24 kids and some adults Name a Movie, Any Movie Comparable IVA increases and subjective

benefits

nIR

ADHD, Autism, Encephalopathy, Anxiety, OCD

Individual Sessions IVA, Microcog 1 year, mixed child and adult population Comparable IVA increases and subjective

benefits—one “failure,” one “sensitive”

Learning, Exercise, Communication Reinforcement Schedules in HEG are less

important than total time in practice Exercise=power + duration Rhythmicity of Practice More Important than

“Exercise” program—the Brain is actually not a “muscle.”

Well Exercised Brain

Efficiency More difficult to get increased blood flow or

temp than early in practice Novelty and prefrontal Just train harder?

The Sensitive Person

Labile emotions = labile blood flow/temp Reduced emotional lability corresponds to

better modulated temperature Effective practice leads to emotional

resilience in everyday life

Movies Don’t Work As Feedback Don’t fit idealized model of instrumental

reinforcement Activate prefrontal emissions passively Don’t require enough time making focused

efforts AND OUTCOMES ARE JUST AS GOOD!!! Is

this Behaviorism?!

With Both pIR and nIR HEG We Train Differently for Habituated Tasks vs Novel Tasks Motivation = task * person Task Valence Task Fractionation Sympathetic Activation Parasympathetic Activation

Turbulence Reduction

2nd order variability measures create the HEG Attention Index

Turbulence takes into account variations in rhythmicity from multiple sources

HEG practice modulates turbulence Modulation Practice fosters both

parasympathetic tone and executive function HRV and Dynamical EEG Correlates

Favoring Modulation vs Amplitude Increases

Attention Index

History in HEG training: primary motive has been increase in HEG Ratio

Attention Index diminishes emphasis on HEG amplitude

Attention Index fosters focus on modulation and variability reduction: decreased turbulence

Net effect will be increased perfusion of hypoperfused areas and decreased hyperfusion

Practice Implications

Threshold unnecessary but has its place Interpersonal effects on parasympathetic

tone Alternate cognitive with affective focus Alternate concentration with open focus Alternate habituated with novel tasks Alternate boring with affectively stimulating

tasks Movies work just fine!

Marketing HEG

Convenience Enjoyment Self Regulation Cost Effectiveness Story

Integration of HEG

Office and Home Practice Multiple Modalities Amplify Effects Foster Self-regulation Attitudes with

Peripheral Practice Assess both parasympathetic tone and

improvements in attention, cognition, affect