Brain Training Can Help Performance

By Joan Ordmandy, MSEd

Biofeedback Works in Virginia, PLLC

More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles

Brain Training Can Help Performance

Biofeedback is a therapeutic technique in which people learn to use body signals to improve their health. Biofeedback is non-invasive and involves no medication; instead, it involves giving people feedback about bodily processes of which they are usually unaware, such as the temperature of their skin, the tightness of their muscles, and even the patterns of their brainwaves. Having this information enables people to train themselves to regulate their physiological state, thus improving their health, performance, and general functioning.

Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback or neurotherapy, is a specialized form of biofeedback that helps people improve their brain function. When the brain is out of balance, people can experience a wide range of problems affecting learning, mood, sleep, concentration, and behavior. Neurofeedback training brings these problems gradually under control. Like biofeedback, neurofeedback is painless and non-invasive. During training, clients receive instantaneous information (feedback) about whether the brain is moving towards or away from optimal function.

Neurofeedback has been successfully used to treat the symptoms of many conditions, including addictions, anger disorders, anxiety and depression, attachment disorder, attention deficit disorder (ADD), autism, autoimmune disorders, behavior disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, headaches and migraines, learning disorders, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), stress and sleep disorders, and traumatic brain injuries. It can also be used to help improve peak functioning in individuals without clinical symptoms. No matter what a person's starting point, neurofeedback can help improve brain functioning.

During the client's first session, the clinician interviews the client and may conduct some assessment tests. The client and the therapist then develop an individualized treatment plan to meet identified goals. During the neurotherapy sessions, the clinician places sensors on the client's scalp, over the areas of the brain that are not functioning at an optimal level. These sensors transmit brain wave activity to a special device that measures and records the brain waves that are needed to perform a specific task.

During neurofeedback, the client uses his or her brain waves to play a video game or watch a movie. When the desired brain wave pattern is reached, the brain is rewarded by high scores on the video game or by a clearer picture on the movie. This helps the brain learn to direct itself toward better functioning.