Quantitative Electroencephalographic (QEEG) and Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback, also called EEG Biofeedback, involves training individuals to change the way their brain functions by allowing them to control their electroencephalogram (EEG), or brain waves. Based on solid scientific research from the fields of neurophysiology, psychology, learning and medicine, this technique is changing the way many brain dysfunctions are treated.
The EEG is converted to images and sounds that are presented in a video display to the client, such as the one above. When the client responds appropriately, the brain waves associated with the client’s condition change to the EEG levels of typical individuals. After a number of training sessions, the change becomes permanent.
Changes achieved through Neurofeedback are permanent and in most cases done without the aid of drugs or medications. For those seeking treatments to many of the ailments or disorders we treat, neurofeedback has been a highly successful alternative to drugs. Medications treat symptoms; neurofeedback can address and correct the underlying problem, and thus achieve long lasting results without the side effects associated with prescription drugs.
Neurofeedback can be used to improve the performance of those who simply want to achieve more from their brains and bodies. Such “Brain Function Training” can help high functioning individuals and professional athletes achieve greater clarity of focus, enhanced memory and problem solving, poised coordination, meticulous timing, and optimal performance.
Neurofeedback and Brain Function Training are client-centered: you, the client, control the progress of treatment or enhancement and take an active role in its outcome. The approach is therefore a holistic one that increases personal responsibility and overall wellness through the natural learning of self-regulation.
Neurofeedback has been successfully applied to treat and/or resolve various conditions including epilepsy, attentional disorders (AD/HD), migraines, traumatic brain injury, stroke, fibromyalgia, depression, mood disorders, hyperactivity, explosiveness, anger, and learning problems. Thousands of controlled studies of neurofeedback have been completed and other studies are ongoing (see the “Scientific References” section on this site for a comprehensive sample).
Prior to beginning neurofeedback training, you, the client, will be assessed via a procedure called QEEG Brain Mapping. This involves measuring EEG activity from 19 sites on the scalp, recording the EEG in 4 states (eyes closed, eyes open, while reading, and while doing arithmetic problems), and analyzing the data with mathematical techniques (Fourier spectral analysis, source localization analysis, and others). The results are then compared to both typical and symptomatic individuals in a large, FDA-approved normative database. The QEEG brain maps both confirm the dis-regulation that underlies the symptoms, and guides the neurofeedback treatment used to resolve it.
