What is Neurofeedback Training?

Neurofeedback or EEG Biofeedback is a process whereby a person can learn to change his or her predominant brainwave pattern, regardless of existence of any disorder such as depression, anxiety, or addiction. With practice, these new patterns can be trained to stay within desired limits, and the person is able to maintain the new patterns even when not in the neurofeedback situation. This allows subjects to help prevent onset of depression, anxiety or addiction use or relapse by maintaining a brainstate which allows the subject to better cope with the situation at hand.

What is the difference between biofeedback and neurofeedback?

Biofeedback is a process for monitoring a body function (such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature) and learning to regulate the function through relaxation or imagery. Many people like biofeedback training because it allows them to be in charge, giving them a sense of mastery and self-reliance over their own health.

Biofeedback operates on the principle of operant conditioning. It makes it possible to reverse the habitual patterns created by the stress response. Biofeedback has been used for decades to decrease symptoms of stress-related and anxiety-related diseases.

Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback or neurotherapy, is a form of biofeedback and a technique designed to teach people how to control their brain waves: even in times when anxiety or depression may occur. Its focus is on feeding back information regulating brain activity utilizing EEG.

It's a training and treatment process which uses technology to provide you with more information about what your body is doing than your ordinary senses provide. This "feedback" helps you learn to develop greater control over your brain, a control that when applied can reduce anxiety and depression.

Neurofeedback involves increasing or decreasing brainwave activity of certain frequencies at certain locations.

Who can benefit from neurofeedback training/treatment?

Neurofeedback is beneficial for just about anyone. Training sessions are customized to meet an individual's needs.

Neurofeedback can be used to help ADD, effects of head injury, extreme stress, anxiety attacks, depression, emotional trauma, autism, explosive disorders, developmental delays, learning disabilities, Alzheimers and fibromyalgia. Post-stroke deficits have also improved with neurotherapy.

Neurofeedback also has the potential to improve your learning ability, behavior, school grades, self-esteem, job performance, and overall interactions with others. The technique is also useful for advanced concentration and peak performance.

How is Neurofeedback accomplished?

The process begins with an electroencephalogram (or EEG, for short). An EEG is a record of the electrical activity of the brain. This is obtained by sensors attached to the surface of the scalp. (The EEG only records electrical activity coming from the brain. No electrical activity is ever administered to the brain from the EEG.)

These sensors pick up a wide variety of signals or brainwaves. The sensors (electrodes) are connected to an EEG biofeedback instrument, which is connected to a computer. The signals are filtered and processed, and feedback is provided visually on a computer screen and auditorily from speakers or earphones.

As you train yourself to control your brain wave activity you strengthen your attention, concentration, and learning abilities, skills that can help reduce anxiety, depression, and a handful of other disorders, as described.

What does the procedure do to me? Will I feel anything from the equipment?

The equipment does not send any electricity into you. It only reads the tiny electrical signals from your brain through the scalp. Once again, the EEG only records electrical activity coming from the brain. No electrical activity is ever administered to the brain from the EEG.

How does Neurofeedback work?

When people are overly stressed, injured, or traumatized, their brainwaves may get fixed, or stuck in a pattern of predominantly low or high frequencies. Symptoms can include anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue, hyperactivity, distractibility, mood swings, confusion, disorganization, problems with sleep, lack of concentration, memory and attention problems and poor reading comprehension.

Neurofeedback helps restore the cerebral cortex integrating function, and acts as a direct means of affecting the symptoms listed above.

Neurofeedback interrupts the brain's processing system when it is trapped in a pattern of malfunctioning, restoring it to its own optimal functioning pattern. Most people have untapped resources to reach better functioning even if they have been told they could not improve.

The brainwaves received by the computer guide the return of feedback to the brain. Feedback is provided by a set of tiny transducers sending either dim light or a weak energy field to the brain. The feedback reduces or increases brainwave frequencies allowing the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain, to work more efficiently. This allows the cortex to exercise better control of mood, cognitive functioning, smoother and better-coordinated movement, and more restful energy. These changes support greater flexibility of functioning. At the culmination of therapy the brain no longer needs the help of neurofeedback.

How many sessions are usually needed?

Depending on the sensitivity, complexity and duration of symptoms determines how many sessions will be needed. Your Brookside Institute treatment team will determine many sessions you need, each lasting between 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours in duration. Only a portion of the time may be spent in neurofeedback. The rest of the time will be spent utilizing other tools for improving areas of the brain systems that are out of balance.

It is difficult to predict how many sessions will be required. Most people notice a within two weeks. However, in order to establish long term effects we have found completing the recommended number of sessions are necessary for optimal change.

Is QEEG Neurofeedback proven? And do the effects last?

Neurofeedback has been found to be effective for many neurological based disorders such as ADD/ADHD, head injury, stress, anxiety, depression, memory disorders, dementia, emotional trauma, autism, explosive disorders, developmental delays, learning disabilities, Alzheimers. Neurometric analysis received FDA approval as a diagnostic tool and presently is the only objective measure for many neurological based disorders. Neurofeedback has been studied clinically since 1990. According to research, 77% of the more than 2,500 people treated have experienced significant improvements in their central nervous system symptoms, and the benefits gained seem only to sustain or increase, unless a new trauma occurs.

Is Neurofeedback covered by insurance?

Some insurance companies will pay for neurofeedback. Check with your insurance provider to see if you are covered.

What are the risks?

You may experience a one or two week period of increased emotion such as anger, fear, or irritability. Or you may feel as if you have tremendous energy to do things, or feel very tired.

We also ask that you inform us of any medications you use while you participate, and are not to change your medications without first informing your Brookside Institute treatment team.