New Findings in Stroke Recovery

Researchers at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, have recently published results showing strength training on the non-affected side can also strengthen weakened limbs after a stroke.

Doctors have known for more than 100 years that short-term, high-intensity resistance training on one side of the body causes some degree of strength gain in the contralateral, untrained limb — for example, the left leg when only the right leg is exercised. The phenomenon is called cross-education, and the strength gain in the untrained limb is up to half of what it is in the trained limb.

This new research with stroke patients is very exciting. The study focused on the legs and ankles with an eye toward walking recovery. The participants spent six weeks rigorously exercising their less-affected ankle dorsiflexors, the muscles that flex the foot and enable natural walking. The training was in 25-minute sessions three times weekly.
Significant results were seen in just 6-8 weeks.
For more information contact BrainAdvantage.

Exercising non-affected side helps in stroke recovery.

Possible Cause of ADHD

Possible Cause of ADHD

In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the annual cost of ADHD-related illness in children under 18 years of age to be between $36 billion and $52.4 billion, making the condition a public health priority. In 2010, approximately 8.4 percent of children ages 3 to 17 had been diagnosed with ADHD. For about half the affected children, the disease persists into adulthood, according to CDC statistics.

During critical periods of fetal organ development, Lack of oxygen and nutrient transport from the mother's blood to fetal circulation may result in compromised oxygen delivery to tissues and cause cerebrovascular complications. A recent study suggests that the adverse effect of hypoxia on prenatal brain development may lead to functional problems, including ADHD.

Symptoms of ADHD in children may include attention problems, acting without thinking, or an overly active temperament.

A New Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease

Things Are Looking Up for Alzheimer's 

We all know how Alzheimer’s disease can whittle away the mental faculties of its victims. Although scientists and doctors still don’t know what triggers the process, there is some evidence that toxic or physical insults can set it in motion. Typically the damage that characterizes Alzheimer’s begins a decade or more before the symptoms become evident. The latest theory is that abnormal deposits of proteins form amyloid "trash" in the sufferer’s brain cells which causes healthy neurons to malfunction and eventually die. Over time the damage spreads the hippocampus which is vital to memory and with this forgetfulness takes hold. As additional neurons die the affected areas begin to shrink. By the final stage the damage is very widespread the brain has shrunk considerably.

But there are things that can be done. Brsin therapies can reverse and improve symptoms and we've seen evidence that removing toxic heavy metals from the brain, treating any existing vascular abnormalities, dealing with any impediments to oxygen flow to the brain and more can make a world of difference for them.

In addition, our partner Dr. Steenblock helps Alzheimer’s patients by harvesting their own stem cell-rich bone marrow and giving it back to them. Many published studies have shown that bone marrow stem cells can remediate Alzheimer’s in animal models. Among these are:

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells attenuate amyloid β-induced memory impairment and apoptosis by inhibiting neuronal cell death.

Intracerebral transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells reduces amyloid-beta deposition and rescues memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease mice by modulation of immune responses.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells reduce brain amyloid-beta deposition and accelerate the activation of microglia in an acutely induced Alzheimer’s disease mouse model.

By the time most people with AD reach Us they typically have been wrestling with ever-escalating health problems for some time. Many are on blood-thinners, anti-hypertensive drugs and others.

We approach these patients with a number of goals in mind:

(1) Determine what is going on in their body including disease processes both pronounced and subtle. Including heavy metals, toxins and nutrition.

(2) Take what is revealed in the patient’s medical history and various exams to formulate a precise, targeted, personalized treatment plan. This gives our patients theacim benefit from treatment.

With tweaking along the way this program helps bring about improvements in AD patients and encourages a significant slowing of progression.

So if you have a loved one who suffers with Alzheimer's disease or you are worried about getting symptoms, call is today! 714-269-7990.

Effective Treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Are you frustrated and exhausted from arguing constantly with your child?
All children show some level of defiance from time to time. But in children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), the defiance, hostility and refusal to comply are ongoing and the behavior affects the entire family.

ODD is one of the toughest of all parenting challenges. But when parents have the right tools, they can change their child’s behavior—quickly and dramatically.
Like many parents of kids with ODD, you may have been in family therapy with your child. And you’ve probably come out wondering why it’s still so difficult to get your child’s behavior to change, after you’ve spent all that time and money.
Here’s why. Traditional counseling and therapy focus on getting a child with ODD to talk about his “feelings” and building his self–esteem to change his behavior.
There’s a better way. Changing behavior starts with the child's ability to think through problems. changing brain function is key. then having tools that help control outbursts in day–to–day, real–world challenges can change their lives.
BrainAdvantage teaches your child more effective ways to solve his problems without fighting, screaming, annoying and defiance. He’ll learn a simple system that will enable him to handle his problems appropriately and on his own, without acting out. A system that gets him…and you…better results.

Call today to see how BrainAdvantage can help you and your child.

How to Get Rid of Stress

Before BrainAdvantage

After 20 sessions of BrainAdvantage

It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about stress. After all, there will never be more hours in the day, and your career and family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you can control your stress is the foundation of stress-free life. Managing stress is all about taking charge: of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way you deal with problems.
For many just the thought of this is stressful. But there are tools to help.

At BrainAdvantage we give you the ability to control that stress forever.
Gentle, non-invasive and drug-free. Don't let your stress get the better of you!

Call BrainAdvantage today for more information.

Can Keeping Active Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's Disease?

Keep active and reduce cognitive decline and the risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Staying cognitively active throughout life is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Several studies link continued cognitive health with social engagement through work, volunteering, or living
with someone. Mentally stimulating activities such as reading books and magazines, going to lectures, and playing games are also linked to keeping the mind sharp.

In a large study of healthy older people, researchers found a relationship between more frequent social activity and better cognitive function. Intellectually stimulating activities may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, studies show. One large observational study looked at the impact of ordinary activities like listening to the radio, reading newspapers, playing puzzle games, and visiting museums. Investigators asked more than 700 older nuns, priests, and religious brothers to describe the amount of time they spent doing these activities. After 4 years, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease was 47 percent lower, on average, for those who did the activities most often than for those who did them least frequently.
Call BrainAdvantage today for more information.

Brain Training Can Help Prevent and Treat Alzheimer’s

You can improve and even reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

Our studies have shown that BrainAdvantage interventions can be effective in preventing, slowing and treating Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment.

We believe that the brain training’s benefits seen by our patients are created by increasing cognitive reserve, which allows the brain to perform tasks even if there is damage to the pathways between brain cells. According to a review published in the September 2010 edition of “Nature,” one study of 29,000 people demonstrated that those with the highest cognitive reserves had a 46 percent reduced risk of developing dementia compared to those with lower reserves. The review also agreed with our findings that brain training can partially reverse dementia even after the symptoms are apparent.

