Research
Introduction to Quantitative EEG and Neurofeedback: Advanced Theory and Applications –
second edition, 2009 (Chapter 9, pages 225-237)
Chapter 9 Brain music treatment: A brain/music interface
Galina Mindlin, M.D., Ph. D and James R. Evans, Ph.D.
When the first edition of Introduction to Quantitative EEG and Neurofeedback was published in 1999, it was the only book available providing a broad overview of the field of neurofeedback (NF) and the use of quantitative EEG (QEEG) in relation to that field. Although since then at least three other texts have been published which deal in depth with neurofeedback (and, to some degree, with QEEG), the many recent advances in neurofeedback-related areas warrant an updated second edition. Since the basics of QEEG and neurofeedback are available elsewhere, the chapters in this edition emphasize recent thinking regarding mechanisms of the efficacy of NF, advances in QEEG and its application to NF, advances in the use of neurofeedback with many disorders covered in the first edition as well as new clinical applications, the current status of auditory-visual entrainment (AVE) and other procedures often used in conjunction with traditional NF, and an update on ethical concerns in the practice of NF. As with the first edition, chapters are authored by current leaders in the field, many of whom are among the early “pioneers.”
The last ten years have seen rapid growth in the field of NF both in the US and internationally. Practitioners can be found in at least 27 countries, and membership of the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research (ISNR) has grown by 51% during the past five years. Keeping pace with this growth has been the evolution of clinical practice and research. New QEEG databases have been developed, and older ones refined with the addition of new measures of potential clinical relevance (e.g. phase reset, co-modulation). Older and newer QEEG measures of neural connectivity have received increasing attention, and improved methods of determining cortical and sub-cortical areas of dysfunction from the EEG (e.g. LORETA) are now available.
Read full article: Introduction to Quantitative EEG and Neurofeedback: Advanced Theory and Applications
Brain Music in the Treatment of Patients with Insomnia
Ya. I. Levin
NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY 1998, Vol. 28, No. 3, May-June, p.330-335
The effects of a new nonpharmacological method of treating insomnia — “brain music” — were studied. The method is based on the transformation of the EEG into music using a special algorithm developed by the authors. Sleep polygrams were recorded and analyzed, and EEG segments corresponding to different sleep phases were identified using standard criteria and were transformed into music. Patients listened to the resulting audiocassettes before going to sleep. A clinical, questionnaire, psychological, and electro-physiological (polysomnographic, electroencephalographic) methods were used before and after 15-day treatment courses in 58 patients with insomnia, who were divided into two groups: group 1 (44 patients) formed the experimental group, and group 2 (14 patients) formed the “placebo” group (in whom the “brain music” of a different patient was used). “Brain Music” was found to have positive effects in more than 80% of the insomniac patients both from the point of view of subjective sensations and in terms of objective studies, i.e. neuropsychological and neurophysiological investigations. The high efficacy of “brain music” in patients with insomnia was combined with an absence of side effects and complications.
Read full article: “Brain Music” in the Treatment of Patients with Insomnia
Operational Study to Evaluate Music-Based Neuro training at Improving Sleep Quality, Mood, and Daytime Function in a First Responder Population
- Donald R. DuRousseau1, Galina Mindlin2, Joseph Insler3, Iakov I. Levin4
- PEAK Neurotraining Solutions, Inc., Sterling, Virginia, USA
- St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, New York, New York, USA
- Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Sleep Disorders Centre, I.M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, Moscow, Russia
The objective of this study was to determine if a music-based intervention could be successfully used by a group of law enforcement officers and firefighters to improve measures of sleep quality, mood, and daytime function. The Wellness Program Study included 41 male and female first responders who volunteered to participate in the 8-week study investigating the use of a music-based neurofeedback therapy known as
Brain Music (BM). Creating the individualized BM recordings required 5 min of brain wave activity from 4 sensors located at F3, F4, C3, and C4 sites. The music consisted of two MP3 files, one for activating and the other for relaxing, where the ratios of peak frequencies in the delta (1–4 Hz) through beta (up to 30 Hz) EEG bands were used to select the notes used and their characteristics (e.g., duration, pitch, amplitude, and symmetry) as a means to individualize the compositions for each subject. The results of the study indicated statistically significant improvements in 4 behavioral measures: sleep quality (94%), insomnia (89%), mood (74%), and daytime function (82%). These results extend earlier insomnia research of music therapy applications from the clinic into an operational setting and lay the groundwork to address any questions concerning neurofeedback interventions targeting stress management and improved job performance. The implication of this study goes beyond the utility of BM in the first responder setting to a broader audience because many persons suffer from sleep problems that negatively impact daytime function and work performance.
