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Bernard Brucker
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Bernard S. Brucker, Ph.D., ABPP
University of Miami School of Medicine
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Bernard S. Brucker is Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, and Radiology at the University of Miami-School of Medicine. He is a psychologist, Board-certified in Rehabilitation Psychology, who has been a leader in the field of rehabilitation and is currently the Director of the Biofeedback Laboratory at the University of Miami School of Medicine / Miami Jewish Home and Hospital. He has been Chief of the Division of Psychology at the University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Center from 1981 to 2005. He is the past President of the Division of Rehabilitation Psychology of the American Psychological Association and the recent past Chairman of the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Advisory Council for the State of Florida. Dr. Brucker is currently President of the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology, President of the Academy of Rehabilitation Psychology, Member of the Board of the American Board of Professional Psychology, President of the Council of Presidents of Psychology Specialty Academies, President of the Florida Brain Injury Association and past Board Member of the Association of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. Dr. Brucker has received the Gil Moss Award from the National Spinal Cord Injury Association for outstanding scientific and clinical contribution to spinal cord injury, the Exceptional Achievement Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for microprocessor control of movement in paralyzed muscle, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dade County Chapter of the Florida Psychological Association, the Distinguished Service Award, Division of Rehabilitation Psychology, American Psychological Association and the Karl F. Heiser Presidential Award from the American Psychological Association. Dr. Brucker is one of the founders, and the original Co-Director of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. He is world renowned for developing specific behavioral procedures for restoring function to people with physical disabilities and has numerous publications, chapters, and presentations at scientific meetings.
bbrucker@med.miami.edu
Office 305-762-3882 |
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Workshop #297): Important variables for successful Biofeedback and Neurofeedback applications in Rehabilition
Important Variables for Successful Outcomes for Biofeedback and Neurofeedback Applications in Rehabilitation
Bernard S. Brucker, Ph.D, ABPP
University of Miami School of Medicine
Workshop
Winter Brain 2007 Conference
It is well known that central nervous system cells in the brain, brain stem and spinal cord are non-replacement structure. As such, patients suffering functional losses from strokes, brain injuries, cerebral palsy and spinal cord injuries are expected to have permanent losses. While it is known that such patients can have functional improvement after central nervous system damage which is enhanced with traditional therapeutic intervention, recovery usually plateaus in about a year. Recent findings from the neural and behavioral sciences have not only shown that there is long term repair in the central nervous system after damage, but that it is possible for the brain to utilize alternate cell tissue to replace lost or damaged cells. It has also been shown that operant learning techniques utilized at the neural level can result in specific learned control of neural responses that would not occur otherwise. There have been a number of reported applications of Biofeedback and Neurofeedback for restoring function after central nervous system damage. However, there had been mixed results and often when used clinically, the method of reporting does not reflect the standard in the rehabilitation field. As a result, this has diminished the power and legitimacy of these procedures in the eyes of our medical colleagues. This workshop will focus on the important variables that need to be addressed in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback applications in rehabilitation including proper methods for patient assessments, selection of patients, utilization of pre-and post-measurements, data collection, proper report writing and data analysis. Understanding operant conditioning paradigms as the underlying procedure for effective neural learning and their applications will also be covered. Many individuals facing permanent functional losses due to central nervous system damage do have the neuro potential for greater functional recovery even long term post onset. Biofeedback and Neurofeedback techniques can be extremely powerful in gaining this increase in function through more efficient use of the central nervous system, but only if applied properly. Further, only proper reporting of results will gain the proper recognition of the effects of these techniques.
Plenary #299): The Role of Biofeedback and Neurofeedback in Neuroplasticity
The Role of Biofeedback and Neurofeedback in Neuroplasticity
Bernard S. Brucker, Ph.D, ABPP
University of Miami School of Medicine
Recent findings from the neurosciences have shown that CNS cell damage occurring from trauma or disease has the capability of long term repair. It still remains apparent that cell death results in the absence of CNS tissue. This presentation will discuss the recent findings related to cell repair and demonstrate how specific operant conditioning techniques used in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback applications, designed to increase voluntary control of motor neuron responses, can result in significantly greater use of CNS tissue regardless of the time since damage and its associated clinical effect.
Details:
Workshop #297): Important variables for successful Biofeedback and Neurofeedback applications in Rehabilition
Plenary #299): The Role of Biofeedback and Neurofeedback in Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity: Implications for Long Term Recovery after CNS Damage
Bernard S. Brucker, Ph.D, ABPP
University of Miami School of Medicine
Recent findings from the neurosciences have shown that CNS cell damage occurring from trauma or disease has the capability of long term repair, such as axonal growth and re-myelinization. Further, both dendrite and axonal sprouting have been known to occur after damage, although it still remains apparent that cell death results in the absence of CNS tissue due to the inability for regeneration of new CNS cells. Individuals who suffer CNS damage have been known to regain some if not a substantial amount of function clinically although the time of recovery does appear to be limited to about one year post damage. As such, the clinical field assumes that all the repair and alternate cell use of the CNS occurs within that time. However, it has been shown that behavioral techniques, especially those using an operant conditioning based learning paradigm applied to specific learned control of motor neuron responses can result in significantly more efficient use of remaining and repairing cells structures with a substantial improvement in function which would not otherwise occur. This presentation will discuss the recent findings related to cell repair and demonstrate how specific operant conditioning techniques, designed to increase voluntary control of motor neuron responses, can result in significantly greater use of CNS tissue regardless of the time since damage and its associated clinical effect.This presentation will discuss the recent findings related to cell repair and demonstrate how specific operant conditioning techniques used in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback applications, designed to increase voluntary control of motor neuron responses, can result in significantly greater use of CNS tissue regardless of the time since damage and its associated clinical effect.
Contact Info:
Bernard Brucker
P.O. Box 21846
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33335
phone: 305-762-3882
fax: 305-795-6090
BBrucker@med.miami.edu
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