Who is paying attention?

Most children and adults can focus and pay attention to a particular task or subject when called on to do so. While playing or socializing with friends, there is sharing and peaceful interchange; when interacting with family members, there is rational behavior; when taking an exam, most can concentrate on the questions, recall the studied information, and write the correct answer. For about one in ten, however, the ability to focus is blunted to a point of negatively affecting life. School or work is catastrophic, with failure the rule; family life is chaotic, with upheaval common; peer group and sibling relationships are "war."

Such a major, life-disrupting problem with focus and attention may be what the medical, psychological, and educational community has termed Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). If the child or adult also has a serious problem with impulsive behavior and excessive, socially distracting physical movement, the diagnosis is likely to be Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD).

The Neurology of ADD/ADHD

It has been known since the late 1960s that the EEG (electroencephalogram, or brain wave analysis) is abnormal in many of those with attention and hyperactivity problems. The common reported finding is excessive slow waves, especially in the frontal lobes (the primary area for attention). As slow waves in the waking EEG are considered a sign of brain dysfunction, this evidence led neurologists of the day to label such children as having Minimal Brain Dysfunction or even Minimal Brain Damage. Because there was no specific treatment for the slow waves or the "Minimal Brain Dysfunction," the EEG more or less dropped out of favor for evaluating inattentive and hyperactive kids, except perhaps to rule out epilepsy or a brain tumor in special cases.

There have been many changes since those early days. When psychiatrists took over diagnosing (and labeling) those with such behavioral issues, the diagnostic terminology for attention problems changed in time to Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without Hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD). Another change that occurred is the administration of stimulants such as Ritalin^(R) and amphetamines (Adderal^(R), for example) in an attempt to over drive the brain to cause it to "wake up."

The usefulness of the EEG also changed over the years. The availability of fast and affordable desk top computers in the 1980s allowed brain wave patterning to be quantified statistically. As a result, EEG research expanded dramatically. An especially important outcome of this development is the Normative Reference Database, a computer library of the brain waves of normal subjects. The database allows anyone's EEG to be evaluated for inefficient neurological functioning. These advances in EEG technology, in turn, birthed Neurofeedback, a process that teaches the brain, among other things, to reduce the earlier discovered attention hampering slow waves and to increase natural fast rhythms in the brain that are responsible for focus and attention.

Immature or sleepy? That is the question!

When we are born, our EEG is quite slow and of high amplitude. As we grow older, our brain waves speed up and decrease in amplitude. The EEG patterning of, for example, a three year old and a six year old shows rather dramatic differences. Because the brain wave patterning across age groups have been known for decades, the "excessive" slow brain waves seen in children with ADD/ADHD years ago were commonly thought by some Neurologists of the day to represent an "immature brain." That is, the EEG pattern often resembled that of a child about one to three years younger.

While there is empirical validity to the concept of a maturationally delayed brain in those with ADD/ADHD, another possibility can also be considered. Because slow waves naturally increase in both drowsiness and sleep, it could be that this activity means that for some the ADD/ADHD brain is under aroused.

A brain wave primer

When we first become drowsy, our brain begins to produce large rhythmic Alpha waves. This is an "idling" pattern, the brain "hanging out" and not engaged in the active processing of information. As we begin to drift, the Alpha gives way to lower amplitude slow waves called Theta, then progress to the very slow Delta waves as we lose awareness of our world. When we are "dead to the world," some of these waves can be as slow as 1/2 cycles per second!

Using a familiar scenerio, if you are watching TV late at night in your favorite recliner and you begin to have a gentle, "floating" feeling, your brain wave patterning is likely to be dominated by rhythmic Alpha waves. If someone walks into the room, you are immediately aware of it. If you are not disturbed and allowed to go a bit deeper, it may take a second or two for your to become consciously aware that you heard something. This is the effect of the lower amplitude but slower Theta activity. If you wake up at 2:00 in the morning, realizing you missed what happened to the victim in Law and Order^(R), you were probably producing a lot of very slow Delta waves.

Delta Waves

In many of those with the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, the waking EEG is occupied with Delta waves all over the brain. Meandering along at about 1/2 to 4 cycles per second, these lazy brain waves come and go, often appearing to overwhelm the other brain waves.

An understanding of what these Delta waves mean in those with an attentional deficit can be found in the sleep patterns of normal people. When we lose conscious awareness of our physical world, it is because our brain has started producing more slow brain waves. Interestingly, the larger and more continuous our slow waves, the deeper our unconsciousness. In those with ADD or ADHD symptoms, the EEG can show an active wake pattern superimposed on high amplitude Delta slow waves. This can be thought of as a child or adult literally walking around "half asleep." To make difficult matters even worse, when confronted with a complex task, the Delta waves typically become even more dominant and the wake patterns start to fade into the background. In other words, when challenged with a complex problem that requires conscious processing, the person becomes even more disconnected from the physical world.

