Neurotherapy
(aka Neurofeedback or EEG Biofeedback)
With the advent of neuroimaging technologies like quantitative electro-encephalography (QEEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional-MRI (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission cranial tomography (SPECT) neuroscientists have been able to plumb the neurological depths of our psychological troubles for the first time in history. Finally we could begin to see what happens in the brain when you struggle with inattention, depression or anxiety, leading to many significant discoveries about the brain basis of these, and many other, mental 'illnesses'. While this neuroscience research has dramatically improved our understanding of the brain based nature of these disorders, it wasn't until personal computers became sufficiently powerful and affordable in the 1990's that neurofeeback became widespread and practical in a clinicians office as a way to retrain the brain based on the new neuroscientific findings.
As neurofeedback has grown in its adoption by psychologists the term neurotherapy has become increasingly used to describe this service. Neurotherapy involves the painless application of sensors on the scalp which connect to a specialized amplifier that separates the electroencephalogram (EEG or brainwaves) from the ambient electronic noise. The amplifier sends the brainwave data to the computer that then displays the information to the client. This is the 'feedback'. The client receives rewards for changing the brainwaves in the desired direction for their symptoms. For example, ADHD adults and children often benefit from decreasing slow waves called theta waves while increasing fast, beta, waves; because to do this the brain needs to activate the brain regions that support attention and concentration. These rewards can be as simple as an auditory tone (beep) or as complex as making progress in a feedback game (pacman moving through a maze or improving the contrast of the DVD you are watching). The brain begins to learn how to make the rewarded changes and with repetition these brain changes become permanent.
How to train the brain is determined through our assessment of the symptoms, neuropsychological testing and a QEEG brain map. You can find out more about the QEEG brain maps under that section of this website.
If you'd like to learn more about neurofeedback and its ability to treat the symptoms of a wide range of neurologically based illnesses (addiction, ADHD, autism, depression, anxiety, explosive anger, obsessions and compulsions, epilepsy, migraines), without the use of medication, please contact me or find more information at EEG Spectrum or EEG Info. Dr. Jay has recieved training in neurotherapy from both of these groups and is familiar with their treatment methods. |