Chiropractor works to reconnect signals in the brain
By EMILY CHRISTENSEN, Courier Staff Writer

WATERLOO --- Joe Culbertson once suffered from migraines that kept
him out of school for 29 days.

At his lowest point, doctors had diagnosed him with attention
deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
depression and Tourette's syndrome. He was on as many as six
medications to stabilize his medical and mental conditions.

Administrators at Expo High School told his family it would take six
years for him to graduate.

That was three years ago. Culbertson, now 17, will graduate next
month --- a year ahead of his former classmates at East High School.

He credits his success to Dr. Kurt Kuhn, a Waterloo
neurochiropractor who specializes in treating children and young
adults with attention deficit and autism-related disorders. Kuhn
said the symptoms from these diagnoses manifest because of a
condition recently coined functional disconnection syndrome. The
condition results in a functional breakdown in the neurological
pathways, which in turn causes the brain to perform at a level below
what is required for higher cognitive function. The human brain's
efficiency depends on a seamless transition of signals from one area
of the brain to another.

Culbertson said the treatment he received at Kuhn's office has made
him a changed man.

"Now I am not afraid of anything," Culbertson says. "I want to get
the word out so people can know, I pretty much hit the bottom rung
and have climbed back up."

Kuhn has offered the specialized treatment for about two years,
though technology continually changes his methods. He is one of only
three neurochiropractors in the state. There are only about 600 such
chiropractors in the world. In general, neurochiropractors use
standard neurological tests and chiropractic adjustments to increase
the brain's capacity.

After an initial consultation, Kuhn starts a rigorous program using
neurological tests to determine each patient's cognitive capacity.

The first, called a go or no-go test, measures a person's ability to
pay attention. The 22-minute test gives Kuhn an insight into how
fast a person's brain fatigues. On Culbertson's first visit, it took
just five minutes for him to lose interest.

"Too many times we find kids with five-minute attention spans who
are stuck in 55-minute classes," Kuhn says.

Another test, the interactive metronome, works by challenging the
patient to synchronize a range of hand and foot exercises to a
computer-generated tone. Studies have shown that over the course of
care, patients learn to focus for longer periods of time, increase
their physical endurance and filter out internal and external
distractions.

Once the tests are completed, Kuhn begins therapy sessions, which
can continue include both tests and a series of other exercises. One
of Culbertson's favorites to master was drumstick twirling. Kuhn has
an entire book that outlines dozens of spins. The repetitive
activity builds brain capacity slowly, allowing Kuhn's patients to
repair their neurological pathways.

"Every kid, well almost every kid, wants to be a rock 'n' roll
star," Kuhn says. "We know this is something every kid will actually
do."

But as soon as Culbertson learns a new spin, he must move on.

"These activities are only useful as long as it is a challenge,"
Kuhn notes.

Other activities, like the "whack-a-mole" game often found at
carnivals, are also used to build brain capacity.

But Kuhn must start small. In the beginning, he often sees a patient
daily, though for a very short visit.

"They only have a small brain capacity. It would be like going to a
gym --- if you are a 98-pound weakling you will need to spend a lot
more time at the gym than someone who is already fit," Kuhn
says. "We are always trying to build up more brain power, but there
has to be the fuel to support it."

The same types of treatments can also work for children with autism.
Kuhn said results aren't always as profound and may take longer, but
many parents have seen improvement in their children.

"I have seen many autistic children who were locked in when they
came to me," Kuhn says. "Now they are talking."

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1482 or
emily.christensen@...



----------------------------------------------------------------
Source:
http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2005/04/27/features/lifestyles/8da
5c35c781b109486256fee006e4889.txt
----------------------------------------------------------------

Note, If a link does not work, try cutting and pasting the entire
link into a new browser.


----------------------------------------------------------------
Other Credits
----------------------------------------------------------------

Paul Marshall ***
Tourette – Updates Moderator
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Tourette-Updates

To receive these updates in your personal mail box send a blank e-
mail to:
Tourette-Updates-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Comments or Questions:
editor@...

For more information on Tourette Syndrome you may visit my site at:
http://www.tourettes-disorder.com we are always adding and updating
files.

----------------------------------------------------------------
End
----------------------------------------------------------------