Boost Your Brain (18 page)

For Robert the reward is the quiet beep, although he doesn’t realize it on a conscious level. As his brain adjusts its activity in search of more reward, he’ll replace excessive beta and theta with alpha activity, gradually, over the course of fifteen to twenty sessions. The result will be that Robert will think more clearly and find it far easier to pay attention.

EEG-based biofeedback has in recent years increasingly shown promise in the treatment of concussion, ADHD, epilepsy, migraine, insomnia, anxiety, and other disorders.
¹¹
The evidence for neurofeedback to treat ADHD is particularly strong; it may reduce symptoms just as effectively, if not better than, stimulant medication. And the results are lasting. Unlike medicine, which wears off, neurofeedback is actually sculpting the brain, changing brain wave activity for the long term.

Neurofeedback as a treatment for certain conditions makes sense, but it’s also no surprise that neurofeedback can be used for better creativity, even in relatively healthy brains. Such brain performance enhancement is cutting-edge science, so more study needs to be done. But we do have emerging evidence that neurofeedback aimed at increasing alpha wave activity—especially toward the higher end of the range—in healthy adults may boost cognitive function.

In one study by German researchers, of the fourteen subjects given such neurofeedback training, eleven showed significant improvement in cognitive testing by their fifth session.
¹²
No such improvement was seen in the control group. It’s a small study, to be sure, but it has been supported by other studies that have shown improvements in brain performance following alpha training neurofeedback.

In one, researchers in the United Kingdom enlisted twenty ophthalmic surgeons for a study of neurofeedback aimed at improving dexterity in microsurgery.
¹³
The subjects were split into a control group and a neurofeedback group, and both groups were given a pre-study assessment of their surgical skills. Their skills were by timed and analyzed by expert consulting surgeons. Participants also rated their own mental state and level of anxiety. The neurofeedback group then received eight thirty-minute EEG sessions. When the surgeons were tested again, the neurofeedback group performed 20 percent better in technique, suturing, and overall time on the task. Participants who’d had neurofeedback also reported less anxiety after EEG training.

In yet another study, researchers in Spain tested sixteen subjects, assigning ten to neurofeedback and six to a control group.
¹⁴
The neurofeedback group was given one neurofeedback session per day on each of five consecutive days and a working memory test before the first session and after the last. The neurofeedback group showed significantly more upper alpha activity and did significantly better on the working memory test, each improving his or her memory by ten words compared to a one-word improvement in those in the control group.

Other Ways to Calm Your Brain

Drumming

If you press your ear to the door of my offices on a Sunday morning or a Thursday evening, you won’t hear the usual hum of a busy medical practice. Instead, what you’ll hear—
bum, batta, bat bat, bum, batta, bat bat
—is the product of six patients and a drum instructor, who are seated in a circle, rapping their bare hands against long, tall djembe drums that rest between their knees. They’re almost certainly all smiling, but they’re not here just for fun. Instead, they’ve assembled here for a session of drumming, a therapy that is rapidly emerging as an effective method to promote healthy brain activity.

Why would banging on a drum help your brain? Good question. The science on this is still emerging but it’s clear, for one thing, that the repetitive nature of focusing to create a drumbeat promotes healthy brain activity in a way that is similar to the state of mind achieved by meditation.

There are other benefits, too. For one, learning to drum requires brain stimulation; you’re building synapses when you work to follow a prescribed pattern or coordinate your beats with others in a group. Although it seems simple, drumming requires focus and attention—on creating your own sound and on the sounds that others are creating, as you attempt to play in concert with them. It’s a good way to activate your frontal lobes.

Being part of a group also has benefits; there is a social connection, a sense of “we,” among group members that helps to improve mood. And the act of drumming can also offer a stress-relieving physical and creative outlet. Most of my patients even report feeling free or joyful after drumming. Bang rhythmically on a drum for twenty minutes and you’ll see what they mean.

Although you can drum with sticks, I recommend a drum that uses your hands instead since the feel of your palm or fingers striking the drum can create a pleasant sensation that you don’t get with a drumstick. You can pick up a djembe drum online for anywhere between fifty and several hundred dollars, or you can opt for a cheaper set of bongo drums. You can even skip the drum altogether and simply “drum” your hands against your thighs.

Your best bet is to find a class so you can learn a technique that you then practice at home. In the meantime, practice at home on your own. Just create a rhythm of about seven beats and repeat it. Use your favorite songs as guides.

Tai Chi and Yoga

Tai chi and yoga may change brain wave activity in a way that’s similar to meditation. In one study, for example, thirty-eight adults participated in a twenty-minute session that included standing tai chi movements and sitting, lying, and standing yoga poses.
¹⁵
Before and after the session, they underwent EEG and math tests. After their sessions, participants showed a pattern of brain activity associated with relaxation and alertness. They also did better on the math test.

