BIOFEEDBACK READS A PERSON'S PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES (HEART RATE, BODY TEMP., PULSE, ETC.) AND COMPARES IT TO WHAT IS DEEMED A HEALTHY PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE. FIT-BITS ARE A POPULAR FORM OF BIOFEEDBACK THAT PEOPLE ARE UTILIZING TO GIVE THEM FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW THEY CONTROL THEIR PHYSIOLOGY. SIMILARLY, NEUROFEEDBACK ASSESSMENT READS A PERSON'S BRAINWAVE ACTIVITY AND THEN COMPARES IT TO A NORMATIVE DATABASE. THE ANALYSIS OF THE ASSESSMENT ALLOWS US TO IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE NEURO-TRAINING OR NEUROTHERAPY MIGHT ENHANCE OPTIMAL BRAINWAVE ACTIVITY. JUST AS A PERSON CAN DO EXERCISES TO CONTROL THEIR PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES, SUCH AS WALKING ON A REGULAR BASIS TO LOWER HEART RATE, A PERSON CAN ALSO DO EXERCISES TO OPTIMIZE BRAIN FUNCTIONING. YOU CAN TRAIN TO CHANGE OVERALL RESPONSES TO OTHERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT SINCE BRAINWAVE ACTIVITY INFLUENCES BEHAVIOR AND BEHAVIOR INFLUENCES BRAINWAVE ACTIVITY.
BIOFEEDBACK, SPECIFICALLY NEUROFEEDBACK HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE AN EFFECTIVE, ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO TREATING THE FOLLOWING DISORDERS/SYMPTOMS (CLICK ON THE HIGHLIGHTED FOR FURTHER INFORMATION):
THE TREATMENT IS ALSO USEFUL FOR CHANGING DESTRUCTIVE PATTERNS OF RUMINATION, DISTRACTION, ENHANCING THE ABILITY TO CALM AND SELF-SOOTH, MEDITATE, AND IMPROVE OVERALL BRAIN FUNCTION AND CLARITY.
NEUROFEEDBACK TRAINING IS OFTEN USED FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT FOR ATHLETES, MUSICIANS AND OTHER ARTISTS, PILOTS, AND CORPORATE EXECUTIVES. IT CAN BE CONSIDERED AN ALTERNATIVE TO MEDICATIONS AND IS AN APPROACH TO WELLNESS.
*Reproduced from; Collura, T.,
Technical Foundations of Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback Assessment (QEEG)
A NEUROFEEDBACK ASSESSMENT BEGINS WITH PLACING SENSORS ON A PERSON'S SCALP TO READ BRAINWAVE ACTIVITY. THE PERSON CONNECTED TO THE SENSORS FEELS ONLY THE PLACEMENT OF THE SENSORS BECAUSE THE SENSORS NEVER PRODUCE CHANGES TO A PERSONS BRAIN. RATHER, THE SENSORS GATHER INFORMATION BY PICKING UP FREQUENCIES THAT THE HUMAN BRAIN PRODUCES. THE READING IS THEN ASSESSED BY THE CLINICIAN AND THE CLINICIAN WORKS WITH THE CLIENT TO IDENTIFY POSSIBLE AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT. AN ASSESSMENT & DATA COLLECTION SESSION IS SCHEDULED FOR ONE HOUR.
NEURO-TRAINING & NEURO-THERAPY
AFTER DECIDING ON TARGET AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT, THE CLINICIAN FACILITATES A TRAINING SESSION. NEURO-TRAINING, CONSISTENT WITH THE ASSESSMENT, READS BRAINWAVE ACTIVITY THROUGH CONNECTION TO SENSORS. PRESENT-MOMENT FEEDBACK ALLOWS THE TRAINEE TO SEE HOW THEIR BRAIN IS FUNCTIONING AND REWARDS THEM WHEN THEY EXHIBIT DESIRED BRAIN STATES. THROUGH CONTINUED PRACTICE, SIMILAR TO EXERCISE, BRAINWAVE ACTIVITY THAT IS DESIRABLE BECOMES MORE EASILY REPLICATED AND ACCESSIBLE. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IS PROVIDED THROUGH INTERACTIVE, COMPUTERIZED GAMES AND ACTIVITIES. THE FEEDBACK ALLOWS THE CLIENT TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS (CREATE NEW OR REINFORCE MORE FUNCTIONAL) NEURO-NETWORKS IN REAL TIME. NEURO-THERAPY INVOLVES ENGAGING IN THERAPY TECHNIQUES THAT ALLOW A CLIENT TO NOTICE AND INTEGRATE THE EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICES INTO THOUGHT, BEHAVIOR, AND PERCEPTION.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NEUROFEEDBACK AND QEEG CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING HERE.
