neurofeedback basics

Posted on November 28th, 2008 at 8:48 am by admin

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So then, what is this neurofeedback thing?

In five sentences:

  1. The brain produces several overlapping patterns of electrical wave currents.
  2. These change as the brain grows from babyhood to adulthood.
  3. Normal wave patterns produce normal brain activity and behaviour.
  4. Abnormal brain waves (too high or too low in certain categories) produce abnormal brain activity and behaviour.
  5. Though practice, the brain can teach itself to change its wave patterns.

What are these wave patterns?

Here are the main ones, ranked from largest waves to smallest waves:

  • Delta Waves (.5 – 3 Hz): A slow wave pattern of infancy. No thought, just existence.
  • Low Theta (3 – 5 Hz): Tuned out and sleepy.
  • High Theta (6 – 7 Hz): Inward-oriented thought, as when you are trying to remember something. Not focused on external situation. Can be a creative type of thinking but if chronic can cause attention problems.
  • Low Alpha (8 – 10 Hz): Inward-oriented thought, in the style of meditation. When an adult has closed eyes, he/she is often in low alpha.
  • High Alpha (11 – 13 Hz): Calm awareness and attentiveness. Readiness. High alpha is often the dominant wave pattern in athletes and people with high intelligence.
  • SMR (sensory motor rhythm) (13 – 15 Hz): A deep wave pattern connected to the sensory-motor system. High SMR correlates with calmness, alertness, and focus. Low SMR correlates with agitation, impulsivity, anxiety, and sensory processing issues. It may also be related to tics and involuntary movements.
  • Beta (16 – 20 Hz): Beta is the concentration wave pattern. You use it to concentrate, think, analyze, and learn. It tends to be low in people with ADHD.
  • High Beta (19 – 36 Hz): Associated with anxiety, worry, emotional intensity, ruminating, addiction, obsessions, and paranoia.

What is the training?

Neurofeedback training is EEG (electroencephalography) with the techniques of operant conditioning. Electrodes link the child’s brain to the computer, which analyzes the brainwave patterns in real time. The child plays on-screen games using only brainwaves to produce results. The trainer rewards the child for any good progress.

At first, the child has no idea what to do to produce results. Eventually, he or she starts to use subconscious techniques for holding up a brainwave or suppressing it.

The learning all occurs at a subconscious level.

How long does it take?

ADHD therapy focuses on reducing the Delta-Theta waves and raising the Beta waves. Someone with a mild form of ADHD can “fix” their brainwave patterns in as little as 20 hours. More typical forms of ADHD can be trained out in 20-40 sessions. Some ADHD children have very persistent brainwave patterns and may never entirely train it all out. But these children normally end up reducing their medications to very low levels.

Tourette’s therapy focuses on raising the SMR levels. Tourette’s can be trained out in 20 – 40 sessions.

Asperger Syndrome therapy focuses on many different wave patterns, since all ASD kids are different. Expect a minimum of 60 sessions before seeing any signficant results. Best results often occur after 100 hours or more.