Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training and PTSD

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Daniel Webster uses a specialised form of neurofeedback training – Personalised Brain Training – to improve brain function and mental health.  

Trauma, PTSD, anxiety and depression respond to this non-invasive, medication-free approach.  It is a scientific method that is evidence-based and requires minimal conversation.  Daniel’s method obviates the need for invasive talks and unearthing of repressed memories and emotions.  It is forward-looking, and equips us with the tools needed to get back on the saddle and enjoy life to its fullest. 

 

The Brain Keeps the Score.  It also shapes our Future. 

All physiological self-regulation is ultimately initiated by the brain in anticipation of changing needs.  Sensory input and memory capture present and past; our brain has the ability to model potential outcomes for what’s next and prepare the body, including its own cerebral blood flow.  

Our Default Mode Network of key neural hubs provides us with the ability to abstract, that is, to reflect on the past and imagine the future, or next event.  Activation of this network is in constant flux with our Salience and Task Positive Networks.  This serves to update our model of the world around us, and the possibilities for next action. 

Flexibility is key to living in the moment, adapting to changing circumstances and shaping the future in the best possible way. 

Personalised Brain Training helps us optimise our use of resources and set new trajectories.

 

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Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training

Alpha Theta and Neurofeedback Training Explained

Trauma is fundamentally an inability to self-nurture – creating an emotional safe-space around us – and self-soothe – being able to talk ourselves down rationally from a situation.  This can also manifest in dissociation and heightened pain perception, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.  We ruminate about the past and worry about the future, instead of being able to enjoy the present.

Trauma and Anxiety are a result of inefficient sensory processing.  We explain the scientific background and how neurofeedback training works in the following tabs:

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Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training

Alpha Theta neurofeedback training guides the brain through gentle oscillations between alpha and theta dominant states.  The idea is that memories are accessed during theta dominance that can then be safely processed during alpha modulation.  

Theta and alpha refer to different frequency bands of prevalent brain activity.  When the slower, theta, is dominant, our brain is typically closer to sleep and our cortical activity is lower, in favour of more basic, sub-cortical structures.  Alpha is a state of disconnected relaxation, and represents the core organisational frequency of our cortex.  Each state activates a different part of the salience network, and reflects a mental transition between awake and pre-sleep, or shifting from extra- to intrapersonal based processing.  

A session is usually thirty minutes, or multiples thereof, as the brain takes a few minutes to settle before commencing its alpha – theta modulation.  The transitions between alpha and theta dominance are often visible on the EEG monitor, as they appear as ‘cross-overs’ every few minutes.  Should a participant transition into actual sleep, delta activity will increase visibly.  Sufficient mental calming before starting alpha theta training helps maximise training effects.  

Alpha Theta training is done in a quiet room with minimal sensory input.  The feedback is auditory, as two different but related soundscapes (e.g. waves vs. waterfall) smoothly transition, indicating to the brain which state is prevalent (alpha or theta).  Participants describe the experience as intensely relaxing, sometimes emotional, and compare it to a power nap, feeling mentally and emotionally refreshed.  

Neurofeedback Alpha-Theta training can be combined with guided imagery to address and process more complex, specific issues.  It can also serve as a complement to cognitive psychotherapeutic approaches.  Additionally, alpha-theta training has been shown to improve creativity and musical performance.

In preparation of Alpha Theta training, we recommend Personalised Brain Training based on a qEEG brain map. 

Alpha Thjeta crossover graphic showing various states during alpha theta neurofeedback training

Self-Regulation and the Brain

Trauma and anxiety cloud our perception and curtail a positive outlook.  We discuss the various manifestations of each lower down this page.  

Left untreated, a negative feedback loop can ensue: We lose synchrony with our environment, resulting in reduced drive, motivation, activity, interaction, recuperation (sleep) and functionality.  What’s more, this traps us in a cycle that makes effective social contact more difficult, and thus deprives us of further options.  

Trauma and Anxiety are a result of inefficient sensory processing.  The understanding of our environment which we obtain from our senses does not relate to that experienced by others.  We become unable to synchronise and share a reality, a core requirement for human interaction.  It is a road to isolation, in particular perceived solitude.  

Perception and emotional response start in the head, though their manifestations can quickly become physical.  Pain perception has clear neural correlates.  Our brain controls our Autonomous Nervous system, and hence our physiological tone and flexibility.

With a Kaiser Neuromap we can identify dysrhythmia of relevant brain areas, both emotional and physical, and then train these with neurofeedback.  

We are restoring the brain’s ability to digest past events, look positively into the future and engage effectively in the present.  It is a forward-looking approach that is also holistic – as well as training brain areas responsible for arousal, mood and vigilance, we restore focus, drive and motivation, thus restoring self-confidence in a multi-faceted way. 

Thalamic pathway to amygdala including sensory cortex involvement for emotional response regulation. Neurofeedback training helps regulate cortex involvement in response to sensory stimulus

Our autonomic nervous system is primed to produce sympathetic nervous system responses, or fight-flight-freeze mode.  This wears us down, as it is more energy intensive, our recuperation periods are shortened and we can even become used to the adrenalinergic buzz of being in hypervigilant overdrive.  It becomes a safe space.  Our pain perception is altered and fluctuates between numbness and hypersensitivity.  Deprived of a ‘calm’ reference state, we become vulnerable to overattributing emotions to sensations.    

Dissociation is another phenomenon that can ensue, and this can be subtle and paroxysmal.  Engagement of defensive mechanisms is triggered pre-, or subconsciously.  This can compromise our ability to rationally self-soothe – the role of our prefrontal cortex.  Instead, our limbic system is primed.  We also lose our emotional sense of safety.  The integrity of our Default Mode Network is challenged, as is the natural transition between its activation and that of the Task Positive Network.  We are less able to regulate engagement with our environment and the neurological basis for our sense of self is under threat.

