Neurofeedback

What is Neurofeedback?

The goal of Braincore Neurofeedback therapy is to transform an unhealthy, dysregulated brainwave pattern into a normal, healthy, organized pattern thus reducing neurological symptoms. By doing this, the brain becomes more stable and is able to operate optimally and efficiently. Once we gather information on how our brain waves are performing, we can take that information and use our brains to change how they work to optimize performance.

How do you know if BrainCore Neurofeedback is right for you or your child?

We begin with a detailed health assessment that goes over your health history, condition and symptoms. If you qualify, a Brain Map assessment, or qEEG, will be done next to provide a detailed analysis of your specific brainwave activity throughout your brain. Your provider will gather this information by placing a number of sensors on your head to record the strength of the key frequency bands. The equipment then analyzes this information, and your provider can generate a picture of the electrical activity of your entire brain. The Brain Map tells which areas of the brain are too active, underactive, or which frequency band is not being well-regulated by the brain. It can also tell us if everything looks normal! The initial assessment provides the neurofeedback training protocols that will be used during the subsequent training sessions. Each person’s protocol is specific to their condition and a care plan is tailored toward your own individual needs. BrainCore provides a non-invasive, drug-free and painless neurofeedback approach that works with our nervous system to retrain our brain waves to create new, more appropriate wave patterns.

How does Neurofeedback work?

Your neurofeedback training sessions consist of being connected to a computer using wires and sensors on the head and ears to record your brainwave activity. These sensors are noninvasive, as no electrical current is put into the brain. The sensors simply record the brainwaves coming from the brain. Information about these brainwaves is displayed on the provider’s monitor and is used to track your progress to ensure that the most effective therapy is being utilized.

The software automatically detects when the brainwaves are in their proper order, and it feeds that information back to the patient. This feedback appears in the form of a game, movie, or sound which signals the patient that the brainwaves are becoming more ordered. For example, if the patient is watching a movie, the screen will become brighter and the sound louder when their brainwaves are moving in an orderly direction. If the brain wave patterns move away from an orderly direction, then the screen becomes dimmer and the sound softer, alerting the brain to focus on the screen. The patient is actually controlling the quality of the image on the screen with their brain and by doing so the brain is learning how to regulate itself. Overtime, this creates new neuronal pathways in the brain which helps regulate brainwave patterns thus reducing symptoms.

Why Does Neurofeedback Work?

Neurofeedback takes advantage of the brain’s ability to change itself through a process known as Neuroplasticity. It utilizes the same learning process that occurs whenever we acquire a new skill. The brain learns by forming connections between nerve cells and utilizing important pathways that connect different locations in the brain. The more frequently you utilize these pathways the better the brain becomes at performing the associated task. In psychology, this type of leaning is called “Operant Conditioning”. It is a type of learning in which responses come to be controlled by their consequences. Quite simply, Neurofeedback offers the perfect learning conditions, since it facilitates awareness of when the brain is producing healthier brainwave patterns, provides reinforcement for the positive change and multiple opportunities to provide practice during a training session.

Where is the research?

For the past 40 years neurofeedback has been studied in research labs at prominent universities throughout the world. This research supports the efficacy of neurofeedback and has been published in top tier scientific journals.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics approved Neurofeedback as a Level 1 – Best Support treatment option for children suffering from ADHD, indicating that it’s an effective, evidence-based treatment option.