The
Panama Biofeedback Center at the Centro Especializado Paitilla is the
most sophisticated center of its type in Latin America, implementing
new and innovative behavioral procedures and advanced microprocessor
technology for the purpose of restoring function to people who have
paralysis from central nervous system damage, such as individuals with
strokes, brain injuries, Cerebral Palsy, brain tumors and spinal cord
injuries or damage. The Panama Biofeedback Center is a project
developed by the Lucy Tzanetatos Neurological Foundation and Dr. Luis
Pretto Malca Pain Treatment Center. The Panama Biofeedback Center uses
a learning procedure developed by Dr. Bernard Brucker, the Director and
creator of the Biofeedback Laboratory in Miami, Florida, which is based
on operant conditioning and is designed to teach an individual to
utilize motor cells in the brain, brain stem and spinal cord more
efficiently. This method has become known as the "Brucker Method".
The
central nervous system is comprised of the brain, brain stem and spinal
cord. The cells in the central nervous system are permanent cells. They
are primarily formed before birth and are designed to last the lifespan
of an individual. If these cells should be destroyed from a stroke,
brain injury, Cerebral Palsy, or spinal cord injury for example, the
body will not be able to replace them. This is why people who suffer
damage to the brain, brain stem, or spinal cord from accident or
disease resulting in paralysis, usually gain some improvement from
rehabilitation in the first six months to one year, but will normally
have some permanent disability for the remaining lifespan. Recent
findings from the neurological and behavioral sciences have shown that
some people experience long term repair within the brain, brain stem or
spinal cord after damage, which was previously thought to only occur in
the first six months to one year. Further, it has also been discovered
that the brain, brain stem and spinal cord have many extra cells that
are not normally used during the lifespan. Under the right conditions,
it has been shown that these alternate cells can be "Used to take over
the function of damaged or destroyed cells.
The procedures in
the Panama Biofeedback Center are specifically designed to teach an
individual to find and utilize long term repairing and remaining cells
after damage as a way of restoring function. Surface electrodes are
placed over the muscles which have limited or no function. These
electrodes do not provide any stimulation, but actually receive the
motor neuron activity from the brain, brain stem and spinal cord as it
arrives at the muscle site. These electrodes are connected to specially
designed computers which process these motor signals accurately and
rapidly and present them on a monitor in front of the person. In this
way, an individual can actually see how they are utilizing brain, brain
stem and spinal cord cells which would normally be unknown to the
individual, doctor or therapist. Even small amounts of motor neuron
activity are detectible from this system.
This information is
then used in the context of learning paradigms to allow the individual
to find alternate surviving cells in the brain, brain stem, or spinal
cord and connect them to the muscle site. In cases where there are
minimal motor neuron signals to muscles, resulting in weak or
non-functional muscles, this procedure can teach an individual how to
make more efficient use of remaining cells in order to obtain a greater
motor neuron connection to the muscle, which will then allow it to be
strengthened, In cases where the problem is coordination of muscle
groups which prevent, function, this procedure can teach an individual
how to utilize central nervous system cells in a more efficient manner
by having the brain isolate motor neurons to specific muscle groups in
coordinated functional patterns. Once learned, these increases in motor
neuron recruitment and coordination of motor neuron recruitment will be
permanent.
It is important to understand that these procedures
do not take the place of physical and occupational therapy procedures,
but rather add a unique aspect of treatment, designed to work at the
neurological level, which is not present in other therapies. Once an
individual gains greater and better coordinated motor neuron
recruitment to affected muscles, these muscles can first respond to
other therapeutic procedures, even - though they may have previously
stopped responding to these treatments. The length of time since damage
to the central nervous system is not a factor for this application,
since the procedures work with the remaining undamaged cells of the
central nervous system, which are unrelated to time of damage.
To
date, Dr. Brucker's Biofeedback Program has had experience with over
10,000 cases at the Biofeedback Laboratory in Miami with a 98% success
rate of restoring at least one level of function. These cases are
adults and children who are facing permanent paralysis from damage to
the brain, brain stem, or spinal cord, resulting from strokes, brain
injuries, Cerebral Palsy, brain tumors, brain stem injuries, spinal
cord injuries, certain neurological diseases and other types of central
nervous system damage. The time since the damage to the central nervous
system is not a factor and the age of the person is not a factor,
although generally, the procedures are not usually applied to
individuals younger than five years old. There is no upper age limit
for response to this treatment. Since the work: is on motor learning,
an individual's verbal cognitive abilities are not usually a factor.
Overall, the Biofeedback Program has been able to increase function and
improve the quality of life for many people who would normally be
facing permanent paralysis.
Staff Members: DR. LUIS PRETTO MALCA Panama Program Director Specialty - Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine luispretto@cwpanama.net
DR. HERNANDO PONCE BURGOS Consultant Specialty - Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry arpena@pananet.com
LICDA. MONSERRATT LORENZO Physical Therapist monselorenzo@yahoo.com