There are distinct brain areas regulating pain, physical sensations and our self-awareness, and we can train these with neurofeedback.  We can also train brain areas with strong connections to sub-cortical structures that regulate our autonomic nervous system, including the amygdala and our reticular activating (or limbic) system.  Our brain is ultimately in charge of trauma response, and with neurofeedback we can assess vulnerability to its various submodalities, and address these with training.  This is evidence-based and effective.

Trauma Symptoms

Trauma is essentially when we’re not expanding  – when we are restrained in our ability to unfold our personality, ambitions and realise our dreams. 

This can be precipitated by specific events, or an aggregation of contributing factors to our inability to self-nurture.  

Our ability to find emotional security becomes impaired, and we begin to worry about the future, ruminate about the past.  We become subtly detached from the moment and its meaning.  This is the beginning of mental health issues. 

Alpha Theta training provides a way of gently returning the brain from certain patterns of dissociation and process these with appropriate detachment and rationale.  Neurofeedback training then helps the brain to restore functionality and resolve these in a forward-looking manner.   We recommend ongoing neurofeedback training with alpha theta training.  

 The first indication that we are experiencing trauma / PTSD is when we find ourselves not living in the present.  Enjoyment of the moment and social interaction is clouded by constant ruminations about the past, and worries about the future.  We are unable to ‘let go’, relax, and grasp opportunities as they present themselves in the Now.  

We are plagued by intrusive thoughts that bring us back to events in the past, which needn’t even be related to a traumatic event, but which remind us of some inadequacy and amplify our self-doubt.  Feelings of shame and guilt come into the picture as well, further eroding our self-confidence.  “How can I be happy and enjoy this after what has happened?”.  Similarly, our perception of the future is shrouded in worry and fearful anticipation.  Uncertainty is our greatest foe, our perception of safety is unhinged by any doubt as to what could happen next.  

The absence of a plan becomes a concern, the lack of clarity as to what’s around the corner a burden.  Negativity associated with the past deprives us of hope.  We are thus unable to see uncharted territories ahead as an opportunity, and much rather dwell on impending threats.  

Indeed, our system is primed to protect us, and we are in survival mode.  This process becomes self-feeding as we become addicted to the hyper-arousal our sense of fear induces.  Our sense of joy and looking forward to fun becomes clouded to the extent we forget and no longer yearn it.  Detachment sets in, further isolating us from feelings that previously motivated us.  This process can even start slow and subtly, yet the cycle is self-fulfilling and deprives us of the necessary perspective to break and get out.

In Personalised Brain Training, our definition of trauma is wider.  We include for example perceived loss of social standing, which can be either the cause or the consequence of a traumatic event or development.  The perceived loss of social position results in us feeling judged.  We become hypersensitive to how people approach us, talk to us, deal with us.  

This is a subjective concept, as it should be, given that trauma should be recognised as an issue of perception by the affected person, rather than a concept being ‘awarded’ by an unrelated party, though external affirmation can help and medical advice should be sought in any event.  As humans, social recognition is a critical component of our biological drive to propagate.  Attraction relies on this, which ultimately leads to bonding.  

Consequently, there are numerous brain areas devoted to, or involved in, the assessment of our position with regard to others.  When our self-perception is assailed, or even the viability of our self is questioned, we are naturally shaken.  Various brain areas become dysrhythmic.  These include areas responsible for our body control and awareness, and many therapies focus on engaging the body and somatosensory system with a view to inducing cerebral changes.  

However, this is only a part of the picture – there are many, arguably more powerful neuronal centres in the brain that are affected by trauma, and with a Kaiser Neuromap and Default Network Training (together, Personalised Brain Training), we can assess the issues more accurately, completely and efficiently, as well as then successfully training the brain to overcome trauma and setting ourselves on course for a positive trajectory.  

Another consequence of trauma is that we may feel unable to rationally assert a sense of safety.  This is different to self-nurture, or an emotional sense of safety.  When we are unable to talk ourselves down from a situation we lose the ability to effectively regulate our moods, to switch off when we need to, and ultimately can become excessively paranoid.  

There are neural correlates for this behaviour, and we can asses this with a Kaiser Neuromap.  Safety and assurance are core needs we are programmed to seek to fulfil.  Authority and role models help us in this quest.  When we become dysregulated in our ability to self-soothe, we are also compromised in our ability to find paternal guidance.  As a result, we tend to over-idolise figures who seemingly exude strength and power, or disobey completely and become unnecessarily rebellious – both immature behaviour patterns.  Resetting this balance is crucial to achieving calming, regulated emotions, reduced hypervigilance and controlling impulsiveness.  Personalised Brain Training lets us achieve this. 

When hypervigilance persists untreated, we face further problems.  

Physically, our heart beats faster and harder, more of the time, which is a clear stress on our system.  

Mentally, we become prone to developing intrusive thoughts, even when we are able to relax, and more so when we are stressed, where these can take on third-person character, a voice in our head.  This can have a destabilising effect, not least because we are now spending energy ‘defeating’ other perspectives we are internally engaged with, and thus distracting us from the ‘now’.  Being on hyper-alert can also make us more susceptible to feeling relational to sensory input, in that we feel that everything is directed at us, which can set us up for psychosis.  

As we lose our ability to enjoy the moment, our social interactions suffer.  Exercising our social brain keeps us alive and forms the basis for sound mental health.  Our brains are adaptive, and we need to provide stimulus to maintain connections and sustain flexibility.  Isolation deprives us of many necessary exercises.  For example, brain areas that deal with face recognition also respond to affective interactions and the ability to discriminate between emotional content of faces.  We need to keep training these brain areas through social interaction in order to maintain emotional recognition – it is not a surprise that perpetual mask-wearing heightens our social anxiety (aside from adverse physical effects).  

Social recognition, a key component of our biological need to attract and bond, is driven by sensory interpretations.  Again, we need to exercise brain areas that contribute to this, including language and speech generation and comprehension, auditory sensitivity, and monitoring rewards for actions, both directly and vicariously.  Our mirror neuron system contributes towards learning from others’ mistakes or examples, and consequently the storage of social rules necessary for constructive functioning in a society.  

