Neurofeedback: Natural ADD Treatment With Outstanding Results

Content updated from previous publish date.

Our brains are hubs of electrical activity. At any moment of the day or night, electrical impulses are sparking signals between neurons, allowing communication that enables us to live our lives. When the brain is healthy, the electrical activity keeps the proverbial lights balanced, so various regions can communicate quickly and effectively. When the brain isn’t operating optimally, electrical activity can flicker, fade, or intensify. In some people, this is associated with ADD/ADHD symptoms such as inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, distractibility, and procrastination. The good news is, that you can retrain the brain to balance electrical signaling and improve ADD/ADHD symptoms with a non-invasive therapy called neurofeedback.

For anyone who is looking for natural ADD/ADHD treatments other than stimulant medication, neurofeedback may be beneficial, offering benefits that continue to persist well beyond each treatment session. And while stimulants are associated with a number of side effects, such as irritability, anxiety, headaches, decreased appetite, stomachaches, and trouble sleeping, neurofeedback has none of these negative side effects.

WHAT IS NEUROFEEDBACK?

Simply stated, neurofeedback, also called brainwave biofeedback, is a noninvasive therapy that measures brainwave activity in real time to help a person modulate brainwaves to achieve a desired brain state. There are 5 main types of brainwaves:

1. Delta waves: very slow brainwaves, seen mainly during sleep
2. Theta waves: slow brainwaves, seen during daydreaming and twilight states
3. Alpha waves: brainwaves seen during relaxed states
4. SMR (sensorimotor rhythm) waves: brainwaves seen during states of focused relaxation
5. Beta waves: fast brainwaves seen during concentration or mental work states

Basically, neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that lets people gain control over brain processes that are typically involuntary. By learning greater self-regulation over brain functions, people can optimize brain patterns until they become automatic. Neurofeedback allows adults and children to retrain their brain function to address certain mental health symptoms, such as ADD/ADHD, and achieve improvements in behaviors, emotions, and learning.

BENEFITS OF NEUROFEEDBACK

According to research in Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, people who have engaged in neurofeedback therapy have reported numerous benefits, including

• Better focus
• Improved impulse control
• Better mental performance
• Enhanced emotional regulation
• Decreased anxiety
• Less stress
• Improved sleep
• Improved memory
• Better moods
• Decreased irritability
• Better energy
• Reduced pain

RESEARCH ON NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ADHD

For decades, clinicians have been reporting the effectiveness of this natural and non-invasive process for treating ADD/ADHD. A growing body of research confirms that neurofeedback can be effective for ADD/ADHD, as well as other psychiatric, behavioral, and learning disorders. Studies point to neurofeedback as a promising treatment for issues such as depression, addictions, schizophrenia, insomnia, autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, anxiety, and memory problems.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has approved neurofeedback as a “Level 1: Best Support” intervention for childhood ADD/ADHD. This indicates that adequate studies with sufficient sample sizes have been completed showing that neurofeedback is an effective and safe treatment for ADD/ADHD.

For example, a quantitative review published in 2020 looked at systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and multi-center randomized controlled trials. It concluded that neurofeedback is a well-established treatment protocol with remission rates of 32%-47% and results are sustained after 6-12 months.

One systematic review of 9 studies appearing in a 2021 issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that neurofeedback therapy resulted in improvements in behavior, sustained attention, and impulse control in individuals with ADD/ADHD. Another systematic review in a 2019 issue of European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry reported positive effects on hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.

HOW DOES NEUROFEEDBACK WORK?

Neurofeedback therapy takes place in the presence of a qualified professional and involves EEG technology and a computer.

1. Getting equipped. Neurofeedback sessions typically begin by outfitting the patient with a cap, headband, or helmet that is equipped with electrodes that are attached to the scalp. These sensors evaluate the brain’s electrical signals and brainwave patterns and transmit the information to a computer.
2. Participating in a computer-based activity. During the session, the patient—child, teen, or adult—may be asked to play a video game, watch a movie, or engage in some other activity using the computer screen. A trained therapist monitors the activity and maps your brainwave patterns in comparison to the optimal state the patient is attempting to achieve.
3. Getting feedback. In real-time, the computer provides cues to the patient on how the brain is functioning. These cues allow the patient to respond in ways that help the brain reach the desired state. If the patient gets distracted, the computer provides feedback encouraging the patient to re-focus their attention on the activity.
4. Earning rewards. When the brain responds in the desired way, the computer software delivers on-screen rewards.
5. Repeating sessions. To gain long-lasting benefits, neurofeedback therapy involves multiple sessions. The number you (or your child) will need depends on your condition and individual needs.

LASTING BENEFITS OF NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ADD/ADHD

Over time, children and adults with ADD/ADHD can literally retrain their brains to function more optimally, and naturally. Neurofeedback therapy is powerful, in part, because the patient becomes an active part of their healing by gaining more control over their own physiological processes.

ADD/ADHD and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.