Acuity Brain Center

Acuity Brain Center is a medical facility that is focused on the evaluation and treatment of patients who desire improvement in the function of their brain. Our brain is responsible for our ability to learn and remember, our mood, our social interactions, our athletic abilities, maintaining our daily rhythms, the grace with which we age and so much more. At Acuity Brain Center, our goal is to improve the quality of life for our patients and their families. We accomplish this by taking our patients through an extensive evaluation, a BrainPhysical, that will uncover the source of their problem. Each brain is different and we use a variety of testing modalities designed to produce a customized treatment program that will enable them to reach their goal.

Who can benefit from treatment at Acuity Brain Center?
Most people. Our brain is actively involved in planning and performing all of our daily functions and many of us feel we are lacking the memory, speed or focus that is required to meet our goals. The staff at Acuity Brain Center is comfortable in dealing with a wide range of conditions. On one end of the spectrum we have patients with serious brain issues resulting from a traumatic brain injury, stroke, surgical trauma or infection. Patients with emotional issues like depression and anxiety or cognitive issues, like insomnia or memory loss, are at a different place on the spectrum.

Does Acuity Brain Center only benefit patients of a certain age range?
Benefit can be achieved across all ages. The work required is challenging for anyone under five years of age, therefore we generally do not recommend treatment until that age. Approximately half of the patients we treat at Acuity Brain Center are children or teenagers. In these patients we most commonly address ADHD, autism, Asperger’s, learning disabilities, conduct problems, addictions and other behavior problems. In our adult population, complaints often addressed are depression, anxiety, age-related cognitive change, sleep dysregulation, addiction, anger and rage, and chronic pain. So, no matter the age, our staff is available to assist you.

Will Acuity Brain Center help me if I simply want to improve on a skill I already have?
Yes. This work, called peak performance work, is very rewarding for patients. At Acuity Brain Center, we have had the opportunity to work with many athletes, including professional football players, who desire improved athletic performance. Peak performance training can also be applied to cognitive processing and is often utilized by our adults who simply want to have the competitive edge in business and life or our students who want to boost their academic performance.

Treatments

Many different treatment modalities may be utilized to help patients reach their goals successfully. Patient treatment programs may include any combination of neurotherapy, biofeedback, heart rate variability training, counseling, behavior modification, visual processing speed training, reading comprehension and speed training, speech and language development, memory work, processing seed training, cognitive flexibility training, spatial awareness boosting, sensory integration, athletic speed and agility training, dexterity training, or problem solving skills development. Neurofeedback is the foundation of many of our programs.

Neurotherapy

Also known as EEG biofeedback, it is a non-invasive and painless method for training the brain. Sensors are placed on the scalp, which feed brainwaves into an electroencephalogram (EEG) machine that is linked to a computer. The brainwaves are converted to audio and video displays, which resemble video games. By “playing” these games, neurotherapy allows patients to retrain their brain to naturally re-pattern sub-optimal brainwaves into a more favorable pattern.

Heart Rate Variability Training

Heart Rate Variability is a newer technique where patients are taught to change the variability and dominant rhythms in heart rate. Lower heart rate variability is seen in depression and is associated with an increased risk of death from all causes when compared to higher heart rate variability.

Memory Work

Memory is a key component to our brain’s ability to plan, problem-solve, reason, multi-task and learn. Each person’s memory capacity is different and can be measured. Many scientific studies correlate good memory with intelligence, attention and basic cognitive abilities. When we have poor or declining memory, this may affect those abilities and may result in a number of learning disabilities.

Interactive Metronome

Train your body and mind to move and think efficiently with this revolutionary neuro-motor tool. The Interactive Metronome is a tool for developing sequencing, processing, and motor planning that works by training the rhythm centers in your brain. The patient attempts to match a steady beat provided by the program by moving their hands and feet in simple patterns. The program then measures the timing of these motions and gives auditory feedback signals to not only asses but also treat such disorders as ADHD, Autism, Parkinson’s, Sensory Integration Disorder, and Brain Injuries.

Bio-Aucoustical Utilization Device

Recenter your brainwave frequencies and change the way you think and feel. The BAUD (Bio-Acoustical Utilization Device) is a sonic wave-generator used with or in addition to neurofeedback to familiarize your brain with its peak performance state and help regulate its frequencies towards this state. The BAUD creates acoustical waves which align with your brain’s electrical impulses but on a different frequency; this causes your brain to form waves of a third frequency between that of its current waves and that of the BAUD. Using the unique effects of such introduced frequencies, a physician is able to train your brain in the direction of a healthy frequency and away from its current state. This method has been seen to be effective in the treatment of anxiety, depression, ADHD, addiction, pain, and many other unhealthy brain frequencies. Because such waves are ubiquitous inside your body, such as the EKG waves of the heart, EMG waves of the muscles, and QEEG waves of the brain, it is import ant to exert some control over their frequencies in order to change the way your body—and brain—works, and the BAUD empowers you to do just that!

AlphaStim

Why suffer from mood disorders or insomnia when just twenty minutes can start you on the road to emotional peace and wellbeing? The AlphaStim utilizes recent advances in cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) to treat issues with anxiety, depression, or insomnia. The electrodes, which are attached to your earlobes, cause no pain or discomfort, and there have been no long-term side effects reported. By stimulating your brain with CES, the AlphaStim creates a feeling of peace and mental alertness that can, in just two weeks of treatment, help you fight such unnecessary complications as depression and insomnia and get back to a healthier you!

ImPACT

Do you think you may have suffered a concussion? ImPACT helps you determine just how to get back to peak playing performance! ImPACT is a computer-based concussion evaluation system designed to aid your physician in pinpointing the exact areas of your brain that need attention. Every concussion involves distinctly different problems and therefore requires distinct treatment; ImPACT enables you to receive individualized and specific options for addressing a brain injury. Why fall prey to the one-size-fits-all treatment modality when this simple series of tests can lead your physician directly to the source of your troubles? It is recommend that anyone over the age of six do biannual preseason baseline testing as a reference for future testing. Group testing is available.

BioFeedback

The first step to changing your brain is taking some measurements to see how it works. Biofeedback is a technique used in the treatment of a wide variety of neurological and physiological conditions that works through the use of signals directly from your body. Such simple measurements as temperature and blood pressure can be considered biofeedback because they allow physicians to incorporate readings of the body’s physiological state into diagnosis and treatment. Biofeedback can be used to treat issues such as general anxiety, migraine headaches, performance anxiety, sleep problems, anger management and many digestive and cardiac disorders.