Operational Study to Evaluate Music-Based Neuro training at Improving Sleep Quality, Mood, and Daytime Function in a First Responder Population
- Donald R. DuRousseau1, Galina Mindlin2, Joseph Insler3, Iakov I. Levin4
- PEAK Neurotraining Solutions, Inc., Sterling, Virginia, USA
- St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, New York, New York, USA
- Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Sleep Disorders Centre, I.M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, Moscow, Russia
The objective of this study was to determine if a music-based intervention could be successfully used by a group of law enforcement officers and firefighters to improve measures of sleep quality, mood, and daytime function. The Wellness Program Study included 41 male and female first responders who volunteered to participate in the 8-week study investigating the use of a music-based neurofeedback therapy known as
Brain Music (BM). Creating the individualized BM recordings required 5 min of brain wave activity from 4 sensors located at F3, F4, C3, and C4 sites. The music consisted of two MP3 files, one for activating and the other for relaxing, where the ratios of peak frequencies in the delta (1–4 Hz) through beta (up to 30 Hz) EEG bands were used to select the notes used and their characteristics (e.g., duration, pitch, amplitude, and symmetry) as a means to individualize the compositions for each subject. The results of the study indicated statistically significant improvements in 4 behavioral measures: sleep quality (94%), insomnia (89%), mood (74%), and daytime function (82%). These results extend earlier insomnia research of music therapy applications from the clinic into an operational setting and lay the groundwork to address any questions concerning neurofeedback interventions targeting stress management and improved job performance. The implication of this study goes beyond the utility of BM in the first responder setting to a broader audience because many persons suffer from sleep problems that negatively impact daytime function and work performance.
Short-term effectiveness and acceptability of Brain Music Therapy (BMT), a self-guided neurofeedback intervention for anxious insomniacs
Objective: This uncontrolled pilot study assessed short-term effectiveness and acceptability of “brain music therapy” (BMT), a self-guided neurofeedback intervention for anxious insomniacs. Methods: Following baseline assessment, volunteers (n=15) with clinically significant insomnia and anxiety underwent EEG. Slow and fast wave brain patterns were converted to piano music tacks and transferred to CD’s. Participants were instructed to use their personalized CDs to facilitate sleep and anxiety reduction (relaxing track) or to stimulate focus and alertness (activating track) on a daily basis. Repeated measures of sleep (PIRS), anxiety (STAI), daytime functioning (DFT) and quality of life (QOL) were taken at weeks 0, 3 and 6. Results: Participants were middle-aged (43.9/11.4), Caucasian (60.0%) females (66.7%) who were college educated (100%) and employed (93.4%). ANOVA showed significant changes on measures of sleep, anxiety and DFT (i.e., fewer negative effects); no changes were found for DTF (i.e., more positive effects) or for QOL. Intervention acceptance was high, with participants reporting easy use, helpfulness and willingness to refer friends with similar problems. Conclusions: Results provide preliminary support for BMT as a treatment for anxious insomnia. The intervention is user friendly, while eliminating the need for potentially dangerous hypnotics and repeat visits to psychotherapists.
8th European Neurology Congress
Galina Mindlin, MD is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System and Clinical/Executive Director at Brain Music Treatment Center in New York City. She is board certified in Psychiatry/Neurology and holds a PhD in Neuroscience. She co-authored the book “Your Playlist Can Change Your Life” (Sourcebooks, 2012). She is trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy at Columbia University, completed her training in DBT and is thought mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh. She is the founder of Brain Music Therapy (BMT), in the US. She collaborates with other neurofeedback providers across the United States and is in private practice in New York City.