BCIA Continuing Education Posts

Using a large nationally representative dataset, the researchers found that people hospitalized for TBI were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia or other psychotic conditions than similar individuals without TBI.

Frontal intermittent rhythmic delta activity (FIRDA) is not a diagnosis—it’s a clue.

Although ASD is historically considered more prevalent in males, this assumption may reflect diagnostic bias rather than biological reality.

Ben's case exemplifies the core insight of Dr. Swatzyna’s clinician detective model: that not all psychiatric symptoms are psychiatric in origin, and that functional abnormalities in brain activity—detectable on EEG—can signal the presence of invisible, systemic pathology.

All montages compare EEG activity between one or more pairs of electrode sites.

The most pressing clinical issue surrounding fast alpha is its frequent misclassification, particularly when spectral peaks in the 18–19 Hz range are erroneously interpreted as beta spindling, pathological fast activity, or early signs of drug effects.

We wish clinicians—particularly those interpreting pediatric EEGs—understood that alpha squeaks are normal, age-appropriate findings that reflect an active but immature visual-cortical network.

We wish clinicians knew that OIRDA is not an epileptiform discharge. It does not reflect hyperexcitability or paroxysmal depolarization, and in isolation, it is not a seizure pattern.

Triphasic waves are among the most recognizable and clinically meaningful non-epileptiform EEG patterns encountered in patients with altered mental status.

Before a diagnosis of a mental disorder can be made, the clinician must rule out that the symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition.

Benzodiazepines vary widely in EEG and clinical effects—Subtypes differ by half-life and receptor affinity, influencing sedation, rebound symptoms, and cortical modulation.

Antidepressants, particularly those that are highly activating or serotonergically potent, may be the worst choice in patients with SEB, IEDs, or focal abnormalities.

Reduced alpha rhythms in PTSD are thought to be involved in poor excitatory/inhibitory balance in the brain.

The Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) is introducing a new performance-focused certification designation.

Steffen and Anderson’s synthesis of recent neuroscience advances proposes a fundamental shift in how we understand stress and coping.

This study makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the effects of neurofeedback on ADHD-related brain activity.

The identification of the FOXP4 variant marked a turning point in the case formulation, shifting the clinical emphasis toward genomics, mitochondrial assessment, and integrative medicine.

A global drop in amplitude suggests either a disruption in metabolic support—such as mitochondrial failure—or widespread cortical inhibition.

Used responsibly, the qEEG enhances interpretation; used in isolation, it risks misrepresentation.

Small-N designs are particularly powerful when the treatment effect is large and immediate, allowing researchers to infer causality with confidence.