THE "NEW"
BRAINWAVE NEUROFEEDBACK
As described by Jim Robbins in his book Symphony of the Brain: The new
Brain Wave Biofeedback, a truly remarkable new treatment for attention
deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity, depression, anxiety
disorders, sleep disorders, childhood enuresis, mild head trauma,
tourettes, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, addictions, eating disorders,
and autism without drugs, surgery and harmful side effects.
The brain map (a quantitative EEG) below shows an example of a normal, an
ADHD and a Learning Disabilities topographical map. It displays the
amplitudes (high to low theta frequency) with the color bar at the right
of each map. The brain map helps us understand where the problem is
showing up in the brain. The brain map is an important part of determining
a direction for treatment.
HOW DOES
NEUROFEEDBACK WORK?
It works by giving the brain the information it needs to become more
efficient. The brain is given information on its’ own brainwaves, feedback
in the form of auditory or visual or both. The brain is rewarded when it
is changing in the productive direction that can help the condition it is
trying to correct. It is so simple is seems remarkable. And it works!
HOW DO WE DECIDE WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?
A thorough assessment is done to determine what the difficulties a person
is experiencing along with the history of the problem, family history, and
an assessment of brain functioning. A quantitative EEG is performed to
collect data under different conditions, eyes closed, eyes open, reading
and doing a performance task. We look at the results of the way the
brainwaves are working and we run the results against a normed data pool
that is the same as the person’s age, gender and handedness. A head injury
norm is also available for persons that have experienced head trauma. We
determine a direction for treatment based on the symptoms of the
individual and the quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG).
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
We find that an average number of sessions to get a significant change to
occur in the condition of ADD, ADHD, learning disabilities, and addictions
are around thirty. However, that is for an individual that has not
experienced head trauma. Head trauma takes more treatment approximately
fifty sessions. A second QEEG is recommended after the initial treatment
to determine if there are any additional sites that need treatment to get
a greater gain and solidify treatment goals. The second round of treatment
is approximately 10-20 sessions. Fewer sessions are required on non-head
trauma patients.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Neurofeedback costs the same as the typical cost for a psychotherapy
session. Most insurance companies cover the cost of biofeedback or
psychotherapy. If your insurance policy covers mental health it will most
likely cover biofeedback or psychotherapy services. Dr. Bell provides a
credit card service for persons needing that option for payment.
HOW OFTEN CAN A PERSON DO A NEUROFEEDBACK
SESSION?
A person can get a neurofeedback session as much as twice a day with at
least a two-hour break in between. It is recommended that a person try to
do neurofeedback at least two or three times a week until the sessions are
completed. Results appear to solidify and happen faster when done more
frequently. If a person is going off medication it is helpful to do
neurofeedback in this way to help with the transition and chemical
adjustment in the body. However, if financially a person cannot do it that
way once a week still works well. When a person speeds up their treatment
they get the results and life changes quicker. |
