The Brain Scan

This is the electrode cap worn during the scan.

Tuesday was a the big day for the QEEG of my beautiful child's brain.

I quote, "This was the worst thing that has been done to my body."

It's not an easy test.  We washed hair 3 times with a special anti-residue shampoo.  Twenty-seven electrodes place on the head with a thick gel on each to help increase the connection to the electrical firings of the brainwaves.  (Imagine how an already sensitive child deals with 27 spots of goo on their head, in their hair and on their ears.)  A dull needle pressed against the forehead in multiple places to ensure the electrodes make contact with the skin.  One must sit perfectly still,  as the slightest movement of a finger or an eye will add additional brainwaves which will have to be "cleaned up" or removed from the scan for accuracy and yet avoid falling asleep in such a relaxed position.  The hardest part was the firm pressure which was placed on closed eyes to prevent the eyeballs from moving (twitching, or random eye movements or flutters).

The aftermath:  fatigue, a splitting headache, discomfort from the gel and two scabs on the forehead where the blunt needle was pushed repeatedly.

The wonderful perspective, even from my child is that the worst is over.  The Neuro-Feedback visits, which begin tomorrow, should only include one electrode on the ear and one on the scalp somewhere above the forwhead (no more goo necessary) sending out very, very small electrical currents which should not be felt on the scalp.

We know we are in good hands as Dr. Hammond is the leading Neuro-Feedback specialist in the country.  We are so grateful to live within an hours drive of the University of Utah Hospital.

We are so very anxious to speak with the doctor about the results.....but will have to be patient until Monday.

Interruptions or Stumbling Blocks

I am frequently asked, even as recent as this morning, "When is it time to seek help or intervention" for my child who is struggling in a particular way.

Here is my rule of thumb.

As parents we often use the terms, "It's just a phase," or "He's getting better," or "It's just part of her quirky personality."  These phrases can be true.....but when the particular behavior or concerns become so pervasive that they hinder or impair the daily routine of life, it is time.

CHILD DEVELPMENT TRUTH #1:  Early intervention is key--in any illness, disorder, learning impairment, or developmental delay.

Years of research tells us in the Child Development world that when a child's needs are identified early--and early depends on the particular disorder or delay and when it is manifested--when intervention and treatment happens early, many gaps can be filled.

Picture a ladder which is missing rungs and the child can not climb any hire than the lowest missing rung.  The child becomes "stuck" in his development.  If through intervention with the right doctor, therapist, or other specialist the missing rung can be taught or developed or enabled through medication, the child can continue on his development path, sometimes without even a hint of what the initial concern was.  Or sometimes the development continues until he hits the next missing rung and the work to intervene continues.

The brain is amazingly adaptable.  We now know through speech, physical, occupation or emotional therapies the brain can be re-trained.  The body can even develop new nerve pathways to communicate properly.

The concern with ignoring or putting off intervention is that unhealthly coping strategies WILL develop just to help the child function throught the daily routine of the day.  So, instead of the child's struggle being an interruption in life it can become a huge stumbling block.

I have witnessed many, many children, who with early intervention, successfully continue climbing their ladder of development.  I have also witnessed children who have not recieved this intervention and developed negative, unhealthly coping strategies just to try to navigate and survive their daily routine.

As parents we must have the courage to seek the necessary early intervention turning out child's struggles into mere interruptions rather than life altering stumbling blocks.

Neuro-Feedback, What?!

Neuro-Feedback

Once the QEEG, the brain map has been completed, treatment goals can be established which guide the Neuro-Feedback treatments.

There are several different types of Neuro-Feedback. 

In the traditional Neuro-Feedback treatment, two electrodes are placed on the scalp and one or more on the earlobes during the neurothrerapy training sessions.  The “trainee” in this case my child then watches a display on the computer screen and listens to audio tones, sometimes while completing a simple task like reading.  With continued feedback, coaching and practice it is possible to learn to reproduce the desired brainwaves. 

So simply put, Neuro-Feedback is a workout for the brain targeting those “weak” areas.  Just as we work out to strengthen certain muscles, through Neuro Feedback we can build weak muscles in the brain.

One of the things they will have my child do is to watch a computer screen while  electrodes on her head are connected to a computer showing two bar graphs.  The task is to keep the bar graphs even/balanced just by controlling the focus of your brain, which influences the type of brainwave activity.

Another excersise they do is to watch a dvd movie which will get fuzzy as certain brainwaves enter.  The patient must learn to focus in such a way that the brainwaves will create a clear picture on the tv screen.

