beta coherence

[Guest guest]

Hi Pete, yesterday during our consultation, you

suggested to try to break up beta coherence in the parietals by using beta up,

theta down at P3 and beta down, theta down at P4 using the split protocol on

animation pro…so that must be with eyes open??? Thanks,

[Guest guest]

,

I'm sorry for taking SO LONG to respond to this thoughtful e-mail.

I'm going to intersperse my thoughts with your questions for simplicity sake:

:

I am working with a 9 year old boy with beta coherence at every site (Frontal 37.78, Central 28.90,Parietal 33.15, Temporal 47.69). His beta and high beta amplitudes are very high (especially at temporal sites). I am curious if anyone has tried this 2 channel training with 1 channel beta up, theta down and the 2nd channel beta down, theta down. My concern about any left sided beta up is that there are such high amplitudes of beta and high beta there already - does it make sense to train it up to break up the coherence?

Pete:

It's important to remember that high beta coherence will cause beta amplitudes to appear to be very high. I would guess that the coherence--not the beta--is the problem for this young man. So I wouldn't necessarily PUSH beta on the left side, but I would have a threshold above which it had to stay. The idea here would be to challenge the sites to disconnect from each other and allow the beta to happen more locally, as it should.

:

I was wondering what your opinion would be on the following 2 channel approach? What about beta down on the left in one channel, and then beta down on right in the second channel. If you can decrease the amplitude isn't it possible to decrease the coherence?

Pete:

Yes, it certainly tends to be true that amplitude and coherence run together, up or down, so your idea might work very well. Training down the amplitude could reduce coherence.

:

Pete, I have also been curious if you can give us a % to look for in the slower bands (on the percents head page) to determine if they are too high? Previously you mentioned - if beta or high beta is 12% or higher it is high, is there a % number to look for with delta, theta, and alpha (on the % heads page)?

Pete:

There are lots of numbers that relate to ages, but now we're crossing into "normative database" territory, and I can't help much there. The main thing I look at is what happens to these percentages (or the ratios) when the brain activates. I will admit that if I add together Delta and theta and get something around 60% or higher--especially if it doesn't drop fairly sharply at task, I might look at training that down.

:

Presently, I do not have equipment to do a wide band squash or a windowed squash. Does it make any sense to try and imitate it by doing a 2 channel 2-5hz down, and 15-35 hz down in two separate parts of the session. I have 1.9a software - can only inh. in 10 hz band) (2 channel).

Pete:

You could try that, but I'd split the training into two sessions the first few times. Why not keep it simple and see what effect each has on its own before combining them? If both have good effects, then try them together in the same session and see if the results get better or worse.

:

This child has similar behavioral characterics to children diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder. He has tics, flaps his arms, poor eye contact, poor fine motor coordination, etc.

His alpha coherence is within range at every site, he blocks alpha, has quite a few reversals (Midline: hi beta reversal (with a large differential from FZ 6.2% - OZ 14.1%), F3F4 beta and alpha reversals, T3T4 beta reversal, P3P4 beta and alpha reversals, C3C4 beta reversal).

I have also tried: P4 alpha (9-11) up 2-5 down. No response noted by mom - do not feel that I found "alpha" for him.

F4 9-11 up , 2-5 down. Responded poorly - very instigative with brother.

FZOZ - bipolar 15-25 inh. and 25-35 inh. - very calm and relaxed - mom reported good, calm day - no incidents with younger brother, was very cheerful

F3A1GA2F4 - 2 channel (as described above with 2 separate trainings: 1. 2-5 inh. both channels 2. 15-25, 25-35 inhibits - good response -

cheerful, interacting well and a lot, no instigative episodes with brother.

Pete:

Sounds like you are having some success. Simple question, though: Have you tried C4/A2 SMR up 2-5 Hz down? Very immature brains--and that's one definition of PDD--often do a lot of re-organizing on their own when you just get the SMR going on the right side. Try it also at Cz/A2, if you haven't.

Pete