Talk:Hemoencephalography

Advantages
The "advantages" section mentions that "Proponents of hemoencephalography maintain ..." but does not clarify the proponents, does not mention opponents and does not provide references to back three of the four arguments. For the 4th advantage w.r.t. portability, I would argue that EEG systems for neurofeedback are just as portable, e.g. the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muse_(headband), the Emotiv Epoc, and more recently introduced systems such as Kokoon, Melomind, iBand+, BrainPlus, etc.

Robert476 (talk) 15:15, 14 December 2018 (UTC)

Hemo
Hemoencephalography (HEG) was named by Hershel Toomim to describe the transformation of brain radiant energy into a physically sensed form. Toomim, H. and Marsh, R. published the basic voluntary technique of Hemoencephalography in US Patent Number 5,995,857 Nov 1999 (7). This, Toomim and Carmen (10), and Toomim H. (2002)(8) were the first publications following the discovery of voluntary control of cerebral activation, by Hershel Toomim in 1994.

One method of measuring radiation from the brain used light shown through the skull absorbed and reflected outward to measure and allow control of blood oxygen levels. Jeffrey Carmen Ph.D in 1996 developed infrared radiation of brain temperature, passive infrared (pirHEG), feedback to enhance voluntary pain reduction in migraine headache(10). This new process brought thought into the physical realm of exercise.

Brain exercise is the most promising use of Hemoencephalography. Essential to this function is the voluntary increase of cerebral blood flow in selected brain nuclei. Investigators have demonstrated that interventions activating the brain can result in brain growth. Diamond et al.(1) demonstrated the positive effect of an enriched sensory environment in exercising and promoting growth of brain dendritic density and vascularity in living mice. Scheibel et al., (1990)(2), investigated the effects of human functional brain exercise in autopsy studies. They found an association between the complexity of the dendritic systems of the hand-finger primary sensory receptive brain area and the nature of work of the individual. Similarly, Jacobs et al.,(1993)(3), found that education had a consistent positive effect on dendritic density. More specifically, Albert, T. et al.,(1995)(4), found the cortical representation for the fingers of the left hand in string players increased in size and correlated inversely to the age at the start of musical practice. Maguire, E.A.,et al.,(2000)(5), showed that London cabbies, renowned for their encyclopedic knowledge of London streets, have enlarged right posterior hippocampi. Weiskopf et al.(2000)(6), demonstrated voluntary activation of the anterior cingulate gyrus with fMRI feedback. Further research validating voluntary control of brain blood flow in the scientific press by Yoo, SS and Jolez, FA (2002)(9). Birbaummer, N. and his students Tubingin University showed voluntary enhancement of selected brain areas with the aid of fMRI biofeedback

As illustrated by the above review, repetitive brain activation, i.e. brain exercise, results in physiological changes in the brain that accompany improved brain function.

(HEG) is a type of functional near-infrared (nirHEG)imaging of the level of neuronal activity in the brain. It provides a convenient low cost method of training bain function. nirHEG takes advantage of the translucent nature of the skull and brain tissue to illuminate the brain. Differences in absorption rates of red and infrared light wavelengths by oxygenated vs. deoxygenated blood provide suitable measures of blood oxygenation. Red and infrared lights placed on the scalp are shone into the brain and the relative amounts of these wavelengths reflected and refracted in and out through the scalp provide a relative measure of changes in blood oxygen level.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI provides another method of determining blood oxygen levels for sutable brain activity control. The amount of heat radiated by the brain also provides a suitable measure of brain activity for voluntary brain exercise. Brain radiation is thus made available for voluntary brain exercise with biofeedback. Most research on HEG has focused on its use for [biofeedback]in alleviating brain dysfunctions using the inesxpensive small hand held nirHEG instrument. However, Research by R. Christopher deCharms et al.(2005) using fMRI demonstrated voluntary pain control via learned brain activation using fMRI.(11)

References: 1. Diamond, M. C., Law, E., Rhodes, H., Lindner, B., Rosenzweig, M. R., Krech, D. & Bennett, EL. (1975), Journal of Neuroscience Research 1, 109 2. Scheibel, A., Conrad, T., Pros, S., Toyoama, U., Wechsler, A. (1990,)Brain and Cognition 12, 85-101 3. Jacobs, B., Schall, M., Scheibel, A. (1993)Journal of Comparative Neurology 327, 97-111 4. Albert, T., Panted, C., Weinbruch, C., Rockstroh, B., Taub, E. (1995) Science 270  305-307 5. Maguire, E.A., Gadian, D.G., Johnsrude, I.S., Ashbrunner, J., Frakowiak, R.S., Frith, C.D. (2000)PNAS 4398-4403 6. Weiskopf, N., Viet, R., Erb, M., Mathiak, K.,Grodd, W., Goebel, R., (2003) Neuroimage 19 (3), 577-586 7. Toomim and Marsh US Patent Number 5,995,857 Nov 1999 8. Toomim, H. (2002) Explore! for the Professional. 11 (2). 19-21 9. Yoo, SS and Jolez, FA (2002)(9)Neuroreport 13(11), 1377-1381 10. Toomim, H., & Carmen, J.(1999). Hemoencephalography (HEG) Biofeedback, 27(4) 10-14 11. R. Christopher deCharms et al.(2005) PNAS Dec. 20 vol. 102, (no. 51} 18626-18631

Equivalence to fMRI
I've yet to come across your device, but as you describe it, I find it hard expect its use to replace fMRI. The brain controls oxygen flux primarily through changing local blood flow, and not through increased extraction of oxygen from haemoglobin. Wee Jimmy (talk) 22:53, 7 July 2009 (UTC)
 * The human skull, meninges and scalp are not particularly translucent and any data you claim to derive would be hard to disentangle from the venous drainage that would dominate any signal.
 * The data that your explanation claims to derive would, indeed, tell you about relative oxygenation/deoxygenation of haemoglobin, but not the relative activity of the neuroanatomy; pulse oximeters use the principle that you describe, but are used on the little finger or the ear, and should never be used to calculate oxygen consumption, as without knowledge of the haemoglobin flux, you cannot judge that.

fNIRS
Isn't this just cerebral NIRS/fNIRS by another name? Arinelle (talk) 17:25, 19 May 2020 (UTC)


 * I would agree... I cannot find any difference, other than HEG only seems to be used for biofeedback... 185.144.6.61 (talk) 14:43, 28 June 2023 (UTC)