We work with families to improve:
- Relationships
- Communication
- Self-Care
- PTSD and TBI
- Depression
- Issues for Service Women
The following is a listing of services, treatment modalities and therapies offered by Kuiper Neurobehavioral Clinic. Contact our office for more information and to see what services would meet your needs.
- Brain Mapping (QEEG)
- Neurofeedback
- Psychotherapy
- Family Therapy
- Couples Therapy
- Classroom Observations and Teacher Consultations
- Home Visits for the purpose of developing effective behavioral plans
- Preparing parents for IEP meetings and accompanying parents to school meetings
- Psychological and Educational Assessment
- Click here for services for military
Physical injury to the brain, such as a concussion, disrupts normal flow of electrical impulses in the brain tissue. Similarly, toxic injury, seizure disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, anoxia and brain infection (e.g., chronic Lyme encephalitis) alter brainwave activity. ADD, OCD, anxiety, depression and learning disability have distinct brainwave “signatures.”
EEG (or electroencephalogram) is a recording of the brainwave activity. QEEG (Quantitative EEG), popularly known as brain mapping, refers to a comprehensive analysis of brainwave frequency bandwidths that make up the raw EEG. QEEG is recorded the same way as an EEG, but the data acquired in the recording are used to create topographic color-coded maps that show electrical activity of the cerebral cortex.
While other brain imaging techniques (e.g., CT, MRI, PET, SPECT) measure such properties as cerebral blood flow, metabolism or structural integrity, QEEG measures electrical activity of the brain. It provides complex analysis of such brainwave characteristics as symmetry, phase, coherence, amplitude, power and dominant frequency.
The QEEG findings are then compared to a normative database. This database consists of brain map recordings of several hundred healthy individuals. Comparisons are displayed as Z scores, which represent standard deviations from the norm.
How is it done?
An elastic cap with 19 sensors is placed on the head and the sensors are connected to the recording device. A special conductive gel is squeezed into each of the 19 sensors in the cap. This preparation takes approximately 15 minutes. The actual recording might take from 10 to 20 minutes.
You may be instructed to keep your eyes open or closed during parts of the recording, or asked to perform a mental task, such as reading or simple math. It is important to sit very still during the recording.
Preparation for the QEEG recording:
- Avoid alcohol and over-the-counter medications for 1-2 days before the test.
- Do not stop your prescription medications; continue taking them as usual.
- Hair must be washed and dry.
- Do not use hair conditioner, sprays, gels, etc.
- Earrings will have to be removed while recording.
- Try to get a good night’s sleep.
- Do not come hungry to the test or at the same time don’t come right after a large meal.
Neurofeedback (also called EEG Biofeedback) is a computer-assisted treatment that enables you to alter your own brain waves. When you can see your own brain waves on a computer screen, you can learn to change them in a direction that improves your brain functioning. Thus, the goal of Neurofeedback is self-regulation.
Where do your brain waves come from? Your brain is an amazingly complex organ that is comprised of approximately 100 billion cells (neurons) that are organized into various regions, systems, nuclei, and pathways. The communication between all these cells and regions is carried out by electrical and chemical signals. The electrical signals move in waves that, when recorded, are called the electroencephalogram, or EEG.
From a behavioral viewpoint, EEG Biofeedback is a form of operant conditioning. Once you have conditioned your brain to increase or reduce specific brainwaves (Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma), you can improve your brain functioning in areas such as attention, alertness, mental acuity, memory, flexibility, associative thinking, creativity and calmness. Such mental conditioning or “physical therapy” for the brain improves your “mental posture” and rids you of cognitive problems, just as improved physical posture and muscle tone can rid you of back pain.
What Is It Used For?
EEG Biofeedback has been shown to be particularly beneficial in treating ADD/ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Anxiety, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Sleep Disorders, Depression, Brain Injury, Headaches, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Tourette’s Disorder, Autism and other conditions in which brain wave properties are either impaired or not at the optimal level. It is also helpful for enhancing cognitive and academic performance and peak performance. How can one treatment modality address so many different conditions? Because this treatment modality addresses the source – by fine-tuning the central command unit, i.e., your brain.
