When it’s hard to pay attention . . . when you’re feeling depressed or anxious . . .
when someone can’t stop thinking about something . . .
Is it a psychological or physiological problem?
Training the brain using Neurofeedback changes these problems. It helps improve alertness, attention, emotional regulation, behavior, cognitive function and mental flexibility. Changing the brain clearly affects the mind. The training produces a measurable physiological effect on the brain.
You’re probably aware that if a monitor displays your heart rate, you rapidly can learn to change it. That’s the essense of biofeedback. When a monitor displays your brain activity – you can quickly learn to change that also. A neuroscientist in the 60′s trained cats to change their brain activity. Unexpectedly, those changes reduced seizure activity.
Neurofeedback is direct training of brain function, by which the brain learns to function more efficiently. We observe the brain in action from moment to moment. We show that information back to the person. And we reward the brain for changing its own activity to more appropriate patterns. This is a gradual learning process. It applies to any aspect of brain function that we can measure.
Neurofeedback is also called EEG Biofeedback, because it is based on electrical brain activity, the electroencephalogram, or EEG. Neurofeedback is training in self-regulation. It is simply biofeedback applied to the brain directly. Self-regulation is a necessary part of good brain function. Self-regulation training allows the central nervous system of the brain to function better.
It’s now clear that neurofeedback, which teaches the brain to change itself, helps attention, mood, behavior, cognition, and more. Once these changes are practiced and learned, the effects tend to hold, for at least for many problems. As someone’s brain learns to improve it’s own regulation, it often reduces reliance on medications. Sometimes, it allows medications that weren’t working well to work better.
The proses is using operant conditioning, you get rewarded when your brain makes more of certain types of brain activity. Your brain might get a beep when it’s doing the right thing. By changing the EEG, changes occur in brain timing, and can create a more activated, alert, and stable brain. Or, a more calm brain. Excessive fast or slow activity is associated with brain dysregulation, and a variety of clinical symptoms. Training changes in that activity helps improve self-regulation.
Neurofeedback, psychotherapy, and medications work hand-in-hand. Training is used with patients both on and off medications. As the brain stabilizes and becomes better regulated, medications, psychotherapy and other modalities often become more effective. It’s not uncommon to see a reduced need for medications as brain regulation increases.