Brain Mapping helps to identify Potential Problems Early on
Neuroscientists are working incredibly hard to know more and more about how the human human brain works and to put that information to use in treating psychological as well as functional disorders that, up to now, have been basically untreatable.
One of several tools in development is the relatively new practice of “brain mapping”. This is the preferred phrase used to describe what’s recognized officially as “Quantitative EEG”, or “QEEG”. In the least technical terms, QEEG means a thorough evaluation of the bandwidth from the electrical currents inside human brain as are calculated by an EEG machine.
The information produced is employed to create computer generated color coded maps of the electrical currents in the cerebral cortex. The colors generated are keyed to a scale used in determining likely trouble areas.
In the same method as some other tests calculate the flow of blood within the brain, a QEEG calculates electrical activity. Science indicates that early discovery of even quite limited interruptions, or changes, in the movement and connectivity of electrical activity are frequently early warning signs of building complications. So QEEG is most often employed to analyze brainwave rhythms to determine if a patient is a very good candidate for Neurofeedback which is a group of treatments designed to revive normal brainwave activity.
Results of a QEEG are compared with a data bank of many hundreds of brain mapping outcomes coming from people with no brain irregularities. Any kind of deviation from this “normative database” is subsequently scored on a scale of -3 to 3 and is color coded for easy detection on the brain map.
It’s important to note that, as with any medical test, the results must be correctly assessed by a skilled individual. Simply because a brain map is computer created, it is vunerable to what’s known as “artifacts” which are data which are produced by something other than the brain itself for example muscle contraction or erroneous placement of the recording electrode. QEEG assessments are most frequently administered in a clinical environment, either a medical center, or a Neurologist’s office and can cost several thousands of dollars.
The QEEG is but a single part of an overall assessment of brain activity and framework. By itself, a QEEG doesn’t describe emotional problems in real terms. , A QEEG is precise at locating and identifying trouble areas but cannot differentiate how serious a difficulty might be.
At least one company, HeartMath LLC, has modified this technology for individual use. Known as the “emwave”, it measures the electromechanical signals produced by the brain as well as the heart muscle to provide a visual statement on existing levels of mental or physical tension. Utilizing an LED readout, the device provides positive visual info on a person’s efforts to alleviate discomfort. Priced very realistically under $200, this portable unit offers immediate, personalized bio-feedback at a small fraction of the cost of a full QEEG.
Original post: Brain Mapping helps to identify Potential Problems Early on
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