Do Antidepressants Cure Or Create Abnormal Brain States?
Emerging research suggests that anti-depressants may only help those with severe depression as previously discussed in Antidepressant Medications May Benefit Only Persons With Severe Depression and Anti-Depressant Medication & The Placebo Effect. Readers may be interested in a well-written article by Moncrieff & Cohen (2006) that discusses questionable theoretical paradigms and research that contributed to anti-depressants becoming the front-line treatment for all severities of major depression. This is a must read for all physicians and psychologists. (continue reading)
Antidepressant Medications May Benefit Only Persons With Severe Depression
BMED Report detailed the effectiveness of anti-depressant medication with only the most severely depressed in 2008 in “Anti-Depressant Medication & The Placebo Effect”. A new analysis of randomized trials indicates that compared with placebo, the magnitude of benefit of antidepressant medications varies with the severity of depressive symptoms, and may provide little benefit for patients with mild or moderate depression, but appear to provide substantial benefit for patients with very severe depression, according to an article in the January 6 issue of JAMA. These studies appear to provides consistent evidence across two separate analyses that anti-depressant medication may not be an efficacious or effective treatment for persons with mild to moderate depression. (continue reading)
ISNR Clinical Research Consortium Offers Researchers Logistical Support To Increase Neurofeedback Clinical Trials
The ISNR Clinical Research Consortium called for members to get more active in clinical research. They also offered to provide logistical support that includes study design and implementation and assistance navigating the grant application process. The goal: to significantly increase the number of quality, publishable neurofeedback clinical trials. This announcement comes on a busy week of neurofeedback news, including two articles by The Washington Post covered here: The NIMH Will Sponsor The First Federally Funded Neurofeedback Study and Calls For Increased Regulation Of Neurofeedback. Check the end of this review for the actual annoucement sent to members. (more…)
The Washington Post Reports That The NIMH Will Sponsor The First Federally Funded Neurofeedback Study
Washington Post writer, Katherine Ellison, is on a roll with generally positive coverage of neurofeedback. BMED Report previously informed our readers of the call for more strict oversight of persons who offer neurotherapy in “The Washington Post Calls For Increased Regulation Of Neurofeedback.” In her follow-up neurofeedback-related article, she reports that a “study may show whether neurofeedback helps people with ADHD and other disorders.” (more…)
Neurofeedback Benefits People With Treatment Resistant Epilepsy
In a soon-to-be published meta-analytic study*, researchers report that neurofeedback benefits people with treatment refractory (resistant) epilepsy. The authors’ review of current research revealed that almost 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, or 0.8% of the general population, and that approximately 33% of patients with this unfortunate medical condition do not benefit from traditional medical treatments (often pharmacotherapies). The researchers hypothesized that neurofeedback (or “EEG biofeedback”) might be an effective alternative treatment given the existing positive published data, albeit from mostly case designs or uncontrolled studies. A meta-analytic study design was used to combine these published studies into a single, more powerful analysis. (more…)
Neurofeedback Again Featured At U.S. News & World Report – This Time As A Potential Permanent Cure For ADHD
U.S. News & World Report writers have truly taken notice of neurofeedback, especially as a treatment for ADHD. Last month, we reported that U.S. News and World Report Lists Neurofeedback As 1 of 9 Drug Free Treatments For ADHD. This recent attention is well deserved given that new research suggests that neurofeedback is an efficacious treatment for ADHD. For example, read Neurofeedback for ADHD Achieves A “Level 5 – Efficacious and Specific Efficacy Rating” previously reported on this website. Today, we highlight the latest neurofeedback story that appeared on this prominent news source’s website last month as: “Neurofeedback: An ADHD Treatment That Retrains the Brain? Neurofeedback hasn’t yet proved out and isn’t cheap, but it dangles the prospect of a permanent cure.” Check the end of this review for a link to the original article. (more…)
Excellent Free Resource: Treatment of Children with Mental Disorders eBook
The National Institutes of Health (NIMH) maintains their steady release of free, evidence-based mental health resources for the general public with their latest ebook, “Treatment of Children with Mental Disorders.” Parents who are faced with child behavior problems and are uncertain what to do may find this publication’s easy-to-read question and answer format to be very helpful. Healthcare providers should know too that these NIMH ebook publications make for great patient handouts. (more…)
NIH/NIMH Research News Update 7-21-09
The July 21rst edition of the NIH/NIMH Research News Update highlights new information that includes evidence-based prevention of suicide in the military, depression is more strongly related to stress rather than a gene, more on stimulants and sudden death, a brief one-time intervention helps to reduce sexually transmitted diseases in African American males, and the NIH to launch the “connectome” project of the human brain (similar to the genome, but for brain function). (more…)
