News

The attached links are from some of the presentations that took place at the 2015 Annual Conference.

Richard Gevirtz – A review of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRVB) Treatment Outcome Studies with an Emphasis on Chronic Pain

Richard Gevirtz – Treating Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders with HRV Biofeedback

Jay Gunkelman – DSM-5 and Biomarkers/Phenotypes

John LeMay – Advanced Neurofeedback Methods: Part II

Cynthia Kerson – Exercise and your Brain

Adrian VanDusen – Simultaneous Brain and Heart Training

As treasurer of the MSBMB I feel that we should keep a certain amount of transparency in what we do as a non-profit organization. As mentioned at the 2013 annual conference I have posted below the links to the income statement for the 2013 calendar year as of December 31st.

During 2013 we also filed our 1023 tax exemption form which has been received by the IRS and is currently on back log waiting to be processed. With any luck it will be processed by the end of 2014. This for us means that we cannot claim tax-exemption for things such as our conference expenses (meeting room, food, etc charged by the hotel). We must wait for the IRS to provide us with a tax exemption number in order to do so.

Income Stateincome_2013

If any member has questions regarding our financial state please fell free to contact me.

Let’s try to add some $$$ to that statement and have an awesome conference in 2014!

90875,90876,**90901

Basic Benefit and Medical Policy

Neurofeedback training as an alternative therapy for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has been established. It may be a useful treatment option when indicated for children through 18 years of age, effective May 1, 2013.

Neurofeedback training for other central nervous system disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, substance abuse, epilepsy, and insomnia, is experimental. There is a lack of evidence in the peer reviewed published medical literature on the clinical utility and effectiveness of neurofeedback for these conditions.

**Biofeedback was previously established for urinary and fecal incontinencetreatment only.

Group Variations

Not payable for Chrysler, GM, Delphi, the Federal Employee Program®, MPSERS or URMBT groups.

Payment Policy

Payable to an M.D., D.O., fully licensed psychologist or C.L.M.S.W. Services aresubject to all the rules and limitations of the member’s mental health benefit.

Inclusionary Guidelines

• The patient is 18 years of age or younger with a confirmed DSM-IV
• Neurofeedback training is performed by a qualified, licensed healthpractitioner.

Exclusionary Guidelines

• All other central nervous system disorders
• More than 40 neurofeedback sessions

Just Ours is a Breast Cancer Support Group that has been quite active since its inception over 17 years ago. Last month, two of the most common interwoven themes recurred: other people’s responses when treatment ends and fear of recurrence. A lively discussion ensued that generated several ways to cope.

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There are hardly three more devastating words to hear than, “You have cancer.” This traumatic diagnosis can disrupt every aspect of a person’s life. Even with a good prognosis, there is no such thing as “Cancer Lite” – Emotionally. Like many things in life, we wish we had an “Easy Button” or a simple Owner’s Manual. Unfortunately, cancer doesn’t come with an instruction book or much of a map. Each of us has to hack our own healing path through the jungle. You are not a professional cancer patient. Cancer is not your life, but it is part of your life. It is hard, but you can moderate the extent cancer controls your life.

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We have often used military metaphors such as fight or battle to describe an individual’s struggle against cancer. It is ironic that one of the first figures to go public with his battle was General Hiram Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), our 18th President. In 1971 our 37th President, Richard Milhous Nixon, declared War on Cancer, which we are slowly winning with 10.5 million survivors such as yourselves to prove the point!

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Stress has become such an overused term that it has almost become meaningless. So what does “stress” mean? To some it means headaches or tense muscles. To others it means irritability, pressure from deadlines or feeling overwhelmed by an avalanche of life activities. And to others still, it may mean poor sleep, worry, or fatigue. Unfortunately, most people think of stress as something psychological, but our stress response is more comprehensive than that, Some researchers believe that stress accounts for 75-80% of doctor office visits. More scientifically stress is the complex pattern of physical, cognitive-emotional, and behavioral responses to meet the demands placed on us. That doesn’t sound like the normal associations of stress, but there are a couple of important points that help us get a true handle on managing stress.

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Healing and health promotion of the whole person is vitally necessary despite the course a physical disease may take. Wellness means striving for the best health you can achieve. Some important beliefs that enhance wellness during a cancer diagnosis are listed below.

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A growing number of parents see neurofeedback as an appealing alternative to medication to treat their child’s ADHD. The treatment is relatively simple and painless. First, a practitioner attaches three to 10 electrodes to the child’s head. Each electrode sprouts a lead, or wire, connecting it to a computer. The child sits in front of a screen displaying images that respond to the child’s brain activity. When the child has the right kind of brain activity — the images are rewarding or positive, for example — puzzle pieces might fall into place. Proponents say this helps encourage better behavior over time. Follow this link and listen to “The Story” from the NPR website today November 1st, 2010.

When you’re under pressure from work and family and the emails don’t stop coming, it’s hard to stop your mind from jumping all over the place.But scientists are finding that it may be worth it to train your brain to focus on something as simple as your breath, which is part of mindfulness meditation.

A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the latest in a hot emerging field of research examining how meditation relates to the brain. It shows that people who are experienced meditators show less activity in the brain’s default mode network, when the brain is not engaged in focused thought.

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Until that happens and considering there are no guarantees, what can a person diagnosed with cancer do to “stack the deck” in his or her favor? For starters, take a deep breath and quickly become as informed as possible in regard to the disease and treatment options. This can help reduce fear and panic – neither of which helps in decision-making. Information helps you become partners with your medical team and people who actively participate in treatment decisions may do better in treatment with fewer complications. Perhaps, they feel more in control or they feel more confidence in their team. Once you’ve decided on a course of treatment, unless there are adverse effects try to comply fully to get the whole therapeutic effects and create your own healing path!

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