The Low Energy Neuro-Feedback System or LENS approach differs from other forms of neurofeedback in that it introduces a very, very tiny electromagnetic signal which is only about the intensity of the output coming from a watch battery.  The feedback stimulus is so small that if you hold a regular cell phone to your ear for 1 second, it is 400 times stronger.  This very low intensity feedback stimulus is introduced down the electrode wires for a few seconds.  LENS is unique in that it does not require the patient to “work” during neurofeedback, but to simply remain relatively still for less than a minute at a time.  This will open up the way for very young or severely disabled patients to receive treatment.

I don’t know how it all works, but the mind, which is anxious, fearful, depressed, irritable, angry or otherwise out of balance is somehow trained to become balanced without the assistance of medication.   Research shows that with Neuro-Feedback medications for such disorders can be reduced if not eliminated completely. 

One of the most agonizing decisions for me as a parent has been to put my child on medications.  To have options which have been proven through research gives  great hope.

What completely amazes me is the fact that since the late 70’s Neuro-Feedback has been researched, refined and tested as it relates to ADD/ADHD.  I went to years of school to study such things….and never have I heard of such treatments.  It’s exciting yet perplexing to me.

As one of my child’s other doctor said to me today, the brain is the “last frontier in the medical field, because it is so complex and we can’t take it out of the skull while someone is living to study and watch, yet this research will change the way we approach the practice of medicine.  (Yes, we went to another, actually two additional appointments today for the same child with two different doctors!  I’ve added up that within 6 days, two of those being Saturday & Sunday, I will have spent 17 hours traveling to and from and in doctor’s appointments.  Such an investment with the hopes and prayers for gigantic rewards of healthy, happy, stable children.)

The appointments thus far have been purely educational as we have decided whether we should move forward with such treatment.  We have decided that we must move forward.  The brain mapping will take place on Tuesday morning with the results coming later in the week.  Treatments will begin the last day of January.  The treatments will be twice a week for 15 weeks.  I will share more about our journey on Tuesday.

QEEG, What?!

New Year's Resolution #1-  Become a quasi-expert in my children's health issues.

I spent the morning at the University of Utah with Dr. Cory Hammond, an expert in Neuro-feedback.  This form of treatment has been around since the 70's and 80's.  Just five weeks ago I had never heard of Neuro-Feedback and now it may change two of my children's lives.

The complexity of the brain is facinating.

In my field of Child Development I often get asked the question:  "Why 'all of the sudden' are there so many ADD or ADHD or Anxiety or Mood Disorder or Austism diagnosises?"  It's good question.  We read about it in the newspaper.  Hear about it on television and radio shows.  So what it really going on inside the heads of these people.  Is it for "real" or is it just an excuse for poor parenting or poor lifestyles or totally over-diagnosed?

I professionally wonder if the diagnosises were less "subjective" would parents be so hesitant or even in denial if they could "see" what was actualy going on inside their child's head.

This morning I was offered a chance to see inside of one of my own children's brains.  It's called QEEG or Brain Mapping for those of us without medical degrees.

Brainwaves occur at various frequencies.  Some are fast and some are quite slow.

Beta- brainwaves are small, faster brainwaves linked with a state of mental intellectual activity and outwardly focused concentration.  This is basically at state of bright-eyed alertness.

Alpha- brainwaves are slower and larger.  They are associated with a state of relacation and basically represent the brain shifting into idling gear, relaxed and disengaged waiting to respond when needed.  Fascinatingly, if we close our minds and picture something beautiful and peaceful in less than 30 seconds our alpha waves increase.

Theta-  brainwaves bring a profoundly calm, serene state that occurs just before we fall asleep.

Delta- brainwaves are the slowest, highest amplitude brainwaves, and are experienced when we are asleep.

If we are drowsy there are more delta and theta brainwaves creeping in and if we are inattentive to external things and daydreamy there is more theta present.  If we are exceptionally anxious and tence, an excessive high frequency of beta waves are often present.  People with ADD or ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, Aspergers, autisim, depression or mood disorders, strokes or even addiction, chronic fatigue syndrome just to name a few have excessive slow waves present.  When an excessive amount of slow waves are present in the frontal parts of the brain it becomes difficult to control attention, behavior, and/or emotions.

With electrodes placed in just the right spots on the scalp these brainwaves can be measured and mapped for an individual and then run through a data base of thousands of brainscans of "normal" people of the same age to determine the special needs of that individual.

So here it is.  Proof.  These diagnosises are not just excuses for poor functioning or behavior.  There is a tangible picture to show what is actually going on inside these unique brains.  To hold a map in your hand which explains "why" is both validating and comforting, mostly because with that map a treatment can be designed and hope is given.

Tomorrow I will share more about Neuro-Feedback, which uses the brain mapping to guide treatment.