Most children and adults can focus and pay attention to a particular task or subject when called on to do so. While playing or socializing with friends, there is sharing and peaceful interchange; when interacting with family members, there is rational behavior; when taking an exam, most can concentrate on the questions, recall the studied information, and write the correct answer. For about one in ten, however, the ability to focus is blunted to a point of negatively affecting life. School or work is catastrophic, failure the rule; family life is chaotic, with upheaval common; peer group and sibling relationships are "war."

Such a major, life-disrupting problem with focus and attention may be what the medical, psychological, and educational communities have termed Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). If the child or adult also has a serious problem with impulse control and excessive, socially distracting physical movement, the diagnosis is likely to be Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD).

One problem after the other!

The medical community's "solution" for attention problems is drugs such as Ritalin®, Adderal®, and the newer drugs Vyvance® and Strattera®. As many have learned, these medications are not without problems. The side effects may dramatically decrease creativity, suppress appetite, and disrupt sleep patterns. But, it can be much more serious than this. These drugs can have very serious side effects, including the triggering of tics (sudden, violent jerking movements, often associated with loud vocalizations), Tardive Dyskinesia, a major neurological movement disorder, and hallucinations such as bugs and spiders. These problems may not show up immediately. The symptoms of Tardive Dyskinesia and hallucinations, for example, may not emerge until months or years later.

Stimulants now have "Black Box" warnings about deaths from heart problems, including sudden death, and increased suicide risk. For specific information on these and other side effects, type the name of the drug followed by "side effects" into Google. Also, www.askapatient.com and other sites have comments from users and parents.

The possible long term side effects of the newer drugs, Strattera® and Vyvance®, are even more bothersome. As we have learned from Cylert®, there can be hidden dangers that are not revealed until years later. Cylert® was a medication many years on the market and commonly prescribed for those with ADD. While the numbers are low, it was found to produce life threatening hepatic (liver) failure in some.

Over the years, we have seen several children and adults at our center that have been hospitalized with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder on five or six different psychiatric medications. Tracing the history, there was a "simple" attention problem and a stimulant medication prescription. Manic behavior and hallucinations followed. Then, because of the "Bipolar symptoms," an antipsychotic medication was prescribed. With the resulting depression came an antidepressant and even more side effects. And, alarmingly, the child (or adult) is still being prescribed the stimulant with all the other drugs. There was no end in sight.

Some more possible side effects of stimulants for ADD & ADHD:

Almost 50 years of clinical experience has shown that Neurofeedback training improves attention, enhances creativity and mood, and stabilizes appetite and sleep patterns. It is totally safe, supporting brain health and a positive future. And, there is no possibility of addiction.

The Neurological origin of ADD/ADHD

Neurologists have known that the electroencephalogram (EEG or brain wave analysis) is abnormal in those with attention and hyperactivity problems since the late 1960s. The most common finding is excessive slow waves, especially in the frontal lobes (the primary area for attention). As slow waves in the waking EEG are considered a sign of brain dysfunction, this evidence led neurologists of the day to label such children as having Minimal Brain Dysfunction or even Minimal Brain Damage. Because there was no specific treatment for "Minimal Brain Dysfunction" in those days, the EEG more or less dropped out of favor for evaluating inattentive and hyperactive kids, except perhaps to rule out epilepsy or a brain tumor in special cases.

There have been many changes since those early days. One, when psychiatrists took over the diagnosing and labeling of those with such behavioral issues a few years back, the diagnostic terminology for attention problems evolved over time to Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without Hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD). Another change that occurred is the administration of stimulants such as Ritalin® and amphetamines (Adderal®, for example) in an attempt to over drive the brain to "wake it up."

The usefulness of the EEG has also changed over the years. The availability of fast and affordable desk top computers in the 1980s allowed the brain wave patterning to be analyzed in great detail. As a result, EEG research has expanded dramatically. For example, a recent Google search shows 48,600 hits for "Quantitative EEG and Attention Deficit Disorder."