We have known for several years that our specialized, integrated programs have had great success with those suffering from stroke, traumatic brain injury and age-related cognitive decline. We’ve seen spectacular improvements in long-term, short-term and working memory, as well as visual and auditory processing, NeuroMotor skills and attention, among other cognitive skills. Now we’re starting to see how our brain training methodology can be beneficial in helping to reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

For more information, contact BrainAdvantage today.

How to Improve Your Brain

Tips to help you improve brain function.

Do you play a single-stringed guitar? How about a piano with a single key? I know my guitar has six strings and I need them all for all the sounds they make.

Your life should not have just a single string either. To make your life a melody, you, your body and your brain need variety.

Take exercise: Spending all of your time on a bench in the gym may let you eventually press 400 pounds, but those powerful arms will look silly if you ignore the rest of your body! Your exercise plan should balance exercise for your body with exercise for your brain.

After all, there are many different machines in the gym, but the brain helps run the body as well as all those muscles.

Your diet should also be a symphony of foods that includes protein, vegetables, fruits, yes, and even carbohydrates. High-protein, low carbohydrate diets may cause quick weight loss, but these diets can affect your brain performance. Recent research at Tufts University showed that a low-carb diet can quickly affect your memory, reaction time, and visuospatial skills. Don’t omit this important string from your diet. Your brain needs energy to think and grow and carbs help provide it.

Make sure that your diet includes fish that contain Omega 3 fatty acids to help your brain and immune system. But avoid farmed tilapia: it actually has few Omega 3 fatty acids. But it does have an abundance of Omega-6, which is potentially harmful to the heart. That old standby salmon is still one of the best sources of what you need.

In my field, cognitive science, I’ve found that a six-stringed approach is most effective. Combining brain technologies improves the effectiveness of each. Some may target the vestibular system while others may improve executive brain performance. While most people can use improvement in both areas, I’ve seen a synergistic effect when used together.

So don’t just rely on a single string. If you want to improve your brain performance or just need to address a specific issue, such as memory, look for someone who knows how to play a complete tune.

For more information about getting your brain in shape, call BrainAdvantage today.

Gaining a Competitive Edge in Business

Be more successful in business by using Peak Performance training.

You may have heard how athletes use The BrainAdvantage System to achieve and maintain their competitive edge. But BrainAdvantage has customized its landmark brain wellness system for business-people and companies seeking to improve every aspect of their business lives. You've come to the right place if you’re:

A businessperson competing in the high-stress corporate world, or

An employer seeking to improve the performance of your employees.

BrainAdvantage is the market leader in providing integrated Peak Performance solutions to individuals to help them reach the peak of the corporate pyramid. Using The BrainAdvantage System, you can

• Improve your cognitive function—think better and smarter! 
• Lower your stress—tap into that relaxation vein whenever you need it! 
• Increase your mental flexibility—always be able to respond to a challenge at the peak of your ability! 
• Increase your memory—keep those important facts always on tap! 

Human Resources Departments can implement The BrainAdvantage System to provide these benefits to company employees—and your company benefits with each employee who performs better!

The BrainAdvantage System can also help reduce health care costs. According to the American Heart Association, we lose over $30 billion a year (and rising) due to stress-related illness associated with cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. And did you know that 70% of the health care costs are preventable?

By providing a brain wellness program, your company can lower health care costs related to stress, reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

The BrainAdvantage System can provide your organization with the tools and technologies to quickly start your own brain wellness program and keep your workers motivated and tracking their progress towards a healthy and fun lifestyle!

Call BrainAdvantage today to see what we can do for you!

Training the Brain for Better Sports Performance

Improve your performance to beat out competition!

Maximum Peak Performance is what lets athletes reach their goals by overcoming the mental obstacles and competitive pressures. At BrainAdvantage, we have helped many people improve their performances in sports as well as life. The BrainAdvantage System helps our trainees achieve results others can only envy. Here are a few of our results:

A motorcycle racer who reported better mental focus and flexibility in the saddle, giving her quicker reflexes and better control over the bike

A snowboarder who was able to calm his pre-race jitters and achieve better vision on the snow.

Springboard and platform divers were able to complete higher quality and more complex dives after completing as few as 20 BrainAdvantage sessions.

Golfers and football, baseball and tennis players have all found that BrainAdvantage gave them the edge they needed to perform better.

(And even videogamers have reported that their response times were much faster!)

Wherever your competitive juices take you, what you achieve comes from your brain and body working together. Let’s use tennis as an example:

You see the ball coming and your brain has to make many lightning-fast calculations: Forehand or backhand? Can I reach it? What pace and spin should I use? Where is my opponent most vulnerable? What’s his weak point?

Your brain directs your leg and torso muscles to get you to the right spot and into position. Your eyes continue to read the ball’s position and rotation and your brain directs your arm, shoulder and torso muscles to position the racquet for the swing. And then you swing! If it all comes together the way your brain has planned it, you land a solid cross-court winner to your opponent’s weak backhand for the set point!

You can't expect muscle training alone to accomplish this complex performance. You need to see more, have perfect timing, maintain your focus on the ball, and think quickly and accurately. At BrainAdvantage, we know how to help athletes train their brains to focus and concentrate, block out emotional disturbances and ignore extraneous sounds.

Using The BrainAdvantage System is fast, fun, easy—and affordable. We work with an athlete’s brain to improve:

Focus

Concentration

Memory

Emotional strength

Coordination

Sound discrimination

Maximum Peak Performance requires your best in all of these areas.

The BrainAdvantage System is not just "brain training".

We begin with an assessment of overall brain performance. We look at brain function, neuromotor skills, oxygen levels in the brain's frontal lobes and how well the eyes work together. We need a complete picture of how the brain is functioning in order to create a personal brain training protocol just for your athlete.

Then we guide the athlete through a series of training sessions that exercise a varierty of skills and physical abilities. We at BrainAdvantage use an individualized, integrated system combining a number of technologies to help maximize brain function. We work both the brain and the body because we know that they must work together to achieve athletic goals.

How does The BrainAdvantage System work? It provides the athlete with more information about the brain and body than normal senses can provide. This "feedback" helps an athlete learn to develop greater control over his brain.

Our system is exceptionally effective for amateur and professional athletes who wish to improve their ability to focus, improve accuracy, gain clarity, resist outside pressures and sustain a mental edge. Those who complete our program report that they have stronger attention and focus, improved ability to "get into the zone" and much improved mental timing and coordination. Our clients also tell us that they are much more relaxed when competing and have much improved mental recovery.

We have worked with a wide range of clients over the years and know that a single mode of training just doesn't work for everyone. That’s the reason we developed our integrated system to attack all of the issues preventing Peak Athletic Performance. Our system has proven exceptionally effective for athletes who want to improve their ability to focus, improve their concentration, gain clarity and emotional stability, resist outside pressures and sustain a mental edge.

