About Neurofeedback
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback addresses problems of brain disregulation. These happen to be numerous. They include anxiety-depression spectrum, attention deficits, behavior disorders, various sleep disorders, headaches, migraines, PMS
and emotional disturbances. It is also useful for organic brain conditions such as seizures, the autism spectrum and cerebral palsy.
What is Neurofeedback Good For?
Individuals of any age can benefit from EEG training. Neurofeedback can help a variety of childhood problems including bedwetting,
nightmares, attention deficits and other forms of disrupting and disturbing behaviors. Neurofeedback can assist adolescents who might struggle with anxiety and depression, or drug and alcohol use. Neurofeedback can help maintain good brain function as we age. And peak performers use EEG training to enhance their abilities in sports, business and the arts.
May This Be Considered A Cure?
In the case of the organic brain disorders, it can only be a matter of getting the brain to function better rather than of curing the condition. When it comes to problems of disregulation, we would say that there is not a disease to be cured. Where disregulation is the problem, self-regulation may very well be the remedy. But again, the word “cure” would not apply.
The symptoms may go away, so it’s all the same in the end. Indeed, with Neurofeedback, the symptoms may be entirely surpressed. A person with diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder may
be able to train the brain to pay attention, so that condition will no longer be diagnosable.
A person coming in with migraines may no longer have them. (However, that person may still have a greater “vulnerability” to migraines than the average person on the street.) A person with epilepsy may no longer have seizures. (Although that person still retains a vulnerability to seizures.) A child with severe rages and temper tantrums may not have them again.
How Is This Done?
We apply electrodes to the scalp to listen in on brainwave activity. We process the signal by computer, and we extract information about certain key brainwaves. (All brainwave frequencies
are equal, but some are more equal than others…) We show the ebb and flow of this activity back to the person, who attempts to change the activity level. Some frequencies we wish to promote. Others we wish to diminish. We present this information to the person in the form of a video game. The person is effectively playing the video game with his or her brain. Eventually the brainwave activity is “shaped” toward more desirable, more regulated performance. The frequencies we target, and the specific locations on the scalp where we listen in on the brain,
are specific to the conditions we are trying to address, and specific to the individual.
What Conditions Can Be Helped?
Almost any brain, regardless of its level of function, can be trained to function better! Some of the conditions aided by Neurofeedback include:
- Addictions
- Anxiety
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Chronic Pain
- Depression
- Epilepsy
- Migraines
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Reactive Attachment Disorder
- Stroke
- Traumatic Brain Injury
How Do You Know How To Train A Particular Brain?
Over the years, certain training protocols have been developed that are helpful with certain classes of problems such as attention, anxiety and depression, seizures and migraines, as well as cognitive function. There are a number of assessment tools we use to help us decide which protocols to use. These are simple neurodiagnostic and neuro-psychological tests.