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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Alpha Stim
        
(Message started by: randyg2 on May 14^th, 2004, 11:31pm)

Title: Alpha Stim
Post by randyg2 on May 14^th, 2004, 11:31pm

Have searched the archives but cannot find anything on a therapy called Alpha Stim....supposed to work for clusters as well as migraines. Elctro stim coupled with non needle accupuncture.
Must be prescribed by a doctor.
Has anyone ever tried it? Feed back please.
Thanks
from Depakote Land

Title: Re: Alpha Stim
Post by forgetfulnot on May 15^th, 2004, 1:55pm

Do a google, all I see is sexual devices, butt plugs and the like. :o

Had enough Lee

Title: Re: Alpha Stim
Post by Karla on May 15^th, 2004, 2:37pm

I have never heard of it mentioned on this site before.

Title: Re: Alpha Stim
Post by Tom on May 15^th, 2004, 6:41pm

Google found it easily:

http://www.bio-medical.com/product_info.cfm?inventory__imodel=AS100

http://www.reynoldsoffice.com/1111-1.htm

http://www.biof.com/alpha.html

http://alpha-stim.com/Information/Technology/Research/Index/Smith_92/smith_92.html

http://www.monroeinstitute.org/research/alpha-binaural-beat.html

http://brain.web-us.com/foster.htm

http://www.alzheimersupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/id/3101/T/Both/

http://www.floattankassociation.co.uk/binaural2.htm

Title: Re: Alpha Stim
Post by floridian on May 16^th, 2004, 10:42pm

Using binaural sound (different tracks for each ear) may shift the brain waves to more alpha (relaxed, meditative). I don't know that it would necessarily help with clusters, but if you want to spend $10 on a tape to relax, well thats about the cost of a movie and popcorn. There is a technique that (I think) Charlie has posted several times, and he notes that it may help some to a degree, costs nothing, and has no side effects.

Here is an article that found that there is less alpha activity in migraine and tension headaches. But I would bet that the reduced alpha is from the headaches or the cause of the headaches. No proof that increasing alpha will help.

Quote:

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2003;103(11):38-42.

[Bioelectrical activity of the brain in paroxysmal and chronic forms of primary headache]

[Article in Russian]

Kremenchugskaia MR, Oknin VIu, Sokolov PL, Filatova EG.

Eighty-three patients suffering from primary headache (HA) were studied. Migraine was diagnosed in 52 (migraine with aura--8, migraine without aura--30, transformed migraine--14) and headache of tension--in 31 patients. EEG was registered before treatment, using evaluation by methods of visual and spectral analyses. The EEGs of all the patients were characterized by diffuse bioelectrical activity changes. In patients with headache of tension (episodic and chronic), the reduction of alpha rhythm with simultaneous increase of other frequency bands were the main EEG features. In migraine with- and without aura, EEGs were characterized by synchronization of alpha rhythm, its spatial redistribution and increased presentation of bilaterally synchronous alpha- and theta-activity. Comparing to EEGs in migraine with episodic attacks (migraine with- and without aura), those in transformed migraine distinguished significantly by decrease of alpha rhythm. Spectral analysis revealed an increase of spectral power of frontal regions in all forms of primary HA, a total increase of theta-band power in all forms of migraine and an increase of theta-band power in frontal regions in headache of tension. Migraine with- and without aura was characterized by reduction of alpha band power in occipito-parietal hemisphere regions.

I have no idea what sferics are, and am too tired to look it up. But sferics apparently increase alpha activity - no word on whether they reduce headaches.

Quote:

Int J Neurosci. 1999 Apr;97(3-4):211-24.

Electrocortical responses of headache patients to the simulation of 10 kHz sferics. Again, this is not cluster headache - it is for weather sensitive migraine and tension headaches. But it is along the lines you suggest - modifying brain waves.

Schienle A, Stark R, Vaitl D.

Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Giessen, Germany. Anne.schienle@psychol.uni-giessen.de

Many headache patients believe that weather changes act as pain triggers. Therefore, the present study investigated the psychophysiological influence of an indicator of atmospheric instability, Very Low Frequency (VLF)-sferics, on 32 subjectively weather-sensitive women suffering from migraine attacks and/or tension-type headaches. It was analyzed if sferics exposure is able to induce electrocortical changes as well as headache symptoms.The subjects, who had been divided into two groups, participated in a sferics simulation study. The experimental group (n = 16) underwent a ten-minute exposure to 10kHz-sferics impulses followed by 20 minutes without treatment in order to examine possible prolonged sferics effects. The control group (n = 16) received no treatment. As dependent measures, EEG spectral power was compared between the two groups at six electrode sites (F3/F4; P3/P4; O1/O2). Sferics exposure provoked increases in absolute alpha and beta power during the treatment. The alpha power enhancement was still present at parietal sites at the end of registration (20 minutes after the end of exposure). The stimulation did not induce headache symptoms.