Call BrainAdvantage today for a free consultation and take that first step to helping your athlete succeed.

ADHD Medications

What about ADHD medications?

In earlier blog posts we've discussed ADHD and its symptoms. I get lots of questions regarding ADHD medications. What’s wrong with medicating a school-aged child? And, even more disturbing, is the growing trend to prescribe these medications to preschool children aged 1-3. Because of how the brain matures, issues with reasoning, emotions and problem-solving are common and appropriate at this age. The frontal lobes that are so crucial in reasoning, planning, movement, emotions, and problem solving do not mature until between 15 and 21 years of age. Since ADHD medications typically work primarily in the prefrontal cortex, it seems to make little sense to prescribe it to infants. In addition, children are no longer just taking the medicines for a few years during grade school but are encouraged to stay on them into adulthood.

ADHD adults still struggle with the symptoms even though many are not reported as ADHD because by adulthood they have resorted to self-medication with alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes or illegal drugs. They have a high rate of unemployment, lost jobs and broken relationships. Why is this happening? Some clinicians are managing the symptoms instead of treating the root cause and it has created a growing epidemic.

ADHD medications prescribed to children and adults include methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) or an amphetamine (Adderall, Vyvanse). It is important to note that these medications are not a total cure! They are a Band-Aid® for symptoms…when they work at all. The other thing is that they actually change brain chemistry—and not for the better. Medications such as Methylphenidate (Ritalin®, Concerta®, Methylin®), Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine®, Dextrostat®), Amphetamine: combined dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine (Adderall®) and Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse®) are all typical first line medications for ADHD and they are stimulants. They create a “high” giving the user elevated mood, increased feelings of well-being, and increased energy and alertness. They are in the same class as cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamines, nicotine, and MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine), better known as “Ecstasy.”

Although stimulants are usually the first choice prescribed to treat ADHD, non-stimulants (e.g., Intuniv™, Strattera®) also may be used. Guanfacine Hydrochloride (Intuniv) was originally created to help control high blood pressure. This medication reduces nerve impulses to the heart and arteries; this slows the heartbeat, relaxes the blood vessels, and thus reduces blood pressure. Intuniv was approved by the FDA for limited use. Eight to nine weeks are usually the limit this drug should be taken. Longer use has not been tested. The side effects for this drug are noted in Table 1.:

Table 1. Side Effects for GuanfacineHydrochloride (Intuniv)

• Abdominal pain 
• Constipation 
• Fatigue 
• Headaches 
• Impotence 
• Dizziness 
• Dry mouth 
• Excessive sleepiness (somnolence) 
• Low blood pressure (hypotension) 

Discontinuing Intuniv abruptly may result in nervousness, rapid pulse, anxiety, heartbeat irregularities, and so-called rebound high blood pressure.

Strattera is also a non-stimulant. However, Strattera is chemically similar to tricyclic antidepressants, an older class of drugs that have long been known to occasionally induce mania in people with bipolar illness. In 2004 the FDA recommended a label warning potential for severe liver injury to be placed on Strattera. In 2004, the Journal of Pediatrics noted concern about Strattera's potential to induce extreme mood swings, which could lead to suicidal thinking: "Our clinical experience [with Strattera] has been that mood destabilization is a much more prevalent risk than was observed."

During Strattera’s clinical trials, two physicians wrote a letter to the Journal of Pediatrics. The doctors, Theodore Henderson of Denver and Keith Hartman of Osceola, Wis., noted that a third of 153 children treated with Strattera at two clinics in their areas manifested extreme irritability, aggression or mania—a state of wild excitement typified by racing thoughts, insomnia and inappropriate acts—soon after going on the drug. Three had to be hospitalized, including one 11-year-old boy who stripped off his clothes, covered his body with markings using a felt-tipped pen, flew into a screaming rage and threatened family members with a sword belonging to his father. Three others were incarcerated in juvenile detention centers for violent behaviors.

Table 2. Side effects for Strattera:

• Liver problems 
• Depression 
• Psychosis 
• Abnormal thought patterns 
• Tendency to self-injury 
• Dry Mouth 
• Insomnia 
• Abdominal pain 
• Constipation 
• Sweating 
• Dysuria 
• Sexual problems 
• Weight change 
• Palpitations and increased heart rate 
• Increase blood pressure 
• Decreased appetite 
• Dizziness 
• Fatigue (tiredness) 
• Headache 
• Mood swings 
• Nausea and vomiting 

Besides the obvious risks, studies have now shown that, in the end, if these drugs work at all, they are only a short-term fix. The 8-year follow-up data from the ADHD MTA Study (Multisite Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) suggests that the use of ADHD drugs for a period longer than 2 years is ineffective.

So the bottom line is, just because they call them ADHD drugs, it doesn’t mean that they’re harmless. Since 2006, the FDA has labeled all ADHD medications with their “black box” warning, meaning they carry significant risk of serious or even life-threatening adverse effects. ADHD drugs are a class II narcotic. The warning was placed on these drugs for an increased risk of sudden death and serious cardiovascular problems but as you can see there are many other issues to be aware.

Call BrainAdvantage today for more information.

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Training Creativity

Enhance your creativity!

We find that creativity happens not with one brilliant flash but in a chain reaction of many tiny sparks while executing an idea.

Ideas don't magically appear in a genius' head from nowhere. They build on what came before, which means we have to be able to recognize the “big picture” and keep those memories sharp. And collaboration is key. Research and anecdotal evidence suggest that distant analogies lead to new ideas—like when a new idea in quantum physics ignites a new idea in astronomy or 3D imaging.

Take risks, and expect to make lots of mistakes, because creativity is a numbers game. Work hard, and take frequent breaks, but stay with it over time. Do what you love, because creative breakthroughs take years of hard work. Develop a network of colleagues, and schedule time for freewheeling, unstructured discussions. Most of all, forget those romantic myths that creativity is all about being artsy and gifted and not about hard work. They discourage us because we're waiting for that one full-blown moment of inspiration. And while we're waiting, we may never start working on what we might someday create.

With all this in mind, it is important to know that you have the ability to train your brain to be more creative. Right brain stimulation can increase the brain’s ability to take in all this information and see it in a new light. Enhance your more creative side today. Call BrainAdvantage for more information.

ADHD- Better Learning Without Drugs!

Does this sound like you or your child?

If your kids started school a few months ago with focus and attention issues, guess what? They'll probably still have the same issues as they go into the second half of this school year!

