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Q - A while ago I had asked Dr. Swingle about companies that sell these brain machines and give training courses. He gave me a name of a company in California... or was it Seattle... that did this, but I have since lost those names.
Can you provide them to me again please? Thank you very much!
A - I think you are referring to either Stens-biofeedback.com or Thoughttechnology.com |
Q - I have an 11 year old daughter who has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS. We live in the Vancouver area, is there a clinic near here?
A - Our clinic is at 1190 Melville Street in downtown Vancouver. You can call
Alisa at 604-608-0444 for information about our clinic and to schedule an
initial appointment. |
Q - My husband had a post radiation stroke in March of 2007 (he had a pre-cancerous tumour removed from his right frontal lobe in March 2004, followed by a 6 week course of radiation). The stroke happened in the tiny arteries in the center of his brain, and has left him with a right sided weakness, speech difficulties, incontinence, impulsiveness and cognitive difficulties. He was 45 years old when the stroke happened, he is now 47. After many attempts at rehab, he has now learned to walk for the third time - he walks independently with a quad cane and a spotter, but he still has some issues with movement of his right foot/ankle/leg. He had regained just about full usage of his right arm (fine motor being the remaining issue, and certain positions reaching from right to left), but with delays in funding, he has lost most of that movement again. He is impulsive at times; not having a true picture of his abilities, he does not always have a grasp on his situation i.e. will talk of going to work tomorrow, but has not worked since the stroke etc. He is currently living in a rehab (care) facility, and has improved greatly. My concern is the plan is to bring him home eventually, and right now he is not safe to be left at home alone.
My questions are these, do you feel that neurotherapy would be useful for him? Will it help such things as incontinence? Confusion? Cognitive issues? Impulsiveness? How often are the treatments done/necessary? Is the brain mapping QEEG covered under medical or through Blue Cross? Do you know if plans such as Blue Cross cover this type of therapy? And lastly, if funding is an issue, does your company provide some sort of assistance? I have a good job with a good plan, but the majority of my income is sucked up just with day to day expenses and paying for the care home he is currently living in.
Sorry that my question is so long winded, thank you in advance for your information.
A - We treat many clients with stroke and traumatic brain injuries. In general,
clients improve in all of the areas you mention. The extent of the
improvement varies, of course, depending on a number of variables including
area of injury, age of the client, extent of the injury, and time since
injury. Improvements are usually noticed within a few sessions and clients
continue in treatment as long as they see continued progress. Treatments,
including the initial intake, are covered by extended medical plans that
include coverage for registered clinical psychologists. The caps vary widely
among plans so you will have to check the limits of your plan. Fees that are
not covered by your plan are a tax deductible medical expense. Treatments
are usually once per week although when clients come from long distances
they usually come less frequently but have several treatments at each visit. |
Q - My mother aged 92 years has been doing well intellectually - playing bridge; reading etc.
However, in July , she had two bouts of anesthesia - one for hip replacement surgery (spinal) and the next one the same week for hip dislocation. I then noticed a pronounced short term memory loss and loss of balance...maybe due to muscle issues and need for strengthening... yesterday she fell and broke two bones in her arm which necessitated more surgery which is exacerbating her problem.
We are booked in for a brain mapping...but if her problems are related to drugs - can she be helped? Regularly she is only on synthroid and
diovan (for high blood pressure) medication.
Thank you for your time and attention to this.
A - It sounds as though the anesthetic (also true of other medications) has
exacerbated an age related decline. As we age our Alpha brainwaves slow
down. This slowing is related to cognitive declines commonly associated with
aging. The treatment for this is to accelerate the Alpha frequencies and
increase the density of the faster Alpha. We see many elderly clients who
come in several times a year to treat the age related changes to improve
cognitive functioning. Increasing the Alpha frequency has also been found to
correlate with good immune functioning as well. |
Q - My husband has been suffering from a headache for over a year now. The pain is constant and feels like a pressure. His doctor and subsequently the neurologist prescribed for him several different medications but none brought him any relief. He had a CT scan done in February which was clear. He has tried one session of acupuncture and one session of chiropractic care with no relief. He plans to do 5 more sessions with chiropractic before ruling it out. Through my own research on the internet I have concluded that he may be suffering from NDPH (new daily persistant headache)
I am very curious to know if a stressful situation in a person's life could bring something like this on....at the time when it started, his father who was living with us had been sick for about 6 months and died 2 months later. There was also some significant emotional issues surrounding this event as well. He was working crazy hours at the time. Since then things have calmed down significantly but the pain still remains.
There is also a possibility that it was brought on by inflammation of some kind - as indicated by his blood work at the time...
Our doctor has not been very helpful at all so we are feeling very lost, and need to be pointed in the right direction.
I would appreciate hearing about what kind of therapies you use and whether or not you know of someone in the Abbotsford or Langley area that could help us in any way.
A - The closest person who may be able to help is Dr. Ian Hyams in Maple Ridge.
Dr. Hyams is a physician who specializes in pain conditions and does
neurotherapy in addition to medication. Dr. Hyams number is 604-467-5522. We
also treat these conditions and should you wish to come to Vancouver you can
call Alisa at 604-608-0444 and she will arrange for an intake brainwave
assessment. |
Q - I feel that my brain has been fuzzy lately. Sort of like being high without the drugs. Almost like experiencing things in the third person.
A - Make an appointment with your physician. Such symptoms can be associated
with a number of physical conditions that your physician should assess. |
Q - Does TBI sometimes erupt as ALS in an adult?
A - The cause of ALS is not well understood. There is some hereditary component
and as such not unlikely that a TBI could contribute to manifestation of ALS
but there is no research evidence for this as far as I know. |
Q - Have you dealt with cases of chronic paroxysmal (sp?) hemicrania? If so , have you found your treatment to be successful? I have had these daily headaches since 2002, with a 2 yr remission from the pain from 2006-08. They started again this spring. Thank you.
A - Yes, we have dealt with this disorder when it has not responded effectively
to anti-inflammatory medications. |
| Q - At age 10 I had surgery to remove an astrocytoma from the cerebellum of my brain. That was in 1964.
In 1993, I had a whiplash injury in a motorvehicle accident. At that time, the neurologist I saw at UBC claimed that he had never seen anyone walking about with such little operable brain tissue on board.
It has always been a challenge for me to stay sharp and focused. As I get older (now 55), it is even more difficult. I usually accomplish what I need to do through biofeedback and mental challenges (like a math course, for instance).
A tune up is what I think I need and your optimal performance training seems attractive from both points of view. I keep thinking that I'm going to need all the help I can get.
Is your program appropriate for me?
A - I agree with you that the "brain brightening" (optimal performance training)
would be most appropriate. Often the conditions associated with brain injury
are exacerbated by age related declines, so the treatment we generally offer
for the elderly to prevent dementias would be appropriate. |
Q - I have been diagnosed with lymphocytic vasculitis on the brain. This was prior to having a numb left hand for approx 1 month and then having a seizure, on June 16. I am presently taking Prednisone (50 mg per day) and Dilantin (300 mg per day) Please advise your thoughts of the treatment.
A - We often see clients with such conditions for symptomatic treatment. For
example, neurotherapy can often be helpful for improving cognitive
functioning, mood states and can often help with motor improvements as well. |
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