Neurogenix, Inc.
Neurofeedback for Better Living
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the principle behind neurofeedback?
What happens during a neurofeedback session?
Are there any side effects of neurofeedback?
Could this work because of the placebo effect?
How many neurofeedback sessions will I need in order to improve my symptoms?
How often does a person come in for training?
Do I have to do neurofeedback sessions for the rest of my life to maintain its effect?
Can I do neurofeedback training if I'm on medication?
Is it true that children taking stimulant medication like Ritalin can sometimes reduce or completely eliminate the need for it?
Why isn't neurofeedback as well-known as conventional therapy and medication?
How does the feedback process work? (For techies)
Q: What's the principle behind neurofeedback?
A. Every brain generates electrical signals which are indicative of brain activity. Like all electrical energy, brain wave energy has characteristics that can be measured in frequency, amplitude and wattage. As the brain struggles to regulate the many functions it is tasked with, the electrical activity sometimes operates within a less-than-optimal, or dysregulated, state. Advanced computer programs help people train their brains to operate at optimal states for peak performance and better emotional and physical health. Through the concept of operant conditioning, we encourage the brain to learn how to enhance or subdue certain brain wave frequencies. Through repetition, like training a muscle in gym, neurofeedback helps train the brain to achieve better regulatory states and stay there. When these optimal states are reached and sustained, the symptoms associated with the dysregulation abate.
Q: What happens during a neurofeedback session?
A: Sensors are strategically placed on your head and earlobes following an extensive intake that helps the clinician determine optimal positioning, based on your symptoms. These sensors pick up electrical activity in the brain and feed the information into a computer (no electricity goes into your head). You sit in front of a monitor which displays a simple video game . Using only the electrical activity from your brain, you "play" the game. When your brain is firing in the optimal range(s) the clinician has predetermined as best for you, the game progresses and you are rewarded with sounds or visual cues. When your brain fires outside optimal range, progress stops until the brain returns to what we call "the zone." In time, the brain learns to achieve and recognize these new ranges as the normal place to be.
Q: Are there any side effects of neurofeedback?
A: Sometimes there are short-term side effects, just as you might experience side effects when taking a new medication. Possible side effects, which are unlikely to last longer than three days, include feeling edgy, less focused or sleeping less or more than you want to. Most side effects can be easily reversed with an additional neurofeedback session using a different protocol.
Q: Could this work because of the placebo effect?
A: No. Neurofeedback was developed using animals (who were not harmed), and animals are not going to have placebo effects. Additionally, there is extensive research by respected scientists showing clear benefits from neurofeedback. For more information about the discovery and development of neurofeedback, read "A Symphony in the Brain" by Jim Robbins.
Q: How many neurofeedback sessions will I need in order to improve my symptoms?
A: Each person is different and will respond at different rates to neurofeedback. Clients often report noticing improving after just three or four sessions. Generally, we ask clients to expect to do a minimum of 10 sessions with the understanding that some harder-to-treat conditions and problems can take 20 or more sessions before improvements are evident. Should there be no benefit after 10 or 15 sessions, we may recommend other therapies to you.
Q: How often does a person come in for training?
A: This depends on your symptoms and their severity. In most cases, twice a week is typical in the beginning, but three to four sessions per week is not uncommon. After initial training, once a week training is usual, until we mutually determine that no further training is necessary or that you would benefit more from some other type of therapy.
Q: Do I have to do neurofeedback sessions for the rest of my life to maintain its effect?
A: For most people the answer is no. Generally your brain has retrained itself to operate in a more optimal range because new neural pathways have been forged, and the brain will "default" to these newly learned states. Some people choose to come in for "tune-ups" from time to time - a need determined on an individual basis.
Q: Can I do neurofeedback training if I'm on medication?
A: Generally yes. During your first session, the clinician should ask about your medications. Some medications may slow the training process, but not all do. Many people come for neurofeedback with the idea of getting off mood altering medications. This should always be done with the knowledge and approval of your physician, working in conjunction with your neurofeedback practitioner.
Q: Is it true that children taking stimulant medication like Ritalin can sometimes reduce or completely eliminate the need for it?
A: The good news is yes. There have been many scientific studies showing that neurofeedback can significantly reduce or completely eliminate the need for stimulant medications.
Q: Why isn't neurofeedback as well-known as conventional therapy and medication?