Neurofeedback for ADHD Achieves A “Level 5 – Efficacious and Specific” Efficacy Rating
In a huge development for the field of biofeedback, researchers* classified neurofeedback for childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as “Level 5 – Efficacious and Specific” – the highest available efficacy rating established by ISNR and AABP. The investigators utilized a statistical technique called a meta-analysis to arrive at the results. Speaking from personal experience, neurofeedback clinicians have long known the powerful effects of EEG biofeedback for childhood attention and hyperactivity difficulties. Research trickled out over the years to provide support of these anecdotal clinical observations, but several recent well designed neurofeedback/ADHD studies allowed researchers to collect a minimum number of quality studies to conduct the current meta-analysis. For example, see Children With ADHD Realize Significant Benefits From Neurofeedback Training In a Randomized Clinical Trial reviewed on this website in February 2009. (more…)
An Interview With Philip Thorpe, Lead Researcher Of The Recent Bavituximab Study
Dr. Philip Thorpe, Ph.D., lead researcher of the Bavituximab study* reviewed on this website, recently agreed to conduct an interview with The Behavioral Medicine Report. The original review of his research turned out to be a highly accessed article that justified a follow-up interview with Dr. Thorpe. I also wanted to clarify my understanding of Bavituximab and its treatment implications and to better determine if the excitement that surrounds Bavituximab is justified. (more…)
ISNR Research Foundation Calls For QEEG and Neurofeedback Research Grant Proposals
The ISNR (International Society for Neurofeedback and Research) Research Foundation seeks to fund large scale, high quality quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) and neurofeedback studies. They encourage researchers to immediately submit grant proposals for ADHD, Epilepsy, Autistic, and mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) populations. The ISNR Research Foundation further released a one page document with specific details on how grant proposals should be written, as well as how to apply. Check the end of this report for a link. (more…)
New NIMH Depression Awareness Video Available For Free Public Use
The National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) released a free video to promote awareness of the symptoms of depression and its potential treatments. In fact, they encourage public distribution of this video at schools, workshops, and other public functions. Preteen or adolescent males and females are the targeted audience. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychotropic, and combined treatments are advocated. Healthcare professionals who work with these age groups may want to add this video to their websites. Check the end of this report to watch the actual video and to get a download link. (more…)
Excellent Free Resource: Nutrition.gov
As the name suggests, Nutrition.gov is free service from the U.S. federal government that provides important information on nutrition. Healthy living recommendations and guidelines, especially dietary ones, seem to change constantly. Nutrition.gov does a great job of bringing together science-based research and news for the general public from “….the staff at the Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) and the National Agricultural Library (NAL) in cooperation with a panel of food and nutrition expert advisers from agencies within United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).” (more…)
Blue Cross Blue Shield Continues To Block Coverage for Biofeedback and Neurofeedback
I obtained a copy of a recent Position Statement from Blue Cross/Blue Shield that pertains to biofeedback and neurofeedback from a professional online neurofeedback user group. Unfortunately, Blue Cross/Blue Shield still considers neurofeedback “Investigational and Not Medically Necessary” for all conditions. It appears that Blue Cross/Blue Shield failed to include vital studies, some reviewed on this website, such as Gevensleben et al.’s (2009) ADHD research, Kouijzer et al.’s (2009) Autism research, and Hoedlmoser et al.’s (2008) sleep and memory research. A copy of the entire Position Statement is posted at the end of this report. (more…)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Improves Sleep In Those Diagnosed With Chronic Primary Insomnia
Approximately 5% of persons in the United States suffer from primary persistent insomnia and many are prescribed sedative hypnotics or antidepressant medications. However, prescription medication can also cause side effects or create dependence, and published data on their efficacy for sleep disorders is limited*. Additionally, poor sleep may return once the medication intake stops*. The current study* investigated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for chronic primary insomnia. CBT is a psychological treatment that facilitates change in how one thinks, feels, and acts through various talk therapy and behavioral strategies and techniques. (more…)
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A Clinical Outcome Study Of Neurofeedback And Biofeedback For Migraine Headache- Diaphragm Mediates Action of Autonomic and Enteric Nervous Systems
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Neurofeedback For Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Promising Results In A Small Sample
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