Inclusion is imperative to establishing a healthy self-image or sense of self.  This in turn is crucial to forming stable relationships with friends, family and forming healthy alliances necessary for personal and professional progression.  When we lose our sense of belonging to a group or cause, we may become unstable in our self-perception and our relationships with others.  The effect may snowball into perceptions of abandonment, feelings of emptiness and dissociation; this in turn correlates with mood dysregulation, impulsive and often dangerous behaviours, intrusive thoughts and potential self-harm.  

With Personalised Brain Training, we can assess vulnerability to these traits as they manifest in functional brain area dysrhythmia that shows in a Kaiser Neuromap; with Default Network Training, an advanced form of neurofeedback, we can train these brain areas and networks in a holistic manner to help re-establish balance.  This enables us to reconnect with our environment and re-enter a positive feedback loop.

Sleep is adversely affected by trauma.  First, the mind needs to ‘let go’ in order to enter deeper sleep cycles, which is a challenge for many.  Excessive rumination and intrusive thoughts can hinder this, as does the loss of our ability to rationally calm ourselves down.  The depth of our sleep is governed by our ability to self-nurture and create an emotional ‘safe space’.  Homeostasis during various sleep stages is governed by other parts of our brain, some still involving the cortex.  With a Kaiser Neuromap we can detect dysrhythmia in the relevant brain areas and train these accordingly with Default Network Training (together, Personalised Brain Training).  

Focus and organisation suffers as a consequence of sleep issues.  This time, different brain areas are affected, which we can also train.  When we are unable to concentrate and produce our best output, we become demotivated and our mood and sense of self suffer.  Again, there are brain areas responsible for these aspects of being, for which we can again detect dysrhythmia and provide neurofeedback training.  The process is holistic – many components have to work together effectively for us to function optimally. 

Mood regulation suffers when we lose social integration, sleep and focus. Neurofeedback training found to significantly help 80% of people with depression by aiming to restore motivation, improving sleep and focus, and reducing anxiety.  

There are numerous potential cortical contributors to depression, and with a brain map we can see vulnerabilities.  

Neurofeedback training lets us address these as well as establish a generally improved sense of well-being in a holistic manner.  he positive effects of neurofeedback training have been shown to be lasting.  Neurofeedback is non-invasive and medication-free.

There are multiple types of anxiety, each correlating with one or more brain areas being dysrhythmic:

  • Social anxiety: When we’re in a situation with other people and our understanding of the social dynamics and complexities is overwhelmed. 
  • Sensory overload: our brain interprets all sensory stimulus as directed to ourselves.  We lose the ability to discern what is directed at us, and which matters or interactions are of no concern to us.  This sets us up for panic attacks and ultimately psychosis.  It also means we become singular in our perspective, unable to take on other points of view
  • Loss of narrative: Our episodic understanding of the situation, how we got there and what happens next, is impaired, and we are unsure of where we are and where we’re going.  This hyperactivates our amygdala, and the sensation is highly emotional
  • Auditory sensitivity: we become prone to overly interpreting the emotional content of words and sounds, creating an air of prickliness and pushing people away without knowing it
  • Activation: Our ARAS is responsible for setting the right level of physiological arousal, or wakefulness, for the situation, and to remain stable there.  When this is on overdrive, we are pushed further into fight-or-flight mode than necessary, thus heightening sensory sensitivity.  Panic attacks are an extreme manifestation.
  • Trauma: an inability to self-nurture – creating an emotional safe-space around us – and self-soothe – being able to talk ourselves down rationally from a situation, thus resulting in mood instability.  This can also manifest in dissociation and heightened pain perception.  We ruminate about the past and worry about the future, instead of being able to enjoy the present. 
  • Intrusive thoughts: Self-criticism overshadows motivation and confidence, and we become self-aware and distracted by negative thoughts and feelings.  Some use acquired habits to distract from this. Our confidence, motivation and social interaction suffer as a result.

The primary issue of trauma affects brain areas that are activated during empathy and forgiveness.  With these two qualities impaired, our emotional life suffers, as do our social capacities.  With neurofeedback training, we can restore functionality of these brain areas.  Another reason this is important is because we do not want to become oppressors ourselves.  As we lose our sense of emotional investment in our surroundings, we become careless with regard to others’ feelings and needs.  

Implicitly, we are now capable of unintended yet real behaviour patterns that can harm others, as we become deaf to feedback.  Not only has trauma affected us, it now makes us perpetrators that pass it on. 

Besides reduced social interaction and a less meaningful emotional life that is now more self-centred – and with the wrong type of therapy, becomes self-indulgent and self-perpetuating – we can experience a physical withdrawal from our environment.  Dissociation can be momentary and intense, or subtle and ongoing to the extent that we are not even cognisant of it.  Either way, our bodies retreat from sensations, analogous to our emotional withdrawal.  

Many therapies aim to revive our sense of ownership of our bodies, and thus ultimately our life and future, by training our body awareness in various ways.  Realising that our bodies are steered by our mind, specifically our cortex, we can train the relevant brain areas that govern our body perception and movement execution.  

Neurofeedback training effectively complements these approaches by directly treating the areas involved in perception and interaction with our surroundings.

One of the first manifestations of trauma is in our bodies.  Aside from heightened physiological arousal, a form of paralysis can override our natural motions and postures.  Stress, and pain ensue, which can often be felt all around the body.  Fibromyalgia is a variant of this phenomenon, as are headaches, chest pains, and chronic fatigue.  

There are many techniques for combating this form of physical dissociation.  Neurofeedback complements these by training the brain areas that instruct the body to behave in this undesirable way.  It is a holistic approach, and we restore overall calming while providing the brain with rational and emotional capacity to overcome its challenges.  

Trauma and Empathy, Forgiveness

A brain area directly affected by Trauma happens to govern our ability to empathise, as well as our capacity to forgive. 

Importantly, this is borne out of physiology – the physical reality of bodily functions (in this case, the brain) controlling our personal and social functioning.  This is different to, say, psychology, which attempts to model behaviour patterns and their linkages, on a more academic, and hence detached, level.  Physiology is real.  We can observe the relationship between social and emotional conduct and the activity of specific brain areas, and there are over 200 such studies conducted annually. 

