Myomancy ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism

I recently visited Montague Diagnoistics Limited at their base in Cotgrave, Nottinghamsire, UK. Run by Graham Ewing and his wife Elena, Montague utilise a brand new technology from Russia called Virtual Scanning.
When I first heard about the Virtual Scanner I was extremely skeptical because it sounds, well, like pure quackery. The system is a computer based approach to diagnosing and treating a large number of physical problems as well as psychological profiling. Apparently it is used in Russia with a large degree of a large degree of success but I’ve been unable to verify this.
The basic assessment procedure involves the computer displaying a photo of some beautiful scenery or ancient ruins for 15 seconds. The computer then redisplays the same image but this time the image has its colours adjusted, e.g. it becomes very pink. The patient then has to use the mouse and a few simple on-screen controls to adjust the image back to the original colours. This is repeated four or five times with different images, some of which have to be done within a time limit. The system then processes the data and produces a psychological profile and a physiological profile broken down by organ.

Whilst this sounds like absolute rubbish there is some theoretical science behind it. There is clear evidence that colours have a psychological effect on people and it could then be argued that how our brains are operating may effect how we perceive the world. The problem of synaesthesia is an indication of how subjective our perception can be. By measuring how close to the original colours the user gets the photo and which colours are favoured it may be possible to extrapolate the current state of the brain and from that, the state of the body. This is highly speculative and is not helped by the fact the Russian creators of the system are keeping the science behind it secret.
Once the assessment is made, Elena, a trained MD, then goes through it with the patient and generates a floppy disk that contains a treatment programme. The user takes the disk home and runs it on their PC. This software program flashes the monitor at certain frequencies and certain colours to rebalance the brain. This process is carried out, typically for 20 minutes one or two times a day for a week or two and then the patient is reassessed and the process repeated as necessary.
So does it work? I went through the assessment programme and it highlighted a couple of areas where I knew my health was a bit poor, for example spinal problems from twenty plus years hunched over a computer keyboard. Likewise the psychological profile wasn’t a million miles from assessments I’ve had as part of psychometric profiling. (See BBC Science for some fun assessments). The danger here is the same as that of horoscopes that if you make some vague general statements people will automatically try and fit it to themselves. That said the range of diagnostic evidence presented made it seem likely that the information generated did correlate to my responses to the photos.
Montague Diagnostics claim that the scanner and its PC based treatments can help a wide range of problems and they have had experiences treating migraines, dyslexia and a number of other conditions. They are in contact with the British Dyslexia Association and have inquiries from a number of parts of the health service.
It is easy to criticise this product for its lack of published scientific evidence and the wide scope of applications claimed for it. Before seeing it I was highly skeptical and anticipating a waste of my time. When I left, I wasn’t a convert but I’m willing to admit that there may be something behind it. One of the most convincing aspects of Montague’s approach is their pricing. Where as other treatments cost hundreds of pounds for an assessment and then more for treatments that last weeks and months. They charge under three hundred pounds, the treatment is a matter of weeks and they offer a money back promise. So if you are in the East Midlands area looking for a solution cheaper than DDAT then I suggest you investigate this company and make up your own mind.

More Coverage of Montague Diagnostics on Myomancy.com

19th April 2005 Montague Diagnostics Trial Update
9th Feb 2005 Promising Start to Montague Diagnostics Trial
15th Jan 2005 Montague Diagnostics Announces Trial