Brain Awareness Week - March 14-20, 2011

We are pleased to announce that we have just been approved by the Dana Foundation as a partner in Brain Awareness Week!

As stated on the official website, "Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is the global campaign to increase public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research. Every March BAW unites the efforts of organizations worldwide in a week-long celebration of the brain."

"During BAW campaign partners organize activities to educate and excite people of all ages about the brain and brain research.  Events are limited only by the organizers’ imaginations.  Examples include open days at neuroscience laboratories; museum exhibitions about the brain; lectures on brain-related topics; displays at malls, libraries, and community centers; and classroom workshops."

Daily Webinar on Research Topics in Neurofeedback
The BFE will be presenting a daily webinar on Research Topics in Neurofeedback. During this lecture, Mark Schwartz introduces research being conducted by online teams from around the world. Electroencephalography (EEG) biofeedback, also known as neurofeedback and neurotherapy, is hailed by some as an exciting new method to assess and treat clients diagnosed with mental disorders, and criticized by others as an unproven, controversial and poorly controlled fad.

Mark Schwartz, MBA, BSc. Hons is the director of the "Learn From the Best" program run by the Biofeedback Foundation of Europe. He has presented at conferences and led workshops on biofeedback since 1996.

Register Now and Receive BAW Discount
In support of Brain Awareness Week, we are offering all attendees a special price of $20.00 US ($49.00 off the regular price of $69.00 US). For more details or to register, click here.

For more information on BFE Neurofeedback Teams, 
contact the team coordinator at blueirep@gmail.com.

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2011 Webinar's Underway

The BFE kicked off its 2011 Webinar Series with three events in January. These 1-hour webinars are ideal for newcomers to biofeedback as well as for experienced practitioners eager to learn the latest techniques being used in the field.

Our January lineup included:

QuickQ and BrainDryvr 

Focusing on Addictions

Dr. Paul G. Swingle

Brainwave patterns associated with the different addictions disorders were reviewed and the relevant braindriving protocols to treat the various forms of these disorders were discussed. Dr. Swingle reviewed in detail the initial brain assessments and treatment procedures and focused on the many contributory causes of addictive behavior.

Glazer Gastrointestinal Disorders Webinar

Dr. Howard Glazer

Dr. Glazer discussed the importance of the pelvic floor muscles for a wide range of gastrointestinal disorders such as chronic constipation, fecal incontinence and others. Dr. Glazer reviewed some of the research conducted in collaboration with colorectal surgeon, Shuqing Ding M.D., Attending doctor, National Center of Colorectal disease of Chinese Medicine Nanjing Municipal Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, 3rd affiliated hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine in Nanjing.

Introduction to Physiological Dentistry

Dr. Jeffrey Hindin

Dr. Hindin discussed the importance of physiological dentistry for a wide range of stress related dental patients. The webinar introduced an innovative system to monitor physiologic functions and incorporate biofeedback modalities into patient care. Dr. Jeffrey Hindin, described how he uses this system to observe and record objective changes before and after the insertion of an orthotic and with each subsequent modification or adjustment.

The BFE would like to thank the presenters as well as all those who attended the events. Recordings of past webinars are available in the BFE Online Shop along with information about upcoming webinars. 

Remember to visit the shop often as new information is posted weekly!

BFE 15th Annual Meeting - Munich, Germany

February 22-26, 2011 - Munich, Germany

Final preparations are underway for our 15th Annual Meeting to be held in Munich, Germany from February 22-26, 2011. We are pleased to announce that Lufthansa Airlines will be the official carrier for the event. Full details on how to take advantage of the discounted fares offered by Lufthansa are now on our website. For more information, click here.

