What Is Neurofeedback Used For?
There are many psychiatric and medical disorders that are associated with abnormal patterns of brain wave activity. For example, many children and teenagers who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have an excess of theta wave activity and not enough beta activity. In other words, their brains are working too slowly to effectively perform externally focused activities. It is common to see the brains of ADHD kids slow down when they open their eyes, which is exactly the opposite of what should be happening. Neurofeedback treatment for this type of ADHD would involve first learning how to reduce the excess theta, followed by training to increase the amount of beta.               

Some ADHD children and adults have an excess amount of alpha activity. High amplitude alpha that occurs when the eyes are open is associated with inattention and distractibility. As with excess theta activity, having too much alpha means that your brain is not running at its optimal speed. Treatment would consist of learning how to reduce the amount of eyes-open alpha to a normal level. 

Other conditions that have abnormal brain wave patterns and respond to treatment with neurofeedback include anxiety disorders (typically excess beta), drug abuse (not enough theta and/or alpha), learning disabilities (amplitude asymmetry), and traumatic brain injury (excess theta, elevated coherence). Neurofeedback is also used to treat intractable epileptic seizures by increasing activity in the sensorimotor rhythm band (12-15 Hz), which has been shown to reduce the occurrence of seizures.                                

A Typical Neurofeedback Session
A neurofeedback training session begins with placement of one or more sensors on your scalp and ears. The sensors are connected to the neurofeedback equipment, which amplifies your brain waves and sends them to a computer. You sit in front of a computer monitor and watch a display that changes as your brain waves change. For example, you may be trying to make a circle get smaller by reducing theta waves or make a jet plane go higher on the screen by producing more beta waves. A typical neurofeedback session lasts for 45 to 50 minutes. 

How Do You Know Which Part of the Brain Needs Training?
Before neurofeedback therapy is started, a test called a quantitative EEG (QEEG) is performed. The QEEG is a test of brain wave activity that helps create a neurofeedback treatment plan that is specifically designed to meet your needs.

How Long Does Neurofeedback Take?
Learning to control your brain waves takes a long time because we have very little natural feeling for what our brain waves are doing. In contrast, we have very good ability to know where our arms and legs are positioned. Try closing your eyes and touching your nose with your finger. The length of time needed to complete neurofeedback therapy depends on the needs of each individual. A typical child or teen with the high theta/low beta form of ADHD probably will require approximately 40 to 50 training sessions. It is best to have at least two neurofeedback sessions per week. Having three or four weekly sessions speeds up the learning process.

How Successful is Neurofeedback?
As with all forms of medical and psychiatric treatment, a successful outcome cannot be guaranteed. However, over thirty years of research and clinical experience have demonstrated that neurofeedback can be an effective treatment for ADHD and other conditions. One recent study with ADHD children found that over 80% of those who were given neurofeedback therapy had significant improvements in performance on a test of attention. Another study showed that neurofeedback produced an average increase of 10 IQ test points and a significant decrease in inattentiveness in ADHD subjects. Multiple research studies have demonstrated that neurofeedback training can reduce the frequency of seizures. 

Neurofeedback and Medications
Neurofeedback therapy can be done at the same time that you are taking prescription medications. It is strongly advised that you continue taking your medication(s) while doing neurofeedback. When your course of neurofeedback therapy is finished it may be possible to reduce or eliminate some medications, though there is no guarantee of being able to do so. 

Does Neurofeedback Have Side-Effects?
One of the advantages of neurofeedback is that side-effects are very rare. You may find that learning to control your brain waves is a frustrating process, especially at the beginning of treatment. Patients sometimes feel tired at the end of a session. Patients with sensitive skin have had reactions to the products that are used to clean the skin or hold the sensors in place on the scalp or ears. There have also been rare instances when neurofeedback training has gone too far and produced unwanted side-effects. This can be easily corrected by some training in the other direction, such as down-training excess beta that is producing irritability. 

Does Insurance Pay For Neurofeedback?
Coverage for neurofeedback depends on your insurer and particular insurance policy. At this time, we are a fee-for-service provider.  We present billing information that may be submitted to insurers for reimbursement as an out of service provider. However, we make no guarantee that any of our services will be reimbursed and payment by our clients is required at the time of service.