Papers by Siegfried Othmer
Cyberpsychology & behavior, Jun 1, 2000
The value of providing information-rich feedback in an operant conditioning paradigm is evaluated... more The value of providing information-rich feedback in an operant conditioning paradigm is evaluated in a population of children undergoing EEG conditioning training (neurofeedback or EEG biofeedback) for a variety of conditions, including mainly ADHD, seizures, and mood disorders. Retrospective data analysis yields the finding that some tests of cognitive function show better outcomes with more complex, information-rich feedback. Also, more absorbing feedback yields a larger number of training sessions. It is, therefore, likely that additional benefit may be derived by continuing in the direction of providing more immersive, information-rich feedback, leading ultimately to full virtual reality implementations.
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd eBooks, Dec 1, 2011
Routledge eBooks, Feb 12, 2020
In Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback one is gifted with a cornucopia of compelling clinical data,... more In Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback one is gifted with a cornucopia of compelling clinical data, along with a paucity of quantifiability and sparseness of theory for their interpretation. The real-time signal is meaningful only to the brain that produces it, and for the real-time response one is dependent on client report. The training process is entirely selfreferential, i.e. endogenous, operating at the limit of subtlety at which good neuro-regulation must necessarily take place. Nevertheless, clear patterns of responding have been observed. Two primary failure modes have been identified and linked to two principal protocols that are broadly impactful for the clinical population. Precision is available to us in the frequency domain, and that has yielded a basis for understanding how the different brain regions coordinate in the frequency domain. The identified pattern holds over the entire range of frequencies of therapeutic relevance. Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback engages with a slow control system that was first identified in animal research. This takes us to the foundations of the developmental hierarchy, and as such facilitates recovery from early childhood trauma at any time in life, as well as enabling the redirection of developmental trajectories in infancy and early childhood.
Elsevier eBooks, 2017
Abstract This chapter is intended to serve as a counter-point to the other chapters of this book ... more Abstract This chapter is intended to serve as a counter-point to the other chapters of this book in that it presents neurofeedback as both an alternative and a complement to stimulation-based methods of neurorehabilitation. Neurofeedback is based on learning or a training model, and generally relies on one of two basic approaches: the specific targeting of dysfunction or the more general promotion of functional competence. Both appeal to the frequency-based organization of cerebral network function. The novel finding is that this frequency-based organization reaches deep into the infra-low frequency (ILF) region. Through ILF neurofeedback the existence of specific frequency relationships has been established. These govern the interhemispheric and intrahemispheric coordination in the frequency domain, and they present a unified picture of the relationship of ILF and EEG phenomenology. A regulatory hierarchy is implied in which the right hemisphere bears the principal burden for core regulation and early development. ILF neurofeedback presents an attractive option for the restoration of regulatory competence and the enhancement of function. The chapter begins by laying the foundation for the frequency basis of cerebral regulation.
Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, Dec 1, 2013
Neuromodulation in the bioelectrical domain is an attractive option for the remediation of functi... more Neuromodulation in the bioelectrical domain is an attractive option for the remediation of functionally based deficits. Most of the interest to date has focused on exogenous methods, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transient direct current stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, and deep brain stimulation. Much less attention has been given to endogenous methods of exploiting latent brain plasticity. These have reached a level of sophistication and maturity that invites attention. Over the last 7 years, the domain of infralow frequencies has been exploited productively for the enhancement of neuroregulation. The principal mechanism is putatively the renormalization of functional connectivity of our resting-state networks. The endogeneous techniques are particularly attractive for the pediatric population, where they can be utilized before dysfunctional patterns of brain behavior become consolidated and further elaborated into clinical syndromes.
Journal of Neurotherapy, 2000
Background: Neurofeedback studies have been criticized for including small numbers of subjects. T... more Background: Neurofeedback studies have been criticized for including small numbers of subjects. The effect of SMR-beta neurofeedback training on the Test of Variables of Attention was evaluated in more than 1,000 subjects from thirty-two clinics. Methods: 1089 subjects (726 children, 324 females, 186 with ADHD David Alan Kaiser received an MFA from the University of Iowa and an MA and PhD in psychology from UCLA. He has been employed by EEG Spectrum since 1995. Like his co-author, he is also a graduate of Cornell University. Siegfried Othmer received his PhD in experimental physics from Cornell University. Since 1988, Siegfried Othmer has been engaged in research and the management of the clinical applications of EEG biofeedback through EEG Spectrum, Inc., as its president and chief scientist.
Journal of Neurotherapy, Jul 18, 2006
This study reports on the improvements in IQ scores and maintenance of the gains following EEG bi... more This study reports on the improvements in IQ scores and maintenance of the gains following EEG biofeedback with identical twin girls with mild developmental delay and symptoms suggestive of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Full Scale IQ scores increased 22 and 23 points after treatment and were maintained at three follow-up retests over a 52-month period. ADHD symptom checklists completed by their mother showed a similar pattern of improvement and maintenance of gains. The extent of improvement is supported by anecdotal reports of behavioral changes. The results are discussed in the context of other studies of EEG biofeedback also showing improved intelligence following EEG biofeedback. Advances in neuroscience bring hope that some day children with developmental delays can be systematically helped.EEG biofeedback is one intervention that holds promise in this regard. First discovered 30 years ago as a treatment for epilepsy (Sterman & Friar, 1972) EEG biofeedback, also called "neurotherapy" or "neurofeedback" has been applied to a range of disorders including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and learning problems (Monastra,
Biofeedback, Jun 1, 2016
A method of nonprescriptive neurofeedback is described that is based on the brain interacting wit... more A method of nonprescriptive neurofeedback is described that is based on the brain interacting with its own tonic slow cortical potential. In the absence of any explicit guidance by the clinician, the training depends entirely on the brain's response to the unfolding signal. When this training is performed under optimal conditions in terms of placement and target frequency, there is a bias toward optimal functioning. The brain uses the information for its own benefit. The outcomes of the training are either comparable to or exceed expectations based on conventional electroencelphalogram band-based neurofeedback. Results are shown for a cognitive skills test for an unselected clinical population.
