On Monday, 1/11, several FOCUS+ members attended the "Reclaim Your Brain" lecture at the Hope College Maas Center. The presentation was made by Dr. Timothy Royer of The Neuro Core (formerly Hope 139).
This summary of the presentation is for those who weren't able to attend and it's also intended as a starting point for group members to share and react to what they heard. Please flag anything you see that I didn't capture accurately.
Presentation Notes:
Web Site: http://www.theneurocore.com
- The Neuro Core (formerly Hope 139) offers a live webcast with Q&A every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m and 7:00 p.m. EST.
- They also offer "podcastforyourbrain"
- The Neuro Core provides an assessment of a person's brainwaves and other variables (see below). They maintain that many people being treated for ADHD may be misdiagnosed and/or taking medication that is less than optimal for their needs. They offer a recommendation for a plan to help the person retrain their brain and body to keep their variables within the range where they are most mentally effective. They maintain that this can be helpful with ADHD, anxiety, migraine and insomnia problems.
- The presentation included several anecdotal accounts of people including professional athletes who found this retraining process very beneficial.
What They Measure/Notes
- EEG (electroencephalogram) - a measure of electrical activity in the brain. EEGs are unique for every individual. Brains operate between 1 and 32 hertz.
- Breathing (respiration around 6 breaths per minute when relaxed is ideal)
- Pulse
- Skin temparture at extremities (lower when a person is stressed and in "fight or flight" mode)
- Brainwaves
Brainwaves:
- Alpha: active when using creativity/imagination; repressed when Theta or Delta waves are too high
- Beta: Related to fight/flight response; resting Beta of 1.4 or higher is regarded as too high. Closer to 0.9 is preferred.
- Theta: Occurs when awake every 3 seconds or so; rests/resets brain for just an instant, but during that time person is unaware. If Theta waves are too high, they're followed by a deeper, longer lasting "crash" resulting in a person becoming disoriented or "zoning out." A 3.0 for Theta is considered high; 2.0 or lower is ideal.
- Delta: Occurs during sleep; critical to memory consolidation.
What was your reaction to the presentation?
Posts
While I thought that the information they provided was interesting and appeared solidly grounded in science, there were a couple aspects of the lecture that I noticed that left me with some questions.
ReplyDelete1. All of the outcome data they presented was anecdotal
2. The lecture included a pretty aggressive marketing push with more than a little fear added
3. The price for a 90 minute assessment($100-$150) seemed reasonable, but price for subsequent treatment not disclosed
4. It was implied that treatment took 1-4 months on average, and stated that results were permanent. After the presentation I spoke with a prior customer of The Neuro Core who said it took 6-8 months and results were not permanent in her experience.
I wonder...
1. How well can one apply the self-control they learn in a controlled setting to real-world settings?
2. How much of this could be accomplished, without metrics, using yoga?
3. How much of this could be accomplished using a cheap consumer biofeedback kit from Amazon.com?4. How much of this could be accomplished using the new Zeo sleep assessment/retraining tool(www.myzeo.com)?
Has anyone considered just using one of those "mood ring" credit card things? I know you can get them For a couple of bucks on eBay. It's obviously no where near as accurate as the Neuro Core stuff, but it still might help someone improve their body/brain control a
ReplyDeletelittle bit...certainly enough to cover the $2 card!
Went to my appointment, this morning. I must say that I was very disappointed! I don't feel it was worth the $100.00!! Was told that I DO NOT have A.D.D., but according to my "brain waves", I am in "constant crisis mode". Guess that is why I can't sleep much, can't seem to turn off the brain. I am anxious to hear what experiences others have, & if they are willing to share their findings, what they learned! Still have to meet with Dr. Royer (who wasn't available today) to find out just what he suggests.
ReplyDeleteThe first test was extremely annoying, & I think I will be hearing 1, 2 in my SLEEP!!
ReplyDelete