Page Title

4 Brainwave Connections Spring 2005

Text Box: Book Review: Coping with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury By Diane Roberts Stoler, EdD and Barbara Albers Hill Coping with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury calls itself “A guide to living with the problems associated with brain trauma.” In its 5 chapters, it covers the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of this often unfamiliar and frightening territory, and answers many questions for survivors and family members. The book provides an overview of MTBI including mechanisms of injury and diagnostic methods. It then provides additional detailed chapters on physical, mental, and emotional aspects, supported by extensive references. The reader gains a thorough picture of the physiological changes brought about by MTBI, the clinical and life experiences that result, and further changes in mood and behavior. Clinical changes including fatigue, headache, sexual and sensory disturbances, and muscular and motor problems are described. Throughout, the discussion highlights choices and options that are presented, treatment alternatives, The final chapter on recovering discusses issues regarding rehabilitation, financiel issues, and living with someone with MTBI. In addition, there is an extensive list of organizations, professional societies, and agencies that can provide information, referrals, and assistance to professionals as well as the lay public. Diane Roberts Stoler, EdD and Barbara Albers Hill, ( 1998) Coping with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Garden City Park, New York: Avery Publishing Group, ISBN 0-89529-791-4

Text Box: Published by: Stress Therapy Solutions Inc. Publishing Editor: Terri Mrklas Collura Subscription: $50/year; Provided without charge to all Active Affiliates of BrainMaster Technologies, Inc. Website: www.stresstherapysolutions.com Publication: minimum of 4 issues/year Editorial Guidelines: Articles 250 to 2000 words, PC format ASCII (.txt) Rich Text (.rtf) or Microsoft Word1 (.doc). Submit via email to stsinc@pantek.com or send disk or hardcopy to Stress Therapy Solutions Inc., 3401 Enterprise Parkway, Suite 340, Beachwood OH 44122. Phone: 216-766-5707 or 800-447-8052 FAX: 216-439-3015 The publisher reserves the right to accept, reject, and/or edit any article or advertisement, in whole or in part, and assumes no responsibility for validity; nor for mistakes of omission, typographical errors, or photo placement errors, in whole or in part, in advertisements or articles. Brainwave Connections and Stress Therapy Solutions Inc.and its staff and/or consultants neither endorse, support, nor assume any liability whatsoever for any product or service advertised or mentioned within. Entire contents copyright © 2005 Stress Therapy Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. 1 “Microsoft Word” is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation

Text Box: the trainee to imagine different aspects of the surroundings, internal perceptions, and being aware of perceptual shifts, the Fehmis help to develop a stronger awareness of one’s own perceptual and attentional processes. The small class size permits a combination of individual and group work. The teaching is supplemented by the use of whole-head synchrony training. This approach uses 5 simultaneous monopolar EEG sites, and the simple yet powerful technique of providing feedback when the entire EEG is synchronized in the desired band. This is achieved by combining the channels so that synchronized (phase-locked) activity is reinforced and fed back. When two people are connected, the reward indicates that each participant is in a synchronized alpha state, plus that the two participants are in synchrony with each other. Those who tried this technique reported a stronger sense of connectedness and harmony after only one afternoon of

Text Box: The Princeton BiofeedbackCenter is unique, both in its extensive history and contributions to the field, and also in its maintaining up to date principles and practices which continue to move the work forward. Dr. Les Fehmi, and Susan Shor Fehmi, have created a center that combines a broad range of approaches and methods to provide individualized training, workshops, certifications, and mental fitness and treatment programs. Dr. Fehmi has developed his own approach and methods, including hardware that provides EEG feedback especially tailored for real-time alpha synchrony training, and couples (yes, 2 people on one EEG!) work.. We recently had the chance to attend a 3-day workshop on Open Focus. This program combined didactic lecture, group experiential training, individual work, and EEG feedback training. The Open Focus training includes guided visualization and work on personal awareness and mental style. By directing

Dr. Les Fehmi and Susan Shor Fehmi of the Princeton Biofeedback Center, LLC

Text Box: Overall, it is a rare experience to work with two individuals with this level of experience, compassion, and technical skill. We recommend their work to anyone interested in broadening and deepening their understanding of the brain, neurofeedback, or themselves. For more information, see: www.openfocus.com