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HomeTherapiesConditions Treated with Neurofeedback

11 Minutes

Edited & medically reviewed by THE BALANCE Team
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Anxiety comes in different forms for different people. Excessive worrying might appear as an anxiety disorder as well as a fear of bad things happening, negative ideas running through your head, and nagging concerns that just won’t go away. Anxiety that “does not go away and can get worse over time” is what the National Institute of Mental Health calls an anxiety disorder. Daily activities including work, school, and relationships can be hampered by emotions leading to anxiety disorders.

Preliminary studies in Neurofeedback discovered that slowing or speeding up the biochemical processes and brain waves in certain parts of the brain reduced tension and anxiety. More recent research has revealed the specific parts of the brain that need to be re-regulated to fix and eliminate worry, fear, stress, and anxiety.

Using Neurofeedback, the brain may retrain the areas that control the stress and anxiety response by tapping into the brain’s own resources. Neurofeedback is a technique that measures brain rhythms to gently and effectively train the brain through reinforcement and repetition to do what it was designed to do in the first place.

An experimental study was conducted in 2017 to quantify the efficacy of Neurofeedback therapy in reducing the symptoms of mood disorders. Anxiety and depression symptoms in children and adults were effectively reduced using Neurofeedback and Heart Rate Variability training. Significant improvement   Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) was noted in the pretreatment symptoms of anxiety in the majority of people (82.8 percent) and depression (81.1 percent). Substantial alterations occurred in the EEG, respiration rate, and heart rate variability (HRV). For the 16 people who also had high blood pressure, their systolic and diastolic readings were considerably reduced.

Depression deprives its victims of the pleasures of life and makes them feel trapped inside of themselves. Loneliness and despair may be debilitating emotions to deal with. Though medications have been used effectively throughout the last few decades, they typically have undesirable side effects of varying severity.  Over time, medications may also lose some of their effectiveness. Neurofeedback can help with depression caused by a genetic predisposition, trauma, or as a result of a specific mood disorder. 

What is Neurofeedback?

A quantitative Electroencephalography (qEEG) frequently reveals depression by looking for patterns in brain waves associated with mood and mood control. Teaching the brain to better adjust these brainwave patterns by repetition and reinforcement can reduce depression.

In a preliminary experimental study conducted in 2016, Neurofeedback training of one hour per week for six weeks was given to 14 patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in a Neurofeedback group, whereas no training was given to the control group. The training group was further divided into responders and non-responders. The data from prior and post-intervention scores suggested that anxiety and depression levels were lower in the responder group whereas the anxiety and depression levels were higher in the non-responder group.  Patients with MDD who received Neurofeedback showed improvement in left frontal hyperarousal or right frontal hyperarousal.

In the regions of the brain where the biochemical homeostasis and wave function is out of balance, it becomes difficult or nearly impossible for the individuals to concentrate, make appropriate judgments, or complete tasks, all of which are ADHD features. A person and those in their sphere of influence might be disturbed and unsettled by many symptoms caused by too slow or rapid waves in a  particular brain area.

The effectiveness of Neurofeedback treatment for ADHD in children and adults has been well demonstrated in research on the subject. Focus, attentiveness, and emotional stability can all be improved by Neurofeedback by re-calibrating certain parts of the brain. A family of four with an ADHD child will pay over $4,700.00 a year in medical expenses, according to one estimate (via NCBI). These expenses cover the parent’s medical care, medication, and time away from work. There are no known side effects of using Neurofeedback because it is a non-medicated therapy.

In a study, the subjective and objective clinical parameters of 36 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) receiving EEG Neurofeedback were assessed (Alhambra et al., 1995). There was an 86 percent improvement based on parental assessments after 20 sessions of therapy. According to objective measurements, the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) score improved by 74%, while positive improvements in QEEG parameters increased by 78%. Sixteen of 24 ADD/ADHD patients who had undergone Neurofeedback therapy had either a decrease in their pharmacotherapy dose or stop medications entirely over the course of a year due to improvement of symptoms.

Everybody wants to be an Olympic athlete, top producer, or part of the top one percent high performers. We strive to be the best version of ourselves by putting in the time and effort necessary to be successful. It costs the body and the brain to stay at that level. As the tension of performance mounts, it affects the biological and psychological functions of the body.