Prescription drugs are one quick answer - just pop a pill. And in some cases, the drugs work pretty well - for awhile. But these drugs are classified by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration as a Class II narcotic - in the same class with cocaine and methamphetamine. The commonly prescribed drugs carry a "black box" warning, the most serious medication warning required by the FDA. These drugs have been linked to cardiovascular problems and sudden death. The more common side effects can be so devastating or unpleasant that many kids just don't want to take them.

What kind of intervention can help your kids without severely affecting their body chemistry or personality? ADHD is more than just hyperactivity. Root causes may include brain processing abnormalities, problems with the entire listening/hearing system, food or environmental allergies, metabolic insufficiencies, and heavy metal toxicity.

The best, safest, and least intrusive alternative is a combination of efforts to improve both mental functioning and metabolic deficiencies. Children with ADHD symptoms can be helped by as few as 30 sessions of the BrainAdvantage™ training system. It measures brain oxygenation in key areas. The harder the brain cells work, just like muscle cells, the more they demand oxygen.

Neurofeedback can create new pathways with more oxygen and neurotransmitters for better brain function. When combined with specialized sensory processing training, visual skills training, and neuromotor skills training, the brain is restored to a calm and focused state. These techniques can reduce anxiety, increase alertness, and reduce ADHD symptoms. Some of the devices are designed for home use so the whole family can benefit.

It pays to assess diet and environmental toxicities, too. Some children have turned around just by removing specific foods to which they are sensitive and adding omega-3 fish oils to correct a fatty acid deficiency. Others get a big boost with chelation to remove metals which are silently warehoused in brain and bones and gum up the works.

If you yourself have trouble concentrating, remember ADHD is often inherited. ADHD kids often come from ADHD families. It's very possible that you share some of the same environmental or genetic factors that affect your child. You may also benefit from working to clear out the clutter in your head and the clutter lurking in your body.

Call or write BrainAdvantage now for a free consultation and more information.

Healing Your Heart, Healing Your Brain

Today more and more people are suffering from the ravages of stress, poor diet and the environment. Consequently we are not only seeing more heart- related illnesses like congestive heart failure, coronary blockage and angina, but brain issues as well. The numbers of those suffering with cognitive impairment, memory loss and dementia have skyrocketed.

Now there is a non-invasive cure for these issues. ECP (aka EECP) (external counter pulsation) is a non invasive treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD).
ECP improves blood flow to the peripheral arterial system to create a natural "work around" for blocked arteries and those not supplying sufficient blood flow to the heart. It is an outpatient procedure during which cuffs are wrapped around the patient’s calves, thighs and buttocks that inflate and deflate in sync with the patient’s heart beat. The pressure pushes blood and oxygen up into the body to act as a second heart.
But the blood and oxygen doesn't just stop at the heart. We have found through clinical research that the blood and oxygen is increased in all organs, even the brain. In fact, we have seen an increase of 35% more oxygen into the brain when using this technique.
For our dementia, brain injured and stroke patients, the increased oxygen to the brain along with our training makes recovery faster, easier and safer than other methods.
Our ECP patients have seen normalized blood pressure, reduction or elimination of chronic chest pain, more stamina, increased sensation in paralyzed limbs from stroke, and even better none density.

For more information call BrainAdvantage today!

Treating Sports Concussion, "Traumatic Brain Injury"

Did Lou Gehrig really have Lou Gehrig's disease? A new study suggests that repeated hits to the head from playing sports can cause a motor-neuron disorder with symptoms that mimic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS as Lou Gehrig's disease is also called. Both conditions include weakness or numbness in the limbs, uncontrollable muscle twitching, and gradual loss of movement.

Researchers examined the brains

You don't have to play football to get a sports concussion.
Literally any sport is at risk!

and spinal cords of 12 deceased athletes thought to have died of ALS who all had a history of multiple head injuries. The researchers found that the athletes may actually have had chronic traumatic encephalomyopathy, a degenerative brain condition linked to head trauma. Two distinct proteins distinguish this condition from ALS, according to findings published in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology.

A recent report in Pediatrics found that from 1997 to 2007, the number of emergency room visits for concussions in 8- to 19-year-olds at least doubled. Young athletes are particularly susceptible to long-term brain damage because their brains are still developing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 50,000 adults and 2,680 children die of these kinds of traumatic brain injuries each year.

Sometimes the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) may not appear until days or weeks later. After all, you don't have to be knocked unconscious to sustain a concussion. Symptoms that range from sleepiness and dizziness to changes in mood and difficulty in making decisions are signs of concussion. All brain injuries can disrupt connections in the neural circuitry, which can create abnormal brain activity.

Counseling is difficult because patients can’t track everything that’s being said; they don’t remember conversations. Concussions and traumatic brain injuries can trigger epilepsy and increase the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.

The damaged areas are unlikely to repair themselves on their own. Unlike in Lou Gehrig’s day, we now know that brand new pathways can be created to take the place of those damaged with brain training. However, head injury, and other forms of brain dysfunction, often mean there is a slowing of activity in the brain’s frontal lobes. That is the area in charge of executive function: planning ahead, decision-making, judgment, language, and other important cognitive functions. 

EEG neurofeedback is typically less effective as it can't be used directly on frontal lobes because of noise in the signal. That's why we use HEG neurofeedback as part of out integrative system of therapies, which uses near infrared light to measure activity in the frontal lobes by measuring the oxygenation in the blood. A person then can learn how to use computer-assisted biofeedback exercises to actually increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. As oxygenation increases, new neural connections are made all over the brain and brainstem. HEG can be extremely effective, and often in half of the time of older EEG systems (the kind with sticky electrodes).

This kind of non-drug program can bring order from chaos in the brain. The effects are long-lasting. Call BrainAdvantage today for more information.

Holiday Depression Got you Down?

the holidays are a time for peace, joy and love. but for some, the holidays can be extremely stressful. After all, During the holiday season, we all deal with a variety of assaults to our body and brain.

Holiday depression get you down?

Its that time of the year when days are getting shorter, and nights are getting longer which for many brings some depression. To make things worse, we are being bombarded with the bright lights, decorations and ongoing advertisements of the holiday season. Work schedules, home schedules and sleep schedules are changed. We are eating sweet holiday treats loaded with sugar that creates huge energy swings.

The expectation of gift giving also hits all our emotional buttons producing financial and even more emotional stress.
The holidays also remind us of people who are no longer in our lives. That cumulative grief can be very taxing and make us feel isolated. Finally, many family gatherings involve difficult relationships. Rather than feeling safe and nurtured, many feel anxious when they go home for the holidays.

And yet… people expect others to feel cheerful during the holiday season. It’s no wonder that, for so many, this time of year is not a season of peace. Rather it is a time of heightened personal and family crisis.

So what can you do to relieve the stress and depression of the season?
It is possible to recognize the issues and begin giving some real, lasting, and valuable gifts this year.
During the month of December, when signing up for Full Program, a $500.00 discount.

