Neurofeedback
EEG Neurofeedback
In virtually every area of our lives, we are able to improve our performance when we get clear and immediate feedback about how we are doing. That is one of the key reasons why athletic performance has shown such dramatic improvements recently – sophisticated technology has enabled the athlete to gain a much greater degree of information about all aspects of physical performance, and this allows for sharpening of skills.
The same sort of technological sophistication now enables us to directly alter the functioning of our brain to improve performance. Neuroscience has shown repeatedly that the brain is capable of enormous change or plasticity, the brain is amazingly adaptable. Advanced EEG biofeedback technology provides instantaneous (real time) information to the brain about how it is functioning along with continuous hints or cues about how to make adjustments toward improved functioning. And repeated studies have shown that our brains are able to use this information to re-regulate their function.
Though the technology is quite complex, the training activity is simple, painless, and non-invasive. Sensors are placed on the scalp and EEG activity is transmitted to a computer. Auditory and visual feedback is provided instantly, so that you see and hear representations of your brain in action. The goal is to reduce or limit certain types of brainwaves and increase others. As your brain reorganizes itself based on this instantaneous information, it develops increased resilience and flexibility.
Ordinarily, we cannot influence our brain’s activity because we lack awareness of it. However, when you can see the changes in this activity on a computer screen a few thousandths of a second after they occur, you gain the ability to influence and change this activity. The mechanism of action is similar to every other form of learning or training. Neurofeedback is a form of training or exercise for the brain, assisted with a very sophisticated technology, and guided or directed by knowledge gained through advances of neuroscience.
Neurofeedback (NFB) has been shown in numerous scientific studies to improve attention significantly, with improvements equivalent to that from stimulant medication. Follow up studies have shown that gains maintained 3, 5, and 10 years after the neurofeedback ended. Research has also documented effectiveness for reducing or eliminating seizures and for improving therapeutic outcomes for treatment of addictions and post traumatic stress disorder. Several studies show the effectiveness of neurofeedback in remediating effects of traumatic brain injury. Initial studies show promising results with learning disabilities, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, and autistic spectrum disorder. This same body of research has not reported lasting negative effects of the neurofeedback training.
Because the effectiveness of neurofeedback has not been conclusively established using the strictest standards for empirical validation, some professionals will consider it to be an experimental procedure. Unfortunately, many insurance companies do not cover neurofeedback.
Our experience using neurofeedback has been positive. We are convinced that neurofeedback is a valuable option for many individuals, and can contribute to improved attention and emotional self-control and mood, decreased anxiety, tension, and perseveration, and improved overall self-regulation.
