My Lecture on January 15

I will be giving a public presentation titled, "ADHD and the Healing Power of Neurofeedback" at the Faulkner Gallery on Sunday, January 15, 2012 from 3:30 to 5:00pm. The room is located in the downtown Santa Barbara Public Library at the corner of Anapamu and Anacapa St. No reservations are needed. Just show up for an entertaining and informative 90 minutes. I will be offering a discount for those who attend and sign up for one of my programs.

Gut Problems Linked to Brain Disorders

New research now shows that gut health affects your mood and behavior. Improving the balance between bacteria in the gut can improve how your feel and how you act. Nourishing your gut flora is extremely important because in a very real sense you have two brains, one inside your skull and one in your gut, and each needs its own vital nourishment.

A study published in 2010 in the Archives of General Psychiatry found evidence that psychiatric problems can and are often caused by lack of natural microorganisms in soil, food, and the gut. Rates of depression in younger people have steadily grown to outnumber rates of depression in the older populations, and one reason for this could be the lack of exposure to bacteria, both outside and inside your body. Quite simply, modern society may have gotten too sanitized and pasteurized for our own good.

Fermented foods have been traditional staples in most cultures, but modern food manufacturing, with its focus on killing all bacteria in the name of food safety, has eliminated most of these foods. You can still find traditionally fermented foods like natto or kefir, but they're not the dietary staples they once used to be, and many people don't like them when trying them out for the first time in adulthood.

Your body contains about 100 trillion bacteria. That is more than 10 times the number of cells you have in your entire body. Ideally, the ratio between the bacteria in your gut is 85 percent "good" and 15 percent "bad."

In addition to the psychological implications, a healthy ratio of good to bad gut bacteria is essential for: protection against over-growth of other microorganisms that could cause disease; digestion of food and absorption of nutrients; digesting and absorbing certain carbohydrates; producing vitamins; and, absorbing minerals and eliminating toxins. Also, an estimated 80 percent of your immune system is located in your gut.

Your gut bacteria do not live in a bubble; rather, they are an active and integrated part of your body, and as such are vulnerable to your lifestyle. If you eat a lot of processed foods, for instance, your gut bacteria are going to be compromised because processed foods in general will destroy healthy microflora and feed bad bacteria and yeast. Your gut bacteria are also very sensitive to: antibiotics, chlorinated water, antibacterial soap, agricultural chemicals, and pollution. Because virtually all of us are exposed to these, it's generally a good idea to "reseed" the good bacteria in your gut by taking a high-quality probiotic supplement or, better yet, eating fermented foods.

Fermented foods are still the best route to optimal digestive health, as long as you eat the traditionally made, unpasteurized versions. Healthy choices include sauerkraut, lassi, kefir, tempeh, and kimchi and natto.

If you regularly eat fermented foods such as these that, again, have not been pasteurized (pasteurization kills the naturally occurring probiotics), your healthy gut bacteria will thrive.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/12/beware--bacteria-growing-in-your-gut-can-influence-your-behavior.aspx

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22Archives+of+general+psychiatry%22%5BJour%5D+AND+2010/12%5Bpdat%5D+AND+Raison%5Bauthor%5D&cmd=detailssearch

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/23/science/complex-and-hidden-brain-in-gut-makes-stomachaches-and-butterflies.html

Processed Food Linked to Depression

The British Journal of Psychiatry recently published an article showing that a diet heavy in processed and fatty foods increases the risk of depression. Researchers also found that a diet including plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit and fish could help prevent the onset of depression.They compared participants -- all civil servants -- who ate a diet largely based on "whole" foods with a second group who mainly ate fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy products and sweetened desserts.Taking into account other indicators of a healthy lifestyle such as not smoking and taking physical exercise, those who ate the whole foods had a 26 percent lower risk of depression than those who ate mainly processed foods. People with a diet heavy in processed food had a 58 percent higher risk of depression.The high level of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables could have a protective effect, as previous studies have shown higher antioxidant levels to be associated with a lower risk of depression. Eating lots of fish may protect against depression because it contains high levels of the sort of polyunsaturated fatty acids which stimulate brain activity. They said it was possible that a "whole food" diet protects against depression because of the combined effect of consuming nutrients from lots of different types of food, rather than the effect of one single nutrient. All the more reason to gradually modify your diet to reduce fast foods, all packaged foods, high fat foods, and sugar.