For Yourself : An investment in your health and wellness through a Full Evaluation of your own brain health
For a Loved One : A consultation to learn about things that could nourish both brain and body
For all Your Friends : A BrainAdvantage Gift Certificate for a free Brain Consultation and a supportive nudge to take brain health seriously
These are practical actions you can take to invest in the health of all your loved ones, beginning with yourself. In 2013 perhaps you could honestly say you feel centered and confident, able to find and cultivate real peace in the midst of the holidays. That kind of life change is not a dream, but a very real possibility. The question is simply whether you are ready. Are you done with “crisis mode” and ready to take the steps to begin living differently?

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, MAKE ONE SMALL BUT LIFE-CHANGING SHIFT: FACE THE Issues AND LAY HOLD OF IT.
Acknowledge the reality of the emotional state of your life and the lives of those around you. And take steps to feel healthier, younger and in control of your life!

At BrainAdvantage more than 85 percent of our patients report improved quality of life scores after only 30 sessions, less than 2 months.
BrainAdvantage provides important services to help.

Comprehensive NeuroAssessment understanding every aspect of your neurological function, visual, auditory processing and neuromotor skills.
A Dietary overview to discover how simple food choices could transform the function of your brain and your mood

HOLIDAY PAYMENT OPTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
At BrainAdvantage we believe that good brain health should be accessible to everyone. With that in mind, we do provide zero interest financing. We also help to determine if your insurance companies will reimburse for the procedures.

Keep in mind that there is a high cost to not treating a mental health condition. In fact, untreated or poorly treated mental health and brain health issues can result in larger costs as seen below.

Ignoring Treatment Can Cost You
Ongoing costs of ineffective medications or therapy attempts
Psychiatric hospital stays—$2,000/day
Residential treatment costs—$100,000 per year for troubled teens
28-day drug treatment—$20-80,000 per month
Indirect costs such as underachievement at work or in school, legal problems, and marital problems.
The care you receive is an incredible investment in you and your loved ones’ well-being. Don’t let finances become an excuse to procrastinate on receiving the best care. We will help you find the best and most affordable option to receive and pay for the care that can truly transform your life.


NEW CLIENT SERVICES

Full PROGRAM – $5,800.00
Everything you meed for significant improvement of your symptoms, guaranteed! Includes all our comprehensive assessments ( one every 10 sessions) one customized training plan and 30 sessions, technologies for you to keep for ongoing maintenance.
One-Hour medical Consultation – $500.00

HOLIDAY Half-Hour Consultation – FREE
Includes overview of history and symptoms plus brain function evaluation.

Stephanie Reese, PhD
BrainAdvantage,LLC

Help Your Child Learn Better

Help your child learn easily.

Many children come to us with learning, attention, or special needs challenges. Often they have: A short attention span, difficulty following directions, visual or auditory distractibility, hyperactivity or lack of concentration. When they attempt to learn to read they may struggle with phonics, forget sight words easily, reverse letters, or have difficulty moving from word to word without losing their place. If they can read they may have difficulty understanding what they have read. They may experience headaches and their eyes may water or burn. Spelling is often challenging. In math they may easily forget the “facts”, forget how to do computation, and struggle with word problems, math logic and concepts. Their speech may be difficult to understand. They may have sloppy handwriting or difficulty learning to print or to write, possibly forgetting how to make their letters. In addition they may appear to be uncoordinated.

Some children come to us with additional struggles. Many are children in special classes or therapy programs. They have tactile or sensory dysfunction which may appear as poor behavior or impulsivness, inability to feel pressure or pain appropriately, extreme ticklishness, irritation from clothing, inability to distinguish temperatures, inability to tolerate hats, hair combing or hair washing. They may be extremely picky eaters, eating only a narrow variety of foods. They may have flat tonality in the voice, hypersensitivity to sound, undeveloped depth perception, difficulty making or maintaining eye contact. Their eyes may not track well and their eyes may turn in or wander. Behaviorally they may have good and bad days, cyclic behavior, extreme hyperactivity, rigid attitudes, and aggressive or destructive behavior. For some speech and language may be absent, limited, or very difficult. Some of these children find holding a pencil to be very unpleasant and difficult to manage, pencils may break from too much pressure, in other cases writing may be too light. Some of the children have difficulty moving their bodies, learning to crawl, creep, walk, run, jump, hop, or skip.

Depending on their symptoms, these children may have a professional diagnosis such as learning disabled, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexic, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or simply slow learner. Some are said to have an auditory or visual processing disorder or a problem with short or long term memory. Children with more severe difficulties may be diagnosed as brain injured, PDD, ASD, autistic, developmentally delayed, MMR, CAPD. Some are “labeled” with a language disorder or sensory dysfunction.

”Labels”

Sometimes these “labels” are even more destructive because they “label” the child with limited expectations as to what they can accomplish. These expectations may be based on old information or just wrong. Sadly, these “labels” can mislead parents and educators and even the child into believing they are broken or bad.
It is important to remember that most diagnoses are behavioral, based on situational observations as in a classroom. It is important that there is a very fine line for example, between “gifted” and “ADHD”. Furthermore, these observations are not static. With training even stubborn seemingly impossible symptoms can improve or be eliminated.

Organizing the Brain

We know that the brain and nervous system can become more organized, eliminating the original symptoms and helping the individual move on to a greater possibilities. When an area of the brain has been injured it is possible that other areas of the brain can take over the function of the injured area, plasticity.

We know that function is the main issue. For example, as stimulation is applied with optimum intensity, frequency, and duration, changes occur in the brain of the child receiving that stimulation. Physical connections and pathways for information processing actually develop which enable the brain to be better organized. As the brain becomes more organized due to plasticity, structure and chemistry also change. Children who have had symptoms such as hyperactivity, due to dysfunctional brain chemistry, experience a reduction of those symptoms as brain chemistry changes without medication!

The Results
When a child uses our program with sufficient consistency, intensity, frequency and duration much progress can be made. In fact, many of the symptoms the child originally displayed may be totally eliminated.

Some of the results we see include, but are not limited to: Non readers learning to read, distractibility changing to focus, sensory dysfunction becoming more typical, social behavior improving, painfully hypersensitive hearing changing to normal hearing, formerly picky eaters eating a variety of foods, phobias being overcome, emotionally and over sensitivity becoming typical, bedwetting eliminated, children able to retain math facts and do computation, improved reading comprehension, improved coordination, non writers learning to write, letter and number recognition becoming possible, children learning to walk and run, and those without language learning to speak. We provide neurodevelopmental and educational tools, by which your child can control the root causes that limit their potential for the rest of their lives.

Call us today to help your child reach their highest potential.

Can brain injury cause autism?

