If it sounds like rocket science – it is. Well, a little rocket science combined with a lot of neurobiology. The technology of neurofeedback – often easier to perform than to explain – has a growing body of research proving its efficacy for a variety of health issues.

While many pursue neurofeedback in the ever-present desire for peak performance (or a quicker way to get “into the zone”) neurofeedback has more medical applications. In particular, the modality has been found effective for helping in attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, anger management, migraines, epilepsy, insomnia, anxiety and traumatic brain injury. We’ll look at the first two on the list.

Attention Deficit
What’s Happening? You might call it the mismatched brain. The most recent brain imaging studies by researchers at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) on youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder show that while maturation of circuitry in the frontal and temporal areas is delayed by as many as three years, the motor cortex actually matures sooner than normal in youth with ADHD. The slowing frontal lobe results in less ability to filter and stop inappropriate actions and thoughts, focus attention and remember things from moment to moment. Typical pharmacology models use stimulant medication to help pump up those areas. It’s paradoxical, isn’t it? Give a hyperactive or inattentive kid a stimulant, and it settles him down by speeding up his frontal lobe. Unfortunately, those medications also have a variety of nasty side effects.

How neurofeedback works: The bulk of research related to neurofeedback is in the treatment of ADHD. One technique decreases the activity of the theta band and increases the activity of the low beta band, thus aiming at a more attentive state. A second technique trains slow cortical potentials (event-related changes of cortical activity), aiming more directly at the control of cortical regulation and at the efficient allocation of resources. The largest study to date, which takes into account both case studies and controlled studies over the last thirty years, found that neurofeedback is promising, with approximately 75 percent of patients in each of the studies showing improvement, and 50 to 80 percent reducing their medications. The key to neurofeedback for ADHD has several elements: because it is very localized it is possible to specifically address those delays and train frontal lobe activity. In addition, neurofeedback promotes self-regulation by means of immediate feedback and positive reinforcement when the brain is functioning well. When these positive behavioral effects are complemented by parental and teacher support, studies show the benefits of neurofeedback are multiplied.

Anger management
What’s happening? As part of our brain’s limbic system, the amygdala is responsible for emotional and often impulsive or erratic reactions such as anger, fear and recklessness. In adults, these reactions are tempered by reasoning and social awareness. Without the frontal lobe fully engaged, however, it becomes hard for individuals to understand the future consequences of impulsive actions. Studies have also found the prefrontal cortex and the ventral striatum may play a role in anger. As the field of neurobiology continues to mature and we discover technology that allows us to more closely study the brain, scientists will, no doubt, continue to unravel the mysteries of anger and aggression.

How neurofeedback works: Whatever the individual cause, we know our brain contains a virtual symphony conductor that establishes the basic timing for brain activity. A breakdown of the rhythm leads to disruption of function. Neurofeedback with its success in regulating brain rhythms has tremendous potential for toxic tempers. One set of protocols resets the limbic system from overdrive to normal, reversing a state of hyper-vigilance and hyper-arousal. This has been particularly successful in dealing with individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Another protocol reaches into the temporal lobe, where there’s been dramatic success in the use of neurofeedback for those with intermittent explosive disorder. Typical anger management takes a cognitive approach, teaching strategies such as avoidance or “count to ten,” assuming some cognitive control over the anger response. Neurofeedback, on the other hand, offers a pre-cognitive response by training the brain to regulate itself and shift states more quickly.

Making it work for you
There are several criteria to making neurofeedback work in a therapeutic setting.

1. Be open. Neurofeedback works because your brain is receiving certain cues that are directly related to what’s going on inside it. However, a willing patient speeds up that process.
2. Find a licensed counselor, nurse, therapist, physician or social worker that is working under the oversight of a state-licensing agency. Make sure that person is certified to treat people with mental or physiological issues.
3. See someone with good neurofeedback training through a reputable company, such as EEG Spectrum, and a year or more of supervised practice.
4. As with any emerging science, people claim they can cure almost anything. Don’t go to anyone making claims that can’t be substantiated.

There will come a day when we know a lot more about how neurofeedback works, what works best for certain issues and why. Right now, there is a common body of knowledge based on good solid research and case studies. What we’ve found is that neurofeedback doesn’t fix everything for everybody, but it is a viable alternative and/or complementary treatment for certain conditions.