This year we look forward to welcoming a variety of presenters - some who we know very well and others who will join us for the first time. Among the scheduled presenters are:

Drs. Lynda and Michael Thompson

Neuroanatomical Underpinnings of Effective Intervention with Asperger's and Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Dr. Jan van Dixhoorn
Manual Assessment of Respiratory Movement (MARM)

Dr. Erik Peper

Advanced Clinical Techniques and BCIA Supervision

Dr. Paul G. Swingle

Basics of the QuickQ Assessment and Braindriving

For the full workshop schedule, click here. Remember to register soon, if you haven't already, to guarantee a place in the workshop(s) of your choice.

We look forward to seeing you in Munich! And although we can't promise a volcano, we can promise a very enriching experience. Monika Fuhs summed up last year's meeting like this:
  
"The conference ended with the awareness that that people couldn’t go home as expected and I, as the organizer, was a bit worried about complaints and problems that could arise due to these circumstances. However it was different – it seemed that our group was not only different in what they were doing but also in their living philosophy. People used the disaster of the volcano eruption as a opportunity to extend their stay and joined those who couldn’t leave. We formed groups that were just enjoying themselves in Rome and forged friendships and created social support. The crisis was transformed into new opportunities of growth."

Best Wishes for 2011!

Dysphagia in Asia

This past summer, Dr. Catriona Steele was invited to present Dysphagia workshops in China and Korea as part of the BFE Learn From the Best initiative. Dr. Steele is a scientist and Director of the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Laboratory at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Her teaching experience includes face-to-face and web-based University courses, and many workshops and invited lectures across North America, Europe, China, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

Dr. Catriona Steele and Dr. Zulin Dou

Dysphagia Workshop – China - July 17, 2010
The workshop in China was hosted by Dr. Zulin Dou, Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Sun Yat-sen University in Gunagzhou and Dr. Hongmei Wen, Ph.D. in Neurology and associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Dr. Dou is also the author of the book Assessment and Treatment of Dysphagia for which Dr. Wen has written the section on sEMG.

Dr. Steele presented her half-day workshop on evidence-based practice in swallowing assessment and Dysphagia rehabilitation with a focus on sEMG biofeedback to 70 physicians and therapists. Earlier in the day, she had the opportunity to consult with Dr. Wen on several challenging cases and looks forward to the potential of future collaboration with Dr. Dou, whose interests include the use of biofeedback in psychology and continence/pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation as well as Dysphagia.

Special thanks to the hosts for their warm welcome and for having the presentation materials translated to Chinese. We would also like to thank Vish Medical for its financial support of this event.

Dr. Steele with members of the KASLP

Dysphagia Workshop – Korea – July 24, 2010
Dr. Steele’s workshop in Seoul was graciously hosted by Miseon Kwon, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Research Professor, Dept. of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and was sponsored by the Korean Association of Speech Language Pathologists (KASLP). Also present was Dr. Do-Heung Ko, a prominent researcher in speech science and president of the KASLP. The half-day workshop was attended by 200 Speech Language Pathologists.

Sincere thanks to the Dr. Kwon for providing a superb translator and for all her work to make the day a success. We would also like to thank Thought Technology for its sponsorship of this event.

Online Dysphagia Training
Dr. Steele teaches several BFE online classes on Dysphagia. During monthly “grand rounds” sessions participants are offered the opportunity to present case studies to the group and to consult with Dr. Steele. Click here for more information on the Dysphagia software suite and online classes.

Interested in Learning More About Treating Depression?

We are pleased to announce the return of Dr. Paul G. Swingle for the second webinar in a 4-part series:

Depression and Mood Disorders

April 21, 2010

4:00-5:00 PM EDT

During this lecture, Dr. Swingle will discuss the use of Neurotherapy in treating clients with depression and will address how conditions often considered untreatable by conventional health practitioners respond positively to neurotherapeutic treatment.