Autism is an issue that we're still trying to unravel. its not an illness like measles, its a combination of neurological symptoms along a spectrum which are different for each autistic individual. there have been possible links identified with genetics, heavy metals, immune disorders, vaccinations, epilepsy, toxins, allergies, oxygen deprivation and head injury just to name a few.
Anything which causes a brain to dysfunction on a permanent basis by altering the structural or functional integrity of the neurology can cause the various groups of symptoms, which we have come to recognize as autism.
Therefore knowing there are those who have suffered brain injuries, that resulted in symptoms which lie on the autistic spectrum, the answer has to be, sometimes a brain injury can lead to autism, but not all head injuries cause autism.

Autism may be caused from head trauma, depending on what areas of the brain are involved.

The good news is there are answers to both rewiring the brain to heal injury and eliminating other issues related to autism

Call BrainAdvantage today for more information.

Smoking Increases Depression and Anxiety

Are you smoking to ease anxiety and depression?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 30 percent of inhabitants in the western world smoke daily.Besides the health issues most commonly linked to smoking such as lung cancer, smoking is also linked to psychological problems.Studies have shown that those people with mental health problems are twice as likely to smoke as the rest of the population.

Anxiety and depression are the most common complaints from those who smoke and are often both present. Many smokers claim they smoke to “calm their nerves”. In fact, many smokers will tell you that they can’t stop smoking because right now they’re just too stressed. They need that cigarette to calm down.

After much research I found there is a link to smoking and anxiety/depression. But not the link you’d think. Not only has smoking has been shown NOT to calm the nerves; it might just be the cause of depression and anxiety in the first place!

Cigarettes contain an addictive stimulant drug, nicotine. Nicotine is known to cause excitement and intensify your worries to make them seem bigger than they are… which can lead to more anxiety. Smoking causes major depression as well because when a smoker is not smoking, the nicotine in the blood stream decreases and the feeling of excitement drops dramatically. When this happens, depression sets in. The body starts to crave that old feeling which is why smoking is so addictive.

Ironically many smokers who have anxiety and depression and actually managed to successfully quit smoking have reported feeling much less anxious and depressed not long after they managed to stop the habit.

If you are having these problems, thankfully there is help to stop the anxiety and depression and make quitting and staying off smoking much more easy. Call BrainAdvantage today for more information.

Mild Asperger's Syndrome

Could your child have Mild Asperger's Syndrome?

Asperger's syndrome is a higher functioning level of autism. Those with mild Asperger's syndrome have even fewer noticeable symptoms. they are therefore sometimes difficult to diagnose and may not be identified until later childhood or even until they are adults.  Additionally,  every case of Asperger's is unique, with people experiencing an individualized set of symptoms. These Symptoms of may include:

• Trouble with two-way communication: in other words, they don't listen to the other side of the conversation.  
• Difficulty with social cues: they may say or act inappropriately and seem oblivious to others' reactions. They may miss someone's subtle attempt to leave a conversation.
• Social awkwardness: trouble making a connection to form and maintain relationships and friendships. 
• Trouble with verbal cues: Can't understand verbal instruction and needs visual cues to learn.
• Mindblindness: A newer term meaning, taking things too literally and not understanding subtle language and emotional cues. 
• Limited  interests: they may have a narrow range of interests and no interest in participating in other 's activities or subjects.
• Compulsive: prefers a rigid routine and gets irrationally upset when the routine is disrupted.
• Sensory processing disorder: over-sensitivity to sounds, sights, physical contact or tastes.
• Motor skill issues: some limitations in both gross and fine motor skills. For example, may have taken longer to learn how to ride a bike or gain skill at handwriting during childhood.
• Obsessions: He has an unusual ability to focus intently on a favorite activity or subject for hours without noticing the passage of time, other people or his environment.
• Repetitive behavior: includes unusual rituals or repetitive actions in a strict routine such as hand flapping or rocking back and forth. Many of these repetitive actions are performed in a very specific manner. For example, they may flap their hands four times before opening a door.

Those with symptoms of Asperger's can be helped.

If you suspect that you or a loved one may have Asperger's or a similar condition, call BrainAdvantage today.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Does your child look like this??

All children have their "special moments". That is those times when they are too tired, too frustrated or too over-stimulated to cope with life's travails.  After all, a child's frontal cortex that gives them the ability to think through these critical issues won't mature until they're in their 20's. 

But for some, these times of extreme behavior are ongoing and result in a rigid inability to cope, creating a defiant attitude and a refusal to follow rules. They might lash out in an attempt to hurt themselves or others and end up very unhappy in their relationships and lives. Their self-esteem plummets. For parents this is particularly difficult as reasoning with this type of child is difficult and the child might even lash out at those who are trying to help them the most.

For those who are worried their child might suffer from Oppositional Defiant Disorder, here is a list of symptoms to watch for:

 

• Frequent temper tantrums
• Excessive arguing with adults
• Often questioning rules
• Active defiance and refusal to comply with adult requests and rules
• Deliberate attempts to annoy or upset people
• Blaming others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior
• Often being touchy or easily annoyed by others
• Frequent anger and resentment
• Mean and hateful talking when upset
• Spiteful attitude and revenge seeking

But take heart, there is an answer. For these children there is help. brainAdvantage therapies give them the tools to cope and the ability to calm the area of the brain that controls fight or flight and let's them control their behaviors.

For more information, contact BrainAdvantage today!

ADHD Compulsive Lying

Many ADHD children have a hard time sitting still in class. Any noise in their environment will pull their attention immediately. Many times they act before they think and friends will sometimes start to distance themselves.

ADHD individuals are sometimes unable to use past experiences to judge future ones. 

These individuals struggle to fit in everywhere and so have very low self-esteem. Some start compulsive lying. They tell lies to their friends to make themselves feel more important. They lie to teachers and family to try and save themselves the humiliation of yet another argument. Everyone is angry…including the child. They do not understand the problem. They might not even understand they are not telling the truth. 

They aren't bad kids, indeed most are quite bright.  Teachers and parents think they’re lazy and just acting out; they start not to care and so there’s always trouble at home.  However, both the parents and teachers have failed to understand that this is not something they set out to do intentionally. They have an inability to use the executive function in their brain. That part that modulates behavior that helps them think about past experiences and how they will affect future ones. With this part of the brain not working, they are unable to inhibit poor behavior and poor decision making. 

They just don’t have the ability to use those parts of the brain that would help them function easier. For example, having a “sense of time” is an executive function such as the ability to know how long it takes for 2 hours to pass when your mother says, "Be home in 2 hours". An ADHD child is playing video games at a friend’s house. Before they know it, 3 hours have passed. They lack the ability to shift focus and activities, knowing when to quit playing and go back to work. For this reason they never stop to complete homework. But they never set out not to do the work. Other things just got in the way.

