Neurofeedback proves effective in treating numerous disorders

I recently discovered an article published a few years ago in the San Antonio Business Journal.  The State of Texas passed a law that mandates insurance companies cover neurofeedback for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI).  The article goes on to say, “Research shows that neurofeedback, a computer-based, brain-training technique, helps the body and the brain improve the way they function. Results have included success in regulating hard-to-treat disorders such as migraines, sleep disorders, panic attacks and attention deficit disorder (ADD) and improving performance in athletes, musicians and test-takers.

Through neurofeedback, therapists monitor which brain waves are most active and which are least active. Then, through a series of sessions, they equalize those waves into a healthy pattern, allowing for the regulation of symptoms or the clearing of the mind for peak performance.

While it is possible to observe the same phenomenon through medication, the learning curve is much more obvious in neurofeedback. In neurofeedback nothing happens unless the brain chooses to do so. The therapist only provides the information. The brain must take the initiative to do something. Thus, neurofeedback may become a more permanent, drug-free solution.

The benefits of neurofeedback research are overwhelming. Follow up studies on children with ADD who received neurofeedback training showed significant increases in academic and behavior scores. Some children even jumped as much as two years in grade level achievement and boosted their IQ by about 15 points. Studies are also being done on neurofeedback and addiction. After a month-long neurofeedback treatment, alcohol addicted patients achieved an 80 percent abstinence rate. A follow-up review showed that 70 percent remained abstinent.

It makes sense that a better-functioning brain can improve so many aspects of a person's life. In fact, many patients see a change in multiple symptoms over time as neurofeedback beings to train the brain to regulate itself better. Nonverbal autistic children begin to speak and teenagers with ADD begin to find focus and school success. As more research is conducted and positive results documented, neurofeedback will only grow in acceptance and use, helping thousands with its unique way of encouraging the brain to function in a more stable and holistic way.”

You can read the full article at:

http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2004/12/06/focus4.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article