When brain areas become dysrhythmic, such as through the impact of perceived trauma, their ability to direct other aspects of our being and interaction can become impaired.  As a result, we can observe how a person’s scope for internalising other’s emotional state is reduced.  The ability to forgive, overcome judgements and move on, is similarly compromised.  

An example of how being traumatised may impair one’s ability to show empathy and forgiveness, or emotional insight and compassion, is possibly the story of Bessel van der Kolk, author of “The Body Keeps the Score”.  The author of this popular book examining the physiology of trauma, which notably ends with a chapter on Neurofeedback, was himself fired from his own trauma centre, by another entity.  A 2018 Boston Globe article asserts that he was “fired from his job over allegations that he bullied and denigrated employees at his renowned Trauma Center”, though this should not be confused with allegations against another director at around the same time “for violating the code of conduct in his treatment of women”.  Arguably, an involuntary, surprising exit from a place of work he contributed towards for 35 years could be seen as a traumatising event.  An apology letter by Bessel van der Kolk on his own website has been extensively analysed – see “The Anatomy of an Apology”.  

On a mission to “better understand and treat the evergrowing number of trauma victims produced by this harsh and violent world of ours”, it seems clear that Bessel van der Kolk has grown from the experience of being a victim.  Formulations such as “the vast majority .. did not experience me in this way” and “we have negotiated a settlement” might leave some readers to question whether there was ever a possibility that someone in his organisation felt accordingly victimised.  We now have the concept of “pernicious” victims, which appears to be an oxymoron – did they even exist?  If not, why settle?  With whom?  Either the ostensible victims have not been able to forgive, or Bessel van der Kolk – himself a perceived victim – has not forgiven his accusers, or indeed both.

We hope that Bessel van der Kolk’s tour de force continues to dispel any doubt and evil, while extending appropriate sympathy to victims (should these have ever existed).  

Having been traumatised by this experience, Bessel van der Kolk certainly appears to see himself as a victim.  His reactions show how important empathy for victims, and forgiveness is.  

Perhaps another corollary is that trauma can be a perception issue, and attempts to formulate this into reality may create perpetrators out of self-perceived victims. 

 

In this letter, Bessel van der Kolk appears to give some credence to the possibility that some victims could have felt this way about some occasions of his alleged behaviour.  In it, he appears to provide ‘little’ insight into how this could have arisen, while partially acknowledging its credibility (“such accusations cannot be entirely pulled out of thin air”).  

A compassionate insight into the reasons why alleged victims find it difficult to confront the alleged perpetrators appears to be lacking (though his own book suggests that trauma results in suppression and an inability to confront the event, or its memory).  

A 2018 article quotes him addressing power imbalances in the workplace, indicating a virtuous transformation:  “That is a reality. I’ve grown up in the medical world, and people have said all kinds of things, like, ‘If you ever do this again, I’ll fire you,’ and ‘I will not promote you unless you do this…’ You just suck it up. Certainly, when I first started the trauma center a long time ago and came from that world, I thought that was sort of OK. But very quickly my colleagues said, ‘No, we don’t do it that way. So I learned I should not adopt the model I was trained in in medicine.”

Two years on, in 2020, a legal resolution seems to have been reached, involving an undisclosed settlement, and Bessel van der Kolk explains the situation, confirming that the allegations of “denigration” and “bullying” were “pernicious”.  He humbly adds that “while I’m deeply committed to be kind and empathetic, I am also aware that, in times of stress, there is room for me to improve my interpersonal sensitivity”, noting that “the vast majority of persons with whom I have worked for forty years did not experience me in this way”.  

Excerpts from Bessel van der Kolk’s letter to his colleagues, that had been placed publicly on what appears to have been his website with an invitation to share:

“Dear Trauma Center colleagues,

As you can imagine, I am devastated reading the allegations in the Boston Globe that I have been bullying and denigrating my colleagues at the Trauma Center.

I am also aware that such accusations cannot be entirely pulled out thin air, and that some of you may have felt hurt by me, even though none of you have ever confronted me with such misbehavior. If I have inadvertently denigrated or bullied any of you,I would like to know about it, apologize and make amends.

As you know., I am a strong believer in doing your own personal work, and in my book, the Body keeps the Score, I describe some of that journey for myself,.

If you do not feel that Andy Pond’s insinuations represent reality, I hope you will be vocal and public about how you feel about character assassination, and speak your truth.

Thank you, and I hope to see you all under better circumstances.

Devastatedly yours,

Bessel

Feel free to share.

Bessel van der Kolk MD
Medical Director Trauma Center
Professor of Psychiatry
Boston University School of Medicine”

Note that different versions of this letter exist, though with substantial similarities.  A Facebook page created during the year of launch of “The Body Keeps the Score” (2014) has a post from 10 March 2018.  To our knowledge, the existence of such letter has not been refuted, and the Facebook page still stands, whereas the URLs www.besselvanderkolk.net and www.besselvanderkolk.com appear linked, according to various searches into their history.  Should such relationship never have existed, the Facebook page fake, the letter (in any permutation) not have existed, this should be made clear such that such impression is not reasonably created, and we would look forward to supporting Bessel van der Kolk in clearing up such needless confusion.  

 

In summary, trauma has a physical effect, and by addressing its physiology, we can help healing.  Neurofeedback provides such a method, as is evidence-based, confirmed both by science and popular literature.

Traumatic experiences undoubtedly affect our current behaviour, and as a result, how we shape our future.  

A reduced capacity for empathy and forgiveness is one such example, as described above.

Memory of traumatic events is embedded in our physiology.  By this we mean that memory is synaptic, that is, a biological phenomenon.  We have known this since the 1950s, from the case of “patient H.M.” – probably the most studied person in the history of neuroscience.  This patient was able to access old memories while being unable to form new ones following an operation that removed part of his hippocampus as a treatment to relieve seizures.  A new level of complexity in the process of memory formation by the brain was thus discovered.  

