An example of another response of severe TBI to EEG neurofeedback, illustrates the need for early intervention so that a child can develop age-appropriate behaviors. Ruth, 17, severely injured at 16 months in a car accident, was taken to a trauma center by helicopter. She was in ICU 31 days, suffering hypoxia 3 times following lung failure. She has 6th nerve palsy, slow motor skills, poor balance, and moderate hearing loss. She was always enuretic.

Ruth began treatment on 11/12/99. On 1/17/00 her mother reported that she had not wet the bed for 3 weeks, being dry at night for the first time in her life. Not only was she not enuretic during that period, she had begun to have dreams. Ruth had been telling her mother that she wasn’t sleeping well, and then describing unusual stories. Her mother then realized that Ruth was dreaming, but saying that she hadn’t slept well because the dreams seemed so real to her that she thought she was awake. Ruth didn’t know what a dream was and was therefore confused. (The cessation of dreaming is one possible effect of TBI. The return of dreaming is a good indicator of positive change.) She had only 4 treatments at this point.

By March 17 Ruth was keeping a dream notebook. Her speech was clearer, with richer content and smoother rhythm. She was talking with ease on the telephone, something she had not wanted to do before. Between 11/12/99 and 6/6/01 she has had a total of 23 treatments. She is now (2004) in her freshman year of college in a special program.

BWB © 2010