Behavioral issues stem from an inability to separate emotion from fact. It is hard to logically think when all that is top of mind is the emotional trigger from the heated encounter. Being able to step back and think out a peaceful solution rationally is difficult. So an ADHD child reacts first and thinks later.

For all these reasons and more, ADHD individuals have very low self-esteem. They believe they are broken. There's something wrong with their brain that sets them apart. They tend to push away those who are trying to help and can be very inflexible. These children find it very hard to explain their behavior because they can't visualize the future or even remember the past. Imagine rolling down a mountain road towards a cliff in a car with no brakes, being so consumed by the fact that there are no brakes that you neglect to note the upcoming cliff. For someone with ADHD, life is just about the few seconds of road. If all you had to consider were those few seconds, then lying about whether you finished your homework seems logical. Why spend those precious seconds in trouble?

So, what can we do for these children? We help give them tools to enhance brain function and give them control. We work on all the issues keeping them from being able to live their lives productively. We improve auditory and visual processing skills to help their brain interpret better what they see and hear as well as eliminating distractibility. We help the brain and body to work together to coordination, balance, organizational and sequential skills. We help them to improve function in the frontal lobes to help those executive functions, depression and improve self-esteem.

For more information contact BrainAdvantage today.

Tourette's Syndrome

Tourette's syndrome is a neurological disorder that typically starts in childhood. Although only about 3 in every 1,000 people have Tourette's, Males are three to four times more likely than females to develop It.

Tourette's Syndrome

Symptoms of Tourette's can include unusual repetitive movements or uncontrollable sounds called tics. For instance, you may repeatedly blink your eyes, shrug your shoulders or jerk your head. In some cases, you might unintentionally blurt out offensive words.

At certain times, like when a person is under stress, the tics may become more severe, more frequent, or longer. Or the type of tic may change altogether.

BrainAdvantage therapies can reduce the strength and frequency of tics . Contact BrainAdvantage today for more information

Depression Among Teenagers

Most of us feel unhappy at times. But for teenagers, an extra dose of hormones to the many other changes taking place in a teen's life, makes their moods swing like a pendulum. Today 1 in 5 teenagers, twice as many girls than boys, will experience depression.

Depression Among Teenagers

There are multiple reasons why a teenager might become depressed. For example, teens can develop feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy over School performance, social status, sexual orientation, or family life . At that point in their lives, many can't imagine life past tomorrow or any positive solution to the issue at hand.

Often, teenagers with depression will have a noticeable change in their thinking and behavior. They may have no motivation and even become withdrawn from their friends.

Teenagers with depression may sleep excessively, have a change in eating habits, and may even exhibit criminal behaviors such as DUI or shoplifting.

Suicide is also a risk for all teenagers with depression.

MEDICATION
Many times family member desperate to help a depressed teen will turn to medication. The first medication tried is usually a type of antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Most of these drugs are not approved for those under 18 years of age. For many, these medications work for only a short time, if at all, and may make matters worse. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions in some children and adolescents.

Brainadvantage helps teenagers eliminate the depression, raise their self esteem and learn skills to control their thoughts and behaviors.
For more information, contact Brainadvantage today!

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

One in 50 adult Americans is afflicted by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It is defined by having ongoing irrational, intrusive, troublesome thoughts or images. Some also have compulsions to perform rituals like locking the door six times in a row before leaving the house. OCD can be an extremely disabling condition as it robs a person of life enjoyment and functionality. These obsessions and compulsions can cause overwhelming anxiety.

When people start to get into that loop of compulsions and obsessions, its hard to stop.

People with OCD are not "crazy," although they may sometimes feel that way because they are troubled by thoughts and actions that they know are inappropriate. Typically they believe they are the only ones who have irrational, obsessive thoughts, and are therefore often ashamed and afraid to tell anyone or to seek help. It is important to know that having OCD is not a sign of weakness or a lack of willpower in stopping the thoughts and behaviors. It is thought to be an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain.

Fortunately, OCD is a treatable disease. BrainAdvantage provides several non-drug therapies for fast, effective relief of OCD.

For more information, contact BrainAdvantage today!

Concussion, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, TBI

 

You do not have to be unconscious to suffer a brain injury!

Brain injuries are a contributing factor to a third (30.5%) of all injury-related deaths in the United States. About 75% of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) that occur each year are concussions or other forms of mild traumatic brain injury.

Each year, emergency rooms treat an estimated 173,285 sports- related TBIs, including concussions, among children and adolescents, from birth to 19 years. During the last decade, ER visits for sports-related TBIs, including concussions, among children and adolescents increased by 60%.

Overall, the activities associated with the greatest number of TBI-related ER visits included bicycling, football, playground activities, basketball, and soccer. But the truth is TBIs occur in all sporting activities.


Many Injuries are ignored or dismissed as “just getting your bell rung.” But you do not have to be unconsciousness to have a TBI!
Signs that you have a brain injury can be seen by others as well as the injured person.
Here are a list of signs typically noticed by others:

• Appears dazed or stunned
• Is confused
• Forgets instruction
• Moves clumsily
• Answers questions slowly
• Mood, behavior or personality changes
• Can't recall events prior to hit or fall
• Can't recall events after hit or fall

Here are a list of signs typically noticed by injured individual:

• Headache or "pressure" in head
• Nausea or vomiting
• Balance problems or dizziness
• Double or blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Feeling sluggish, hazy, groggy or foggy
• Concentration or memory problems
• Confusion
• Just doesn't feel "right"

Many times those who have suffered with a concussion or TBI are told just to relax and wait for the brain to heal and the symptoms to go away. Once the physical side heals, others think the person is back to normal. Much of the time, however, this isn't the case. The post-concussion symptoms can be devastating and take much longer to heal. They can include:

• Headaches or neck pains that don't go away
• Difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions
• Slower speaking, reading, thinking or acting
• Getting lost or easily confused
• Feeling tired all the time, having no energy or motivation
• Mood changes (feeling angry or sad for no reason)
• Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping a lot more or trouble sleeping)
• Light-headedness, dizziness or lack of balance
• Urge to vomit
• Increased sensitivity to lights or sounds
• Blurred vision or eyes that tire easy
• Loss of sense of taste or smell
• Ringing in the ears

Anxious to heal, TBI patients often push themselves to try and take on those things they were doing before the accident. This can cause more problems because they have not let the brain heal. Some say they feel fatigued, as if they have been without sleep for days. They sometimes liken it to a constant meditative state. During these times there is no inner chatter, just quiet darkness. During these times the brain is trying to heal itself and therefore goes “offline.” When this happens they can be physically unable to stay connected mentally.
The good news the brain is an amazing organ. It can learn to rewire and heal itself. Using a selection of therapies, it is possible to help the brain heal much more quickly.
Contact BrainAdvantage today to see how quickly and effectively our programs work to heal the brain!