Neurofeedback proves effective in treating numerous disorders

The following is an article written by Randall Lyle for the San Antonio Business Journal in 2004. Imagine operating at optimum performance. Going to work every day with your mind focused and body productive; coming home and allowing yourself to relax and enjoy your family; sleeping soundly through the night without distractions. Imagine if it wasn't just a dream. Research shows that neurofeedback, a computer-based, brain-training technique, helps the body and the brain improve the way they function. Results have included success in regulating hard-to-treat disorders such as migraines, sleep disorders, panic attacks and attention deficit disorder (ADD) and improving performance in athletes, musicians and test-takers. Neurofeedback has been proven so effective in treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) that the Texas Legislature recently passed a law preventing insurance companies from denying coverage for it if the patient is being treating for TBI. Another effort is currently under way to lobby the State to mandate the same coverage for those being treated autism spectrum disorders. Neurofeedback all begins with a process of reteaching the brain. The central nervous system has a set point of normal activity that accounts for our level of arousal, alertness, stability and flexibility. There are many reasons why this can become altered, the most common being periods of prolonged stress, physical and psychological trauma or substance abuse. The changes which result may show up in the EEG (Electroencephalogram) or measured electrical activity of the brain. Through neurofeedback, therapists monitor which brain waves are most active and which are least active. Then, through a series of sessions, they equalize those waves into a healthy pattern, allowing for the regulation of symptoms or the clearing of the mind for peak performance. Neurofeedback training is painless and non-invasive. Here's how it works: One or more sensors are placed on the scalp, and one on each ear. The brain waves are monitored by a computer-based instrument that processes the signal and provides the proper feedback. This is displayed to the patient in the form of a video game. The patient plays the hands-free game using nothing but his or her brain. If a desirable band of brain activity increases, so does the speed of the video game and the patient "wins." If an undesirable band of activity increases, the video game moves slower and the patient "loses." Because we are naturally competitive, our brain strives to win the game. As it begins to respond to the visual and audible cues that are being given, a "learning" of new brain wave patterns takes place. The results don't appear overnight. Sessions may take months before significant changes are seen, but when the brain is consistently led toward a particular status, over time it is more capable of staying there. In other words, if a nervous person is repeatedly led toward a calmer state, eventually the brain finds that place on its own. While it is possible to observe the same phenomenon through medication, the learning curve is much more obvious in neurofeedback. In neurofeedback nothing happens unless the brain chooses to do so. The therapist only provides the information. The brain must take the initiative to do something. Thus, neurofeedback may become a more permanent, drug-free solution. The benefits of neurofeedback research are overwhelming. According to EEG Spectrum International, follow up studies on children with ADD who received neurofeedback training showed significant increases in academic and behavior scores. Some children even jumped as much as two years in grade level achievement and boosted their IQ by about 15 points. Studies are also being done on neurofeedback and addiction. After a month-long neurofeedback treatment, alcohol addicted patients achieved an 80 percent abstinence rate. A follow-up review showed that 70 percent remained abstinent. It makes sense that a better-functioning brain can improve so many aspects of a person's life. In fact, many patients see a change in multiple symptoms over time as neurofeedback beings to train the brain to regulate itself better. Nonverbal autistic children begin to speak and teenagers with ADD begin to find focus and school success. As more research is conducted and positive results documented, neurofeedback will only grow in acceptance and use, helping thousands with its unique way of encouraging the brain to function in a more stable and holistic way. Dr. Randall Lyle is a therapist with the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health (www.ecrh.org) and clinical director of the Family Life Center at St. Mary's University.

Neurofeedback: An ADHD Treatment That Retrains the Brain?

