Cortical Integrative Technology (CIT®)

Apraxia. Dystonia. RSD. Vertigo. To most people, these words sound foreign or clinical. But to you, they may be all too familiar. You know how brain-related disorders make it difficult, often impossible, to perform the routine activities of daily life - activities that other people take for granted.

You have sought medical help - often seeing one specialist after another - but with minimal results. For you, there has been no effective treatment or even a working diagnosis and, therefore, no significant improvement. You have resigned yourself to managing the effects of your condition and accepting the limitations that have been imposed on you. Pain, frustration, and disappointment are part of everyday life. And hope is a distant memory -- until now.

At Rhode Island Integrated Medicine, we have pioneered the development of a scientific, research-based therapy called Cortical Integrative Therapy (CIT®) - a multidisciplinary approach to healing that is changing the way brain-related disorders and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are treated. Instead of managing symptoms, we identify and can often significantly reduce the symptoms of a disorder or even resolve the root cause of the problem by utilizing an innovative methodology that treats a wide range of medical, movement, cognitive, and behavioral disorders.

Resolve a brain-related disorder? Yes. That's a bold statement and we have the results to prove it.

Dysfunction and Disorder in the Human Brain

Brain dysfunction does not mean brain damage or disease. It means that particular areas of the brain may not be as active as they should be - for a number of reasons.

The brain is made up of two hemispheres and various functional areas, all of which are integrated, communicating with each other -- working individually and as a whole. The brain is the nerve center that controls all bodily functions -- everything from speech and fine motor skills, balance and gait, to heart rhythm and emotional responses like curiosity and motivation.

In a person with a brain-based disorder or injury, the brain lacks proper stimulation and is functioning at a lower level than it should be. This profoundly affects the important functions that the brain controls. When one area of the brain is functioning below its potential, the entire brain is adversely affected, and so are other parts of the human body. It's not unlike a marching band. If the trumpet section is out of sync, the performance of the entire band is affected.

Cortical Integrative Therapy - The Cornerstone of Our Program

We know how a brain-related disorder or injury can erode your self-confidence, make it difficult or impossible to work, and rob you of your independence.

The cornerstone of our non-invasive treatment programs is Cortical Integrative Therapy, a process pioneered by Dr. Victor M. Pedro, founder and director of Rhode Island Integrated Medicine. It is a unique, neurologically based approach to the treatment of brain-based disorders and disabilities such as ataxia, aphasia, apraxia, chorea, dyslexia, dystonia, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)/chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS), restless leg syndrome (RLS), vertigo, learning disabilities, dyslexia, and ADD/HD. We also have successfully employed CIT® in gait and limb retraining, to manage or eliminate chronic pain, and to resolve dysfunction resulting from traumatic brain injury.

Cortical Integrative Therapy is designed to maximize the brain's function and performance, especially in those areas that are under-stimulated, through sensory stimulation and motor signaling. Think of it this way. The brain is like a radio, which has a volume range of 1 to 10. If the volume is set at level 3, the brain is functioning, but it is under-performing -- not living up to its potential -- and the functions of the body suffer. So patients experience symptoms ranging from involuntary muscle contractions to the inability to use or understand language to the loss of balance.

At Rhode Island Integrated Medicine, we turn "up the volume" so that the radio - the human brain -- functions in the way it was meant and designed to function. We get to the root cause of brain-based disorders and design a personalized treatment program that is comprehensive and all-inclusive.

In simplistic terms, treatments stimulate the cerebral cortex -- the outer layer of the brain -- with a variety of therapies. These therapies may include neuro-development training, hemifield stimulation, auditory stimulation, electrical stimulation, chiropractic manipulation, cognitive therapy, and brain sequencing and timing. A combination of therapies is typically used, tailored to meet the specific needs of each patient.

Our results are impressive. Why? Because these therapies stimulate brain cells to increase their size and efficiency, promoting the formation of pathways which facilitate the transfer of information throughout the brain. The affected area of the brain, and indeed overall brain function, is improved -- without drugs or surgery. There are no side effects, no withdrawals, and no time out of work for recuperation. The duration of treatment will vary based on the age, physical condition and motivation of the patient; the type and stage of the disorder; the kinds of medications that have been prescribed; and a host of other individual factors. For example, Our ADD/HD treatment programs for adolescents typically involve three treatment sessions weekly for 12 weeks in addition to required homework. Alternatively, we have experienced significant results in treating one type of RSD in as few as three weeks.

Treatment Goals: A Technical Explanation for Physicians

The goals of Cortical Integrative Therapy (CIT®) are to utilize the patient's afferent neuronal (neural) pathways to bring about either neuronal excitation or inhibition through temporal and spatial summation. Eventually, Cortical Integrative Therapy increases the frequency of firing within the patient's "functionally lesioned" pathways.

Repetitive stimulation, utilizing the proper frequency and duration of application, is made to the patient's neuronal pools that are either:

1. unable to reach their excitation threshold,
2. or are easily fatigued,
3. or are experiencing a sudden inhibitation of function from an injury in another dependent and related portion of the brain.

These stimulated neuronal pools then undergo neuronal plasticity through changes in Immediate Early Gene responses and associated protein production. This process restores cell membranes to their appropriate excitation thresholds and strengthens synaptic connections. In other words, Cortical Integrative Therapy helps to make the patient's nervous system function as it should.

This entire therapeutic process, which is non-invasive and designed specifically for each patient, can be modified, if necessary, on a visit-by-visit basis. This treatment program is supported by a structured home stimulation program and other changes in activities of daily life including nutritional modification and support.

What About Results?

Our office is an active brain research facility where we deliver an all-encompassing program, not just a single procedure. As our patients of all ages can attest, Cortical Integrative Therapy is successful in getting at - and, in many cases, ultimately helping to cure -- the root cause of brain-related disorders. Many of the disorders that we treat are often considered to be difficult, if not impossible, to successfully resolve.

Our early research focused on the use and effectiveness of CIT® in treating children. Fortunately, much of this early work is part of the public record. As a consequence, we have a number of case studies derived from pilot programs that clearly demonstrate the success of CIT®. In October 2002, we instituted a pilot program, the Infinite Potential Program, with 12 students at the Kuss Middle School in Fall River, Massachusetts. The purpose of the program was to determine the effectiveness of using Cortical Integrative Therapy as a primary treatment strategy for ADD/HD. Remember -- most treatment models manage the symptoms of an underlying brain-related problem. ADD/HD is widely considered to be a behavioral problem and is typically treated with drugs. However, ADD/HD, which affects a full 10 percent of the adult population, is actually a physical, neurological dysfunction.

The participating students in our pilot program were referred by the school's special needs department, which independently verified their ADD/HD diagnoses using standard tests.

The results of the study were impressive. Following the 12-week treatment program, five students no longer met the diagnostic criteria for ADD/HD, and all but one student showed significant improvement in math, spelling, and reading. Additionally, parents, teachers, psychologists, and caseworkers reported significant improvements in the students' behavior.

In 2005, the results of the Kuss Study were repeated. The Infinite Potential Program received a legislative grant from the State of Rhode Island to fund a pilot program, which utilized Cortical Integrative Therapy. The grant provided for the treatment of ten children. The results of the pilot were equally impressive. From more information about these studies, please go to www.infinitepotentialprogram.com.

Why is this early research with children relevant to your situation? These case studies, part of the public record, are important because they clearly demonstrated the power of CIT® to successfully treat documented disorders that typically are considered not to be treatable. While our relationships with our patients are confidential, many have consented to have their progress videotaped. We maintain an extensive library of patient videos in our office, several of which are offered as part of this website.