Autism Chemical Connection

Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the U.S. Although 50 years ago only 4 or 5 out of 10,000 were diagnosed with autism; today its 1 in 88!

Toxins can make the symptoms of ASD worse!

ASD is a general term used to describe a very complex combination of issues. Each autistic individual can have a different list of challenges. However, typically, ASD symptoms can be characterized by difficulties with social interaction, over-sensitivity to environment, verbal and non-verbal communication and repetitive behaviors. ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal challenges.

The cause of autism is challenging since there are so many different types of symptoms which can be part of the syndrome. However, research suggests that there is a link between toxic chemicals and autism. According to The National Academy of Sciences, 3 percent of all neurobehavioral disorders in children, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), are caused by toxic exposures in the environment and that another 25 percent are caused by interactions between environmental factors and genetics.

The Children's Environmental Health Center (CEHC) at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, has created a list of the top 10 chemicals found in consumer products that are suspected to contribute to autism and learning disabilities. They are:

• Lead
• Methylmercury
• PCBs
• Organophosphate pesticides
• Organochlorine pesticides
• Endocrine disruptors
• Automotive exhaust
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• Brominated flame retardants
• Perfluorinated compounds

Children are much more vulnerable to these toxins then adults. In March of 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that children run a much higher risk of developing cancer when exposed to mutagenic contaminants, or “those agents that cause a permanent genetic change in a cell other than that which occurs during normal growth”( U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003) compared to adults. For a child under 2, they reported the risk at 10 times higher than adults and for children 2-15 it was increased 2-5 times. The key to this increase is children are growing faster and so their cells are dividing more rapidly making their cells more vulnerable to DNA damage. Over the last few years, BrainAdvantage has helped many autistic individuals. We made it a practice to have all autistic patients tested for toxins and heavy metals as it is common to see significantly high amounts in their systems. Eliminating these toxins and metals from the system is helpful as the brain is trained to function better through the program.

For more information contact BrainAdvantage today!

Natural Treatment for Anxiety Depression

Do you ever feel like this??

Anxiety and depression many times go hand-in-hand. Stressful situations can trigger anxiety symptoms which can include a variety of symptoms ranging from panic attacks and phobias to performance anxiety and stage fright. When anxiety takes over, the brain reacts by being overly vigilant which, for extended periods, actually undermines its own ability to function well. This problem can compound itself resulting in a loop. For example, as the person observes them self becoming more anxious, they then panic, which exacerbates the problem, and then ends up becoming even more anxious. The result is panic and the inability to calm the brain down. Most people then become quite depressed over their inability to control their situation and themselves. This is essentially tantamount to getting in your own way.

Once you are in that loop, anxiety and depression become your natural state. As we are creatures of habit, it can be quite difficult at that point to make a conscious change.The good news is that this condition is highly responsive to BrainAdvantage’s natural brain training and entrainment techniques. By allowing the overstimulated parts of the brain to calm down, it then is able to regulate itself better; it subsequently can also handle life’s normal (and unusual) challenges much more easily. Once the brain has been trained to self-regulate the mechanism by which it gears up for the challenges it faces, then the brain is no longer as vulnerable to the downward spiral of anxiety and depression. In other words, once you learn how to ride the bike, without the fear of falling, you no longer fear falling, thus getting out of your own way and riding the bike.

If you are looking for a natural treatment for anxiety and depression, contact BrainAdvantage today!

Neurofeedback for the Enhancement of Athletic Performance and Physical Balance

"Neurofeedback (EEG biofeedback) holds potential for retaining brainwave activity to enhance optimal performance in athletes in various sports. Neurofeedback has been shown to have potential for quieting the mind to improve performance in archery. For example, it can also be used to improve concentration and focus, to improve cognitive function and emotional control following concussions and mild head injuries and it has untapped potential to increase physical balance in gymnastics, ice skating, skiing, and other areas of performance. Clinical examples are provided on the use of neurofeedback to improve physical balance and controlled research is called for."

"Research has been done for approxmately 35 years on the use of biofeedback to modify EEG (brainwave) patterns. Initial research focused on relieving anxiety (Hammond,l 2005a; Moore, 2000) and on the treatment of uncontrolled epilespsy (Sterman, 2000), with the latter research including placebo-controlled, blinded studies.

Since that time considerable research has been conducted on the use of neurofeedback (EEG biofeedback) in the treatment of ADD/ADHD (Monastra, 2005). and neurofeedback is being applied in treating many other brain-based clinical conditions such as head injuries, depression, stroke, and learning disabilities.

Recent research has also documented the potential of neurofeedback in enhancing optimal performance in high level musical performers (Egner & Gruzelier, 2003) and in dance performance (Raymond, Sajid, Parkinson, & Gruzelier, 2005)."


Read the entire article from The Journal of the American Board of Sport Psychology.

Stroke Patient Regains Sight After Intensive Brain Training

People left partially blind by a stroke learned to use undamaged parts of their brains to improve their vision.

"Thousands of people left partially blind by stroke could regain some of their sight by doing exercises to retrain their brains, according to study.

"Patients who completed an intensive course design by neuroscientist showed a marked improvement in their vision, with some being able to see well enough to drive a car once again.

"Other patients who had struggle to get around in unfamiliar places became confident enough to go shopping and do other everyday tasks such as crossing the road, the scientist said."

Read the entire article by Ian Sample, science correspondent from the Guardian.

Saving Yourself from Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease is a type of dementia which destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer's gets worse over time, and it is fatal.

According to the "2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures."

• Alzheimer's Disease affects 10 million American baby boomers (that is one in eight)/
• Women are affected at twice the rate of men.
• As many as 5.2 million people are living with Alzheimer's Disease in the United States, including up to 250,000 under the age of 65.

The Alzheimer's Association estimates every 70 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer's and by 2050 they estimate that the number will more than double to every 33 seconds.

In 1986 Dr. David Snowden, (Snowden 2002) an epidemiologist and professor in Neurology at the University of Minnesota, embarked on an ongoing scientific study involving 678 Catholic nuns from the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The ongoing "Nun Study" has come to represent some of the world's most significant research on aging and Alzheimer's disease.

One of the primary questions the Nun Study attempted to answer was how pathology in the human brain related to Alzheimer's disease symptoms.

Today, it is known that plaques and tangles are the two most important pathological features of Alzheimer's disease. However, results from the Nun Study show that approximately one third of the sisters whose brains were found to be inundated with Alzheimer's disease associated plagues and tangles at autopsy had shown no symptoms of dementia and scored normal results in all mental physical tests while alive! The difference it seems, is "Cognitive Reserve."



Read more of Dr. Stephanie Reese's page on how to save yourself from Alzheimer's disease. 
Learn how training your brain and body can slow cognitive decline as you age.