A: Even though neurofeedback has been around for over 30 years (see our Resources tab for articles and information) U.S. consumers in the last 50 years have expected pharmaceutical medications to be the answer to all their ills, and Big Pharma has the money to tell their story in a big way. Neurofeedback technology has no such Big Business backing and has thus had more challenges getting the attention of the media. That situation, however, is quickly changing as numerous media have recently developed a fascination with neuroscience and neurofeedback. You can hardly turn on the television or open a magazine without reading something about new brain discoveries. There are neurofeedback practitioners in every state in the U.S., many of them with advanced degrees such as psychologists, psychiatrists and even medical doctors, and a great source of referrals to neurofeedback practitioners today are neurologists. In our Resources section, you will find links to some media coverage of neurofeedback.
Your doctor most likely has heard of biofeedback but may not have heard about this specific type of biofeedback, and thus may be skeptical. Ask your physician to examine the research and information found in our Resources section. Some physicians will be familiar with the type of EEG biofeedback (neurofeedback) in early experiments with alpha wave training. This is newer and far more sophisticated.
Q: How Does the Feedback Process Work? (for techies)
A: The feedback loop begins with the client. Sensors 'pasted' to the client's head pick up microvolt-level EEG signals which are amplified and converted to digital voltages by the A/D subsystem at a nominal rate (either 160 or 256 Hz).
The samples are converted to equivalent peak-peak voltages. All filters in the software are Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filters. The raw samples are lowpass-filtered by a 40 Hz filter to remove 60 Hz ambient noise. The clinician adjusts a threshold voltage value to inhibit the data in the presence of muscle (EMG) artifacts. The resulting lowpass signal is fed to a number of 'streams' of processing which are very similar, although some are labeled "Inhibit" and some labeled "Reward". A typical test run uses two inhibit streams and one reward stream.
In each stream, the lowpass signal is bandpass-filtered into various frequency bands (of the clinician's choice) using IIR digital filters. The filter output is fed to an exponentially-weighted moving average filter which produces a short-term average (peak- to-peak) voltage for further use. The time constant of the averaging filter is selectable but is usually 0.5 seconds. The moving average goes two places: directly to the client (game) computer (for visual stimulus) and to a comparator. The comparator produces a threshold-exceeded signal whenever the clinician-adjusted threshold voltage is less than the current moving average of the stream.
All the threshold-exceeded signals are processed by the reward decision logic which declares a ' client reward' when all streams defined as "Inhibit" are below threshold and all streams defined as "Reward" are above threshold. The client aural reward rate is further limited to no more than 2 Hz (so that each sound can be separately heard). The client reward command is sent to the client computer to create an aural stimulus.
What happens during a neurofeedback session?
Are there any side effects of neurofeedback?
Could this work because of the placebo effect?
How many neurofeedback sessions will I need in order to improve my symptoms?
How often does a person come in for training?
Do I have to do neurofeedback sessions for the rest of my life to maintain its effect?
Can I do neurofeedback training if I'm on medication?
Is it true that children taking stimulant medication like Ritalin can sometimes reduce or completely eliminate the need for it?
Why isn't neurofeedback as well-known as conventional therapy and medication?
How does the feedback process work? (For techies)
Q: What's the principle behind neurofeedback?
A. Every brain generates electrical signals which are indicative of brain activity. Like all electrical energy, brain wave energy has characteristics that can be measured in frequency, amplitude and wattage. As the brain struggles to regulate the many functions it is tasked with, the electrical activity sometimes operates within a less-than-optimal, or dysregulated, state. Advanced computer programs help people train their brains to operate at optimal states for peak performance and better emotional and physical health. Through the concept of operant conditioning, we encourage the brain to learn how to enhance or subdue certain brain wave frequencies. Through repetition, like training a muscle in gym, neurofeedback helps train the brain to achieve better regulatory states and stay there. When these optimal states are reached and sustained, the symptoms associated with the dysregulation abate.
Q: What happens during a neurofeedback session?
A: Sensors are strategically placed on your head and earlobes following an extensive intake that helps the clinician determine optimal positioning, based on your symptoms. These sensors pick up electrical activity in the brain and feed the information into a computer (no electricity goes into your head). You sit in front of a monitor which displays a simple video game . Using only the electrical activity from your brain, you "play" the game. When your brain is firing in the optimal range(s) the clinician has predetermined as best for you, the game progresses and you are rewarded with sounds or visual cues. When your brain fires outside optimal range, progress stops until the brain returns to what we call "the zone." In time, the brain learns to achieve and recognize these new ranges as the normal place to be.
Q: Are there any side effects of neurofeedback?
A: Sometimes there are short-term side effects, just as you might experience side effects when taking a new medication. Possible side effects, which are unlikely to last longer than three days, include feeling edgy, less focused or sleeping less or more than you want to. Most side effects can be easily reversed with an additional neurofeedback session using a different protocol.