An especially important outcome of this development is the Normative Reference Database, a computer library of the EEG of normal subjects. The database allows anyone's brain wave patterning to be analyzed for inefficient or improper neurological function. The computerized advances in EEG technology, in turn, allowed the development of Neurofeedback, a process that literally teaches the brain to improve its own functioning. In the case of the ADD/ADHD brain, the common objective is to reduce the earlier discovered attention hampering slow waves and increase natural fast rhythms that are responsible for focus and attention.

Would you like to know more about the brain wave patterning of ADD/ADHD? If so, click here.

What is NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training™?

NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency training™ offers the greatest opportunity of permanently remediating the brain dysfunctions producing the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. The Quantitative EEG (computerized brain wave analysis) detects, and, in a highly specific and detailed way, defines where and in what way the brain is inefficient and producing the symptoms. NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training™ then addresses and remediates these dysfunctions specifically, while generally optimizing healthy brain function.

Based on 20 years of research, sessions include:

• Proprietary, clinically proven Neurofeedback (brain wave training) protocols created and developed by Dr. Marvin Sams, a medical professional with almost five decades of clinical and research EEG experience.
• Exclusive Audio-Visual Entrainment (flashing light and pulsing sound) programs developed by Dr. Sams help "pull" or "nudge" the brain out of "stuck" brain patterns.
• Transcranial DC Stimulation helps modulate ("normalize") brain function with a gentle DC current across the scalp. Over 60 scientific studies document its ability to safely modulate and stabilize brain function.
• For those old enough, Heart Rate Variability, a biofeedback based breathing technique, is taught for greater emotional resilience and applied intelligence.

To measure progress, a Quantitative EEG is recording before each session and statistical comparisons made to the initial QEEG evaluation and the previous session. Normative Reference Database reports are also frequently done to evaluate changes in under and over firing brain areas, Coherence (locked in or under connected communication networks), and Phase Lag (overly delayed or accelerated timing of signals between brain areas). This attention to detail allows the determination of how much progress has been made session to session. This important benefit is offered only at The Sams Center.

Symptoms are typically reduced as training progresses, usually starting around sessions 10 to12. Most are completing the training in 24-36 sessions, the average being around 30. As the brain gains experiences by interacting and communicating with people and the environment, it is further expected that improvements will continue over the next several months after training is complete.

A new life for all

Unlike drugs, NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training™ offers brain health and a greater quality of life: improved intentional attention, focus and learning ability, enhanced sense of well being, improved cooperation, and better emotional resilience. Self esteem, school grades and family and social interactions are thus profoundly and positively affected. Other reported benefits include:

• A sense of relaxation and well-being.
• Enhanced memory and learning capability
• Improved school performance (studies show 1 to 1-1/2 grade point average increase)
• Decreased agitation
• Regulated sleep habits
• Improved mood

Training Schedule

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, we schedule to your convenience. At least two to four sessions a week are recommended.

For those coming from outside the Dallas/Fort Worth area, a typical stay is two weeks. We do two sessions a day, working six days a week.

Many complete NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training™ in 24-36 sessions. Those with a traumatic brain injury, complicated symptoms, or a long history of drug use may take a few more sessions. Should this prove to be the case, training can be completed on a brief return visit in a few months or weeks, or with a special home trainer.

Is coming to Plano (Dallas), Texas difficult right now or your budget tight? Please visit our Pegasus Mental Fitness System page for an exciting option.

Fees

E-mail us from our Contact Page or call 972.733.3009 or 972.612.0160 for our current fee schedule.

To schedule an evaluation

Just call 972.733.3009 to arrange a convenient time for you or your family member to start.

For more information

For more specific information, send Dr. Sams an email from our Contact Page or call 972.612.0160 for personal attention.

Want to know more about NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training™? If so, Click here.