There are different parts of the human brain that store, and recover memories of events.  Narrative, or declarative memory, involves many cortical areas.  Conditioned responses, such as physical reactions learned during situations that put our very existence to test, i.e. trauma, are often not associated with conscious recovery of the event that spawned them.  Learning in this case involves sub-cortical structures, and their recall might only have physical manifestations, such as changes in physiological arousal that appear disproportionate, and as such confusing given the lack of accompanying narrative.  These can include sudden intense feelings, sensory processes, avoidant behaviours and even flashbacks and dreams.  Seemingly irrational due to a lack of associated narrative, they are still ‘held’ within our brain.  

These forms of conditioning can interfere adversely with our everyday lives in many ways.  Some forms of therapy focus on the physical manifestations, in effect retraining our brain by expanding its flexibility to induce calmer, more rational or appropriate physical and physiological behaviour.  Yoga, breathing exercises, team sports, singing, dancing, acting and music production are some of these. 

Neurofeedback provides us with a complementary approach to help the brain achieve better flexibility.

There is considerable doubt as to the validity of repressed memories.  Accessing these through interventions, in their various guises, has been shown to be a controversial endeavour in many cases.  

An example of this is the story of Patricia Burgus, whose postnatal depression was diagnosed as a multiple personality disorder.  Subsequent therapy utilised multiple ways of ‘accessing’ her repressed memories, with the result of unearthing satanic cults, expanding her perceived number of personalities from 20 to 300, and withdrawing her children from her care in placed into a psychiatric hospital.  

Cases such as these tested the reliability of the interventions used in the 1980s and 90s, and saw a subsequent reversal in this trend.  

Neurofeedback provides us with a complementary approach to help the brain achieve better flexibility.

Neurofeedback lets us train dysrythmic brain areas.  Rather than engaging the conscious mind, which slows us down, we are training preconscious processes. 

 With sensors comfortably fitted to the brain areas we want to train, we detect brainwave patterns real-time while watching a movie.  When these patterns are inefficient, the volume drops momentarily.  This is the feedback we are giving our brain, it is solely auditory or visual, and the sensors are for measurement only.

The brain area we are training recognises this – while our conscious mind is focussed on the movie – and adjusts its behaviour to restore the normal volume.  With repetition, throughout a session, learning occurs.  

Meanwhile our conscious mind is solely focussed on the film showing on the screen; the training process is passive in this sense and all that is required of the person is to be engaged by the movie of choice.  

Sessions can last from fifteen minutes to over two hours when tolerated.  We generally achieve substantial calming in session that make previously unthought of film durations now attainable.

Personalised Brain Training is Forward-Looking

Trauma is a debilitating, negative state, both mentally and physically.  Unresolved, we risk becoming desensitised, unempathetic and destructive, even possibly turning into abusers ourselves.  

What’s more, many approaches to dealing with trauma are themselves riddled with self-indulgence and self-interest on the part of the provider – there is no end to disappointments and betrayals that can be unearthed in a person’s history, and unsurprisingly many psychotherapy approaches are lengthy and possibly self-reinforcing (re-traumatising).  As a participant in such programmes, we are prone to developing our identity around our ‘trauma’, not least due to the time spent analysing this.

Personalised Brain Training takes a forward-looking approach to overcoming our current situation.  It aims to restore functionality and positive feedback loops in the shortest possible time, without indulging in recollections of the past nor medicinal numbing.  The future starts in the present, and neurofeedback training is for persons who actually want to get better and are willing to manifest their thoughts accordingly, with the help that brain training provides.  

Neurofeedback for trauma and PTSD is evidence-based, effective, non-invasive and medication-free. 

Bright Zyon Canyon shows path with neurofeedback

Every person is different and has a unique way of responding to being shaken out of their perceived safety.  A brain map shows us which brain areas have become dysregulated, and we then train these with neurofeedback.  We use David Kaiser’s Default Network Training, which is an advanced method superseding the Othmer Method / ILF.  Training the brain this way shows it what it it’s like to be functional again, over it, able to get on with it.  With practice we become able to reform our trajectory and regain a sustainable, self-reinforcing, positive environment.  

As a result, we are no longer trapped in the recursive, debilitating loop of intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviour and negativity.  Instead we are able to live a positive, constructive and productive life while viewing our previous ‘hole’ with healthy detachment and self-forgiveness.

Case Studies

The following tabs illustrate the stories of clients who have benefitted from Personalised Brain Training.

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Anna, age 9, had recently changed schools due to bullying, and presented with various challenges: 

– sensory integration: sensitive to rash movements and loud noises; scared of heights
– social functioning: turn-taking, understanding social cues, interrupting, working in teams
– impulse and rage control, especially when things don’t go as expected
– stimming / rocking in seat, mild repetitive habits for self-regulation

A brain map confirmed these vulnerabilities, as well as signs of trauma, fear and hypervigilance.  

We did twelve neurofeedback sessions in seven consecutive days, involving two sessions per day watching her favourite movies, which she greatly enjoyed. 

After a week of having returned to school, her parents noticed substantial positive changes in her behaviour: 

– definitely calmer and less explosive, not ‘losing her rag’ when parents were conditioned to expect this
– spontaneously picked up a book and started reading, which was unheard of before
– showed patience and persistence, for example tried and completed difficult jig-saw puzzle, laughing when it became particularly hard
– healthy assertiveness and improved interoception / ability to express feelings
– successfully negotiated inclusion into a playgroup which had previously been hostile towards her 

Tamy, 3½ years of age, was suspected of having autistic traits by her parents.  She was not interested in playing with other children, solved hundred-piece puzzles and recognised chemical formulae.  Shy and sensitive to music, she would only want to watch one particular cartoon on her ipad and entered a state of rage in response to disturbance or change.  The family GP had told her parents to wait another year or two before applying for a diagnosis, saying that the symptoms were too mild to tell – she could speak already after all. 

