Neurofeedback: An Advanced Tool to Manage and Treat ADD (ADHD)
Neurofeedback, also known as Neurotherapy, is one type of biological feedback known for using real-time displays of the brain’s electrical activity. The primary objective of neurofeedback is to teach the brain how to self-regulate its functions.
Neurofeedback is a well-established component of Neurotherapy for the treatment of a variety of mental illnesses. It is a non-invasive and simple-to-administer approach that has been utilized to improve mental and emotional well-being in people with ADHD symptoms.
By using electroencephalographic neurofeedback (EEG-NFB), a person may achieve improved control over neurophysiological parameters by generating changes in brain functioning and, as a result, their behavior. It is used to treat several neuropsychological conditions and enhance cognitive skills, creativity, and relaxation in otherwise physically healthy individuals.
The purpose of neurofeedback therapy is to assist a patient in developing the ability to control unconscious electrical brain activity.
Typically, sensors will be placed on your scalp to measure your brain’s electrical activity, with the measurements displayed using video displays or sound. Using operant conditioning, neurofeedback is often delivered by a visual or auditorial stimulus, with immediate positive feedback for favorable results and negative feedback for undesirable brain functions. This way, the patient learns to modify their behavior because of specific rewards and consequences.
The therapy is considered a relatively unintrusive therapy and is usually administered as a long-term treatment option, sometimes taking a month to complete.
Types Of Neurofeedback
It is a known fact that brain waves vary in size and frequency. Some studies have also established that 85% to 90% of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) produce a greater ratio of theta waves to beta waves. This is a pattern of brain wave activity associated with a lack of restlessness and focus.
In the approach involving neurofeedback in managing ADHD, a physician or therapist reduces the theta activity while increasing the beta waves. The mechanism behind this strategy is that it helps in increasing concentration and reduces hyperactivity.
In a typical neurofeedback therapy session, you will sit in front of a computer while wearing headgear fitted with electrodes that attach to the scalp. The EEG helps record the brain wave patterns as you undergo a series of interactive training exercises designed to produce and reinforce particular brain electrical activity types.
Neurofeedback applications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Since 1976, neurofeedback has been used exclusively to study its impact on various symptoms of ADHD, including inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. A standard neurofeedback method of operation for ADHD includes theta/beta manipulation, sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) training protocol, and analysis of slow cortical potentials.
Despite the fact that neurofeedback has been practiced for more than four decades, it has received little attention from the medical establishment. Estimates reflect over 15,000 clinicians utilize this strategy regularly.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and hemoencephalography (HEG) biofeedback have been shown to have similar therapeutic neurofeedback functionalities.
Other medical uses
Neurofeedback has also been found to be a potentially beneficial intervention for a variety of brain-related conditions, including addiction, aggression, autism, depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, insomnia, and headache. Additionally, it has been shown to be effective in treating brain damage caused by stroke, trauma, and other associated diseases. According to experts, neurofeedback training techniques have yet to be confirmed by randomized, double-blind, controlled studies, a viewpoint shared by even some proponents of the technique.
Neurofeedback and non-medical applications
You can increase your performance in numerous fields, such as music and dancing, with the help of neurofeedback. Alpha-theta training, a form of neurofeedback, was initially developed to aid creativity by inducing hypnagogia, a “borderline waking state correlated with creative insights,” by facilitating neural connectivity.
A study of conservatory musicians found that alpha-theta education improved all three music dimensions: musicality, communication, and technique. Alpha-theta neurofeedback, when combined with a type of biofeedback called heart rate variability training, has been shown to improve competitive ballroom dancing performance and increase cognitive innovation in contemporary dancers.
Furthermore, neurofeedback has been shown to improve actors’ flow states, likely due to increased immersion while acting. Accuracy training with sensorimotor rhythm neurofeedback has been used in top-level sports, especially target-based sports, such as golf.
Historically, research examining the advantages of neurofeedback therapy in treating ADHD has had various limitations, which can impact the results in proving the treatment’s efficacy. Lack of randomized designs, no placebo intervention phases, and absence of controls assuring adequate attention training or participant bias all contribute to the inaccuracies affecting data outcomes.
While neurofeedback training has demonstrated potential in aiding in the management of ADHD symptoms, additional research is necessary to determine which therapies are most likely to benefit. Additionally, many researchers have cautioned that neurofeedback is unlikely to alleviate symptoms sufficiently on its own.
As a result, additional research is needed to establish how it might be combined with multimodal treatments for ADHD. When several forms of therapy are delivered simultaneously, multimodal treatments are meant to enhance the effectiveness of treatment for brain disorders.
ADHD usually requires additional interventions through psychoeducation, medication, behavioral interventions, parent training, and school support.
