Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback therapy that rewards patients for positive brain activity to train the brain to exhibit more desirable activity. It can be used to treat conditions such as ADHD, depression, stroke, and seizures. Patients wear electrodes to monitor brain activity and receive a reward when activity stabilizes in the positive range. Multiple sessions are recommended for lasting benefits.
Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback therapy that involves providing patients with information about their brain activity, with the goal of rewarding patients for positive brain activity so that they train the brain to exhibit more desirable brain activity. This therapy can be used in the treatment of a range of conditions, with the majority of empirical neurofeedback research focusing on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and how treatment can help patients with this condition, although proponents also suggest that neurofeedback could be useful for treating a wide variety of other disorders including depression, stroke and seizures.
In biofeedback therapy, the body is monitored to create a constant stream of ‘feedback’ which is used to adjust the treatment approach. Biofeedback can include information such as heart rate and breathing and is used in the treatment and management of a number of conditions. In the case of neurofeedback, the patient wears electrodes during sessions, with the electrodes monitoring brain activity. The patient is given a visual representation of the brain activity so that she can see what the brain is doing during the session.
Neurofeedback usually begins with an intake session in which a baseline EEG is taken and the patient is interviewed. Using the interview to identify the patient’s concerns and the EEG to obtain background information about brain activity, the therapist identifies good and bad brain activity so that this information can be used in neurofeedback sessions.
During a session, the patient dons electrodes and is asked to engage in activities, with the patient receiving a reward when brain activity stabilizes in the positive range. For example, the patient might be playing a video game, with progression in the game allowed when brain activity is in the right range. The more the patient focuses, the more the brain activity will stay in the right range, with the patient eventually learning to associate positive outcomes with specific types of brain activity and falling into these patterns more often.
Proponents of neurofeedback recommend that patients attend multiple sessions, often over an extended period, to fully train their brains. Also known as EEG biofeedback or neurotherapy, neurofeedback can have lasting benefits for the patient if enough treatments are received. While neurofeedback may not be as helpful for degenerative neurological conditions as it is for conditions that can be addressed by refocusing the brain, some people believe it may help slow the progress of such conditions, helping patients maintain brain function.
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