Dirk De Ridder, MD, PhD, is professor of Neurosurgery at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago in New Zealand and co-runs a private neuromodulation clinic in Belgium. He is also associated with Manipal University in India, Trinity College in Dublin, and teaches at the University of Bonn in Germany. His research is based on 2 pillars: 1. Network science, in which any symptom is the emergent property of a changed network, and 2. the Bayesian brain concept, i.e. considering the brain as a predictive machine that updates its predictions by active exploration of the environment through the senses, as a way to reduce the inherent uncertainty in a changing environment. Phantom percepts are seen as a maladaptive network phenomena due to deficient updating resultant from sensory deafferentation.

His main research interest is the understanding and treatment of phantom perceptions (tinnitus, pain), especially by use of functional imaging navigated non-invasive (TMS, tDCS, tACS, tRNS, LORETA neurofeedback) and invasive (implants) neuromodulation techniques. The approach to unravel phantom percepts is by developing an understanding of commonalities in different diseases such as in thalamocortical dysrhythmias (pain, tinnitus, Parkinson disease, depression, slow wave epilepsy) and reward deficiency syndromes (addiction, OCD, Personality disorders, …) He has developed “burst” and “noise” stimulation as novel stimulation designs for implants, and is currently working on multifocal or network stimulation, as well as reconditioning stimulation. He has written more than 50 book chapters and more than 320 pubmed listed journal articles. This has resulted in a Google Scholar H-index of 82, with more than 27,000 citations and an i10 index of 300.

Dr. De Ridder is a paid consultant for the speakers bureau of Abbott, for Abbott, IP on burstDR stimulation, and may potentially benefit financially from the research findings presented herein.

Presenting: “Multimodal Approaches for Brain Disorders”

Traditional evidence-based approaches have so far failed to develop highly efficacious treatments for many mental disorders, as effect size for psychotherapy and pharmacology hovers around 0.3, with a NNT of about 7. Thus, a new strategy is required. Can we learn from the concept of war to develop better treatments for brain disorders? In combined arms warfare the complementary strengths of the air force, ground troops and navy are used in concert to exert a maximal effect. Translating combined arms tactics to mental disorders we should adapt a multimodal approach. This means combining different ways to attack mental disorders, for example by a combination of pharmacology and neuromodulation, or pharmacology and psychology, or all 3 approaches combined, rather than limiting oneself to a unimodal approach. And within each modality multiple approaches may be combined, for example medication cocktails, electrical stimulation combined with magnetic stimulation, photobiomodulation combined with neurofeedback. The pharmacological cocktail approach has been proven highly successful in fighting AIDS. By using 4 different drugs that each work on a different mechanism survival has increased from 5 years with 1 drug, to 20 years with 2, 40 with 3 and a normal life expectancy with 4 drugs. The war on mental disorders concept leads to many novel multimodal treatment possibilities that are currently being explored scientifically and clinically, in order to finally attack mental disorders. A rational physiology driven approach to how and what treatments to combine will be highlighted.

Education Level: advanced

Builds upon established experience, knowledge, and skills in the content area. This may include more diverse applications to specific populations, or a novel application of the skill presented. Advanced level programming tends to be more specialized in nature and allows the learner to integrate and enhance knowledge and skills into their practice or other professional domains. The primary goal of this particular program is to broaden the clinical, consultative, and research knowledge bases of attendees and was deemed advanced, by the definition above.  For those psychologists using the modality of biofeedback and interested in efficacy, science, and latest clinical applications. This conference presents research relevant to psychological practice, education, and science; (2) it is our intention to host an offering to help psychologists to keep up with the most current scientific evidence regarding assessment, intervention, and education; and (3) we believe that this program would allow psychologists to increase competencies to improve services to patients. This conference is IN NO WAY a substitute for the basic academic education and training needed for entry into the field of psychology.