Brain Training at the ADD Centre

 

Completing the ADD Centre Brain Training Program results in:

Sharper Focus

Improved Attention

Improved Stress Management

Reduced Anxiety

Increased Calm

Better Self-Regulation Skills

 

Brain Training, also called Neurofeedback or EEG biofeedback, uses your brain’s ability to learn and adapt to improve brain function. This exercise for the brain uses a computer to give immediate feedback of your mental state and it results in positive changes due to neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change with new learning. 

To achieve improved brain performance small sensors are placed on the top of the head and on each ear.  These electrodes measure brainwave activity and relay the information back through a computer.  The client knows instantly if they are “in the zone”, showing a healthy brainwave pattern associated with calm focus. A trainer sits with them as a coach, providing strategies that promote staying in the zone. Eventually they learn to produce that mental state of calm focus in everyday life and become more effective at school or work, in social interactions and in sports.   

When the brainwave patterns shift into a CALM, FOCUSED, RELAXED state, then the computer feedback facilitates maintaining that state, and the brain begins to learn.

Here is a sample feedback screen, the BOWLING SCREEN:

When the client feels calm, focused and mentally relaxed the bowling ball moves down the alley and gets a strike! 

Here is another example: SAILBOAT RACE SCREEN:

The AIM is to get the Green Boat to win! This is done without using a keyboard or mouse – only your brain!

 

The Green boat will move ahead only when the client is calm, focused and mentally relaxed.  The Green boat is competing against Inattention/Daydreaming (yellow boat) and anxiety and worry (pink boat).  The client can use their breathing and heart rate at the bottom to help them win the race.  Learning to achieve greater heart rate variability (breathing and heart rate in sync) improves stress management and helps increase calm, alert brainwave patterns.

Self-regulation skills are better predictors of success in life than intelligence. Neurofeedback is a well-researched method that improves self-regulation of attention and emotions. Better self-regulation skills lead to improved performance in athletics, studying and employment.  

 

ADD Centre Concussion Intervention

 

ADD Centre Concussion Intervention

Medical specialists diagnose concussion but often have little to offer in the way of interventions to the approximately 30% of people who do not make a full recovery. Medical imaging using MRI and CT scans are helpful for detecting structural problems, like a brain bleed or skull fracture, that require medical intervention. They do not detect concussion, so a normal scan does not rule out a concussion. Concussions cause functional problems due to disrupted communication between different areas of the brain, referred to as diffuse axonal injury (DAI). DAI involves  the stretching and twisting of the axonal connections. It causes disruption of communication of electrical signals from one neuron to another. Gradual return to work and play after concussion meets the conservative criteria of “do no harm” but does not offer guidance when symptoms involving memory, attention, headaches, light and sound sensitivities and mood swings/irritability cause daily frustration months after the traumatic brain injury.

 At the ADD Centre there is hope for functional recovery for those with postconcussion syndrome because we offer active intervention – brain exercise and heart rate variability training – based on a comprehensive assessment. Assessment measures include the following:

19 Channel QEEG and Evoked Potentials (ERP). This type of assessment can reveal the effects of damage elicited by stretching and twisting of axons, called diffuse axonal injury (DAI). The evoked potentials are particularly important for reflecting brain speed. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) will often have a negative impact on the right and/or left insula which, in turn, relates to changes in heart rate variability. At the ADD Centre we use Evoke Neuroscience and Neuroguide to analyze brainwave patterns (EEG). Then we know how to train for healthier patterns.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of the changes in heart rate. The higher the variability, the healthier the cardiac pumping system. After a concussion, HRV is often reduced.  Training to increase heart rate variability is helpful for stress management and, additionally, to improve cognitive function.

Continuous Performance Tests measure attention, impulse control, variability of response time (drifting attention), and response time (speed of response). Doing these tests as a baseline and then again after a series of training sessions provides an objective measure of improvement. 

Neurocognitive Testing – CNS Vital Signs Neurocognitive Testing is used at the ADD Centre. It is done on-line and includes tests of visual and verbal memory, simple and complex attention, executive function, social acuity, processing speed and reaction time.

