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The Science Behind NeurOptimal®

Valdeane W. Brown, Ph.D.

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We all know that NeurOptimal® works, but many still ask about how it works and what’s the science behind it and that’s very interesting to me

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My sense is that the majority of these kinds of questions arise because of past exposure to other paradigms of neurofeedback, psychology or medicine

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Many could really benefit from allowing a “Copernican Revolution” in how they think about those fields, like I talked about in the Five Phase Model Article

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So This Is A “Bird’s Eye” View Of That Transformation And the Difference It Makes In Your View Of NeurOptimal®

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Four Good Starting Points, In Historical Order

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• “The Project For A Scientific Psychology”, Sigmund Freud • My Five Phase Model Article, available at: http://

www.zengar.com/files/File/pdfs/5phase.pdf• My PASS Posts, esp “The Big Picture” Forum• "The Form Within" by Karl Pribram.  It's available as a

Kindle book via: http://www.amazon.com/The-Form-Within-Point-ebook/dp/B00B779RC2

The Classical Approach

• While It might be possible to understand the CNS as a non-linear dynamical system, it is best understood and treated as anatomical subsystems that are largely localized, esp as to function

• Neurofeedback is based on operant conditioning or some form of “entrain and migrate” technique using positive feedback and positive reinforcement

• Normative databases using Gaussian statistics are the only ways to proceed that gives real scientific evidence

• Always push or lead the CNS as it does NOT know what’s best for it so experts are fundamentally necessary for safety, efficiency and efficacy

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The NeurOptimal® Approach

• The CNS is a non-linear dynamical system (NDS) best and really only understood using Joint Time-Frequency Analysis (JTFA) and NDS control theory

• Neurofeedback is based on mathematical transformations, forget anatomy and physiology

• Use appropriately tuned JTFA and NDS mathematics and only negative feedback for safety, efficiency and efficacy

• Facilitate the Self-Organizing, Perception-based information processes of the CNS so heals itself

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The Copernican Revolution Involves A Transformation• In mathematics a transformation is a kind of

translation from one reference system to another• The world is essentially round, however, our maps are

flat planar surfaces: ie, pieces of paper• Despite what you might believe from looking at those

maps, the most direct route from New York to Tokyo is almost directly over the North Pole

• Transforming planar maps into spherical trajectories on a globe involves a transformation: ie a change in coordinate systems

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The Copernican Revolution Of The Five Phase Model

• Give up looking for discrete “Disorders” with specific Treatments done at specific sites with specific targets

• Instead look for the fundamental phenomenological “structure” underlying functionally effective neurofeedback regardless of what is believed to be so

• Not doing this keeps everything as complex as Ptolemaic Astronomy and so it is clear that...

• The Copernican Revolution simplifies everything

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Keypoint #1: NeurOptimal® Is Mathematical Transformations

• That is ALL NeurOptimal® is: ie, that is what it does and how it does what it does

• These Transformations provide the information to the CNS, based on the responses of that CNS to Training

• The CNS perceives that Information and chooses what to do with it moment to moment

• Just like we all do with more everyday examples

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Keypoint #1: NeurOptimal® Is Mathematical Transformations

• Appropriately tuned JTFA and NDS are the perceptual and memory processes of the CNS

• Thus, they speak the “language” of the CNS• Like the binary code of a computer program speaks

the “language” of the computer• NeurOptimal® directly gives the CNS information it

doesn’t perceive or receive in any other way

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Keypoint #2: QEEG Is Irrelevant• Normative Databases Are Based on Gaussian Statistics,

They Use Linear Mathematics• CNS Is An NDS So Gaussian Mathematics Quite Literally Use

The Wrong Coordinate Systems, Both Functionally And Statistically

• Do You Want Your Spouse To Give You An “Average” Kiss?• Each One Has A Unique Flavor And Each Carries Your

Spouse’s Signature• You Perceive And Remember All Of That And More In Every

Kiss, every gestures: everything your spouse says and does

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Keypoint #3: The CNS Is Designed For 2 Primary Tasks

• Process Information: ie to Detect Difference• To minimize discomfort• This means that the CNS is designed specifically:• To Discern Levels of External Stimuli and learn their meaning• To Discern Levels of Internal Stimuli and their learn meaning• While navigating the world and maintaining homeodynamic flow

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Keypoint #4: Luria Was Right

• The CNS demonstrates “Graded Equipotentially”• Neither “just” globalistic, nor “only” localized• Virtually very “subsystem” interacts with, influences

and is influenced by the entire CNS all the time• Revealing a holographic structure of the CNS that can

only function in terms of perception and memory

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Keypoint #4: Luria Was Right

• The CNS demonstrates “Graded Equipotentially”, revealing three types of processes:• Primary• Secondary• Tertiary

• And these “connect” via glial cells and field effects much more “directly” and quickly than via axonal connections as demonstrated in Pribram’s work

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Ganzzinga’s Work Shows An Integrating Hologram Not A “Split Brain”• Cut the Corpus Callosum and under very controlled

conditions you can demonstrate laterality• The word “yellow” written in green colored letters will

be initially read differently depending which visual field is constrained against seeing it

• One side says “it’s yellow” the other “It’s green”, then no “it’s” the other color!

• But within at most 3 iterations the subject says: “It’s the word “yellow” written in green letters having integrated

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I’ve Always Been Amazed At How Much That Work Has Been Distorted For Decades, And All Because Of The Prevailing Belief System Of Localization With Axonal Ties

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Neurofeedback Can’t Not Involve Perception And Memory

• Unless you directly inject stimuli into the CNS, as is done in LENS, Transcranial, Binaural Beats, ROSHI, etc

• Perception involves secondary and primary process • The information must have meaning to the CNS or no

learning will take place: ie memory will fail• Memory involves secondary and primary process

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To Me That Isn’t Neurofeedback, Because It Make Them “Entrain And Migrate” Tools, Even If EEG-Guided And Not A Perceptual And Memory Integrated, Information Based Training In Self-Regulation

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Neurofeedback Can’t Not Involve Perception And Memory

• The CNS must perceive the information given to it• Perception involves secondary and primary process • The information must have meaning to the CNS or

no learning will take place: ie memory will fail• Memory involves secondary and primary process

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No System Has Ever Demonstrated Actual Operant Learning Curves

• Sterman’s original study came closest but it was a combination of classical and operant conditioning

• Read Merleau-Ponty and Pribram for more details on how to conceptualize operant conditioning as information processing embedded within perception and memory and not just “stimulus-response”

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What’s The Science Behind NeurOptimal®?

• Basically all of it• So this question really becomes: What’s the science

behind the classical approaches to neurofeedback?• And the real answer is: Not a lot, except for belief-

based misinterpretation of what has been done

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Any Questions?

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