Case Study Number One: LILY
A fifty-eight year old divorced Caucasian grandmother living alone, Lily, employed as a sales associate, fell in a parking lot while placing a call to a customer. She had no memory of striking her head, rather she reported feeling “stunned.” Immediately after the fall, she remembers going to “sleep” for approximately an hour. Upon awakening she went home and spent the next three or four days “sleeping” on and off.
Following recovery from the acute phase of her injury, Lily attempted to return to work, but found the job much more difficult. She could no longer multi-task, or retain several ideas simultaneously, as she could prior to her injury. Often, while driving, she would forget her location and destination. She found the background noise in her office confusing and would retreat to the solitude of her car. While isolated in her car however, she often “spaced out” and remained unable to concentrate or focus, and complete her work. A few weeks later Lily was fired due to inefficiency. She was unable o retain several employment placements for the same reasons. Lily attributed her symptoms to stress in response to physical injury obtained in her fall, and constant pain in her neck, shoulder, and knee. Additionally she was diagnosed two years following her mild head injury with Epstein-Barr Virus infection by her family physician. Lily was therefore treated medically, with a focus on her fall and the Epstein-Barr Virus infection diagnosis. Two years following her Epstein-Barr Virus infection, an orthopedic surgeon informed Lily that she did not suffer any limitations due to her fall, stating that she was a “symptom magnifier”. She was referred to a psychological specifically for assistance with pain management. Upon initial intake, Lily presented with pain in her knee, shoulder, and neck; tinnitus; numbness in hands and feet and blurred vision. In addition she complained of sleeplessness; racing thoughts; a feeling of her car continuing to move after having stopped; problems parking; problems with balance; poor memory, especially while reading to the point where she was reading between sips of coffee; depression; disorientation to location;; and living in a “fog”.
Lily began neurofeedback treatment, aimed at increasing SMR amplitude and decreasing theta band activity. Through neurofeedback Lily’s working memory performance improved dramatically, such that she was able to multi-task once again; a skill previously foreign to her following the mild head injury. Lily’s verbal fluency also improved, as well as insight into her own situation. There was evidence in re-examination following her neurofeedback that Lily was better able to recognize and spontaneously correct errors.
Lily underwent approximately twenty-five neurofeedback treatment sessions. She reported noticing signs as early as her third SMR neurofeedback session, by which she indicated her memory had improved. In the ninth neurofeedback session, Lily reported a marked decrease in disorientation for directions. By the tenth neurofeedback session she reported that the “fog” was lifting. By the eleventh neurofeedback session, Lily reported feeling less depressed and an improvement in reading ability.
Case Study Number Two: Chris
Chris, a twenty-three year old male patient suffering a brain injury, was in a coma for two weeks following the injury. Chris's case manager/RN, in an interview conducted approximately one year following the injury, stated that he has made "significant strides in functional levels-well beyond the progress he was making before [neurofeedback]." Chris's progress with neurofeedback treatment has been "almost phenomenal."
Neuropsychological tests administered to Chris, when compared to examinations performed prior to neurofeedback treatment confirmed definite improvements in cognitive functioning. Chris also exhibited significant improvements in concentration and focus.