Neurofeedback Therapy works to improve a range of symptoms by teaching patients to regulate their brain activity. It is a drug-free treatment that works to improve a number of conditions, including ADHD, autism, migraines, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, fibromyalgia, and even to help boost performance in athletes. The key is that neurofeedback helps to retrain the brain’s ability to self-regulate, and in doing so, produces long-term improvements.
Many people are surprised to learn that many of the problems that they struggle with, such as ADD/ADHD, autism, depression, stress, anxiety and PTSD, are actually caused by disruptions in certain brainwave frequencies. These abnormalities can be corrected with the use of neurofeedback, a type of biofeedback that allows you to see your brainwaves in real time so you can retrain yourself to produce normal, healthy brain waves.
With the use of an EEG headset, or more commonly, a pair of headphones with electrodes attached to your head, you watch a movie that shows you in real-time how your brain is reacting. The screen becomes dimmer when you have the wrong brainwaves, and brighter when your brain is producing the correct ones. This process is repeated over several sessions that are often 20 or 30 minutes long.
Different types of neurofeedback are used to treat different issues, such as insomnia, ADHD, PTSD, fibromyalgia and restless leg syndrome. For example, depression can be helped by training for calmness in the left frontal lobe, while insomnia can be treated by increasing brain wave activity in the right hemisphere’s central motor strip. Migraines are primarily associated with low blood flow in the occipital lobe, which can be improved using a technique called gamma neurofeedback.
The best way to find a qualified provider of neurofeedback is to visit the website of the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. These licensed professionals must undergo 36 hours of study in neurophysiology and related topics, attend a mentoring program to gain clinical skills, and pass a standardized exam. The most common neurofeedback practice is known as frequency/power neurofeedback, which uses 2 to 4 surface electrodes (sometimes referred to as “surface neurofeedback”).
Once you have completed your qEEG and Dr. Fotuhi has reviewed it, he will recommend an optimal neurofeedback protocol for your specific symptoms. Once the equipment has been set up, you will sit in a comfortable chair while our EEG technician monitors your brain activity. During the session, you watch a movie and the screen will become dimmer when the brain is producing slow or fast brain waves, and brighter instantly when the correct ones are produced. The goal is to teach the brain to produce these faster, more beneficial brain waves on its own, so that you can eventually reduce or eliminate your symptoms without the need for medications.