This is a summary of Megan Johnson’s report found in the December 2009 edition of US News & World Report. Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback, has been under investigation as a treatment for epilepsy and ADHD since the 1970s. Studies suggest that in ADHD, the brain generates insufficient beta waves, which are associated with focus and attention, and an overabundance of lower-frequency theta waves, produced during periods of daydreaming or drowsiness. Praising and rewarding a child when he steps up production of beta waves by concentrating on the game or movie should therefore teach him how to focus at will in other settings, such as doing homework assignments or cleaning his room. And at least for some children, that seems to have happened. The article goes on to report how one child after 60 neurofeedback sessions had his reading scores jump up from second- to fifth-grade level, and his IQ scores jump from low average to high average. He later graduated from college. While neurofeedback works in theory and has had anecdotal successes, it was largely dismissed by ADHD experts until recently. Newer research has begun to build a promising foundation. A German study published earlier this year, which found that neurofeedback improved attention and reduced impulsivity and hyperactivity, was fairly large (94 children ages 8 to 12) and included a control group. Fifty-nine of the children received 36 sessions of neurofeedback over three to four weeks, while the other 35 children were trained in a different technique designed to improve attention. Observations by the children's parents and teachers indicated that most kinds of ADHD-related behavior improved much more in the neurofeedback group than in the control group. The study and 14 others were analyzed in the July issue of the Official Journal of the EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society. Ten of the studies, involving a total of nearly 500 children, used a control group. "The clinical effects of neurofeedback in the treatment of ADHD can be regarded as clinically meaningful," the authors concluded. Still, as evidence of benefit accumulates, increasing numbers of parents will ask themselves whether neurofeedback may be worth trying. The question is whether the expense is justifiable. Forty to 60 sessions, typically costing $100-130 per session, are generally recommended; most health insurance plans consider neurofeedback an alternative treatment and will not cover the expense. Drug treatment can be more expensive over the long run—about $180 a month for some stimulants—but generic medications can cost as little as $10 a month. Kids might go five to eight years on medication before reaching the amount spent on neurofeedback. And if the family has health insurance, most plans cover much of the cost of drugs. While many practitioners envision neurofeedback as a drug-free solution, others see it as a complement to drug therapy. Neurofeedback alone does not produce the immediate and dramatic results of medication. The catch with drugs is that many children stop taking them. In one large study, more than 60 percent of the children on stimulants discontinued them within eight years. Parental concern may be a factor—side effects are not uncommon, and lately some of the drugs have been linked to stunted growth. That's why Kim Sanders of Aubrey, Texas, decided to try neurofeedback a few years ago with Macy, now 15, and Trent, 14. The stimulants they were taking for their attention disorders, says Sanders, inhibited their growth. She has seen a "night and day" difference in Trent's behavior and a "remarkable" improvement in Macy's performance in school. They no longer take medicine. To read the full article, go to http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/brain-and-behavior/2009/09/10/neurofeedback-an-adhd-treatment-that-retrains-the-brain.html

Amino Acid May Help Reduce Cocaine Cravings

In addition to my program for cocaine addiction using neurofeedback, I am now recommending that clients who are addicted take 1000mg of the supplement N-acetylcysteine (NAC) three times daily. A recent study reported in Science Daily found that NAC restored normal functioning to the brain circuits in rats that had been previously addicted to cocaine. Repeated exposure to psychoactive drugs such as cocaine causes an imbalance in the brain circuits regulating reward and cognitive control. NAC reverses the changes in the brain's circuitry associated with cocaine addiction. This reversal appears to lessen the cravings associated with cocaine, thus providing protection against relapse. Clearly, this will help the brain stabilize and make the work with neurofeedback even more effective. The findings on NAC were presented at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health. I recommend using Douglas Labs brand for its pharmaceutical grade NAC.

Scientists find clue to anxiety drug addiction

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems in the US. According to the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), just over 18 percent, or about 40 million American adults aged 18 and older, have an anxiety disorder. The most common medical treatment for this disorder is a class of prescription anti-anxiety medications called benzodiazepines, such as Ativan, Xanax and Valium. Many people become addicted to these drugs, but researchers did not understand why until very recently. In the February 2010 edition of the Nature journal, researchers from Switzerland and the United States reported how anti-anxiety drugs use the same "reward pathways" in the brain as heroin and cannabis. Dopamine is the “feel good” neurotransmitter and benzodiazepine drugs increase its activation. Another recent study in Denmark found that people with higher levels of dopamine in the brain tend to be more prone to addictive behavior, which may explain why some people fall into addiction more easily than others, whether the substance of choice is a prescription drug or an illicit drug. If you are a person born with high density of dopamine receptors, you may find it much easier to get addicted to anti-anxiety drugs, pain pills, alcohol, or marijuana. Physicians are advised to prescribe benzodiazepines for short-term use only. When people take them on regular basis for a long term, they are prone to develop chronic cognitive impairment. Because addiction to benzodiazepines is common, stopping them abruptly can result in a withdrawal syndrome similar to what is seen with alcohol withdrawal, including sweating, agitation, confusion, hallucinations and even seizures. My office offers an alternative to addictive anti-anxiety prescription medications. I combine several approaches, including teaching effective stress management tools, neurofeedback, the Alpha-Stim SCS, and nutraceuticals.