Concerned, her parents decided to try neurofeedback.  A brain map revealed numerous and prominent sources of anxiety and fear, as well as auditory hypersensitivity, focus issues, impulsive aggression and mood dysregulation.  These features are common in autistic children, though non-specific with regard to categorisation.  

We worked on relevant brain areas in one hour stints, which Tamy became more and more accepting of.  Soon we were able to change the content from her favourite (and only) cartoon to comprise a variation of content.  She became calmer, more engaged and started interacting with others in ways her parents were positively surprised by.  Ten sessions had made a tremendous difference, and reshaped a trajectory that sufficiently reassured a young family.

Julian, just turned 11, introduced himself with “I’m Julian.  I have ADHD”.  His self-esteem was on the floor. 

Shy and well-behaved, his demeanour contrasted with the behaviour issues his mother deemed most pressing.  Her altercations with Julian were daily, prompted by incidences where things didn’t go as imagined or hoped for by him, and turning into a self-fuelling rage that would spoil the entire weekend.  His focus was poor, conversations marred by distractions (“jibberish”, in her words), relative maturity low for his age group and he fortunately attended a school that catered for his academic performance and social needs.  

A year of psychotherapy almost landed him with an autism assessment, and he hated the various other therapeutic procedures he had to endure that aimed at helping his physical coordination issues. 

 

Young Person depressed looking down at the ground

Within two weeks, or four sessions, his behaviour had taken a turn; in his mother’s words:

"I wanted to mention that we have noticed improvement with Julian.  

He is calmer, less reactive and when he gets frustrated he manages to calm himself down.  

Not sure if it's a temporary thing, but this weekend was all right :)"

Continued Training from Sessions 5-20

Far from temporary, his maturation accelerated noticeably in the following weeks.  

A family trip was described as “the best vacation we’ve ever had!” by his mother.  While on holiday, he learned to scuba dive, and his parents noticed that he was asking coherent, thoughtful and relevant questions during the instruction.  Anxieties and fears dropped noticeably, attention and focus improved, childish behaviour – such as “class clown” attempts at drawing attention – ceased, and he became involved in extracurricular school activities.  

Functional connectivity improves with neurofeedback training as measured with a brain map

Julian’s brain maps confirmed the transition he was going through.  He had skipped years of physical maturation that should have taken place, especially in his prefrontal cortex.  Functional connectivity of brain areas responsible for behaviour, focus and sense of self had improved substantially, as – notably – had his motor skills.  Julian’s trajectory has changed from spiralling into lower depths of special needs diagnoses, to establishing a confident, engaged and healthy risk-taking personality.  With these new acquired powers, he is able to shape his own future in a way that helps sustain his progress. 

Child behaviour improved after neurofeedback

Does it last?  Yes.  A year later Julian is thriving at school and socially.  

We all evolve, and life throws us challenges.  Key to improvement is being equipped with the right tools – cortical maturity and functional connectivity in this case – that help us create positive feedback loops within our environment.  

Twenty sessions helped liberate this young man immensely.  With neurofeedback training we can address developmental issues.

Karl is five, energetic and was unable to express his feelings or needs.  

He became aggressive and appeared to have no sense for the impact his violent outbursts have. 

Three ILF sessions induced enough calming and trust in the electrodes that we were able to do a qEEG brain map. 

Over the next ten sessions his sleep became deeper and he became noticeably more aware of others and their possible reactions. 

By now we were able to extend sessions to over an hour at a time.

Karl’s moods stabilised and his focus improved sharply.  He began to speak fluently in his mother tongue.  

After fifty sessions we reduced training intensity to once per week and do intensives instead during some school holidays.

Elena had already changed school multiple times due to bullying.  She was exceptionally smart, and creative, and found it hard to be accepted by different playgroups during her early teens.  Home schooling during the last years further reduced her social circle, and after returning to school for a year, her best friend was hospitalised following a suicide attempt.  

Meanwhile, she was having difficulties with body awareness and began questioning her gender identity.  Having voiced urges to self-harm, she began ‘cutting’ after a family vacaction she had long looked forward to turned out to be a disappointment.  

Elena’s mother had made the well-intentioned decision to make herself available to her daughter in all forms of support.  This proved to be overly invasive for the teenager; it also caused issues with the school and other parents, and consequently with Elena and her acceptance by her classmates.  The mother’s intensity, mood swings and hypervigilant obsessions were not of emotional support to Elena.

We did twenty neurofeedback sessions over the course of three months, during which Elena cast away the cloud under which she had found herself and gained acceptance at school.  Her self-harm tendencies quickly abated and were no longer mentioned after a month.  Sleep improved, and her more bubbly, extroverted self came out.  She made friends with a group of students in a class above her.  

Elena enjoyed watching movies, which were part of her curriculum in a film studies class.

Jason, 22, suffered from trauma as a result of bullying at his workplace. 

He had been diagnosed ASD early in life and experienced the main following issues: 

 – anxiety
 – difficulty understanding conversations
 – lack of emotional and social awareness
 – low self-esteem
 – frequent intra-day mood swings
 – low sleep quality

Jason’s sleep improved after the very first neurofeedback session. 

By the fifth session, most issues had reduced by half in severity. 
We continued through session 15, while Jason was finding a new work placement that suited him better.  Training effects were lasting. 

Two years later, Jason experienced a painful loss of a family member.  His condition deteriorated. 
We did five neurofeedback sessions; Jason subsequently held a confident talk at a mental health conference.

An example of a one-week intensive neurofeedback training course in London produced the pictured result.  We were able to stabilise brain function by eliminating crucial psychosis and trauma markers. 

Cognitively, this manifested in a new sense of calm, groundedness and self-confidence.   Sensory overload, auditory sensitivity and thought confusion were substantially reduced.  

Note results may vary. 

