Next meeting: March 10, 2008

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas


The March meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 10th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below). We are honored to have Dr. Marvin Sams present information about Neurofeedback for brain injury.


What is Neurofeedback?

We are able to go about our day because our brain talks to itself with highly complex waves of energy. These internal dialogues allow us to pay attention and focus on what is going on in our world, to remember what it is we want to know or need to do, to go to and stay asleep, and to color our life with emotional actions and reactions.

Medical professionals have known about these electrical conversations for over 60 years, using a devise called the electroencephalogram (EEG) to record the brain waves. Neurologists (medical doctors that diagnose and treat diseases of the brain and nervous system) find the EEG indispensable, looking for distortions in the brain wave patterning to help diagnose seizures and manage epilepsy, and to help diagnose or rule out a brain tumor, blood clot, or stroke in those with such symptoms as black outs, headaches, or unusual behavior. A few years ago, computer technology had advanced to a point that a brain wave analysis system could be created that broke down the complexity of the brain wave patterning. As research in major medical centers evolved, the Quantitative EEG revealed that there is much more to brain waves than the detection of brain disease: The technology can also let us know where and in what way the brain is efficiently doing and not doing its job.

The brain, in other words, uses the neurofeedback tones to do what it was designed to do by nature: Use information coming in from the outside world to learn or teach itself something. In this instance, the "something" it learns is that increasing (or decreasing) certain frequencies helps it better focus, understand incoming information better, and execute complex tasks in a more efficient way. There is a fundamental difference between traditional instrumented biofeedback and the more recently developed neurofeedback. Biofeedback helps us learn to take conscious control of our internal terrain for better management of stress and stress-related health problems. With neurofeedback, however, it is not "us" that learns the new behavior: It is our brain. Just as "we" learned to walk and ride a bike, all "we" have to do is go through the motions. (In this case, sit with electrodes on our head and play a video game or watch a video.) Our brain quickly and easily learns what it needs to do to perform complex tasks in a better and more efficient way.

Who is Dr. Sams?

Marvin W. Sams, N.D., R. EEG T., Dipl. EEG, BCIA-EEG is a Certified EEG Biofeedback Practitioner (Biofeedback Certification Institute of America), a Registered EEG Technologist (American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic Technologists), and a Certified Quantitative EEG Technologist (Association of Certified Quantitative EEG Technologists).

He is Past President and Past Board Member of the American Society of EEG Technologists, and Past Board Member of The American Board of Registration of EEG Technologists. Currently, Dr. Sams is Technical Editor of the Journal of Neurotherapy, Board Member of the American Board of Certification in Quantitative Electroencephalography, Secretary-Treasurer of the EEG Biofeedback Division of the American Association of Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, and Immediate Past President of the American Association of Quantitative EEG Technologists.

Dr. Sams has almost four decades of psychophysiological, electrophysiological and electroneurodiagnostic experience in both clinical and research setting. His past professional affiliations include: Staff EEG Technologist at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, Research Supervisor of the Section of EEG at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, and Faculty and Supervisor of the EEG Laboratories at the Ohio State University Hospitals, Columbus, Ohio.


*Text from Dr. Sams’ web site at http://www.thesamscenter.com/index.htm

Contact information:
The Sams Center
2301 Ohio Drive Suite 200
Plano, Texas 75093
(972) 612-0160

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (kaikman1@sbcglobal.net) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.