|
CLINICAL SERVICES
|
Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback is biofeedback for the brain. Similarly to how you can learn to change your heart rate when it is displayed on a monitor, you can learn to change your brainwaves when you are receiving feedback about how they are functioning, also.
How does Neurofeedback work?
The brain functions via a combination of electrical and chemical processes. Medications work on the chemical side of the equation, by blocking receptors or putting in more of a certain chemical the medication forces the brain to function in alternative fashion. Sometimes, it will cause the brain to work differently in areas that it was functioning well, potentially causing adverse side effects. Other examples of chemicals that may affect the brain include food, chemicals released during exercise, and hormone function in the brain.
Neurofeedback works on the electrical side of the equation. After identifying which areas of the brain are functioning well, and which areas could possibly function better, neurofeedback uses a brain/computer interface to detect brain activity and displays the brainwaves of the part of the brain that could function better. The interface rewards the client with a beep or pleasant visual display when they change their brainwaves in a desirable way. Across training sessions, a person learns to change their brainwaves' behavior to obtain the reward (similar to a student learning mathematics to get good grades), and as result the persons outward behavior changes as well.
If you are interested in a more detailed explanation of how neurofeedback works, including hardware and software, aboutneurofeedback.com does a nice job going into more detail about that.
General Benefits:
Neurofeedback is special because it can be specifically tailored to meet each individual's needs. In addition to helping in the areas of individual concern, generally people who train with neurofeedback experience positive side effects/benefits of:
Improved sleep
Increased concentration/alertness
Decrease in headaches
A quieter mind
A more stable brain
Neurofeedback benefits a variety of other problems:
The brain, by nature, wants to function the best that it is able, and has an enormous capacity for change. Neurofeedback can show the brain a better way to behave, even in cases when the brain has forgotten a positive behavior (injury) or has never experienced the positive behavior (genetic/since birth). Given the opportunity and the effort on the client's part, neurofeedback has shown to be beneficial for ADD/ADHD, Addiction, Anxiety, Autism-Asperger’s, Attachment Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Insomnia, and More Conditions (Learning Disorders, OCD, Stroke/Brain Injury, Seizures, Migraines and more).
How Neurofeedback works for athletes:
While high performing athletes may not have problems that are considered clinical, there are commonly issues of attention, anxiety, anger or other issues of varying degrees. These can manifest themself in a variety of ways, including rushed actions, racing mind, distraction by parents/noise/environment/opponent's play, impulsive decisions, tight muscles, and more. Ideally, the athlete is able to maintain a relaxed and focused state during competition, regardless of the circumstances. Neurofeedback can be a powerful tool to help reduce or eliminate the issues that get in the way of maintaining the relaxed, focused, "in the zone", state.
Benefits for Athletes:
Improved concentration
Increased mental endurance
Improved decision making during competition
Improved regulation of emotions
Athletes/Teams who use Neurofeedback (on record):
Hermann Maier - Australian Alpine Ski Racer
AC Milan Professional Soccer Team - Does weekly neurofeedback training in
The Mind Room.
Mary Pierce - French former Pro Tennis Player - Former #3 singles in the world
Abhinav Bindra - 2008 Olympic Gold in shooting - Logged over 120 hours of
biofeedback, including neurofeedback and heart rate variability.
Additional information on Neurofeedback:
Neurofeedback is a very complex topic. If you have additional questions, please visit aboutneurofeedback.com's FAQ page.
|
