The LENS neuro feedback with animals

Abstract

Background. A customary route for research in the life sciences is to begin with animal studies, and only after thorough evaluation, attempt the same procedure with humans. In this pilot clinical outcomes study, the inverse procedure is followed. Encouraging results in the areas of CNS regulation led clinicians to explore whether the method is equally effective with animals who suffered the same problems as humans. The qualities studied included aggressiveness, mood instability, hypervigilance, inability to learn from experience. Species studies over about three years consisted of horses, dogs, and cats. Method. All animals were treated on the Low Energy Neurofeedback System (LENS) using the I-330 C2, the mini-C2, or the GP plus EEG processor with a laptop computer. Unlike with human subjects, it was impossible to use “eyes-closed” condition, so blink artifact was impossible to rule out. Animals stood in stalls, tied to hitching posts (horses), or on the floor or in their owner’s lap (dogs and cats). With most animals the “stim” condition was used, with a brief second or two of stimulation embedded in a longer period of “no-stim,” four to twenty seconds depending on the situation. Where possible, a cortical map was done of from ten to twelve sites on the animal version of the standardized mapping system developed by Holliday and Williams (1999, 2003) to match human mapping. Since it has become available several months ago, the Animal CNS Questionnaire was used, and a five symptom or more “Subjective Symptom Checklist” completed on each treatment session with the owner. Narrative reports were collected from owners, but also from professional animal trainers and handlers. In some cases animals were photographed or videotaped before and after. Results. The animal studies are similar in outcome to the human results. As judged by owners, independent witnesses and professional trainers and handlers, animal behavior improves in the dogsamuzzlemightbeemployedforthesafety of the clinician/experimenter.Normally animals mustbesedatedorrigidlyconfined(lockedinto braces or restraints) in order to perform EEGs. Our work is unique in that the animals were awake with sedation only required in one case, and the only restraints consisted of humans gently holding the animals. The nature of the LENS provides a unique opportunity for placebo-controlled, double-blinded research with animals (as well as humans). We hope that future research will include animals of several different species. We believe,as in the case of Gandalf that rescue animals who have suffered from accidents or human abuse, as well as animalswith head injuries,in zoosor circuses, and that have problems with aggressiveness or obsessive responses, may be ideal candidates for treatment and research. LENS seems to hold promise offering many of these unfortunate animals a chance for a happier adaptation to their lives with a healthier central nervous system. The animals in our cases were domestic or farm animals, accustomed to interaction with humans,ratherthanwildorlaboratorysubjects. Ithas clearly been our impression thattheprob-lemsinthese animalshaveoftenstemmedfrom less than ideal treatmentby humans, andsoitis encouragingtous to find thata therapeuticpro-cedure that evolved for treating humans may also be helpful for animals. All too often animals that are having problems are simply “put down.”Wearepleasedtothinkthatagentleand relatively rapid treatment such as LENS may improve the quality of life of pets that are often very loved by their owners, and it may give many animals a chance to live.