2014: Successful Treatment of 25 Consecutive Clients with Post-Concussion Syndrome using Neurofeedback (Plenary)

In 2013, the National Football League agreed to a $765 million settlement to pay for pro football player post-concussion brain injuries. It is now recognized that all head injuries can have delayed, sometimes decades of delay, impact on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Currently, head injuries from all sports activities, traffic accidents, and military service are being more closely scrutinized for the delayed symptoms of post-concussion syndrome disabilities.
One challenge for medical and neuropsychological practitioners is that current MRI and other structural brain imaging does not show effects of head injuries and concussions when done shortly after the injury. EEG brain assessment however, clearly shows elevations in slow waves (delta and theta) and fast beta waves (25–35 Hz.) at the point of impact, coup and the opposite site in the brain, the counter coup.
Neurofeedback assessment can provide immediate treatment interventions. There is a need for practitioners to learn and apply neurofeedback and adjunctive intervention to meet this growing societal problem.
This workshop will present effective assessment and treatment methods for post-concussion syndrome and other head injuries. The workshop will apply the Quadrant Brain Theory of individualized Brain Quadrant EEG assessment and other neuropsychological assessments as the basis for treatment.
Quadrant Brain Theory matches EEG neurotherapy, neurobehavioral, and neurocognitive interventions to each brain quadrant’s assessed injuries and EEG imbalances.
Post-Concussion Syndrome and most head injuries are not a unitary condition, but instead multifaceted with various constellations of symptoms.
Participants will learn and practice EEG placements and brain wave settings for various symptoms of Post- Concussion Syndrome.
Appropriate adjunctive modalities of intervention will be taught that correspond to symptoms and fit the neurofeedback treatment: respiration biofeedback, exercise, hand warming, nutrition, sleep hygiene practices, and other behavioral and cognitive methods. The training will emphasize cognitive and behavioral exercises that can be done simultaneous to neurofeedback treatment. Diagnostic characteristics of past clients will be described including number of head injuries, presence of psychological trauma, variety of symptoms at intake, and length of time between head injuries and onset of symptoms. Current and past clients’ success with neurofeedback and the supporting interventions will be used to illustrate the recommended treatment methods. Based on the content of this presentation, participants will be able to assess head injuries resulting from participation in sports, traffic accidents, and other head injuries including Post-Concussion Syndrome.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will learn how to use a phased approach of neurofeedback and adjunctive methods to achieve early successes and long term success.
Participants will learn principles for effective treatment of Post-concussion Syndrome with which they can generate their own methods
References:
Carroll, Linda and Rosner, David (2011) The Concussion Crisis: Anatomy of a Silent Epidemic. Simon and Shuster: New York
Neurofeedback References:
Arns, M., Ridder, S.D., Strehl, U., Breteler, M., Coenen, A. (2009). Efficacy of neurofeedback treatment in ADHD: The effects on inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity: A meta-analysis. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience, 40, (3).
Beauregard, Mario PhD (2012) Neurofeedback Training Induces Changes In Grey and White Matter-ISNR 20th Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida: 2012.