IS YOUR MEDICATION WORKING?

HOW TO DETERMINE WHICH BRAIN RESPONDS TO WHICH MEDICATION

The correct choice of medications is crucial for optimum symptom relief. Unfortunately, the use of psychiatric medications is often established by "throwing it against the wall to see what sticks". Without a measure of individual brain function, appropriate medication selection remains an educated guess, and response a chance occurrence.

To improve the random nature of psychiatric therapeutics, a database to distinguish differences in individual brain function has been released after 16 years of development.

By taking computerized brainwaves, and submitting it to the new database, this "referenced" EEG matches brainwave patterns with known medication responses, thus improving the selection and treatment outcomes for certain disorders. Instead of only using clinical evaluation, now there is an objective evidence-based assessment matching physiology to psychopharmacologic chemicals with historical responsiveness.

In many treatment-resistant cases, this testing suggested the current medication path was incorrect for a patient and the data redirected treatment to a different class of drugs or a specific combination. It often points out that the diagnostic "label" can be misleading since medication response based on brain electrophysiology may be very different than current psychiatric nomenclature would suggest.

Let me be clear. This is not a miracle cure in itself (though it does sometimes guide medical solutions that one would simply not think of), but it is arguably the most important advancement in the treatment of behavioral disorders since any of us have been in medical school. Even if you have been through significant treatment efforts, you and your physician may need some functional insight into brain processing. Now we have that guide.

If you are comfortable with your current physician, we will be happy to provide educational support in his/her efforts to help you. Our mission is to get this help to our community of patients, physicians and neighbors.