BrainQuiry

Spindling Excessive Beta or Beta Spindles are synchronous activity in the beta range centered around a specific frequency. Classically according to the neurological literature higher voltage beta is defined as exceeding 20 uV in amplitude.

Excessive beta commonly medication effect (e.g. sedatives) -> rule out.
Considered non-specific sign of dysfunction or encephalopathy.
Related to pre-epileptic aura’s; cortical irritability, viral or toxic encephalopathies and epilepsy.

According to Johnstone et al. this pattern is seen in 10% of ADD/ADHD, affective disorders, bipolar disorder. However, in our experience we see this pattern in around 20% of our clients, especially clients with ADHD related problems. This could be due to the fact that some databases were collected with different low-pass filters. For instance the Thatcher database quantifies EEG with 100% amplitude at 25 Hz and about 65% at 30 Hz (Thatcher, personal communication) and hence beta spindles of above these frequencies could be missed but which do occur as can bee seen below. The Brain Resource Company database goes up to 40 Hz and the raw data is low-pass filtered at 100 Hz.

If this pattern is observed it is an important finding. In Neurofeedback traditionally SMR or Beta is uptrained based on the average results often obtained in ADHD QEEG studies (also see ADHD). For this phenotype beta training is strongly CONTRAINDICATED since uptraining beta will promote these beta spindles to occur and might even initiate a seizure in patients (also see below).

Treatment advice:
Neurofeedback: Beta suppression in area of concern of the specific spindling frequency; Frequency based on observation - QEEG (NOT standard beta bands).
Medication: Anticonvulsants including depakote and neurontin.

The above is only a brief summary, for more detailed information please read the original paper by Johnstone, Gunkelman & Lunt (2005).

Below find some more examples of beta spindles, note the distinct patterns with respect to frequency and localization.

In the above examples we have seen several types of beta spindles, from several types of patients including a healthy client with no psychiatric complaints. This pattern is present in a lot of disorders and if this pattern is present then it should always be included as one of the treatment recommendations.

Below the data of a patient with 'complex' ADHD who did not respond to other treatments. Client has been treated with Neurofeedback bot on downraining theta frontally and downtraining the beta spindle frequency at Cz in the 24-30 Hz range. Note the quite localized presence of the beta spindles pre-treatment. Pre- and post QEEGs show a very interesting normalization for the beta spindles, but no effect for the excess theta. Client also improved clinically during the course of treatment.

Beta spindles are an indication or 'irritable cortex' or 'easily kindled cortex' according to Jay Gunkelman (Personal Communication). Furthermore, beta spindles seem to respond to antiepileptic drugs and have been noted in areas associated with pre-epileptic auras (Johnstone et al., 2005). However, in the literature there is not much information available on this topic. We saw 1 client who might shed more light on this topic.

We had an ADHD client who also had drug problems. Client wanted to quit smoking and drinking and did both at once. This led to a seizure in this client. Client presented later for a QEEG assessment for neurofeedback therapy. Clients QEEG showed excessive beta spindles and a faster alpha peak frequency. Probably the sudden reduction in alcohol intake led to reduced inhibitory activity (less GABA) in the brain thereby not being able to buffer the spindling activity of the beta spindles hence giving rise to an eppileptic seizure.

Altough this is a single observation, it is important to be careful with clients who show beta spindles and never reward beta in these clients, since rewarding beta spindles might induce seizures in clients never suffered from seizures before.

For more information on the QEEG methods used by Brainquiry also see the professional section on QEEG.