Ironically, it is this drive into unconsciousness that allows many ADD/ADHD children to play video games brilliantly. Because he or she is playing from the "automatic" deep brain, there is limited "interference" from the thinking brain to slow down the process. A familiar example of this type of high performance comes from riding a bike or driving a car. Once you have learned the process and have had sufficient practice, you no longer have to think about what you are doing. You can breeze along and do several (often unsafe) things at once: Talk to a friend on the phone, plan dinner, even mentally rehearse a speech. But, if your brain is functioning efficiently, let a car pull out in front of you and you lose all these random thoughts. You go off "automatic" and into "thinking." The problem with automatic, non-conscious processing that doesn't shift into conscious thinking, of course, is that it drives the teacher or boss crazy. In the classroom, you have to be able to take information in, process it, then "play it back" (as in, answer the test questions correctly). This is a big problem because this is not how the ADD brain works. Being "brilliant at art (and video games) and rotten at math" in today's school system makes for bad teacher-student-parent relationships (as many know).

Theta Waves

The frontal lobes (front part of the brain) are often referred to as the Executive Brain. This area is responsible for our being able to live our daily lives in a conscious and orderly fashion. Our ability to understand how our current actions create future consequences, to recognize and choose between several courses of action, to suppress unacceptable social responses, and to determine the similarities and differences between objects and events all arise from here. In other words, frontal lobe function is what separates us humans from animals: It allows us to make a choice instead of live a life driven by instinct.

Remember that Theta waves occur between being awake and being asleep? Many children and adults with attention and behavioral issues have excessive Theta waves over the frontal lobes. Theta slow waves, though a bit faster than Delta waves at 4-8 cycles per second, can be thought of as "drowsy waves." When the frontal lobes snooze, not only is attention compromised, life can spin out of control. Bad choices, poor decisions, and socially unacceptable behaviors are all part of the day.

Alpha Waves

There are some exceptions to the "Asleep at the Wheel Disorder" and "Drowsy Brain Syndrome"   For some, Alpha waves (8-12 cycles per second) are excessive and unyielding. As the brain uses rhythmic Alpha activity to idle (rest) non-working areas, a brain "stuck in neutral" doesn't allow working Beta waves to take over active processing. Attention and behavior suffer. Because non-responsive Alpha waves can occur in any area of the brain, disengaged performance areas may also result in learning disabilities.

It all ends up being the same

Excessive Delta or Theta slow waves or unyielding Alpha brain waves result in:

• Reduced applied intelligence
• Poor recall of studied material
• Diminished or exaggerated emotions
• Poor impulse control
• A distorted sense of time

At The Sams Center, the Quantitative EEG reveals the root cause of the attention deficit, allowing rapid remediation of the neurological issues with NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training(TM)

Attention Deficit Disorder...or Intention Deficit Syndrome?

Due to the neurological nature of the slow waves in those with attention problems, it is Dr. Marvin Sams' impression that those with Attention Deficit Disorder have been mislabeled. Based on decades of experiences and understanding of the neurological foundation, he is convinced that a more accurate designator for many is Intention Deficit Syndrome.

Attention, defined as the act of mentally concentrating on a single object, thought, or event, is often not the problem in those diagnosed as Attention Deficit Disorder. Many with a "pure" diagnosis of ADD (that is, without co-existing learning disabilities) are able to focus, often in a very intense way, on a task or project that is of interest to him or her. It is not uncommon, for example, for a child that does poorly in the classroom to play video games superbly for hours on end, without eating or even taking a break to go to the bathroom. It's not attention, its intention that's the problem.

Adults, mainly men it seems, may be unable to keep a job due to a poor ability to focus and perform required tasks. Yet, these unfortunate few may spend hour upon hour in front of the TV, watching and being emotionally engaged in, and perhaps outraged at, one sporting event after the other. Attention is only interrupted during commercials -- to get a snack or to yell for someone else to get it for him.

Intention, that is, purposely focusing and concentrating our mental powers on a single task or subject, whether it is of particular interest or not, is not easy (and sometimes apparently impossible) for some seriously affected by ADD.  The problem then is not one of attention, but of intention -- an inability to focus on purpose.

The inability to do undesirable tasks or jobs is, in and of itself, not a malicious act; most children and adults diagnosed as ADD are unusually bright, uniquely insightful, and fun loving people. It's just that his or her brain prohibits intentional and deliberate focusing on a task that is low or no interest.

"He just needs discipline!"

Simply put, ADD/ADHD is a brain problem, not an attitude problem. As demonstrated by recording brain waves during the performance of common classroom tasks, strong discipline is counterproductive in correcting unfocused, unruly, or inappropriate behavior in those with major attention issues: The greater the applied pressure, the more abnormal the EEG becomes. As a result, trying to force or aggressively push a child or adult to "do better" causes performance to become worse, sometimes much worse.

Especially sad is the young ADD/ADHD child that wants to please his or her teacher or parent by doing a "great job." Often as not, the harder the child tries, the worse it gets. Instead of the sought after praise, the "reward" is increased criticism from parents and teachers. The disappointment can turn to frustration, then anger or depression as self esteem spirals down. In the end, there may be rage and acting out, or the child losing hope, becoming apathetic and depressed.

