Brief update on my science project.
In the process of drafting conclusions for the ‘paper’ – under embargo at the moment but thought you might find it interesting.
You never know, you may meet one day, one of c.4 to 12 in 100,000 who are affected by this.
Abstract:
a) functional seizures have a specific sequence of precursor biomarkers;
b) neural entrainment can be used to interrupt these sequences resulting in a significant reduction in seizure activity;
c) the current advice to try to distract seizure activity is paradoxically reinforcing seizure activity and is unhelpful when used in isolation. This is a major finding and, in some ways, explain why many continue to experience seizures with no respite or reduction.
David Spencer August 2022.
Summary
This is the outline of the process I have used over the past sixteen months. I have previously referred to this a shortening the metaphorical piece of string, and the DID (distract, interrupt, diminish) process as it relates to seizures.
It is about finding the tipping point, that moment of transition from voluntary to involuntary. Once found and understood, then working back to the first aura.
This reveals a sequence. Everyone’s sequence will be unique and different. You are looking to find and understand the functional seizure preceding biomarkers, the auras.
My sequence was the same but different, for the different functional seizure types I experienced.
Let us call the sequence of auras a, b, c and d.
Each one being a different aura, with ‘d’ being the final one before I lost the reference point of voluntary/involuntary conscious/sub conscious mode and entering a full body functional physical seizure or a functional absence seizure.
Once I knew what ‘d’ was, this gave me the last reference point before the tipping point.
I found that distraction techniques only ‘deferred’ the onset of a seizure sequence to a later point in time and in a paradoxical way the process of distraction was ‘re-enforcing’ the original neural pathway. Not per se creating alternate pathways.
This supports the view that the existing general advice as to how to mitigate functional seizure activity is incomplete without the addition of an interrupt, diminish and replace neural process.
To demonstrate this, I voluntarily allowed the aura sequence to develop to aura ‘d’ and then interrupted it. For my functional physical seizures this was through a process I called ‘duck quacking’.
The website has a description of this www.spencerdavida.com
Others may know this duck quacking as neural entrainment. This is an emerging topic of research in neuroscience.
When this resulted in a cessation or if you wish a ‘halt’ in the seizure process consistently, I then repeated the process to ‘c’. As ‘c’s was a different aura, I used a different ‘form’ of duck quacking’, the same concept just a different sensation and thus brain wave, appropriate to that specific biomarker. Again, once this resulted in cessation, I then repeated the process to ‘b’ and ultimately to ‘a’.
This interrupted and diminished the functional seizure process. As each aura was a specific biomarker it was also a specific neural pathway to be untrained and replaced with a more beneficial pathway in the voluntary side of the voluntary/involuntary side of the equilibrium.
The process gradually unpicked the sequence of presenting aura working back from the tipping point. Establishing new pathways which meant I ceased to arrive at the tipping point.
How did this progress.
Here is the graphical representation. Figure one shows the reduction in functional seizures over time and Figure 2 shows the step down or if you invert it, a practical demonstration of the power of neuroplasticity based upon ‘probability’ of functional seizure. The inverted ‘steps’ in the second chart show the ‘learning’ style of the neural network.
