Posted by uncouth on December 30, 2010, at 18:59:17
Hi,
Does anyone here have any experience with neurofeedback, using light/sound stimulators for brainwave entrainment, or cranial electro therapy -- any of these treatments work for anyone for ANY sort of psych condition?
I've been doing neurofeedback for a while now (probably have had 12 or so sessions) but haven't felt any major benefits yet. If you've done it, what systems/modalities did your trainer use?
I tried a CES device (alpha stim) but it too was hard to tell if it was doing anything. I'm looking to get a more advanced unit that also has tDCS function (transcranial direct current stimulation) called the CESta but i'm not sure if its worth it. Supposedly CES has shown benefits and tDCS definite benefits.
I've been using this VERY interesting light stimulator called a pROSHI. I think it's helped, it's like a brain exerciser. Google it and check it out. Very few scientific studies on it, but the theoretical reasoning behind it is pretty interesting, if it actaully is valid. It basically stimulates your brain through flashing LED lights in a set of glasses through your closed eyes. The key is unlike normal audio visual entrainment (like the Procyon devices) which stimulates at fixed frequencies to entrain your brainwaves to increased alpha, or beta, or whatever, the pROSHI uses a rapidly changing pseudo-random "chaos-theory"-based frequency adjustment. The idea is becuase it's so chaotic, your brain can't entrain to ANY frequency and eventually stops trying, going into a sort of hibernation mode. The pROSHI is supposed to smooth out your EEG spectrum and allow your brain to self-regulate.
I really like the theory and have been wearing it anywhere from 30-120 minutes per day. I'm renting the device, which costs around $2000 and i don't think is even being made anymore. I'm going to give it a few months, but will also be doing other treatments on top of it so it will be hard to tell what effect each of them have individually. Supposedly the pROSHI has been used in traumatic brain injury and even to wake people up from comas.
Anyway, i just wanted to start a thread on neurofeedback/biofeedback and alternative methods of stimulation like CES, tDCS, and audio/visual entrainment. I'd love for anyone with ANY experience with any of these modalities to post their experiences and opinions.
If anyone has any references for remote neurofeedback providers (you rent a machine you can use in your home and have telephone review sessions with the practitioner) please let me know.
Best,
Uncouth
poster:uncouth
thread:975313
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20101218/msgs/975313.html