Alpha uptraining in frontal lobe for perfromance enhancement

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone!

I am doing my master thesis on neurofeedback, and I am

currently exploring theories

on peak perfromance and focusing training with neurofeedback. Anyone

that knows anything about this

subject and have any insights on the best way to train peak

perfromance with neurofeedback, frequencybands to uptrain/downtrain

and scalp locations and so on.

I also have a few more specific questions if someone could please help

me.

- Concerning alpha, I read that eg ADHD show an increased alpha

activity in the frontal lobe, could there be any risks with uptraining

alpha in the frontal lobe for a healthy human. And will uptraining

alpha in the frontal lobe lead to increased cognitive perfromance?

- I am currently using a bipolar arrangment in the frontal lobe, as I

undestand it I am not recording the absolut value but rather the

difference between alpha in the two regions. If I uptrain this

difference will this result in uptraining alpha amplitudes or just

train a desynchronisation or imbalance in alpha between the two

frontal lobes?

- What other protocols could be used for peak perfromance training,

downtraining theta and beta or SMR? Can all these be combined with

alpha uptraining or not?

Very thankful for all insights on the subject or refernences to

resources or litterature which can shed some light over the whole

subject!

[Guest guest]

j.agorelius,

There is a valid point about " peak performance " training that says that ALL neurofeedback is just that. Unless you happen upon a perfect brain, whatever that might look like, everyone, even high performers, have issues of anxiety or low energy or obsessiveness or lapses of attention of impulsive behavior or whatever. If you start by looking at the client's brain and determining what is KEEPING him from performing even better, then training that, you will often make your greatest gains in performance right there.

On 9/6/07, j.agorelius <j.agorelius@...

> wrote:

- Concerning alpha, I read that eg ADHD show an increased alphaactivity in the frontal lobe, could there be any risks with uptrainingalpha in the frontal lobe for a healthy human. And will uptraining alpha in the frontal lobe lead to increased cognitive perfromance?

As a general rule, train alpha up in the back of the head, where it belongs. Beta should be the frequency in front. Uptraining frontal alpha can make people stupid fairly quickly. What you may be confused about is that alpha synchrony is sometimes trained up between F3/F4/P3/P4, but that's not necessarily training alpha amplitude.

- I am currently using a bipolar arrangment in the frontal lobe, as Iundestand it I am not recording the absolut value but rather thedifference between alpha in the two regions. If I uptrain this difference will this result in uptraining alpha amplitudes or just

train a desynchronisation or imbalance in alpha between the twofrontal lobes?

Why not just train monopolar montages instead of bipolar? One possibility, especially with a synchronous waveform like alpha, is that by uptraining the difference you are actually moving the two signals OUT of phase--making them LESS synchronous! That's pretty close to the opposite of what you would generally want to do.

- What other protocols could be used for peak perfromance training, downtraining theta and beta or SMR? Can all these be combined withalpha uptraining or not?

You seem to think, as many people do, that there is some special state called Peak Performance. Doesn't it make more sense that there might actually be an absence of things getting in the way of one's ability to be present in the moment, and that the things that interfere are likely to be different in each person/brain?

Certainly alpha/theta training has been used with many clients to help improve performance. That's back of the head also. And alpha synchrony and gamma synchrony have been postulated as protocols that might move one into more a a " zone " state.

Whatever you do, though, slowing down the frontal lobe probably will move you further away from--rather than closer to--your goal.

Pete -- Van Deusenpvdtlc@...

http://www.brain-trainer.com305/433-3160The Learning Curve, Inc.

[Guest guest]

The whole idea sounds like the product called " Mindball "

(http://www.mindball.se/index.html) where they use a headband -

sensors on the forehead - uptraining alpha and theta. They cite

C.Hammond, M.Cohen etc to support this approach. The more alpha on

the front the more rewards one gets.

Strange?

Seija Sirviö

> >

> > - Concerning alpha, I read that eg ADHD show an increased alpha

> > activity in the frontal lobe, could there be any risks with

uptraining

> > alpha in the frontal lobe for a healthy human. And will uptraining

> > alpha in the frontal lobe lead to increased cognitive perfromance?