In general, the goal of Neurofeedback is to normalize irregular brain wave patterns. For example, research shows that people with ADD or ADHD have 30% more slow (Theta) brain wave activity when performing cognitive tasks than normally found. As a result, they constantly seek out stimulation by daydreaming, fidgeting, talking a great deal, and rapidly switching their attention from one activity to another. Stimulant medications, such as Ritalin, are helpful by artificially increasing their level of brain activation and temporarily relieving symptoms. Neurofeedback is a drug-free solution that teaches people to increase brain activity as needed, alleviating symptoms, and sometimes eliminating the need for medication.
Of course, different treatment protocols exist for different conditions and consist of selecting appropriate brain wave frequency, amplitude, synchrony, coherence, direction and location. Brain mapping (also called QEEG) can significantly increase the accuracy of treatment by pinpointing the exact location of abnormal brainwave activity.
How Is It Done?
EEG Biofeedback training is a painless, non-invasive procedure. One or more sensors (small silver or gold-plated electrodes) are placed on the scalp, and another sensor is placed on each ear. The brain waves are recorded and displayed on a computer screen by means of a video game or a sound signal (e.g., bowling). The patient is asked to make the video game go… with his/her brain! As activity in the brain shifts in the desired direction, the video game progresses. If activity in the brain doesn’t change, or reverses, the video game stops.
Gradually, a learning of new brain wave patterns takes place. A person learns to engage the desired mental state depending on the demands of the situation. For example, when a child suffering from ADD is given a test in school, he/she might be able to shift into a highly attentive state (like flexing the right muscle) by recalling and engaging the mental state he/she has learned to capture in training sessions. Numerous studies have demonstrated that this learning is durable and reliable years after treatment.
Some doctors prefer to call Neurofeedback a form of training rather than treatment, because the emphasis is on developing self-regulation. Instead of relying on a “treatment” given to them in the form of pills or surgery, patients learn to gain control over their own mental states. From this perspective, Neurofeedback is similar to other disciplines of self-regulation like Yoga and meditation, where a person learns to control his/her body and mind.
Since EEG training is a learning process, results are seen gradually over time. For most conditions, initial progress can be seen within about ten sessions. Most patients meet their treatment goals in 20-40 sessions, depending on their condition. For example, some symptoms of traumatic brain injury (quality of sleep, headaches, fatigue, alertness), often respond in less than twenty sessions, whereas other symptoms (concentration, memory, mental flexibility) may require longer training before showing a reliable response.
Each session lasts approximately 50 minutes, which includes Neurofeedback and a discussion of session-to-session progress. Many health insurance plans will provide partial or full reimbursement.
During psychotherapy, you learn about your moods, feelings, thoughts and behaviors for the purpose of improving your overall well being. By employing a range of techniques based on experiential relationship building, dialogue and communication, behavior change is possible. . Psychotherapy helps you learn how to take control of your life and respond to challenging situations with healthy coping skills.
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that involves all members of a nuclear family or stepfamily and, in some cases, members of the extended family (e.g., grandparents). A therapist or team of therapists conducts multiple sessions to help families deal with important issues that may interfere with the functioning of the family and the home environment.
Relationship counseling is the counseling of the parties of in a relationship in an effort to recognize and to better manage or reconcile troublesome differences and repeating patterns of distress. While Couples therapy refers to individuals in a personal relationship, relationship therapy may involve members of a family, employees or employers in a workplace, or between a professional and a client.
Classroom Observation – data is collected regarding the nature, frequency, intensity, and duration of specific behaviors or types of behavior that occur in the classroom.
Teacher Consultation – educational tools and strategies are provided on how to best interact and accommodate your child in the classroom to maximize their success in this setting.
A therapist may request to visit your home for the purpose of developing an effective behavioral plan as part of the counseling process.
Many children, specifically those with learning disabilities, developmental delays, and social-emotional difficulties benefit from the development of an IEP (Individualized Education Program). Upon request, a therapist may attend meetings at your child’s school to assist you, as parents, in educating school personnel about the special needs of your child and how school personnel can best support him/her.
Comprehensive psychological testing can be performed for a variety of purposes:
- Admissions testing to private schools
- Assessment of disabilities for school purposes
- Assessment of accommodations needed for tests such as the SAT or GRE
- Diagnosis of mental health conditions to guide treatment