When we are under a lot of stress, we want our bodies to respond quickly but calmly. This is a daunting task for the vast majority. Neurofeedback for performance enhancement helps with clarity, productivity, flexibility, attention, and confidence, among other things.

When it comes to sleeping habits, there are several factors to consider. How you fall asleep, how well you sleep, how long you sleep, and how you feel when you wake up; you may have a sleep issue if you answer yes to any of these questions. More than 40 million people in the United States have trouble sleeping regularly. During deep sleep, the body and brain do a considerable deal of repair and maintenance. Several health issues can arise if you don’t get enough quality sleep each night.

With Neurofeedback, the regulatory mechanisms required for peaceful and deep sleep can be reset. Neurofeedback protocols can be developed based on the results of a qEEG to help you better manage your brain waves. There is a definitive rationale for looking at other aspects of your life that might be interfering with your sleep as well. It’s possible that alterations to your diet and exercise regimen are also necessary. With Neurofeedback, your brain can better modulate, and sleep can be considerably improved through practice and learning.

In an experimental study conducted in 2015, forty patients who had been diagnosed with insomnia by a psychiatrist were included in the study using random sampling and divided into three groups; the Neurofeedback therapy group, the cognitive behavioral therapy group, and a control group. The participants were also chosen using the PSQI (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index).   According to the results of the study, the most successful treatment for insomnia among the two treatment methods was Neurofeedback therapy.

Training the brain with Neurofeedback is, highly effective in treating seizure disorders like epilepsy. Anti-epileptic medication and sometimes surgery are both common treatments for seizure disorders.  A non-invasive and safe treatment modality with Neurofeedback training can help people with all types of seizures. 

Pioneered at UCLA in the early 1970s, it is an effective, relatively risk-free, and natural alternative to pharmacotherapy and surgery. It can help individuals with brain damage sustained in the event of brain injury or anomalies due to systemic diseases. Although this is not a “cure”, it can aid in the restoration of brain function and resolution of deregulation. According to one study, Neurofeedback training helped 74% of people with epilepsy, lessening the frequency and intensity of their seizures. Nerve disorders that cause their illness can be controlled and stabilized with Neurofeedback training.

It has been well established in the peer-reviewed literature for over 25 years that Neurofeedback is effective in treating seizure and pseudo-seizure disorders (Lubar, 1997; Swingle, 1998). Most clinical evidence for the effectiveness of Neurotherapy comes from small case studies rather than large, well-controlled, double-blind research. There is a dearth of randomized trials on Neurofeedback, but psychology professor Joel Lubar says matched-group studies done following the Declaration of Helsinki are preferable to controlled trials for studying hyperactivity. Lubar teaches Neurofeedback at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. His research found that 1,500 groups throughout the world are now using Neurofeedback for psychiatric purposes, such as ADHD and comorbidities. He and his colleagues have been researching treatments for hyperactivity in children since the 1970s and have found that electroencephalography (EEG) is a superior and mainstay treatment for hyperactive brain disorders.

Migraine sufferers are familiar with the severe discomfort due to the excruciating headache. During an episode of migraine, the typical unilateral headache is frequently accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and hypersensitivity to light. Fog or post-migraine head congestion might last up to a day after the headache has passed.

Research The frequency and intensity of migraines headaches could be effectively reduced by the use of Neurofeedback. The qEEG test can identify the defective biochemical signaling and brain waves that may be the source of the agonizing episodes of Migraine.  Despite the advanced technology, the procedure is straightforward, painless, and non-invasive.

It’s merely a process of learning. Neurofeedback can assist in better modulating brain waves by managing the brain homeostasis through self-learning. The specific brain area responsible for the generation of defective biochemical brain signals in Migraine is found to be frontal and temporal of predominantly one hemisphere of the brain. In many cases, this has the effect of reducing or even eliminating post-migraine symptoms.

A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2010 to quantify the effectiveness of Neurofeedback in Migraines. The average number of sessions for 37 migraine patients at an outpatient biofeedback clinic was 40, which included 20 minutes of both Neurofeedback and thermal biofeedback. Preventive, abortive, or rescue medications were used by all patients with migraines.

There was a 50% reduction in headache frequency in 26 out of 37 migraine patients treated, and this was sustained on average for 14.5 months after the therapies were withdrawn in these patients. More than half of migraine sufferers in different research reported full cessation of their migraine headaches, and nearly as many (39 percent) reported a reduction in migraine frequency.