 Balance Testing – Meditech Balance Board and accompanying software, a system developed in Germany, is used at the ADD Centre to assess balance and risk of tumbling before and after training.

Clinical Interview – A clinical interview that includes an explanation of the findings and discussion of a treatment plan is completed with a professional registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. 

 Following Assessment, a individualized training program is created. Components may include any of the following modalities: single channel neurofeedback training, heart rate variability training, LORETA neurofeedback training, balance training. 

 Comprehensive testing is completed before and after training to gauge progress.  Here is an example Before and After brain maps showing decreased over-activation (red and orange areas) following an ADD Centre training program for Concussion. Note that every concussion is different: some people will show area of under activation.  

Before Training:                                                                 After Training:

 

 

 

ADHD: HUNTERS in a Farmer’s World Michael Thompson & Lynda Thompson

 

ADHD: HUNTERS in a Farmer’s World

Michael Thompson & Lynda Thompson

(Based on writings of Thom Hartmann)

Unlike farmers, who carry out boring, daily chores, hunters show a

Dichotomy of-Focus. Attention is either Intense OR Superficial

Trait as it appears in ADHD	Hunter’s View
Attention span seems short, but they can become intensely focused for long periods of time when interested in something.	Constantly monitoring their surroundings, scanning for something to go after, or for danger. Intense concentration when   after something.
Disorganized and impulsive - make snap decisions.	Spontaneous and go after opportunities. Able to throw themselves into the chase on a moment’s notice. Fast decisions.
Distorted sense of time. Unaware of how long it will take to do something.	Flexible, able and ready to change strategy quickly. Time is less important than achieving your goal.
Impatient	Tireless, capable of sustained drive, but only when hot on the trail of some important goal.
Does not convert words into concepts adeptly and vice versa - may dislike reading and, especially, writing because it takes too long. Hate to revise what they write. Write the minimum.	Visually oriented. Concrete thinker – clearly seeing tangible goal even if there are no words for it.
Has difficulty following directions	Independent.
Daydreamer	Bored by mundane tasks and talk – drifts off BUT enjoys the hunt. Seeks  excitement and often calm in a crisis.
Lacking social graces	No time for social ‘niceties’. Says what he thinks.
Acts without considering the consequences	Willing and able to take risks and face the danger.

 

 

REMOTE TRAINING OUTCOMES

As we approach the end of 2020, we felt it was prudent to objectively evaluate results of our remote, single channel neurofeedback training. As with in-person training, the neurofeedback is combined with biofeedback and metacognitive strategies. Our remote program uses Procomp2 equipment from Thought Technology. (See image below.)

This unit, along with accompanying sensors for single channel neurofeedback (brainwave training), plus heart rate (BVP) and respiration sensors, has allowed us to work remotely with clients using a virtual meeting software program that meets all privacy standards. We are excited to announce that the preliminary results are showing excellent gains on neurocognitive testing, measured using the CNS Vital Signs test battery.  

   RESULTS SHOW:

Clients who have completed 20 to 40 sessions of REMOTE ONLY training have demonstrated an average gain of 18 percentile points on  their over-all test scores on a battery of standardized neurocognitive tests (CNS Vital Signs).

(A percentile indicates the per cent of same age people who obtain a particular score; thus, if you score at the 50^th percentile rank, you are mid-average – as good, or better, than 50% of people. So a gain of 18 percentile points, if you started at the 50^th, would bring you up to the 68^th percentile rank. In other words, your score went from being better than 1/2 of the population to being better than 2/3 of the population. )

This Neurocognitive test battery includes measures of short term memory, attention, executive function, social acuity, cognitive flexibility, processing speed and reaction time.

 

         ADD Centre clients are very happy with their improvements and we are delighted that remote training is achieving the same kind of great results observed for over 25 years with in-person neurofeedback plus biofeedback interventions. We look forward to continuing to offer remote training as a part of our ADD Centre Programmes. Our clinical research, which involves tracking many measures before and after training, will continue to be updated as more clients complete their remote training and do progress testing.

         Helping people of all ages improve self-regulation of attention and emotions in order to bring out their potential continues to be the mission of the ADD Centre, whether we are seeing people in-person or working with them remotely.