Yoga has also been noted to promote alpha activity and decrease cortisol levels. As would be expected, one Japanese study found a strong correlation between lowered cortisol levels and increased alpha activity.
¹⁶

Religion

If you’re religious, you might find it comforting to know that praying may be helping you grow your brain. One EEG study of Muslims engaging in prayers, for example, showed prayer-induced alpha activity.
¹⁷

Religion has also been linked to a reduced risk of mortality,
¹⁸
likely for several reasons. For starters, being part of the community offers up countless opportunities for social interaction—from weekly services, to study groups, to volunteer efforts, and more. In addition, many people find attending religious services to be a calming, relaxing, or even joyful experience. (If you’ve ever stood in the pews listening to a gospel choir sing their hearts out you can probably understand why.)

A New Attitude

As beneficial as meditation and other mindfulness practices are, their mind-calming effects can quickly be reversed if you’re not careful. You won’t get much brain-boosting value from thirty minutes of quiet contemplation if you’re pessimistic and irritable the rest of the day, for example.

That’s why at my Brain Center Dr. Sahin has created a meditation program that incorporates aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy and other interventions aimed at helping patients find satisfaction, calmness, and happiness in their day-to-day lives.

Part of that effort goes toward helping patients assess their attitude or belief system and the way they respond to stressors in their lives. We do this by encouraging them to conduct an “ABC” assessment of the things that stress or concern them. Patients fill out an ABC sheet as follows:

A
for
activating event
(something happens): What was it that triggered the negative feelings?

B
for
belief
(I tell myself something): When A occurs, what do I tell myself?

C
for
consequence
(I feel something): When I tell myself B, how do I feel?

Here’s an example:

A
: My car runs out of gas.

B
: I tell myself it’s my husband’s fault because he always borrows my car and fails to fill up the tank.

C
: I feel angry at my husband.

Often what stresses us is being confronted with something that is out of line with our belief system. If we can change our belief system to bring it in line with reality, we stand a better chance of diffusing our anger and maintaining a peaceful state of mind. In this example, what if you changed B? What if you recognized that your husband is forgetful about the gas tank and therefore you need to be extra vigilant and check the gas gauge every time you drive? If you could change B, your belief that it’s your husband’s fault, you could then likely change C, increasing your chances of maintaining a peaceful state of mind.

Mindfulness—including stress reduction through meditation or breathing exercises—increases BDNF, enhances cardiovascular health, and promotes healthy brain activity. The more your mind operates in a relaxed and focused state, the more your brain will grow. For optimal brain growth, I recommend meditating (or performing other brain-relaxing exercises) twenty minutes a day, five days a week along with maintaining a positive attitude in life.

Coupled with meditation, the ABC technique helps patients change their attitude toward life, reducing stress and increasing their sense of well-being and satisfaction. The end result is a brain that is more likely to operate in that sought-after alpha zone.

Your Rx

Track 1

If you’ve never done any type of mindfulness activity, this is your track.

Week One:
Start with my simple 7-7-7 breathing exercise. Do it once a day, three times a week, and focus on your technique. If you feel noticeably calmer after doing it, you’ve probably got it right.

Week Two:
Continue with my breathing exercise and add one session of meditation.

Week Three:
Shift from breathing exercises to twenty minutes of meditation, four days a week.

Track 2

If you’ve had some experience in the past with meditation or another form of mindfulness, or are currently taking such a class, this is your track.

Week One:
Meditate twenty minutes a day, four days a week.

Week Two:
Meditate twenty minutes a day, four days a week, and add a tai chi or yoga class once a week.

Week Three:
Continue with meditation and add to your week one more session of tai chi, yoga, or another relaxing activity.

Track 3

If you’re already a practiced meditator or regularly engage in some other mindful activity, this track is for you.

Week One:
Continue with your mindfulness practices and set aside three half-hour sessions to write down all the things you love about your life. Think about why you love them, and then come up with ways to increase your exposure to the things you cherish. For example, I love spending time with my daughters, Nora and Maya, so one of my thirty-minute sessions might end with a plan that allows me to get home from work a bit earlier twice a week.

Week Two:
Continue with your mindfulness practices and set aside three half-hour stretches to write down the things that bother you. Fill out an ABC chart for each and challenge your assumptions about your belief system. Ask yourself,
Why am I unhappy? How can I change my perception?
Come up with creative strategies to change or decrease your exposure to the things that make you unhappy.

Week Three:
Continue with your mindfulness practices and start giving yourself a weekly Sabbath. From sunset one day until sunset the following day, promise to do no work. This is your fun time, so fill it with things that you enjoy.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Building Brain “Muscles”

O
VER THE COURSE
of a few months in the winter and spring of 2012, I spent time every other Thursday evening with a small group of patients who’d enrolled in my brain fitness program. The program, designed to put into action the lifestyle changes we know to have real brain benefits, included educational sessions where I guided my patients on best practices for a bigger brain. Participants also met weekly with our brain coach, who offered tips and encouragement to help them make lasting lifestyle changes. One Thursday a few weeks into the program we sat with our chairs arranged in a circle, ready to practice our signature memorization drill.