Camilla had been diagnosed with anxiety, panic attacks, associated insomnia and mild depression.  She was prescribed two anti-depressants – Mirtazapine and and SSRI – which she was able to reduce to a minimum dose over time.  During the last three years however, she had six relapses, each following a similar pattern: Stress (emotional and work-related) and fatigue precipitated intrusive thoughts and worries, setting off a familiar path of insomnia; consequently higher anxiety, increased stress levels leading to panic attacks and depressive symptoms.  The first few episodes were stabilised by resuming Mirtazapine, which helped restore sleep.  The subsequent ones however failed to respond, taking months to stabilise sleep and reduce anxiety, which involved having to take time off work.  In addition, she began to have somatisations, beginning in the spine and ultimately reaching her face.  Migraines began to reappear when she became excessively tired. 

Guided by a brain map, we began doing neurofeedback training twice a week.  Camilla’s sleep became sound after the second session – “I feel pleasantly knocked out” – and she decided to reduce her Mirtazapine dose gradually in accordance with her prescribing GP.  After eight sessions (four weeks) she was on the lowest dose, and even this left her feeling very groggy in the morning.  Camilla had regained confidence in her ability to fall asleep, and stopped using Mirtazapine completely.  Her anxiety levels were at their lowest, and she had began to work again, leaving a corporate environment to work with children in a mental health setting – a stressful yet engaging and meaningful activity.  Her motivation had reached new levels, and she felt stable and confident, which showed in her stance and demeanour.  

Ten sessions of neurofeedback training (each two hours) were sufficient to stabilise Camilla, restore her ability to sleep, and the confidence therein, as well as improving sense of self-worth, focus and motivation.  She has not felt the need to use Mirtazapine again since. 

Three months later, Camilla reports a major improvement in how she is able to set boundaries, both at work and in her personal life, and not neglecting her own well-being.  

Case Studies

Deirdre’s daughter Monica, 10, suffered from severe intractable epilepsy, with up to twenty awakenings due to heavy seizures in a night.  While working with Monica, we also did neurofeedback training with Deirdre.  Effectively in a state of constant alert and hypervigilance, Deirdre had a strong grounded personality, which showed in her brain map.  Nevertheless, the physical and emotional strain was taking its toll, in particular on her sleep, and consequently her ability to focus on her writing project, while managing an impending divorce and relocation.  Within the first sessions, her sleep improved substantially and she felt more productive.  

 

"I felt so calm last night! And slept like there were magnets between me and the bed.  10 hours straight."
"Slept like a log."
"Since I started neurofeedback training, my dreams have come back!"
Client testimony.

Lorna had enjoyed what from the outside appeared to have been a privileged life, having enjoyed private education, a lucrative and indeed fulfilling role in the family business, and accumulated some reserves.  She had been medicated for bipolar disorder and ADHD from the age of eight, in what she felt was a suppression of her bubbly personality that didn’t conform to parental expectations of ‘order’ or ‘normal’ behaviour.  She had always been social and outgoing, enjoyed boarding school, yet she now felt things had come to a head and that she was not living to be the person she could be.  Instead, she believed she had conformed to the wishes of her family and ignored her own needs, emotionally, socially, and fundamentally with regard to her identity.  Mood swings, disturbed sleep, lack of focus and self-critical thoughts deprived her of joy in her life.  As opposed to deprivation of nurture, Lorna had been domineered by her parents, and not been able to develop her own sense of self-nurture.  Her identity and sense of self worth were shattered.  

Within five sessions, Lorna’s sleep improved noticeably, as did her energy and motivation.  She enjoyed doing long sessions, in particular the film “Now, Voyager” with Bette Davis reminded her of her upbringing and situation.  After ten sessions, Lorna began working with a talk therapist to reorganise her life and ambitions – teaching in India was a dream she thought could be realised.  Her sense of despair had disappeared, and yielded to a slightly overly self-conscious anxiety, which was the first step past numbness.  Lorna’s productivity improved and she began to set herself higher goals, leading to some frustration, yet this substantially contrasted with her previous despondency.  A further few sessions helped with the self-blame and internal chatter, and Lorna is on a good trajectory.

Maria, 77, an avid reader, discovered in her 60s that she had an irreversible eye condition, a glaucoma, that was causing her tunnel vision.  She was able to stabilise the development with medication, yet it led to a few nasty falls, one of which left her concussed.  A Kaiser Neuromap showed the expected areas of brain hypometabolism, and we trained her accordingly.  Ten sessions later, her sleep was restored, as was her perceived memory, and a remap showed that the brain areas had responded.  She felt more productive and grounded and enjoyed the experience of watching multiple movies, her favourite being with Audrey Hepburn.

Marcus’s wife had suspected that certain of his mannerisms had changed, he had become more impulsively aggressive at minor things that changed his routine, and she believed his gait had changed, beyond the mere effects of working from home for the last, stressful, two years.  Socially withdrawn, Marcus was focused on his consulting work which had started to pick up again.  The joy in his life was lacking, despite having a supportive family. 

A brain map revealed some unusual areas of hypometabolism, that would warrant further investigation into whether they are early signs of neurodegeneration, possibly Alzheimer’s Disease.  There are certain non-specific neuromarkers, as well as expected reduction in functional connectivity of the corpus callosum that joins the two brain hemispheres.  We also found signs of emotional stress and a tendency to internalise, and excessively blame oneself.  Two neurofeedback sessions based on these findings returned Marcus’s sleep to a level he had forgotten existed.  He became more focused on his work and related social interactions, and had the best financial year of his career.  

Linda, just before her fiftieth birthday, had been betrayed by her husband.  The realisation set in just as she had completed an intensive three month project at work and was taking some time off to be more with her family.  In addition, her younger daughter started attending a new school and was noticeably, yet hurtfully striving for more independence.

Linda’s depression resurfaced, the usual bubbly self subsiding into a self-conscious, dampened shadow of herself.  Always a social and entertaining person, she had been to rehab a number of times (“it doesn’t work, but I made great friends there”).  She worried about having incurred brain damage as a result of her excesses, and that this was the moment the world was coming down on her. 

She had tried numerous forms of therapy and was taking a low dose of anti-depressants when she decided to try neurofeedback.

