Neuroscientists now understand that the human brain has the capability to adapt and develop new living neurons by engaging in new tasks and challenges throughout our lives. A growing body of research demonstrates that the brain can be taught to self-regulate and become more efficient through neurofeedback (NF).
Neurofeedback is a form of direct training of brain functioning. The brain is observed in action moment to moment and is rewarded for changing its own activity to a more optimal pattern. This is a gradual learning process.
The theory behind Neurofeedback is that neurological dysregulation results when the brain is using the wrong brainwave, at the wrong time for the wrong task. This causes a state of neurological over-arousal, under-arousal or instable-arousal, some examples of which are in the table below:
Anxiety
Anger Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms Insomnia Impulsiveness Distractibility |
Depression
Lack of Concentration Difficulty Waking Fatigue |
Migraine Headaches
Seizures Bipolar Disorders Fibromyalgia Post-traumatic Stress Disorder |
Neurofeedback has been found to be effective as part of comprehensive treatment of a range of clinical presentations, including symptoms of, but not limited to: