Training Your Brain with Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback is a scientifically proven technique for normalizing and balancing brain function. Neurofeedback is practiced by specially trained doctors and therapists, and research supports its effectiveness in addressing a number of health problems, several of which are listed above. It is non-invasive and can offer hope to patients who are looking for alternatives to drug therapy. The device we use at Team Health Care Clinic has been approved by the FDA.

Different parts of the brain have different jobs, and different jobs require different types of brainwave frequencies. Our upper brain consists of four lobes (frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal), each having different responsibilities and different wave frequencies. Brain wave patterns should not be identical in each lobe since their jobs differ.

For example, if you are sitting at your computer doing homework for a class, certain areas of your brain will need to be active and use faster frequencies. Conversely if you are winding down after a long day and getting ready to go to sleep, a different part of your brain will need to be activated and use slower frequencies.

It’s probably no surprise to you when we say we don’t want the brain overcome with fast acting waves while we are trying to calm down and go to sleep. We also don’t want the brain to be using slower moving frequencies when we are trying to concentrate and get our homework done!

If your brain is unable to transition between different lobes in the correct frequency for that activity or function, you will not be able to perform or respond in the same way that someone with normal brain wave patterns will. Health challenges now show up as a result of your brain’s inability to regulate itself.

Brain mapping is a process that allows us to do just that. We use special equipment, called QEEG brainwave monitoring and analysis. Like an EKG measures electrical activity of the heart, an EEG measures the electrical activity of the brain; the QEEG is safe because nothing is introduced into the body, rather QEEG measures electrical activity being produced by the body, in this case the brain.

The QEEG will allow us to see the rate of firing of the different brain waves in each area of your brain by recording the strength of these frequency bands at the different locations. A software program then analyzes this information and generates a picture of your brain’s electrical activity. To do the brain map, first you will be seated in a chair facing a computer screen. A cap containing electrodes is then placed on your skull. The electrodes are connected to a computer, and special software then analyzes your brainwave activity. This process takes about 20 minutes and you won’t feel anything. Once this is complete, we have our map showing any areas that need to be addressed (over active, under active, not well regulated, etc.) and can begin therapy, or “training.”

Using the information obtained from your brain map, small electrodes are attached to the specific problem areas of your head. The sensors read activity from your brain in real time (so you can see exactly what is going on in your brain as you think certain thoughts, feel stressed, relaxed, etc.) The process is completely safe as nothing is introduced into the body, rather the QEEG merely reads what is going on in your brain. This is done while you are watching a movie or listening to music.

The complexity of the brain and our ability to evaluate your brainwaves during this process is quite amazing!

The software then compares the brainwaves coming from you to that of optimal brainwaves. If your brainwaves deviate from the normal range, it triggers the movie or music to fade. Here is where it gets even more amazing; remember that you were watching or listening to something you WANT to see and hear. Once it is taken away, your brain wants to get the movie or music back again, so your brain automatically refocuses your brain waves back into the normal range!  This process is repeated hundreds of times per session. This is what we call “training your brain.” Your brain is rewarded over and over for staying in the normal range and eventually it learns (self regulates) to stay normalized:

• Suboptimal brain waves are corrected
• Brain communication is enhanced
• Function improves
• Results may be permanent

Sessions last about 30 minutes. There is no magic number of sessions required, but most problems take between 20 and 40 sessions for optimal results. Improvement can often be seen within the first 10 sessions.

When we are able to properly assess brainwave function, then exercise brainwave activity into healthier patterns, our brain functions better and as a result we function better. Here are some of the positive results patients have reported:

• Decrease in symptoms from various health problems
• Better focus, attention and concentration
• Improvement in mood
• Improved athletic performance
• Improved quality of life
• Improved sleep

Neurofeedback can address the cause of the problem, unlike medications which address symptoms. This therapy has been life changing for many people and has given hope to patients who may have thought they had no other options.