What Is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback (also called EEG Biofeedback) is a computer-assisted treatment that enables you to alter your own brain waves. When you can see your own brain waves on a computer screen, you can learn to change them in a direction that improves your brain functioning. Thus, the goal of Neurofeedback is self-regulation.
Where do your brain waves come from? Your brain is an amazingly complex organ that is comprised of approximately 100 billion cells (neurons) that are organized into various regions, systems, nuclei, and pathways. The communication between all these cells and regions is carried out by electrical and chemical signals. The electrical signals move in waves that, when recorded, are called the electroencephalogram, or EEG.
From a behavioral viewpoint, EEG Biofeedback is a form of operant conditioning. Once you have conditioned your brain to increase or reduce specific brainwaves (Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma), you can improve your brain functioning in areas such as attention, alertness, mental acuity, memory, flexibility, associative thinking, creativity and calmness. Such mental conditioning or “physical therapy” for the brain improves your “mental posture” and rids you of cognitive problems, just as improved physical posture and muscle tone can rid you of back pain.
What Is It Used For?
EEG Biofeedback has been shown to be particularly beneficial in treating ADD/ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Anxiety, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Sleep Disorders, Depression, Brain Injury, Headaches, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Tourette’s Disorder, Autism and other conditions in which brain wave properties are either impaired or not at the optimal level. It is also helpful for enhancing cognitive and academic performance and peak performance. How can one treatment modality address so many different conditions? Because it addresses the source – by fine-tuning the central command unit, i.e., your brain.
In general, the goal of Neurofeedback is to normalize irregular brain wave patterns. For example, research shows that people with ADD or ADHD have 30% more slow (Theta) brain wave activity when performing cognitive tasks than normally found. As a result, they constantly seek out stimulation by daydreaming, fidgeting, talking a great deal, and rapidly switching their attention from one activity to another. Stimulant medications, such as Ritalin, are helpful by artificially increasing their level of brain activation and temporarily relieving symptoms. Neurofeedback is a drug-free solution that teaches people to increase brain activity as needed, alleviating symptoms, and sometimes eliminating the need for medication.
Of course, different treatment protocols exist for different conditions and consist of selecting appropriate brain wave frequency, amplitude, synchrony, coherence, direction and location. Brain mapping (also called QEEG) can significantly increase the accuracy of treatment by pinpointing the exact location of abnormal brainwave activity.
How Is It Done?
EEG Biofeedback training is a painless, non-invasive procedure. One or more sensors (small silver or gold-plated electrodes) are placed on the scalp, and another sensor is placed on each ear. The brain waves are recorded and displayed on a computer screen by means of a video game or a sound signal (e.g., bowling). The patient is asked to make the video game go… with his/her brain! As activity in the brain shifts in the desired direction, the video game progresses. If activity in the brain doesn’t change, or reverses, the video game stops.
Gradually, a learning of new brain wave patterns takes place. A person learns to engage the desired mental state depending on the demands of the situation. For example, when a child suffering from ADD is given a test in school, he/she might be able to shift into a highly attentive state (like flexing the right muscle) by recalling and engaging the mental state he/she has learned to capture in training sessions. Numerous studies have demonstrated that this learning is durable and reliable years after treatment.
Some doctors prefer to call Neurofeedback a form of training rather than treatment, because the emphasis is on developing self-regulation. Instead of relying on a “treatment” given to them in the form of pills or surgery, patients learn to gain control over their own mental states. From this perspective, Neurofeedback is similar to other disciplines of self-regulation like Yoga and meditation, where a person learns to control his/her body and mind.
Since EEG training is a learning process, results are seen gradually over time. For most conditions, initial progress can be seen within about ten sessions. Most patients meet their treatment goals in 20-40 sessions, depending on their condition. For example, some symptoms of traumatic brain injury (quality of sleep, headaches, fatigue, alertness), often respond in less than twenty sessions, whereas other symptoms (concentration, memory, mental flexibility) may require longer training before showing a reliable response.
Each session lasts approximately 50 minutes, which includes Neurofeedback and a discussion of session-to-session progress. Many health insurance plans will provide partial or full reimbursement.
