Transcript The Neurofeedback Approach to Treating Anxiety Disorders

The Neurofeedback Approach to
Anxiety
WHAT IS ANXIETY?
• Anxiety is really a form of stress that can be
experienced in many different ways
• It mainly relates to worry about what might happen
• Anxiety is a natural human reaction, and it serves
an important biological function: It's an alarm
system that's activated whenever we perceive
danger or a threat.
WHAT IS ANXIETY?
• When the body and mind react, we can feel
physical sensations, like dizziness, a rapid
heartbeat, difficulty breathing, and sweaty or
shaky hands and feet.
• These sensations — called the fight-flight
response — are caused by a rush of adrenaline
and other stress hormones that prepare the body
to make a quick getaway or "flight" from danger.
The fight-flight response
happens instantly. But it usually
takes a few seconds longer for
the thinking part of the brain
(the cortex) to process the
situation and evaluate whether
the threat is real, and if so, how
to handle it.
When the cortex sends the allclear signal, the fight-flight
response is deactivated and the
nervous system starts to calm
down.
NORMAL ANXIETY
• Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety from
time to time. These feelings can range from a mild
sense of uneasiness to full-blown panic (or
anywhere in between), depending on the person
and the situation.
• It's natural for unfamiliar or challenging situations
to prompt feelings of anxiety or nervousness in
people of all ages. You may feel it when you have
a big presentation at work, for example, or when
life gets overly hectic.
NORMAL ANXIETY
• Kids might feel it, too, in similar situations —
when facing an important test or switching
schools, for example. These experiences can
trigger normal anxiety because they cause us to
focus on the "what if's": What if I mess up? What
if things don't go as I planned
• Some amount of anxiety is normal and can even
be motivating. It helps us stay alert, focused, and
ready to do our best.
But anxiety that's too strong
or happens a lot can
become overwhelming. It
can interfere with someone's
ability to get things done
and, in severe cases, can
start taking over the good
and enjoyable parts of life.
ANXIETY DISORDERS
• Anxiety disorders are among the most
common mental health conditions. That's
partly because everyone experiences stress
and worry.
• There are many different types of anxiety
disorders, with different symptoms. But they
all share one common trait — prolonged,
intense anxiety that is out of proportion to
the present situation and affects a person's
daily life and happiness.
ANXIETY DISORDERS
• Symptoms of an anxiety disorder can come
on suddenly or can build gradually and
linger. Sometimes worry creates a sense of
doom and foreboding that seems to come
out of nowhere.
• Kids with anxiety problems may not even
know what's causing the emotions, worries,
and sensations they have.
COMMON TYPES OF
ANXIETY DISORDERS
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Generalized Anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Phobias
Social Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF
ANXIETY DISORDERS
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Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness
Problems sleeping
Cold or sweaty hands and/or feet
Shortness of breath
Heart palpitations
An inability to be still and calm
Dry mouth
Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
Nausea
Muscle tension
Dizziness
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
• Very often anxiety disorders may develop
into depression
CAUSES OF
ANXIETY DISORDERS
• Experts don't know exactly what causes
anxiety disorders.
• Several things seem to play a role,
including genetics, brain biochemistry, an
overactive fight-flight response, stressful
life circumstances, and learned behavior.
CAUSES OF
ANXIETY DISORDERS
• Recent research has demonstrated that
Anxiety disorders may be related to
dysregulated brainwave patterns
• In fact there is a specific pattern of
brainwave activity that has been identified
as being related to anxiety
The Medical Approach to
Treating Anxiety
Disorders
The Medical Approach
• The standard approach to treating most anxiety
disorders is a combination of talk therapy, such
as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and an
antidepressant medication. Other types of
medications (benzodiazepines, azapirones,
beta blockers, or atypical antipsychotics) may
also be prescribed.
Treating Anxiety with Medication
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has approved two medications for treating
adults with Anxiety Disorders:
• sertraline (Zoloft)
• paroxetine (Paxil)
Both of these medications
are antidepressants, which are also used to
treat depression.
Treating Anxiety with Medication
The FDA issued a Black
Box Warning (A “black
box” warning is the most
serious type of warning
on prescription drug
labeling.)
Black Box Warning
The warning emphasizes that patients of all ages
taking antidepressants should be closely
monitored, especially during the initial weeks of
treatment. Possible side effects to look for are
worsening depression, suicidal thinking or
behavior, or any unusual changes in behavior such
as sleeplessness, agitation, or withdrawal from
normal social situations. The warning adds that
families and caregivers should also be told of the
need for close monitoring and report any changes
to the physician. The latest information can be
found on the FDA Web site
Treating Anxiety with Medication
Doctors may also prescribe other types of
medications, such as the ones listed below.
There is little information on how well these
work for people with Anxiety Disorders.
Benzodiazepines
These medications may be given to help
people relax and sleep. People who take
benzodiazepines may have memory problems
or become dependent on the medication
Treating Anxiety with Medication
Antipsychotics. These medications are
usually given to people with other mental
disorders, like schizophrenia. People who take
antipsychotics may gain weight and have a
higher chance of getting heart disease and
diabetes.
The Neurofeedback
Approach to Treating
Anxiety Disorders
THE NEUROFEEDBACK APPROACH
• Research over the past 40 years has demonstrated that
inappropriate brainwave activity is at the core of most
neurological disorders.
• Neurofeedback is a sophisticated form of biofeedback that
actually trains the brain to normalize the brainwaves and
make them flexible and adaptable to situational needs.
• And the results are permanent!
Neurofeedback is based
upon the principle that
there is a normal pattern of
brain wave activity and that
the brain regulates itself
based upon this pattern.
Research demonstrates
that this normal pattern
may become disrupted
resulting in a dysregulated
brain and causing
neurological symptoms
Dysregulated Brain Wave Patterns are
Identified on a Quantitative
Electroencephalogram or QEEG
There are three types of Global Dysregulation
DELTA/THETA DYSREGULATION
ALPHA DYSREGULATION
BETA DYSREGULATION
In addition to identifying
global dysregulation, the
mapping software will
also identify focal sites
of dysregulation
The mapping software
will correlate the
dysregulated findings at
each site, with the
function of each site.
The Neurofeedback
Procedure
The purpose of the Brain Map is two fold:
– To identify both global and focal dysregulatory brain
wave patterns; and
– To provide the statistically best neurofeedback
protocols to correct those dysregulated patterns
The goal of neurofeedback is
not to diagnose or treat any
particular condition.
The goal is to transform an
unhealthy, dysregulated
brainwave pattern into a
normal, healthy, organized
pattern
HOW IS NEUROFEEDBACK DONE
Individuals are hooked up to a computer using
wires and sensors and the computer reads
their brainwaves
Information about these brainwaves is
displayed on the doctors monitor
The software automatically detects when the
brainwaves are properly ordered and it feeds
that information back to the patient
This feedback appears in the form of a game,
movie, or sound which signals the patient that
the brainwaves are becoming more ordered
Rollercoaster Video
DVD’s and Movies
THE BIG IDEA
When you have
information on what
your brain waves are
doing, your brain can use
that information to
change how it works.
NEUROFEEDBACK IS
BASED IN OVER 40
YEARS OF CLINICAL
RESEARCH PROVING IT’S
EFFICACY
In fact, Dr Frank H. Duffy, a Professor and
Pediatric Neurologist at Harvard
Medical School, stated that
“Neurofeedback should play a major therapeutic
role in many difficult areas. In my opinion, if any
medication had demonstrated such a wide
spectrum of efficacy it would be universally
accepted and widely used”
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