Paul G. Swingle, Ph.D., is a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association and was a Lecturer in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School from 1991 to 1998. Professor Swingle was Chairman of the Faculty of Child Psychology at the University of Ottawa from 1972 to 1977, and Clinical Supervisor from 1987 to 1997. He has also taught at McGill University, Dalhousie University and McMaster University. He is a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia and is (BCIA) Certified in Biofeedback and Neurotherapy. Since 1997 he has been in a private practice in Vancouver, British Columbia. His most recent book, "Biofeedback for the Brain" (2008), was published by Rutgers University Press and has just been released in paperback.

Other topics to be presented as part of this series are:

• September 2010 - Attention and Learning Disorders
• November 2010 - Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Anxiety Disorders

This webinar, as well as the others in the series, is open to health care practitioners as well as the general public. To register, visit the Events page of our website. To view our press release, click here.

Telemedicine Webinar with Dr. Howard Glazer - March 17, 2010

The Biofeedback Foundation of Europe is pleased to announce the third webinar in our 2010 International Lecture Series - Telemedicine - presented by Dr. Howard Glazer.

Dr. Glazer is a Clinical Associate Professor at the Weill College of Medicine of Cornell University/New York Presbyterian Hospital. In this webinar, he will discuss how he shares his expertise in the field of Lower Gastrointestinal, Urological and Sexual Dysfunction disorders with colleagues and patients around the world. A specific example of how this expertise can help patients in the Dallas, Texas area will be presented.

This webinar is open to professionals and the public alike and the cost to attend is $69.00. To register, visit the EVENTS page of our website.

THE WEBINAR TAKES PLACE:

Wednesday - March 17, 2010
16:00 - 17:00 (GMT+1 - Amsterdam)
11:00 - 12:00 AM (EDT - New York)

Future webinars with Dr. Glazer:

• Incontinence Issues in Men and Women (May 19th)
• Prostate, Urethral and Bladder Pain Syndromes (June 23rd)
• Sexual Pain and Dysfunction (September 22nd)
• Vulvar Pain Syndromes (October 20th)
• Pudendal Nerve Pain and Ano-rectal Pain (November 17th)

We look forward to seeing you there.

New York Dentist Lectures on the Use of Physiological Dentistry to Enhance Patient Care

In our 2010 International Online Lecture Series, the most respected members of the neurofeedback and biofeedback communities will discuss how biofeedback is used by their profession, supported by evidence-based research and clinical practice.

In the second of a series of ten webinars, New York dentist Dr. Jeffrey Hindin addresses the innovative use of biofeedback by dentists. Jeffrey S. Hindin, D.D.S., F.I.C.O.I. is a general dentist practicing all phases of dentistry with an emphasis on craniofacial pain, TMD, and sleep disorders. He has co-created a system of monitoring physiologic functions and incorporates biofeedback modalities into patient care. He is one of the founders of The Hindin Center for Whole Health Dentistry in Suffern, N.Y and lectures on dentistry and physiologic functions.

In his webinar on February 19, 2010, Dr. Hindin links subjective patient reporting with objective measures using the latest physiological assessment technology for dental assessment. The scientific basis for physiologic assessment is presented based on the latest research data. A few case studies are shown. Different monitoring systems for research, clinic, and home training are shown. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is discussed and its importance as a measure of change in autonomic nervous system functioning. Powerful multimedia feedback such as DVDs, music CDs and MP3s, selected by patients, can be used to entertain, amuse or relax as the patient practices at home what they have learned in the clinic. Simple session and trend reports help show the patient, and the dentist, the progress they are making on a regular basis.

Using this system, objective changes can be observed and recorded, for example, before and after the insertion of the orthotic and with each subsequent modification or adjustment, or with other dental procedures. The benefits of physiologic dentistry establish a greater awareness of the influence of dentistry on the entire body.

All lectures in this series are designed to provide guidance for both professionals and members of the public with special interest in the topics covered. Subscribers to this lecture series not only benefit by learning of the latest breakthroughs but also know that their contribution to the foundation’s International Research and Education Projects (IREP) help to advance studies and bring alternative and complementary medicine closer to home.

We invite you to join us on February 19, 2010!

Click here to register.