Dr William Walsh has worked for decades clinically researching nutrition and nutritional therapy strategies for mental and neurological health, working with thousands of patients with diagnoses such as ADHD, depression and schizophrenia. He’s amassed large amounts of data, including laboratory analyses. His recent book, “Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain” is a distillation of his findings and his wisdom. Continue reading
Why is the Prevalence of Autism Rising?
In March of this year the US National Center for Health Statistics issued a report estimating the prevalence of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has risen to 1 child in 50, up from 1 in 150 in 2004, 1 in 500 in 1992 and 1 in 2000 in 1986. (Here’s the link to the prevalence of autism report.) Why is this happening? Continue reading
Heart Rate Variability and Willpower
This week I’ve been reading “Maximum Willpower” by Kelly McGonigal (actually re-reading it – it’s worth reading at least twice). It’s a book about how to develop self-control – who doesn’t need that? Specifically how to control the mind – emotions, stress, cravings, attention or focus, impulses to act or speak. The author describes Heart Rate Variability (one of the most powerful biofeedback parameters) as a very good index of will-power or self-control. How so? Continue reading
Financial Times Foresees Neurofeedback in the Boardroom
A recent article in the Financial Times predicted executive job candidates presenting their own brain scans as evidence of their aptitude, having already addressed their brain profile deficiencies with neurofeedback training.
Actually this vision is already a reality, to a degree. Neurofeedback is not just a therapy but a tool for training optimal performance. Both neurofeedback and biofeedback are used by athletes, artists, executives and other high achievers for attaining peak performance. An example is the personal story of Dave Asprey, the “bulletproof executive” who “hacked” his own biology in a (successful) attempt to upgrade his brain – using not just neurofeedback and biofeedback but targeted brain nutrition as well. Continue reading
Vitamin D Dosage and Mental Health
How much of any particular vitamin or nutrient do you actually need? This week I came across research that sheds important light on this question. Continue reading
fMRI Neurofeedback for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
A recently published study used fMRI (a form of brain imaging) as the basis for neurofeedback training in neuropsychiatric patients. The aim was to teach subjects to control activity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) – a brain region known to be dysregulated in OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) sufferers – in the hope of controlling contamination anxiety. The neurofeedback trainees indeed learned to reduce their anxiety, while control group subjects (who received sham feedback) did not. The researchers recorded corresponding changes in brain connectivity in only the experimental subjects – changes still present several days after neurofeedback training. I think this combination of changes in anxiety and brain connectivity adds up to impressive evidence for the efficacy of neurofeedback. Continue reading
Earthing May Benefit Inflammation and Circulation
This week Dr John Briffa blogged on earthing or grounding – this is the practice of connecting the body electrically to earth, for example at night via a sheet plugged into a wall socket.
There is growing evidence that earthing helps reduce inflammation, by allowing the body to take up electrons which work as anti-oxidants. Inflammation creates a greater need for anti-oxidants because it involves the production of damaging pro-oxidant molecules called free radicals. We need our anti-oxidants to mop up these free radicals. Continue reading
Johns Hopkins Study – Neurofeedback for Depression
Johns Hopkins University this week reported a research study of neurofeedback for depression. This proof-of-concept study was small scale but interesting in at least two ways. Continue reading
Neurofeedback in the News
Recent months have seen an increased awareness of neurofeedback here in the UK, thanks mainly to a couple of neurofeedback articles appearing in national newspapers.
First came this Sunday Times article on neurofeedback. Then later this Daily Mail piece on neurofeedback. The common factor is the Brainworks neurofeedback practice in London, so well done to them for their good work (the articles show they’re doing a good job). Continue reading
Sleep Better for Weight Loss
I heard about a new research study that shows that fewer hours of sleep in adolescents is associated with greater weight gain (or technically speaking greater increase in body-mass index or BMI) and that sleeping for longer may help reduce obesity. (Here’s the link.)
Actually that’s no great surprise. A link between sleep and obesity has also been found in adults. And there are quite a number of studies showing the link, as this article on sleep deprivation and obesity makes clear.
Why should this be the case? Continue reading
