How Neurofeedback Training Reprograms the Brain

The 2022 New York Times article “Can Monitoring Brain Waves Boost Mental Health?” discusses Neurofeedback training (NFT) and how it can potentially benefit a range of conditions, including:

• ADHD (The CDC lists Neurofeedback training as a treatment option for children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD)
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Epilepsy
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Insomnia

What is Neurofeedback Training?

As the NYT piece explains, Neurofeedback may “improve our attention, moods, sleeping habits and even our athletic ability by measuring brain activity and showing it to us — either on a screen or through headphones — in real time. A practitioner places electrodes on a patient’s head that detects (but does not stimulate) brain activity. This is then analyzed by a computer that sends it back to the patient as images or sounds. As the patient completes tasks, the computer encourages healthy patterns of brain activity.

People suffering from anxiety, for instance, may lessen their symptoms by repeatedly being guided to generate brain patterns correlated with a calmer state of mind. Just as we learn to ride a bike by doing it repeatedly, the theory goes, our brains can learn to be less depressed, more focused and better primed for a good night’s sleep.”

The Shiu Clinic is the only practice that combines Neurofeedback training with acupuncture to increase the efficacy of the treatment.

Prominent figures have spoken publicly about the benefits of Neurofeedback, including:

• Tony Robbins, who credits Neurofeedback training with increasing his ability to multitask
• Basketball player Tobias Harris, who says that NFT improves his focus

Read the New York Times article here.