Several research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Neurofeedback in reducing symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A stronger ability to focus and pay attention, more tolerance for change, and a greater sense of ease in one’s Alterations to your diet and exercise regimen are among the behavioral changes documented in the literature.over

According to Susan Othmer, a pioneer in Neurofeedback, autism is a mash-up of both brain function and emotional manifestations. Because of this combination, she says, the brain becomes overly active and receptive to Neurofeedback. Because the brain is always in a “fight or flight” state, employing Neurofeedback to calm things down makes it easier to regulate emotions and improves brain communication internally. Facilitating more moderate communication between different areas of the brain should result in better processing and improved emotional states.

Neurofeedback helps the brain develop better brain wave patterns by repeating and reinforcing them. This can lead to a shift in the emotional and biochemical state of the various brain areas in individuals with Autism. In a study conducted in 2015, pre-and post-assessments of 13 ASD children were done after 16 Neurofeedback therapy sessions. Neurofeedback therapy was built on a social interaction game that offered feedback through imitation and emotional reactivity. The usual approach of boosting EEG mu was compared to bidirectional training of mu suppression and augmentation (8-12 Hz over somatosensory cortex). Students improved in all three areas: electrophysiological (greater suppression of mu rhythm), emotional reactivity (better emotion perception and spontaneous imitation), and behavior (much better day-to-day conduct) after learning to control mu rhythm using both strategies. In other words, the Neurofeedback therapy paradigms help people develop important behavioral skills for interacting successfully with others.

The brain disease model of addiction is accepted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a leading authority on the subject. A person’s moral integrity or lack of self-control has nothing to do with drug addiction, which is a disease of the brain. Although the decision to abuse a drug may be made voluntarily at the outset, people will lose the ability to make a voluntary decision, later on, to abstain from drugs. This is because drug usage alters the anatomical makeup of the brain, which serves to motivate the user to continue taking drugs.

Neurofeedback, according to the results of a UCLA study, can help people quit smoking more quickly.  In 2005, a Neurofeedback and addiction treatment study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) examined the efficiency of this treatment modality. It was based in part on addiction research, which demonstrates that (1) People with a history of addiction have a difficult time changing their behavior (thus the 40-60 percent drug relapse rate) and (2) The brain ‘conditioning’ is prone to failures in the early phases of recovery.

Using EEG biofeedback in conjunction with a 12-Step program, the UCLA researchers found that recovered addicts were more likely to embrace change (from addiction to recovery) and see improvements in their brain function. Treatment with electroencephalography (EEG) increased abstinence rates among individuals after a year of recovery. Part of the reason the participants were successful was that EEG therapy helped maintain the optimal activity of the cortical regions of the brain when it was resisting change (which in this case was running away from their recovery plan or relapsing). A 12-Step program or another abstinence-supportive service, such as EEG biofeedback, was found to be more effective than EEG biofeedback alone as rehabilitation for drug addicts.

The Mayo Clinic states that a traumatic brain injury (TBI) happens when a mechanical force outside the brain damages the brain. The brain is a loose soft tissue mass within the skull that sits in a suspended state with the help of the meninges. The brain moves around in the skull after a simple fall or a sports accident that results in a blow to the head. Unexpected symptoms such as the cognitive and neurological deficit, heightened emotions or memory issues can appear, immediately or even months after the injury, 

Peculiar to the central nervous system, the brain tissue cannot swell like any other inflammatory injury on the outside of the body. It appears that even after healing, a residual inflammation is still present in brain tissue; this inflammation might be localized or widespread. Inflammation can manifest itself in a variety of ways, some of which may not be seen on an MRI. Countless tiny injuries can cause inflammation, some of which go untreated. These alterations can be observed at the brain wave level by performing a qEEG. The brainwaves might sometimes resemble a pattern associated with anxiety or stress. It is also possible that one section of your brain is having trouble interacting with another area.

Resolving the inflammation with Neurofeedback while also reducing difficulties like fogginess, difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly and headaches are all achievable with Neurofeedback therapy. Neurofeedback can restore brain homeostasis by using repetition and reinforcement over time. The abnormal area can be moderated and regulated by Neurofeedback, even if it happened years ago.

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