From: frans (f.smith_at_c...)
Date: 2001-07-23 01:47:39
Hi Jim,
Thank for your explanation.
I did three years ago a course in Silva Mind Control.
Afther the course one must be able to reach alpha-state.
They think in alpha one can re-program etc...
However, i have read in an old book from the 70's that
Alpha is not that easy. Using one electrode on the fore-
head, one gets only frontal-alpha, one has to re-place
electrode to get overall-alpha.
Does hypnose or mind-control give overall-Alpha ?
If this would be the case, then balancing true hypnosis
or mind control (or alpha FB)would produce more alpha. in rigth hem.But in some cases like depressions we would like to slow down alpha in left hem.
Is that rigth ?
Would that explain why depressed people must not
meditate ?, so would alpha training be useless in cases
of depression.
regards Frans
Original Message -----
From: peterson_at_d...
To: buildcheapeeg_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 1:16 AM
Subject: [buildcheapeeg] Re: DEPRESSION/NFB
--- In buildcheapeeg_at_yahoogroups.com, "frans" <f.smith_at_c...> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Question for health proffesionals..
>
> BFB/NFB have been succesfull for depression, anxiety ,
> fear, obsessions etc...
> Therapists diagose illness -lets say - depression by
> wachting brainwaves. Clients then try to control some
> sort of wave/patern.
> They (therapists) claim that afther succesfull therapy
> drugs need not be used anymore.
Davidson and others have shown a statistical relationship between
depressed activity (more alpha) in the right frontal cortex, with
more beta on the left side, in depressed and depression-prone
people. However, nobody diagnoses depression by looking at the
brainwaves. We do that by asking about (or in some instances
observing) the classic signs & symptoms: loss or gain of appetite &
weight, sleep disturbance, depressed mood, pessimistic brooding,
general unhappiness, etc.
>
> However, if one would take a drug and feels better,
> would that mean that the brainwaves are also changed ?
> If one would analyse brainwaves from a client with and
> without a drug would there be a different ?
>
I believe that the left frontal area of the brain has more
serotonergic cells than the right. Serotonin-enhancing agents
(antidepressant medications) should selectvely increase activity on
the left side.
> I know of people with depression etc..and taking a drug
> was succesfull. So they feel better. A drug is not a cure,
> but for at the moment they feel good. Therefore does
> a succesfull threatment with drugs infuence the analyse
> of waves ? If so, how then can you train a person.
>
You would probably have trouble getting a training effect in someone
who already has adequate activation on the left side due to a drug,
at least if your approach is to train left-hemispheric activation and
beta reduction on the right. However, this is not the only way to
treat depression with neurofeedback. Saxby & Peniston treatd 14
people with combined alcoholism & depression using the Peniston alpha-
theta protocol for alcoholism, and 13 of the 14 were relieved of both
alcoholism and depression, with these results holding up on a 21 (or
23? I don't remember offhand) month followup. Antidepressants don't
seem to interfere with Peniston's method. However, alcohol, valium-
type drugs, and opiates do block the effectiveness of Peniston-style
alpa-theta training.
> Does fear, depression realte to a special wave patern ?
I believe that both fear and depression are marked by a frontal
assymetry with the right front showing more energy (i.e. more beta)
than the left. However, in fear/anxiety, the right frontal beta is
usually elevated quite a bit above normal levels, while the right
side may be at or below normal levels. In depression, the _relative_
difference between hemispheres is in the same relationship, but the
_absolute_ level of left activation will typically be substantially
below normal. Think of the right side as avoidance/fear/pessimism,
and the left side as approach/optimism/positive expectation.
There are no doubt some QEEG whizzes out there in the group who will
be happy to correct any mistakes I made here and amplify my comments.
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