Journal of Neurotherapy, Dec 12, 2006
Elsevier eBooks, 2009
This chapter addresses the question of how to classify the neuromodulation effects resulting from... more This chapter addresses the question of how to classify the neuromodulation effects resulting from widely differing neurofeedback approaches developed over the last four decades. We have seen a proliferation of targets and objectives to which attention is directed in the training. With regard to clinical outcomes, however, one encounters a broad zone of commonality. Why is it that the premises and technological approaches within the neurofeedback network of scholars and clinicians are so disparate, yet they largely achieve common clinical goals? This in-depth analysis may lead us closer to the "essence" of neurofeedback and provide focus for further development efforts. In its most common applications, EEG feedback typically combines two challenges, one directed to the frequency-based organization of brain communication and one that targets inappropriate state transitions. These two challenges lead to very different rules of engagement. As such rules are unearthed, they must be understood in terms of an appropriate model of brain function. At a more philosophical level, an understanding of this whole process also takes us to the very cusp of the mind-body problem, the neural network relations that provide the nexus where our thoughts are encoded and interact directly and inseparably with network representations of psychophysiological states. This chapter will attempt to appraise the "state of the fi eld" at this moment. The objective is to discern the commonalities among the various approaches on the one hand, and among the clinical fi ndings, on the other. This will lead to a codifi cation of a "minimal set of claims" that could serve to cover the commonalities among the techniques, and it will lead to a simple classifi cation scheme for the various clinical fi ndings. The evidence in favor of such a minimal set of claims will be adduced largely by reference. Further, the classifi cation of the various clinical fi ndings will serve the objective of a more appropriate or natural language for the fi eld of neurotherapy than is provided in the formalism of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV, APA, 1994).
Biofeedback, Mar 1, 2009
The application of neurofeedback to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in returning veterans i... more The application of neurofeedback to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in returning veterans is described herein and is illustrated with two case histories. Initially, frequency-based electroencephalogram training was employed to promote functional recovery, in the manner of the traditional sensorimotor rhythm/beta approach. An optimization procedure was employed in which the reinforcement frequency is tailored to the client on the basis of symptom response, with particular regard for the regulation of arousal. Low frequencies, down to .01 Hz, have been found especially useful in the remediation of posttraumatic stress disorder. This training was complemented with traditional alpha-theta work as pioneered at the Menninger Foundation and by Peniston. The objective here is experiential, because prior traumas typically are revisited in a nonforced, nontraumatic manner. The benign witnessing of traumas consolidates the experience of safety for which the prior training laid the groundwork. Collectively, this approach has been found to be much better tolerated than traditional exposure therapies. In addition, it is helpful in the shedding of substance dependencies that are common in treatment-resistant PTSD
Elsevier eBooks, 1999
Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the electroencephalogram EEG Biofeedback, which is an em... more Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the electroencephalogram EEG Biofeedback, which is an emerging model for its global efficacy. EEG biofeedback has a favorable research history for both epilepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A model has been presented in the chapter in which ADHD and its comorbidities can be seen as a composite or spectrum disorder, grounded in the disregulation of basic neurophysiological mechanisms underlying attentional, cognitive, and effective function. This model has been extended so that much of psychopathology can be seen in neurophysiological terms such as “disorders of disregulation,” traceable to a relatively small number of characteristic failure modes of the brain acting as a control system. The EEG biofeedback training for a large variety of conditions has been accomplished to date with a parsimonious set of protocols. Such protocols had their origins in basic research, but have since been evolved and refined empirically. These protocols can be motivated by a straightforward partitioning of brain function in the spatial and frequency domains. Such remediation may result in the essentially complete amelioration of symptoms attendant to various disorders, many of which have been refractory to standard medical interventions. Clinical data indicate that broad generalization of these principles may be possible to the domain of psychopathology at large, including, among others, the dissociative disorders, addictions, eating disorders, and even personality disorders. Discovery and validation through research of the practical implications of brain regulation in the bioelectrical domain could potentially lead to a scientific revolution comparable to the development of pharmacotherapy in both the therapeutic and the scientific realm.
CRC Press eBooks, Jul 9, 2015
Journal of Neurotherapy, Jul 8, 2005
Introduction. This study examines recovery of attentional measures among a heterogeneous group of... more Introduction. This study examines recovery of attentional measures among a heterogeneous group of clients in a pre-and post-comparison using inter-hemispheric EEG training at homologous sites. A continuous performance test was used as an outcome measure. The client population was divided into three categories: (a) primarily attentional deficits, (b) primarily psychological complaints, and (c) both. Method. Neurofeedback protocols included T3-T4, Fp1-Fp2, F3-F4, C3-C4 and P3-P4. A wide range of reward frequencies was used, and these were individually selected to optimize the subjective experience of the training. Participants were 44 males and females, 7 to 62 years old, who underwent treatment for a variety of clinical complaints. Dependent variables were derived from a continuous performance test, the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), which was administered prior to EEG training and 20 to 25 sessions thereafter. Results. After EEG training a clear trend towards improvement on the
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Papers by Siegfried Othmer