Brain rewires itself every day

In August 2009. ScienceDaily reported on a discovery that the brain rewires itself following an experience. Researchers, Henry Markram and Jean-Vincent Le Bé, at the Brain Science Institute in France showed that this process of changing, strengthening and pruning brain circuits takes place on a scale of just hours, suggesting that the brain is evolving considerably even during the course of a single day. "The circuitry of the brain is like a social network where neurons are like people, directly linked to only a few other people," explains Markram. "This finding indicates that the brain is constantly switching alliances and linking with new circles of "friends" to better process information." This finding fits perfectly into the model of neurofeedback. Brain training of this sort creates new connections and strengthens existing ones. There is a new adaptive rewiring that takes place, and the brain becomes more stable and more functional. With the Othmer Interhemispheric Low Frequency Training, I am now often seeing positive changes within one session. Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, insomnia, headache, and autism all noticeably improve. With repeated trainings, the improvement become permanent. The brain truly is neuroplastic and readily makes changes when presented with the right challenges.

Brief Diversions Vastly Improve Focus

A new study in the 2011 journal Cognition overturns a decades-old theory about the nature of attention and demonstrates that even brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve one's ability to focus on that task for prolonged periods. The brain gradually stops registering a sight, sound or feeling if that stimulus remains constant over time. For example, most people are not aware of the sensation of clothing touching their skin. The body becomes "habituated" to the feeling and the stimulus no longer registers in any meaningful way in the brain. University of Illinois psychology professor Alejandro Lleras and postdoctoral fellow Atsunori Ariga tested participants' ability to focus on a repetitive computerized task for about an hour under various conditions. Simply having subjects take two brief breaks from their main task allowed them to stay focused during the entire experiment. Those who did not take a break had declining performance over time. Those who took even two brief breaks saw no drop in their performance over time. "Constant stimulation is registered by our brains as unimportant, to the point that the brain erases it from our awareness," Lleras said. Prolonged attention to a single task actually hinders performance "We propose that deactivating and reactivating your goals allows you to stay focused," he said. "From a practical standpoint, our research suggests that, when faced with long tasks (such as studying before a final exam or doing your taxes), it is best to impose brief breaks on yourself. Brief mental breaks will actually help you stay focused on your task!" My comment is that your brain functions best at work and school when you take periodic brief breaks. I call these microbreaks and suggest you perform an open focus exercise where you concentrate on everything at the same time but not single anything out. Its taking in all sensory information simultaneously without separating any of it. Its opening up your awareness to all inputs at the same time. This places the brain in an alpha state, recharges, refreshing, and making it ready to return to narrow focus again after a few moments. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208131529.htm

Neurofeedback Gains Popularity and Lab Attention

The New York Times ran a feature story about neurofeedback in its October 4, 2010 edition. It reported that there are an estimated 7,500 mental health professionals in the US now offering neurofeedback as part of their services and that more than 100,000 Americans have tried it over the past decade.

John Kounios, a professor of psychology at Drexel University, published a small study in 2007 suggesting that the treatment speeded cognitive processing in elderly people. “There’s no question that neurofeedback works, that people can change brain activity,” he said. “The big questions we still haven’t answered are precisely how it works and how it can be harnessed to treat disorders.”

Neurofeedback was developed in the 1960s and ’70s, with American researchers leading the way. In 1968, M. Barry Sterman, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported that the training helped cats resist epileptic seizures. Dr. Sterman and others later claimed to have achieved similar benefits with humans.

The findings prompted a boomlet of interest in which clinicians of varying degrees of respectability jumped into the field, making many unsupported claims about seeming miracle cures and tainting the treatment’s reputation among academic experts. Meanwhile, researchers in Germany and the Netherlands continued to explore neurofeedback’s potential benefits.

A major attraction of the technique is the hope that it can help patients avoid drugs, which often have side effects. Instead, patients practice routines that seem more like exercising a muscle. Brain cells communicate with one another, in part, through a constant storm of electrical impulses. Their patterns show up on an electroencephalogram, or EEG, as brain waves with different frequencies.

Neurofeedback practitioners say people have problems when their brain wave frequencies aren’t suited for the task at hand, or when parts of the brain aren’t communicating adequately with other parts. These issues, they say, can be represented on a “brain map,” the initial EEG readings that serve as a guide for treatment. Subsequently, a clinician will help a patient learn to slow down or speed up those brain waves, through a process known as operant conditioning. The brain begins by generating fairly random patterns, while the computer software responds with encouragement whenever the activity meets the target.

Dr. Norman Doidge, a psychiatrist at the Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research at Columbia and the author of “The Brain That Changes Itself” (Viking, 2007), said he considered neurofeedback “a powerful stabilizer of the brain.”

