Many people with CFIDS experience brain fog — the sensation of being lost in a waking trance, hearing but not comprehending, talking but not making sense.

For some, a treatment called neurotherapy may help lift the fog. It’s a form of biofeedback, something practitioners liken to “physical therapy for the brain.”

“Neurotherapy is not a cure for CFIDS,” says Myra Preston, PhD, who owns and operates Siber Imaging, a neurotherapy clinic in Charlotte, N.C. “But for many people, it can be an effective way to ‘reset’ your brain and improve cognitive function.”

Neurotherapy, also known as neurofeedback, has been around since the 1950s, when it was developed as a treatment for people with seizure disorders. Today it is used for conditions that include attention deficit disorder, stroke, anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Preston has patented a specific neurotherapy protocol to use for people who suffer from the various neurological problems that CFIDS presents.

In biofeedback, patients receive real-time information about body functions — “feedback” about their heart rate, muscle tension, body temperature, etc. The patients are then trained to control these functions in hopes of relieving ailments ranging from headaches to high blood pressure.

In neurotherapy, the goal is to change brain wave patterns. The brain has four main states of alertness, each corresponding to a brain wave. High-frequency beta waves are present during active, waking moments, while alpha waves are associated with daydreaming or reflective states. Low-frequency theta and delta waves are usually present during rest or sleep.

People with CFIDS (PWCs) often show markedly different patterns than normal, Preston says. Preston has discovered that people with CFIDS produce predominantly slow-wave activity. While most people show beta (fast) wave activity when performing cognitive tasks, CFIDS patients try to perform them with theta and delta states instead.

Their intelligence remains intact, but the ability to access it is unpredictable and unreliable. The brain reverses the order in which it is supposed to perform; when the eyes are open, the brain slows down, and when they are closed, the brain speeds up.

“It’s like trying to work when your brain says ‘sleep,’ Preston says. “It’s no wonder that people have so many disabling symptoms and trouble concentrating.”

The brain wave patterns of PWCs resemble those of people with closed head injuries and hepatic encephalophathy. Preston says the predominance of slow-wave activity can be correlated with symptoms such as sleep disturbance, short-term memory problems, low blood pressure, reduced energy, cognitive difficulties, headaches, nausea, heart arrhythmias and more.

Preston documents the slow-wave phenomenon using a brain-mapping technique called Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG). This step is important for a couple of reasons. First, it helps document a patient’s condition for diagnostic and insurance (both health and disability) purposes. More importantly, the information is used to design a treatment program.

During treatment sessions, the patient is fitted with electrodes on the scalp and seated in front of the computer screen of a neurofeedback unit. The screen shows a variety of displays, such as fish moving through a maze or a puzzle being assembled. The patient focuses on the screen and attempts to manipulate the images.

When the patient is successful, he or she is “rewarded” with an audible tone and changes to the images on the screen. Over time, the reward becomes more difficult to achieve, forcing the patient to use more and more of the proper brain waves — a process called operant conditioning.   

The therapy is slow work. A typical session lasts 40–60 minutes — and it may take 60–80 sessions for optimal, long-lasting results. Preston says many patients begin to notice improvements after 20–40 sessions, although the patient response varies greatly.

Again, neurotherapy is not a cure for CFIDS. Preston says it treats neurological symptoms, but does not reverse the underlying causes of CFIDS, whatever they may be. “It’s simply a tool, a way for people to improve their quality of life,” she says.

About 70 percent of the people who try neurotherapy improve to some extent. Most in this successful group reach at least 60–70 percent of their goals, including better concentration and increased short-term memory, improved reading skills, fewer headaches, increased energy and reduced duration and frequency of brain fog.

Of the 70 percent who succeed, Preston says, the majority are able to go back to full- or part-time work.

Neurotherapy is not cheap, but the costs are often covered by insurers. The initial brain-mapping is covered about 85 percent of the time, Preston says. The cost of individual sessions is covered in 60–70 percent of cases.

Preston’s CFIDS protocol for neurofeedback is now available at a number of sites across the country. In addition to the Charlotte office, treatment is now available at affiliated centers in Olympia, Wash.; Conyers, Ga.; Great Neck, N.Y.; Glen Ellyn, Ill.; Houston; and Leesburg, Va.

Siber Imaging also leases or sells home units for people who are unable to attend sessions elsewhere. After initial brain-mapping and training sessions in Charlotte, patients can administer the sessions themselves. Readings are monitored by Siber Imaging via e-mail or fax, and patients are coached on how to make adjustments to the treatment program.

A new group approach has also evolved over the past year, carried out by support groups in Colorado and California. People who live in the same town can lease one machine, then share the unit. Siber Imaging travels to the group’s home town and conducts brain-mapping, individual treatment evaluations and instrument training.

For more information on these programs, readers can call 704-543-0427, or can visit the Siber Imaging Web site at www.siberimaging.com.

The CFIDS Chronicle features quarterly articles about complementary and alternative therapies for people with CFIDS. The Chronicle does not endorse any treatment or claim.