> >

> >

> As a general rule, train alpha up in the back of the head, where it

> belongs. Beta should be the frequency in front. Uptraining

frontal alpha

> can make people stupid fairly quickly. What you may be confused

about is

> that alpha synchrony is sometimes trained up between F3/F4/P3/P4,

but that's

> not necessarily training alpha amplitude.

>

> - I am currently using a bipolar arrangment in the frontal lobe,

as I

> > undestand it I am not recording the absolut value but rather the

> > difference between alpha in the two regions. If I uptrain this

> > difference will this result in uptraining alpha amplitudes or just

> > train a desynchronisation or imbalance in alpha between the two

> > frontal lobes?

> >

> >

> Why not just train monopolar montages instead of bipolar? One

possibility,

> especially with a synchronous waveform like alpha, is that by

uptraining the

> difference you are actually moving the two signals OUT of phase--

making them

> LESS synchronous! That's pretty close to the opposite of what you

would

> generally want to do.

>

> - What other protocols could be used for peak perfromance

training,

> > downtraining theta and beta or SMR? Can all these be combined with

> > alpha uptraining or not?

> >

> >

> You seem to think, as many people do, that there is some special

state

> called Peak Performance. Doesn't it make more sense that there

might

> actually be an absence of things getting in the way of one's

ability to be

> present in the moment, and that the things that interfere are

likely to be

> different in each person/brain?

>

> Certainly alpha/theta training has been used with many clients to

help

> improve performance. That's back of the head also. And alpha

synchrony and

> gamma synchrony have been postulated as protocols that might move

one into

> more a a " zone " state.

>

> Whatever you do, though, slowing down the frontal lobe probably

will move

> you further away from--rather than closer to--your goal.

>

> Pete

>

>

>

>

> --

> Van Deusen

> pvdtlc@...

> http://www.brain-trainer.com

> 305/433-3160

> The Learning Curve, Inc.

>

[Guest guest]

The whole idea sounds like the product called " Mindball "

(http://www.mindball.se/index.html) where they use a headband -

sensors on the forehead - uptraining alpha and theta. They cite

C.Hammond, M.Cohen etc to support this approach. The more alpha on

the front the more rewards one gets.

Strange?

Seija Sirviö

> >

> > - Concerning alpha, I read that eg ADHD show an increased alpha

> > activity in the frontal lobe, could there be any risks with

uptraining

> > alpha in the frontal lobe for a healthy human. And will uptraining

> > alpha in the frontal lobe lead to increased cognitive perfromance?

> >

> >

> As a general rule, train alpha up in the back of the head, where it

> belongs. Beta should be the frequency in front. Uptraining

frontal alpha

> can make people stupid fairly quickly. What you may be confused

about is

> that alpha synchrony is sometimes trained up between F3/F4/P3/P4,

but that's

> not necessarily training alpha amplitude.

>

> - I am currently using a bipolar arrangment in the frontal lobe,

as I

> > undestand it I am not recording the absolut value but rather the

> > difference between alpha in the two regions. If I uptrain this

> > difference will this result in uptraining alpha amplitudes or just

> > train a desynchronisation or imbalance in alpha between the two

> > frontal lobes?

> >

> >

> Why not just train monopolar montages instead of bipolar? One

possibility,

> especially with a synchronous waveform like alpha, is that by

uptraining the

> difference you are actually moving the two signals OUT of phase--

making them

> LESS synchronous! That's pretty close to the opposite of what you

would

> generally want to do.

>

> - What other protocols could be used for peak perfromance

training,

> > downtraining theta and beta or SMR? Can all these be combined with

> > alpha uptraining or not?

> >

> >

> You seem to think, as many people do, that there is some special

state

> called Peak Performance. Doesn't it make more sense that there

might

> actually be an absence of things getting in the way of one's

ability to be

> present in the moment, and that the things that interfere are

likely to be

> different in each person/brain?

>

> Certainly alpha/theta training has been used with many clients to

help

> improve performance. That's back of the head also. And alpha

synchrony and

> gamma synchrony have been postulated as protocols that might move

one into

> more a a " zone " state.

>

> Whatever you do, though, slowing down the frontal lobe probably

will move

> you further away from--rather than closer to--your goal.

>

> Pete

>

>

>

>

> --

> Van Deusen

> pvdtlc@...

> http://www.brain-trainer.com

> 305/433-3160

> The Learning Curve, Inc.

>