Disciplining an ADHD child requires patience and creativity. But considering the biological origin of the behavior, it is the only choice that is fair to the afflicted child.

In most children and adults, NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training(TM) teaches the brain to perform at peer group levels, sometimes even better. The objective is to remediate dysfunctional brain wave patterning and optimize brain function. Once done, the enhanced attention, performance, and flexibility builds self esteem, and helps create stable relationships with parents, teachers, fellow students and workers, and bosses.

Once a problem, always a problem

In childhood, ADD/ADHD symptoms have a negative impact on attention, emotions, behavior, and social skills. What the Quantitative EEG has revealed is that the slow waves of ADD don't go away during adulthood. While some have learned to adapt by living a compromised life, the biological problems last a life time. As a result, there may be decreased career potential, difficulty with family and work relationships, and addiction to alcohol, and drug abuse.

NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training versus drugs

As many have learned, stimulant medications such a Ritalin^(R) and Adderal^(R) may dramatically decrease creativity, suppress appetite, and disrupt sleep patterns. In addition, these drugs have serious side effects, including the triggering of tics (sudden, violent jerking movements, often associated with loud vocalizations), Tardive Dyskinesia, a major neurological movement disorder, and hallucinations such as bugs and spiders.

These problems may not show up immediately. The symptoms of Tardive Dyskinesia and hallucinations, for example, may not emerge until after the drug has been taken for a few months or even years later.

A few months ago, the FDA issued an alert on Cylert^(R), a medication many years on the market and commonly prescribed for those with ADD. The drug produced acute (sudden) liver failure in some of those taking the drug. There are now "Black Box" warnings about deaths from heart problems, including sudden death, and increased suicide risk for all stimulants. For specific information on these and other side effects, type the name of the drug followed by "side effects" into Google. Also, www.askapatient.com has comments from users and parents.

Almost 50 years of clinical experience has shown that Neurofeedback training improves attention, enhances creativity, and stabilizes appetite and sleep patterns. It is also safe, supporting brain health. The "side effects" of NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training(TM) include increased attention, focus, and learning ability, enhanced sense of well being, better memory and emotional resilience. And, there is no possibility of addiction.

A new life for all

NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training(TM) improves intentional attention and focus. The enhanced performance can profoundly and positively affect self esteem, school grades and family and social interactions.

Other benefits may include:

• A sense of relaxation and well-being.
• Enhanced memory and learning capability
• Improved school performance (studies show 1 to 1-1/2 grade point average increase)
• Decreased agitation
• Regulated sleep habits
• Improved mood

What is NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training(TM)?

NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency training offers the greatest opportunity of actually remediating the brain dysfunctions producing the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. The Quantitative EEG (computerized brain wave analysis) detects, and, in a highly specific and detailed way, defines where and in what way the brain is inefficient and producing the symptoms. NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training(TM) then addresses and tracks these dysfunctions specifically.

Based on 20 years of research, sessions include:

• Proprietary, clinically proven Neurofeedback (brain wave training) protocols created and developed by Dr. Marvin Sams, a medical professional with almost five decades of clinical and research experience.


• Exclusive Audio-Visual Entrainment (flashing light and pulsing sound) programs developed by Dr. Sams help "pull" or "nudge" the brain out of "stuck" brain patterns.


• Transcranial DC Modulation remediates brain function with a gentle DC current across the scalp. Over 60 scientific studies document its ability to modulate and stabilize brain function.


• For those old enough, Heart Rate Variability, a biofeedback based breathing technique, is taught for greater emotional resilience and applied intelligence.

To measure progress, a Quantitative EEG is done before each session and statistical comparisons are made to the initial QEEG evaluation and the previous session. Normative Reference Database reports are also frequently done to evaluate changes in under and over firing brain areas, Coherence, and Phase. This attention to detail allows the determination of how much progress has been made session to session. This important benefit is offered only at The Sams Center.

Symptoms are typically reduced as training progresses, usually starting around sessions 10 to12. Importantly, as the brain gains experiences by interacting and communicating with people and the environment, it is further expected that improvements will continue over the next several months after training is complete.

Training Schedule

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, we schedule to your convenience. At least two to four sessions a week are recommended.

For those coming from outside the Dallas/Fort Worth area, a typical stay is two weeks. We do two sessions a day, working six days a week.

Many complete NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training in 24-30 sessions. Those with a traumatic brain injury, complicated symptoms, or a long history of drug use may take a few more sessions. Should this prove to be the case, training can be completed on a brief return visit in a few months or weeks, or with a special at-home trainer.

Fees

E-mail us from our Contact Page or call 972.733.3009 or 972.612.0160 for our current fee schedule.

To schedule an evaluation

Just call 972.733.3009 to arrange a convenient time for you or your family member to start.

For more information

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