Harvard expert joins CooperRiis to research to brain function

Press release from CooperRiis:

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The CooperRiis Healing Community has hired a world-class neuroscientist from Harvard as its new research director to spearhead leading edge studies to improve the brain.

Carl M. Anderson’s research and program development will provide data and scientific abilities unmatched by any residential program. The rare collaboration between mental health clinicians and neuroscientists is designed to help people self-heal after suffering from trauma. When children endure trauma, it often spurs depression, substance abuse and psychosis as they grow older.

“We will look back at this time and recognize it as a turning point for the world of mental health care,” Anderson said.

Anderson is an award-winner who previously served as an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and an associate psychobiologist at McLean Hospital, the school’s largest psychiatric affiliate. He’s co-authored more than 50 scientific papers, and his research has been featured in several top media outlets, including NPR, Time magazine and ABC’s 20/20.

At CooperRiis, Anderson will help launch the Healing Trauma Program, expanding on an emerging effort to help residential clients with mood regulation by strengthening the nervous system and brain functioning. The work is called the CooperRiis Neuro-Enhancement Program (CNEP), and it stems from one of the most significant scientific developments in the last several decades – the discovery of the brain’s capacity to self-heal.

That discovery is called neuroplasticity, and it occurs with a new type of treatment called “neurofeedback.” It’s been highlighted by media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, and this scientific breakthrough is beginning to play a significant role in helping individuals with serious mental health conditions.

Neurofeedback begins with a technique called quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG). It assesses and monitors electrical and blood-flow patterns in the brain, which help residents and clinicians develop a plan for interactive training.

During the neurofeedback sessions, residents often wear caps with electrodes that allow their brains to experience the interactive training. Residents may see wavy lines, but computers can turn them into what appear to be music or video games. That audio and visual feedback is crucial. Certain brain activities, for instance, pause the music or make the game sputter. Other activities allow the music and games to continue.

When people experience this interactive feedback, the brain learns to automatically increase or decrease certain brain activities without needing to stop and think. It’s similar to the way someone would see themselves in a mirror and immediately straighten their posture.

The concepts of neurofeedback fit well with the CooperRiis mission: rather than just treating an illness, CooperRiis focuses on restoring wellness.

Since CooperRiis started CNEP in 2014, it’s used neuro-enhancement with 45 residents, helping them significantly improve in ways such as reasoning, executive functioning, complex attention and social acuity. Over several months, residents often reported that neurofeedback helped reduce their anxiety, depression, effect of past traumas, and sleep disturbances. The results have been presented at two national conferences.

In addition to hiring Anderson, which was paid for by donors, CooperRiis will also become one of the few clinical programs in the world to connect other leading neuroscientists. That’s vital, because too frequently, their knowledge remains in the silos of their labs.

Current advisors include: Martin Teicher, M.D., Ph.D., and Ed Hamlin, Ph.D. and BCN. Teicher also works at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, and he’s widely regarded as a leader in analyzing brain changes associated with childhood trauma. Hamlin is the founder and clinical director of the Center for the Advancement of Human Potential and Institute for Applied Neuroscience, which helps people transform their lives by combining modern technology with the best wisdom of the ages.

Besides trauma, the research, design and development team at CooperRiis is also envisioning neuro-enhanced treatments for residents with thought disorder, such as schizophrenia.

“CooperRiis stands at the threshold of taking a leadership role in revolutionizing mental health care,” said Stephen Barnard, LCSW, BCN, and Director of the CooperRiis Neuro-enhancement Program. “CNEP is already delivering consistently excellent results. Now, as we combine the best of relationship-centered care with the best of cutting-edge science, this will be the most advanced approach available for helping those with trauma heal and thrive.”

Treating trauma is critical. Statistics show that childhood maltreatment and household dysfunction account for about half the cases of major depression and two-thirds of substance abuse cases. The childhood experiences are more likely to cause an earlier onset of the symptoms, more severe struggles, a poorer response to initial treatments and abnormalities in brain structure and function.

One researcher found that if children experienced trauma before age 16, they were three times more likely to develop psychosis, a severe disorder where thoughts and emotions lose contact with reality.

At least 30 percent of CooperRiis residents have suffered from trauma, but now scientists are beginning to understand the details of how the trauma impacts brain structure and development. They are finding that when given a chance, brains can change in positive directions that lead to self-healing.

“CooperRiis already delivers the best clinical care I have seen anywhere in my career,” said Jennifer Pasternack, M.D, Ph.D., CooperRiis Director of Psychiatry, an 18-year veteran in psychiatry who is extensively trained in trauma work and the recipient of numerous teaching awards. “With Carl joining our healing community, we have a great opportunity to expand the range of cutting edge treatments we can offer to support residents in their journeys to recovery. We are thrilled to have Carl join our team.”