EEG Biofeedback: A Generalized Approach to Neuroregulation

By Siegfried Othmer, Susan F. Othmer, and David A. Kaiser

To appear in "APPLIED NEUROPHYSIOLOGY & BRAIN BIOFEEDBACK"
Edited by Rob Kall, Joe Kamiya, and Gary Schwartz

Page 7 of 13

Clinical Evidence: Validating the Model
Clinical application is both the source and the destination of the theories and models proposed above. Without the surprises and inventiveness inherent in daily clinical practice, progress toward a comprehensive model for EEG biofeedback training would have been much slower, and the scope much narrower. By its very nature a research orientation must make certain choices and assumptions, and hold certain procedures invariant throughout the project. This does not allow for such a variety of approaches to be tried in such a short time. Yet, due to the volume of clients we were able to see since 1988, we have achieved significant depth of experience in a number of areas. It is now our goal to share this experience widely in order to allow it to be integrated with other approaches and perspectives, and subjected to more rigorous scientific evaluation and critique.

The list of conditions for which clinical efficacy of EEG biofeedback has been observed is given in Table 2, along with the nature of the qualifying evidence (controlled studies; published outcome studies; single case studies and conference presentations). Key references are indicated separately at the end of the chapter. The number of subjects that fall into each category are estimated as well. No systematic inquiry was under taken to flesh out this table, so we don't claim that it is complete. All entries relate only to data of which we have become aware through various means, and are therefore a lower limit in each case. In our own work, and that of our affiliates, we have acquired confirming evidence for all of the conditions listed, with the exception of Lyme disease.

Table 2. EEG Biofeedback Studies

ADHD

Control Linden, Habib, & Radojevic (1996) Rossiter & LaVaque (1995) Nash & Shakelford (1995) Cartozzo, Jacobs, & Gervirtz (1995)   Outcome Kaiser (1998) Kaiser & Othmer (1997) Thompson & Thompson (1997) Lubar, Swartwood, Swartwood, & O'Donnell (1995) Scheinbaum, Newton, Zecker, & Rosenfeld (1995) Fenger (1995) Toomin, Ibric, & Othmer (1994) Samples (1994) Tansey (1991) Lubar (1985) Lubar & Lubar (1984) Shouse & Lubar (1979)   Case History Kotwal, Burns, & Montgomery (1996) Tansey & Bruner (1983)

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Control Linden, Habib, & Radojevic (1996)   Outcome Tansey, Tansey, & Tachiki (1994) Tansey (1991) Tansey (1990) Tansey (1985) Tansey (1984) Cunningham, & Murphy (1981)   Case History Kade (1995) Tansey (1993)

DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY

Control   Outcome   Case History Fleischman (1997)

AUTISM

Control   Outcome   Case History Sichel, Fehmi, & Goldstein (1995) Cowan (1994)

TOURETTE'S SYNDROME

Control   Outcome   Case History Tansey (1986)

EPILEPSY

Control Lantz & Sterman (1988) Lubar, Shabsin et al (1981) Sterman & MacDonald (1978) Lubar & Bahler (1976) Seifert, & Lubar (1975)   Outcome Hansen, Trudeau, & Grace (1996) Andrews, & Schonfeld (1992) Tozzo, Elfner, & May (1988) Tansey (1986) Cott A, Pavloski RP, Black AH (1979) Quy & Hutt (1979) Kuhlman (1978) Sterman (1977) Kuhlman (1977) Wyler, Lockard, Ward, & Finch (1976) Sterman, MacDonald, & Stone (1974) Sterman & Friar (1972)   Case History Walker (1995) Tansey (1985) Finley (1977) Finley (1977) Ellertsen & Klove (1976) Finley, Smith, & Etherton (1975)

MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Control Ayers (1993)   Outcome HWalker (1998) Salerno (1997) Walker (1995)   Case History Byers (1995) Tansey (1994) Weiler, Schumann, & Brill(1994)

STROKE

Control Ayers (1994)   Outcome   Case History Rozelle, & Budzynski(1995)

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Control   Outcome   Case History Walker (1995)

CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME (CFS)

Control Lowe (1994)   Outcome Tansey (1994) Tansey (1993)   Case History James, & Folen (1996)

CHRONIC PAIN, MIGRAINES

Control   Outcome Othmer & Othmer (1994) Tansey (1991) Fehmi (1987)   Case History

IMMUNE DISORDERS

Control   Outcome Schummer (1995)   Case History

LYME DISEASE

Control   Outcome   Case History Brown (1995) Kirk (1994)

PRE-MENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)

Control   Outcome Othmer & Othmer (1994)   Case History

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Control   Outcome Manchester(1995)   Case History

BIPOLAR DISORDER

Control   Outcome   Case History Othmer & Othmer (1995)

Italics - Conference Presentation

This list is staggering in the variety of conditions responding to the training. A comprehensive treatment of the claims for these conditions cannot be undertaken here. Instead, a subset of conditions will be reviewed to indicate the breadth of the remediation accomplished with respect to types of symptoms, and to demonstrate that the remediation is non-trivial. That is, it may lie quite out of the range of what can be expected via spontaneous recovery or even, in some cases, with the standard interventions. Subsequently, an understanding of these findings will be sought by looking at underlying physiological mechanisms.

Before proceeding, it may be useful to make some more qualitative distinctions among the claims being made with respect to these varied conditions. Such an attempt is shown in Table 3. Here conditions are ranked according to the consistency with which remediation can be predicted; the completeness of the remediation; the duration of the training; and the simplicity or complexity of the protocols to be brought to bear. For entries in this table, the judgments are entirely our own, and are based on our own clinical experience.

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