Neurocore

{{pseudosciencenav}}
'''Neurocore''' is a "[[brain]] training" company, whose primary investors are [[Donald Trump|Trump]]'s Secretary of Education, [[Betsy DeVos]] and her husband Dick, an [[Amway]] heir.<ref name=fink>[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/us/politics/betsy-devos-neurocore-brain-centers.html Betsy DeVos Invests in a Therapy Under Scrutiny] by Sheri Fink et al. (Jan. 30, 2017) ''New York Times''.</ref> Neurocore uses unproven and medically dubious methods to treat [[autism]], [[ADHD]], anxiety, depression and other psychological and neurological diagnoses.<ref name=fink/> The methods include [[biofeedback]].<ref name=fink/> Neurocore, according to one former employee, relies on the hard-sell technique to get customers.<ref name=fink/>

Dr. Matthew Siegel, a child psychiatrist at Maine Behavioral Healthcare and associate professor at Tufts School of Medicine, who co-wrote autism practice standards for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry stated, "This [Neurocore] causes real harm to children because it diverts attention, hope and resources. If there were something out there that was uniquely powerful and wonderful, we’d all be using it."<ref name=fink/>

In March 2017, Neurocore published its first study of its regimen in the [[peer-reviewed]] journal ''NeuroRegulation''.<ref>[http://www.neuroregulation.org/article/view/16935 Combined Neurofeedback and Heart Rate Variability Training for Individuals with Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression: A Retrospective Study] by Elyse Kemmerer White et al. (2017) ''NeuroRegulation'' vol. 4, no. 1.</ref><ref name=boser>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/05/26/betsy-devos-neurocore/ Betsy DeVos has invested millions in this ‘brain training’ company. So I checked it out. At a clinic in Florida, I found that Neurocore seems to be promising more than it can deliver.] by Ulrich Boser (May 26, 2017) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> The study however did not have a [[control group]] and the journal editor, "Rex Cannon, is himself involved in the brain training business."<ref name=boser/> Despite being a journal with "peer review", publishing a study that lacked basic scientific methods such as having a control group, would tend to suggest that ''NeuroRegulation'' might be a [[pseudojournal]]. Mark Murrison, the CEO, admitted that the study reported by Neurocore "would not pass the muster of higher-level clinical studies…"<ref name=boser/> Neurocore has also cited as evidence for efficacy third-party studies that lack basic research standards.<ref name=boser/>

On the other hand, a [[meta-analysis]] of well-controlled trials for neurofeedback treatment for ADHD failed to support neurofeedback as an effective treatment for ADHD.<ref>[http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567%2816%2930095-8/fulltext Neurofeedback for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Neuropsychological Outcomes From Randomized Controlled Trials] by Samuele Cortese et al. (2016) ''Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry'' Volume 55, Issue 6, Pages 444–455. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2016.03.007.</ref><ref name=boser/> And contrary to claims of brain-training companies, a large-scale review of brain training methods concluded that "brain-training software can enhance cognition outside the laboratory is limited and inconsistent."<ref>[http://journals.sagepub.com/stoken/rbtfl/hK6Y5zBI1Rv.M/full Do “Brain-Training” Programs Work?] by Daniel J. Simons (2016) ''Psychological Science in the Public Interest'', Vol. 17, Issue 3, pp. 103-186.</ref>

Many brain training firms, including Neurocore, are actually dismissive of higher-quality scientific studies and medical interventions,<ref name=boser/> which is essentially a form of [[mental illness denial]]. A Neurocore video stated, "Unlike medication, which temporarily masks your symptoms, neurofeedback promotes healthy changes in your brain to provide you with a lasting solution."<ref name=boser/> Psychiatric medication does not "mask" symptoms as opposed to simply altering chemical balances to achieve a desired effect. And Neurocore founder, Timothy G. Royer, tweeted "#Meds keep us from fixing the real problem".<ref>[https://twitter.com/DrRoyer/status/654452930372878336 If engine light comes on and you cover with duct tape "engine fixed?". #Meds keep us from fixing the real problem] Timothy Royer (3:25 AM - 15 Oct 2015) ''Twitter''.</ref> Again, the poor understanding of psychiatry is noted: meds can be the difference between life and death in very dire cases.

==See also==
*[[Brain Gym]]
*[[Lumosity]]
*[[Neurolink]]

==External links==
*[https://www.neurocorecenters.com/ Neurocore]

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

{{stub|Pseudoscience}}

[[Category:Mental health woo]]
[[Category:Scams]]

Categories: Mental health woo, Scams