In our office, we utilize the Neuroinfiniti Scanner which is a non-invasive diagnostic tool that allows us to measure your nervous system objectively, over a period of time.
What does the NeuroInfiniti Measure?
The NeuroInfiniti’s Stress Response Evaluation (SRE) measures seven different things:
– Brainwaves
– Respiration
– Heart Rate
– Heart Rate Variability
– Temperature
– Galvanic Skin Response
– Muscle tone (sEMG)
Why measure these things?
Static – or baseline – readings of these seven modalities give us an excellent window into the patient’s cortical and limbic function. However, the brilliance of the SRE is that it not only measures how these seven modalities respond to a stressor but equally, if not, more importantly, it also measures how quickly the patient recovers from the stressor (if they recover at all!)
How is the test performed?
Once the patient is hooked up to the individual sensors, the SRE itself is a computerized, scripted evaluation that will take a patient through the following series of stressors and recoveries:
– Eyes open baseline reading
– Eyes closed baseline reading
– Math stressor (Cognitive Challenge)
– Recovery period
– Noise stressor (Emotional Challenge)
– Recovery period
– Breathing stressor (Physical Challenge)
– Recovery
How long does it take?
The exam itself records a little over 12 minutes of data; however, there are several versions of the exam. The longest version is a fully scripted session which includes all of the voice prompts and some patient education, and it runs approximately 20 minutes. For those who are concerned about time – or prefer a little more control – there are versions without any voice prompts leaving you in charge of the time and prompting content.
What does it all mean?
The human body is a fantastic self-healing, self-regulating organism that is capable of incredible feats in order to survive and thrive. An essential part of its existence is the ability to adapt to the changing environment in which it lives. How healthy you are is a direct reflection of how well your nervous system:
– Perceives a stressor
– Adapts to the stressor
– Recovers from the stressor
Stressors in life are unavoidable and not necessarily bad things. Though it is hard to pinpoint, there is a point at which stressors go from mere challenges to ones with damaging and lasting consequences. In some cases, an individual challenge may be of a “trauma level”, while on the other hand, some stressors may be of a small but chronic nature. The problem for most people is that they are so good at mentally adapting to stress that they are no longer conscious of the weight it is putting on their system. The NeuroInfiniti is able to show you – and the patient- exactly how well they respond to stressors.
What does the SRE Show?
When someone perceives a threat, the brain should immediately flood the bloodstream with Cortisol and Adrenalin. What else happens?
– Your beta waves should spike as you calculate how to avoid the danger
– Respiration should increase
– Heart rate should increase
– Blood should rush to major muscle groups causing a drop in extremity temperature
– Your hands should get clammy
– Your muscle tone should increase
On the SRE, we are looking to see if all of the patient’s systems respond appropriately for the stressor and in a coordinated fashion. Finally, we are looking to see how quickly all of the readings return to baseline once the stressor is removed.