There are few books written for the general public that help us understand how neurofeedback works.

Many clients seek out neurofeedback after reading trauma expert, Bessel Van der Kolk’s book, The Body Keeps the Score. Books like Van der Kolks’s can educate readers on the neuroscience of trauma and mental health and support a client's confidence to try a novel form of therapy as it becomes accepted by the larger mental health community. New therapies like neurofeedback are becoming more widely accepted with emerging scientific studies that explain the underlying neuropsychological factors underlying mental health conditions.

The Angel and the Assassin by Donna Jackson Nakazawa is one of these rare books.

Nakazawa tells an interesting and engaging story about the research on the roles of microglia (a cell that represents 10% of white matter in the brain) and inflammation on regulating mental health.  Nakazawa’s book came out in January 2020, just before the pandemic hit Canada and the world, making it a timely read. During the pandemic, we are seeing a huge surge of mental health issues related to inflammation and compromised immune function disorders with long-term COVID and chronic stress.

Nakazawa’s thesis is that up until recently microglia were not considered important in overall brain functioning;  this has changed as research is showing that microglia play a critical role in reducing inflammation of the brain.  

It was previously believed that the brain was immune to infection because of the blood/brain barrier.  Recent studies now show that microglia play a  role in regulating brain networks as they manage the growth and repair of synaptic connections. However, when microglia are compromised, they can wreak havoc on the brain - hence the title “Angel and the Assassin”. 

Microglia either heal the brain and support a healthy state of homeostasis, or microglia can be the cause of harm.

These cells can eat away at synaptic connections or contribute to an inflammatory response which is experienced as a range of emotional and physiological symptoms.  When it comes to autoimmune and autonomic function disorders, it is often hard to tease out what is the underlying cause. This makes mind-body approaches to healing essential.  

In the first half of the book, Nakazawa gives the reader a clear understanding of the complex connection between mental health and neuroinflammation. In somatic therapies, like the ones offered at New Pathways,  this is helpful for many of our clients who feel stuck in traditional talk therapy due to underlying chronic stress and physiological conditions.

In the second part of the book, she explores different therapeutic approaches that support the healing potential of microglia, one of those approaches is neurofeedback.  

The Angel and the Assassin summarizes research to date on microglia and the role of inflammation in mental health disorders.

This is relevant not only for those who are considering neurofeedback, but anyone who may be suffering from long term COVID or other chronic autoimmune conditions.

I highly recommend this book as an adjunct to reading the Body Keeps the Score and for anyone who wants to go a little bit deeper into understanding the research and neuroscience behind neurofeedback.