Practitioners make even more enthusiastic claims. Robert Coben, a neuropsychologist in Massapequa Park, N.Y., said he had treated more than 1,000 autistic children over the past seven years and had conducted a clinical study, finding striking reductions in symptoms, as reported by parents.

To read the full article, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/health/05neurofeedback.html?pagewanted=1

Computerized Assessment of Neurocognitive Functioning

For all my clients starting neurofeedback, I am highly recommending they take the 25 minute computerized test called CNS Vital Signs here in my office.

CNS Vital Signs is a neurocognitive assessment battery that measures a range of brain functions, including sustained attention, complex attention, visual memory, verbal memory, fine motor speed, processing speed, and response inhibition.

The test helps identify your brain’s strengths and weaknesses compared to others your age. Based on this information, it will be easier to target areas to improve upon, and post-test will show the benefit of the work you do with me.

For those concerned about cognitive decline, taking this test yearly will show whether your brain is declining with age, improving because you are working on it, or remaining stable. http://www.cnsvs.com/

Researchers discover first direct evidence of neuroplastic changes following brainwave training

A pioneering collaboration between two laboratories from the University of London has provided the first evidence of neuroplastic changes occurring directly after brainwave training. Researchers from Goldsmiths and the Institute of Neurology have demonstrated that half an hour of voluntary control of brain rhythms is sufficient to induce a lasting shift in cortical excitability and intracortical function. Remarkably, these after-effects are comparable in magnitude to those observed following interventions with artificial forms of brain stimulation involving magnetic or electrical pulses.

The novel finding may have important implications for future non-pharmacological therapies of the brain and calls for a serious re-examination and stronger backing of research on neurofeedback, a technique which may be promising tool to modulate cerebral plasticity in a safe, painless, and natural way.



“Endogenous control of waking brain rhythms induces neuroplasticity in humans”
Tomas Ros, et al., European Journal of Neuroscience, February 2010

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123280227/abstract

Improving the Aging Brain

I just finished a course on The Aging Brain. I was very interested in how to reduce the risk of brain deterioration and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Dementia in particular. What would you guess is the best thing you can do? If you answered exercise, you would be correct. A fast-paced workout boosts the production of a brain nourishing protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Exercise builds better connections between brain cells and increases the production of new cells in the hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in learning and memory. Exercise is the most powerful way to prevent cognitive decline and delay the onset of AD.

Something to add to your exercise program is intellectually engaging activity. It protects against memory loss, decreases beta amyloid levels (a key factor in AD), and increases synaptogenesis (increase of connections). Keep making your life interesting by taking on new mental challenges.

More research is pointing to diet as central to brain health. The Mediterranean Diet appears to be the healthiest for the brain. This is a diet high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, fish, olive oil, low in saturated fat, and a modest amount of wine. Diets high in saturated fat cause cognitive decline.

The leading theory of the cause of aging is free radicals. Many diseases are linked to free radical oxidative damage, which is viewed as a slow “rusting” of our organs and tissues. There is nothing we can do to stop it, but many things we can do to slow it down. Along with eating a healthy diet, we can supplement with Vitamin E (d type) 400mg, Vitamin C 500mg, Vitamin B complex of 50mg, Folate 800mcg, Vitamin B-12 1000 mcg, Zinc 40mg, Selenium 400mcg, Coenzyme Q10 100mg, and Lipoic Acid 100mg.

Keep your overall stress level down. Acute stress is needed for a healthy body and brain. When the stress becomes chronic, however, the high levels of cortisol damage the brain’s hippocampus, the area important for short-term memory. Over time, the hippocampus shrinks, leading to memory deficits and cognitive impairment. In my office, I offer several strategies to break the chronic stress cycle. These include HRV training, Alpha-Stim SCS, and the Symmetron.

Other things you can do that will reduce your risk are to maintain normal blood pressure (especially systolic) and keep your cholesterol levels within normal range. Of course, I recommend non-medication strategies to achieve these goals, and can coach you on how to lower these risk factors.

As we age beyond 40, it is almost inevitable that we begin to forget things. Age-associated memory impairment (AAMI) is part of normal aging and is not a sign that AD will occur. There is a relatively small cognitive loss that tends not to get worse with AAMI. Wisdom, judgment, and language skills remain stable. In contrast, AD starts decades before symptoms appear. In the Latent Period, there is no cognitive impairment, but beta-amyloid plaques are forming. The second stage of AD is Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which appears very similar to AAMI’s short term memory problems.

