Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback (NFB), is also known as neurotherapy, neurobiofeedback or EEG biofeedback. This is a therapy or treatment mode which aims to stabilise and calm the brain through voluntary regulation of brain activity, thus improving the patient's ability to take control of their own thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

Neurofeedback constitutes leading technology which has been shown to produce great success as a treatment mode for various behavioural conditions. Well-documented medical and scientific evidence strongly supports neurofeedback as a treatment mode. To date it has not been widely used, perhaps because it requires substantial financial resources for start up. Nevertheless it provides a most exciting development in the treatment of some behavioural conditions. It is designed to aid personal regulation and enrichment of brain function.

This mode of treatment works particularly well for ADD/ADHD patients, for which it was especially developed, but also for depression, learning difficulties, Asperger's Syndrome, anxiety, stress, Marijuana and other addictions. It also has a place in the sporting arena, where it is used to assist top athletes to remain in a focused state thus enhancing performance.

Neurofeedback is totally drug-free, non-invasive, absolutely painless, and with no known side-effects.

Treatment for Neurofeedback is usually administered in lots of 10 sessions. Treatment sessions can take place 2 or 3 times a week and ideally should not take place more than one week apart. At the end of each lot of 10 sessions, a report will be compiled by our psychologist to provide progress details.

Treatment Procedure

The following is the typical procedure a patient undergoes for Neurofeedback at the BrainWave Centre.

1. A patient should plan to arrive at the Diagnostic and Treatment Centre at least 10 minutes prior to their appointment time, notifying the receptionist of his/her arrival.
2. When the neurotherapy technician is ready to begin, they will bring the patient into the sound proof testing room and prepare the patient for treatment. The technician will place a specialised cap on the patient's head. This cap allows any electrophysiological brain activity which eminates from the patient's head to be registered and transposed onto a screen. The technician will conduct some preliminary tests to check that the signal from the brain is amplified enough to be recorded.
   The treatment is totally non-invasive and fun, with the individual playing a computer game using the electrical activity generated by his/her brain. If brain activity changes towards the desired direction, a positive "reward" feedback is given to the individual in the game. If it regresses, either a negative feedback or no feedback is given (depending on the protocol). Rewards can be as simple as a change in pitch of a tone or as complex as a certain type of movement of a character in a video game. Generally, goals and rewards are set based on results which were obtained through the initial qEEG carried out as part of the diagnostic process.
3. Each session of neurofeedback will last between 30-40 minutes. The duration of the entire appointment is approximately 50 minutes.
4. For best results the patient should undertake their next session within a week.

Results

After every ten sessions a report will be sent to the referring physician so that the physician can discuss the progress with the patient.

Follow Up

Depending on the behavioural condition and its severity, a minimum of 10 sessions is recommended. However, after the ten sessions are complete, progress will be assessed by the consulting psychologist to establish whether continuation of the treatment is required.

There may be a need to carry out a follow-up qEEG to assess the effectiveness of the treatment. This follow-up allows brain waves which are produced after the 10 week Neurofeedback treatment plan to be compared with those from the diagnositic qEEGs, conducted before treatment commenced. Invariably after 10 sessions we find that patients themselves are keen to identify and talk about the marked improvement in their condition.