Mast Cell Activation, Auto-Thresholding & Hot Cingulate | NeuroNoodle Neurofeedback Podcast

Jay Gunkelman (500,000+ brain scans), Dr. Mari Swingle (author of i-Minds), Anthony Ramos & Pete Jansons go deep on mast-cell activation syndrome, the great auto-thresholding debate, subclinical epileptiform discharges in autism, and why some “abnormal” EEG patterns are actually superpowers you shouldn’t touch.
✅ Mast Cell Activation & EEG: Histamine = excitatory neurotransmitter → brain fog, cluster headaches, or even first-time seizures if there’s a subclinical focus lurking
✅ Auto-Thresholding Debate:

Great for quickly setting initial thresholds
Fixed thresholds + manual coaching = gold standard (Jay’s high-jump bar analogy)
60% reinforcement sweet spot, 35-40% for grinders, anything lower = frustration

✅ When NOT to Train Out a Pattern:
Hot anterior cingulate = stubborn genius or elite athlete obsession (ultramarathoners, NFL linemen)
Some divergences are adaptive — train control, not elimination
✅ Additional Topics:
🎯 Subclinical epileptiform in autism: meta-analysis ≈70-85% (Swatton & Gunkelman data)
🎯 Twin study: EEG genetics so strong you can pair twins blind — sick twin = biggest Mahalanobis deviation
🎯 Empathy, relationships & why arrogance is a choice, not a hot cingulate
🎯 NFL players losing their “drive” after too much SMR — learning to toggle beta back on
🎯 Direction vs correction: match symptom + EEG, not just chase red on the map

🕒 Key Moments:
00:00 Intro + Patreon shoutout
01:51 Heeda’s mast-cell activation question answered (histamine, seizures, anaphylaxis)
05:21 Auto-thresholding deep dive + Jay’s high-jump coach analogy
09:08 Multiple sclerosis & white-matter “dart-board” lesions
09:36 The big autism epileptiform paper (70-85%)
12:05 Ron Swatton’s de-identified 2,000-person database
55:55 Chronic fatigue twin study — Jay nails 100% by Mahalanobis distance
57:07 Street smarts vs book smarts = feedback history
57:32 Hot anterior cingulate = genius or intolerable stubbornness?
58:48 Elite extreme athletes NEED that cingulate lock
59:51 Training control, not removal (NFL linemen false starts)
01:02:03 Empathy, sleep, and i-Minds screen effects on frontal lobe
01:03:03 Arrogance is a choice — parenting & training matter
01:04:28 Wrap + SwingleSonic & Suisun Summit plugs

✅ Event & App Updates:
Dr. Mari Swingle’s Apps: https://swinglesonic.com
Jay Gunkelman’s Events: https://suisuncitysummit.com
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