Q: Could this work because of the placebo effect?
A: No. Neurofeedback was developed using animals (who were not harmed), and animals are not going to have placebo effects. Additionally, there is extensive research by respected scientists showing clear benefits from neurofeedback. For more information about the discovery and development of neurofeedback, read "A Symphony in the Brain" by Jim Robbins.
Q: How many neurofeedback sessions will I need in order to improve my symptoms?
A: Each person is different and will respond at different rates to neurofeedback. Clients often report noticing improving after just three or four sessions. Generally, we ask clients to expect to do a minimum of 10 sessions with the understanding that some harder-to-treat conditions and problems can take 20 or more sessions before improvements are evident. Should there be no benefit after 10 or 15 sessions, we may recommend other therapies to you.
Q: How often does a person come in for training?
A: This depends on your symptoms and their severity. In most cases, twice a week is typical in the beginning, but three to four sessions per week is not uncommon. After initial training, once a week training is usual, until we mutually determine that no further training is necessary or that you would benefit more from some other type of therapy.
Q: Do I have to do neurofeedback sessions for the rest of my life to maintain its effect?
A: For most people the answer is no. Generally your brain has retrained itself to operate in a more optimal range because new neural pathways have been forged, and the brain will "default" to these newly learned states. Some people choose to come in for "tune-ups" from time to time - a need determined on an individual basis.
Q: Can I do neurofeedback training if I'm on medication?
A: Generally yes. During your first session, the clinician should ask about your medications. Some medications may slow the training process, but not all do. Many people come for neurofeedback with the idea of getting off mood altering medications. This should always be done with the knowledge and approval of your physician, working in conjunction with your neurofeedback practitioner.
Q: Is it true that children taking stimulant medication like Ritalin can sometimes reduce or completely eliminate the need for it?
A: The good news is yes. There have been many scientific studies showing that neurofeedback can significantly reduce or completely eliminate the need for stimulant medications.
Q: Why isn't neurofeedback as well-known as conventional therapy and medication?
A: Even though neurofeedback has been around for over 30 years (see our Resources tab for articles and information) U.S. consumers in the last 50 years have expected pharmaceutical medications to be the answer to all their ills, and Big Pharma has the money to tell their story in a big way. Neurofeedback technology has no such Big Business backing and has thus had more challenges getting the attention of the media. That situation, however, is quickly changing as numerous media have recently developed a fascination with neuroscience and neurofeedback. You can hardly turn on the television or open a magazine without reading something about new brain discoveries. There are neurofeedback practitioners in every state in the U.S., many of them with advanced degrees such as psychologists, psychiatrists and even medical doctors, and a great source of referrals to neurofeedback practitioners today are neurologists. In our Resources section, you will find links to some media coverage of neurofeedback.
Your doctor most likely has heard of biofeedback but may not have heard about this specific type of biofeedback, and thus may be skeptical. Ask your physician to examine the research and information found in our Resources section. Some physicians will be familiar with the type of EEG biofeedback (neurofeedback) in early experiments with alpha wave training. This is newer and far more sophisticated.
Q: How Does the Feedback Process Work? (for techies)
A: The feedback loop begins with the client. Sensors 'pasted' to the client's head pick up microvolt-level EEG signals which are amplified and converted to digital voltages by the A/D subsystem at a nominal rate (either 160 or 256 Hz).
The samples are converted to equivalent peak-peak voltages. All filters in the software are Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filters. The raw samples are lowpass-filtered by a 40 Hz filter to remove 60 Hz ambient noise. The clinician adjusts a threshold voltage value to inhibit the data in the presence of muscle (EMG) artifacts. The resulting lowpass signal is fed to a number of 'streams' of processing which are very similar, although some are labeled "Inhibit" and some labeled "Reward". A typical test run uses two inhibit streams and one reward stream.
In each stream, the lowpass signal is bandpass-filtered into various frequency bands (of the clinician's choice) using IIR digital filters. The filter output is fed to an exponentially-weighted moving average filter which produces a short-term average (peak- to-peak) voltage for further use. The time constant of the averaging filter is selectable but is usually 0.5 seconds. The moving average goes two places: directly to the client (game) computer (for visual stimulus) and to a comparator. The comparator produces a threshold-exceeded signal whenever the clinician-adjusted threshold voltage is less than the current moving average of the stream.
All the threshold-exceeded signals are processed by the reward decision logic which declares a ' client reward' when all streams defined as "Inhibit" are below threshold and all streams defined as "Reward" are above threshold. The client aural reward rate is further limited to no more than 2 Hz (so that each sound can be separately heard). The client reward command is sent to the client computer to create an aural stimulus.
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