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One thing to consider before we go out and shell out money for some expensive EEG machine or EEG therapy treatments, is this: To go into alpha brainwave state, all you need to do is close your eyes and breathe deeply, going into a state of deep calm.
philly.com said:But few health insurance companies cover neurofeedback, and many physicians and researchers question its effectiveness, although few contend it is unsafe.
David Baron, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Temple University School of Medicine, says neurofeedback studies that he is aware of involved small numbers of participants and were not "double-blind," the gold standard in medical research that minimizes unrelated influences.
"Testimonials don't mean they're right," Baron says, adding that patients' claims aren't necessarily wrong either; he wants to see more definitive research.
Also at Temple, pediatric psychologist Brian Daly has reviewed numerous studies reporting positive results from neurofeedback. But the assistant professor in the College of Health Professions questions whether the findings are "due to the treatment itself or other non-specific factors like attention-from-therapist."
philly.com said:Like many other nontraditional approaches, the popularity of neurofeedback has nevertheless "exploded" in recent years, says Cynthia Kerson, executive director of the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research. The number of practitioners in the United States is now about 4,000, she says.
"The biggest problem in our field," says Kerson, whose organization is based in Richmond, Va., "is the lack of research money. The money is tied up with the pharmaceutical industry, and they are not interested in seeing us grow."
Most neurofeedback "trainers" are certified by the companies that sell brain-scan software and neurofeedback programs. Additional standards are set by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America, but the practice is not generally regulated by the government. Therapists who use it - psychologists, social workers, nurses and others, many of whom integrate neurofeedback with other approaches, depending on a patient's diagnosis - often belong to professions that are licensed by the states, however.
The lack of insurance coverage means patients must be particularly committed - and have the financial resources to spend up to $135 a week for 20 to 40 weekly sessions.
An optional new diagnostic tool called Quantitative Electroencephalography, or QEEG, can add anywhere from $500 to $1,500 to the initial cost. The digital scan allows an individual's brain activity to be compared with patterns of normal brain waves stored in databases. The results can help fine-tune a treatment plan.
Reports from around the world indicate that neurofeedback is being tried for far more than serious neurological disorders. Neuroscientists at the Imperial College London reported that a controlled study showed brain-wave training improved performances by students at the Royal College of Music. Some members of New York's Metropolitan Opera have made similar claims. And Italy's soccer team was widely reported to have attributed its 2006 World Cup, in part, to neurofeedback training by four of its players.
The Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback is offering a free .PDF file explaining the research for biofeedback and neurofeedback for a vareity of conditions:
Evidence-Based Practice in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback by Carolyn Yucha, PhD and Christopher Gilbert, PhD
It is well worth reading and summarizes a lot of the information I painstakingly pieced together in this thread. :mrt:
Chicago Tribune said:... Cognitive disorders, such as attention-deficit disorder (ADD) or anxiety, show up as aberrant brain waves.
"By consciously reshaping the aberrant brain-wave pattern, the patient retrains her brain, thereby reducing symptoms while enhancing concentration," Bonesteel said. "Conscious control becomes unconscious control as a result of positively reinforced repetition. The brain learns to regulate itself."
Depending on the condition and its severity, neurofeedback treatment might take 20 to 40 or more one-hour sessions. But positive results seem to stick.
Dr. Elsa Baehr, director of NeurQuest Ltd. in Skokie, has treated people with neurofeedback therapy for 15 years. "We have data on patients 5 years, 10 years, 13 years after treatment," she said. "The condition is holding. They're not depressed. It's been a very effective treatment."
Dr. J. Peter Rosenfeld, professor of psychology at Northwestern University's Institute for Neuroscience, worked with Baehr to develop the original protocol for treating depression with neurofeedback. Despite what he calls "pretty impressive" clinical results, he insists that more control-group research is required.
...
Bonesteel agreed that it's not a panacea but noted that neurofeedback, used as part of a multifaceted treatment plan, improves a variety of specific cognitive impairments besides depression, ADD and ADHD. In his clinic, he helps people with insomnia, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress, chronic fatigue, mild autism and epilepsy -- often without medication. Research indicates that neurofeedback produces some of the same brain-wave changes as drugs used to treat ADD and ADHD.
"You can chemically condition the brain with pills or do it with neurofeedback," Bonesteel said. "But neurofeedback trains more specifically than pills, without the side effects. It also changes the brain for the better in an ongoing way."
Rutland Herald said:Sharrie Hanley is one of only a few people in the state offering neurofeedback training for the management of a wide range of cognitive conditions from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to anxiety and depression.
...
"It's very, very rare that neurofeedback doesn't work on somebody," Hanley said.
Neurofeedback is a scientifically-based training process with results occurring quickly in some clients and more gradual in others. "With a child, you can see the results within minutes. With adults, they see it more retrospectively," she noted.
...
Hanley said she charges $30 per training session to make neurofeedback accessible to most clients because health insurance seldom covers the costs.
For more information on neurofeedback training, Sharrie Hanley can be reached at 236-7378.