Treating Epilepsy by Forced Oscillations
Written by Martin Eisen Ph. D.
Conventional treatment of epilepsy has the drawbacks of side effects of the drugs. Moreover, some people’s seizures cannot be controlled adequately by drugs.
A nonstandard treatment of epilepsy was devised based on the following observation. The sensimotor oscillations in resting cats were found to be 15 Hz. During an epileptic seizure, neurons oscillate wildly. It was hypothesized that if a person could learn to control his brain waves at the frequency of 15 Hz., an epileptic seizure could be avoided. Groups of subjects were taught this type of self-regulation using biofeedback (1). Unfortunately, the method, although successful, had some drawbacks. A long training period was required and not everyone could learn the technique (2). In particular, young people were much more successful in mastering this technique than older people.
An improvement of this method would be to eliminate the required training by forcing the brain to oscillate at 15 Hz. The Monroe binaural machine can entrain the brain to oscillate at a desired frequency by feeding two different sound frequencies in each ear, whose difference is the desired frequency. A less expensive approach is to use an ordinary stereo tape or disc player. Without any training the brain can be forced to oscillate at 15 Hz., by merely listening to a properly designed audiotape.
At present, this method has only been tried on one subject, reducing the frequencies of her seizures.
References
1. Sterman, M. B. Neurophysiological and clinical studies of sensimotor EEG biofeedback training: some effects on epilepsy. In Birk, L. ed., Seminars in Psychiatry, Grune and Stratton, New York, Vol. 5 (4), 507- 25, 1974.
2. Sterman, M. B. Clinical implication of EEG biofeedback training: a critical appraisal. In Schwartz, G. E. and Beatty, J. eds., Biofeedback and Research, Academic Press, New York, Chapter 18, 1975
Article author
About the Author
By profession, Dr. Eisen was a university Professor specializing in constructing mathematical models used for studying medical problems such as those in cancer chemotherapy and epilepsy.
He has studied Judo, Shotokan Karate, Aikido and Tai Chi. He taught Judo in a community center in Toronto. Dr. Eisen was the founder and chief-instructor of the Shotokan Karate Clubs at Carnegie-Mellon and Dusquene Universities and the University of Pittsburgh
He has taught Tai Chi at community centers in New Jersey, the Chinese Community School of South Jersey, Temple University, a Master's Dance Class at Glassboro State College and Triton High School and also Qigong at some of these locations.
One of Master Mark's students introduced him to Master Mark and Praying Mantis. He found the system so interesting that he devoted most of his time only to this art. He taught Praying Mantis at Master Mark's School in Philadelphia and at Temple University. He became a Disciple of Master Mark and teaches Praying Mantis, Qigong and Tai Chi at the Cherry Hill branch of Master Mark's school.
Master Mark fostered his interest in acupuncture, herbology, Chinese massage and Qigong. He took correspondence courses in Chinese herbology and studied other branches of Chinese medicine with a traditional Chinese medical doctor. Dr. Eisen is the Director of Education of the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Institute in Upper Darby, P.A.
Dr. Eisen has written many articles on Kung Fu, Qigong, Eastern exercise and Chinese medicine.
He was honored by the University of Pittsburgh in 2001, on the 35th anniversary of the introduction of Shotokan Karate, as the founder, for contributing to its growth, popularity and also to students’ character development. He was selected as one of the coaches for a world competition of the U.S. Wu Shu team in 2001. Dr. Eisen received meritorious awards from Temple University National Youth Sports
Further reading
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