If you are concerned about whether you have memory impairment, you can take a free on-line test at http://www.preventad.com/.

If you are concerned about whether you have AD or AAMI, you can take an on-line MCI test administered in my office. The MCI Screen is reported to be 97% accurate in discriminating between MCI vs. normal aging and costs $75.

Unfortunately, the course I took did not address factors that might cause Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia. The presenter was very cautious about environmental or lifestyle influences that might directly cause these disorders. We have a lot to learn yet in this area, and I hope that more research will answer these important questions.

Six Deadly Chemicals You’re Carrying In Your Body

A recent biomonitoring study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, has revealed that out of 212 chemicals tested, all 212 were found to be in the blood and urine of most Americans. Six chemicals in particular, found in virtually every person, were identified by the CDC as probable health hazards.

The six most widespread chemicals identified, all of which are also highly dangerous, include polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDEs), bisphenol A (BPA), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), acrylamide, mercury, and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).

Flame retardant PDEs are chemicals added to all sorts of consumer products that are meant to decrease fire risk. They are known to build up in human fat tissue, causing damage to the nervous system, liver and kidneys. Studies also implicate PDEs in causing sexual dysfunction, thyroid problems and brain disorders.

Bisphenol A, a chemical that has received much attention recently, is another toxin added primarily to plastic products and can linings that contributes to many of the same problems that PDEs do. More than 90 percent of those tested in the CDC study were found to have BPA in their bodies.

Perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical first developed by 3M and later used by DuPont, is used in non-stick cookware, stain-resistant clothing, certain food packaging and other heat-resistant products. Studies verify that PFOA contributes to infertility and other reproductive problems. Liver and immune system dysfunction are also associated with the use of PFOAs.

Acrylamide is a chemical carcinogen that forms when carbohydrate foods are cooked at high temperatures. French fries, fried chicken, and even coffee are all examples of foods that have high acrylamide content. The chemical is also used in plastics, cosmetics and water treatment products. Perpetual exposure to acrylamides is responsible for causing cancer and neurological dysfunction. Most people are aware of the dangers of mercury, another common toxin found in most Americans. Mercury can cause permanent brain damage.

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is a gasoline additive that is not used today, however it has been detected in water supplies as well as in most Americans' bodies. Second-hand cigarette smoke also releases MTBE, which caused neurological and reproductive problems.

The report offers suggestions to help avoid these chemicals and the products that contain them. Cleansing and detoxification regimens are highly effective at continually ridding the body of toxic build-up.

This is why I recommend an annual detoxification program that I sponsor at my office. It makes sense that the brain is adversely affected by these toxins, and elimination of them can only improve mental and emotional functioning.

Currently, I am advising the use of ClearVite, a product that does an excellent job at removing these toxic chemicals, which are also known as “xenobiotics”.

My protocol is to 1) educate you about how to minimize exposure to these toxins, 2) guide you in modifying your diet to reduce inflammation (which toxins and certain foods produce), and 3) guide you through a 21 day detoxification program using ClearVite. You can learn more about ClearVite at http://www.clearvite.info/index.htm.

Sources: http://www.naturalnews.com/027980_synthetic_chemicals_exposure.html and http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/

New DVD "Unlock your Brain's Potential”

I now have copies at my office of the newly released DVD brochure "Unlock your Brain's Potential". It features two powerful and compelling new case studies regarding autism and addictions.This new release also includes the original video case studies of people who have successfully used neurofeedback for migraines, ADD/ADHD, autism, peak performance and PTSD.

This DVD describes the basics of how and why neurofeedback works and answers some common questions such as:

· "How does this work?"
· "What is it doing to my brain?"
· "What will happen during a session?"
· "How many sessions will I have to do?"

If you would like a free copy of this DVD, you can stop by my office or contact me by phone or email to request that I mail you one.

Neurofeedback improves autism spectrum disorders

In two recent 2009 editions of Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, a group of researchers from The Netherlands reported on the effectiveness of neurofeedback in improving executive functioning in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and its long-term positive effects.

Seven autistic children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders received a neurofeedback treatment that aimed to improve their level of executive control. After 40 training sessions, the children's executive capacities were found to have improved greatly relative to pre-treatment assessment on a range of executive function tasks. Additional improvements were found in the children's social, communicative and typical behavior, relative to a waiting list control group. These findings suggest a basic executive function impairment in ASD that can be alleviated through specific neurofeedback treatment. A 12-month followup showed that the improvement of executive functions and social behavior were maintained.