HEG Without (Vulgar) Behaviorism

1. HEG Without (Vulgar) Behaviorism Greg Alter, Ph.D. September 7, 2005

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

3. Biofeedback in Primary Care • Lateralized EEG Studies and Me • Peripheral: 1980 • Parasympathetic Tone • Stress Management and Psychosomatic Medicine • Self Regulation Strategies • (Mindfulness: 2005)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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”

8. 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.”

9. Well Exercised Brain • Efficiency • More difficult to get increased blood flow or temp than early in practice • Novelty and prefrontal • Just train harder?

10. 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

11. 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?!

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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!

16. Marketing HEG • Convenience • Enjoyment • Self Regulation • Cost • Effectiveness • Story

17. 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