Neurofeedback training can improve sense of self and cortical functioning

Visibly nervous excitement before the first session quickly subsided, to be replaced with a new sense of calm.  Her sleep improved to levels she could not recall having experienced before, within three sessions.

After five sessions she exclaimed, “it’s worth it”. 

Intrusive, self-critical thoughts subsided and her motivation returned along with focus and deliberation.  A former singer in a band, she started humming tunes to herself again, and there was music playing in the house, replacing the solemn silence.

 

Being on her own was no longer her refuge of choice; instead she rekindled productive relationships, and set aside people and places that were soaking up her energy. 

Linda started to accept her marital situation, redeemed her sense of self-worth, and found a way to make partnership and parenthood work beyond traditional confines. 

Her brain map corroborates the transition:  previously absent alpha peaks emerged visibly, mirroring the cognitive resuscitation she was experiencing.

Anna was prone to strong intra-day mood swings as well as having endured a manic episode, during which she became the subject of financial and emotional exploitation.  Importantly, Anna was not psychotic; however she suffered from strong attachment disorder, fear of abandonment, some social awkwardness as a result of an impaired sense of self, and lack of ability to rationalise emotions, despite her warm demeanour.  

Following a particular slump triggered by betrayal, and being subject to physical violence, she began neurofeedback sessions.  Her sleep improved immediately, as did her outlook.  Within five sessions, she had become her usual optimistic self again, and began looking for a new vocation.  Within weeks, she had a new job that combined two of her passions and talents, and on a solid path to recovery and forgiveness. 

Anna’s mood regulation has substantially improved during her ten overall sessions; she feels more grounded and motivated, while enjoying the cause of her work and the new people she is meeting.

Stephanie, 40, had recently suffered numerous destabilising incidents and conditions that deprived her of her joy of life and made everything seem extremely stressful.  One night while preparing dinner, a confluence of her husband’s criticism, her kids screaming and the music on the radio overloaded her senses and she smashed a plate in desparate frustration.  It was as if everything was directed at her, and her mood swings and lack of emotional support exacerbated the erosion of purpose she had come to feel.  The previous years had deprived her of both parents, and she had ceded freelance work to raising her small children and looking after her ailing mother.  Next-door building work continued throughout lockdown, and the family was on the constant verge of deciding to move.  Furniture and clothes were packed, and the idea of nesting could not seem more remote.  Stephanie felt under constant assault while not progressing personally or professionally.  This strain entered her previously strong relationship with her husband, himself under substantial work pressure.  Having self-diagnosed as PTSD, both decided to do twenty neurofeedback sessions. 

Within a few sessions, Stephanie’s sleep was restored, and she became more motivated and relaxed.  It no longer felt as though everything was directed at her, and she was able to respond to unexpected outcomes flexibly and with humour.  This did wonders for her relationship, and she felt her children sensed this too.  A brain map confirmed this progress.

Mary, 35, had contracted Covid in January and had almost been hospitalised.  Six months later, she was still working part-time from home and felt like a shadow of her former self. 

She was suffering from fatigue, anxiety and depression, and her sense of smell had not recovered.  Brain fog, which could also be attributable to her perimenopausal stage, significantly reduced her productivity and confidence.

Mary’s sleep improved from the first neurofeedback session, as did her physical stamina. 

Within three weeks, or five sessions, she noticed her sense of smell had begun to return. 

Motivation and focus improved substantially through session ten.  Mary felt reinvigorated and her self-critical thoughts subsided.  “I’m there for my family again!” she commented. 

We did another seven sessions, now spaced weekly, during which Mary remarked that she had never felt a clearer mind before. 

It is not suggested that neurofeedback is a “cure” for issues arising from a Covid infection, and we will never know what caused her sense of smell to return.  However it was reassuring to see how Mary’s general sense of self and well-being had improved during the time we were training.

Comorbidities of PTSD / C-PTSD

PTSD inevitably presents with other mental health conditions to some level:  Our sleep and sense of emotional security is impaired, potentially leading to focus issues, mood dysregulation, anxiety and a weakened sense of self and being part of a group.  

Neurofeedback training has been shown to be effective for many of these comorbidities:

Neurofeedback for Various Symptoms

A brain map lets us look into our brain – how the different parts communicate with eath other.  With neurofeedback, we can train optimal integration.  

The following tabs describe how Personalised Brain Training can help resolve many mental health issues in a holistic, non-invasive and medication-free manner. 

(Scroll down on mobile)

ADHD, Focus & Planning

The vernacular description of ADHD has come to include many other issues than its core definition of distractibility and/or hyperactivity.  We often find many other comorbidities, such as behaviour problems, impulsive aggression, rage, excessive stubbornness, various anxieties, mood dysregulation, sleep problems, dyslexia and inappropriate social skills.  

With a brain map, we can assess vulnerability to a host of other possible issues, and then address these with neurofeedback training in a personalised manner.  Furthermore, we have a chance at promoting structural improvements, such as prefrontal brain maturity.  The core issue of ADHD, Distractibility, is dealt with here:

Child dreaming of opportunities and getting distracted due to ADHD

Focus and Productivity have three core components: 

 – Concentration

 – Planning and Organisation

 – Motivation

 

Each of these three components is governed by a different brain area.  When one or more of these regions is dysrhythmic, we are vulnerable to focus issues. 

 – Planning and Organisation: understanding goals, working back to the present and structuring a workflow conducive to achievement, seeing the bigger picture and dividing projects into tasks, prioritising these and being flexible. 

The ability to form an overview of the task at hand, break this down into smaller, manageable steps, and sequence these accordingly, can be trained. 

 – Concentration: the ability not to be distracted and maintain attention on the relevant task at hand.  Distractibility is a function of spatial awareness, and there are brain areas dedicated to this task.  When they are dysrythmic, we become easily distracted. 

 – Motivation: having sufficient drive, optimism, persistence and endurance to implement plans and overcome setbacks.  Self-esteem, an understanding of one’s own strengths and weaknesses, and the ability to self-soothe, that is, to rationalise thoughts, are key to this.

 

research shows neurofeedback is a safe, effective and long lasting treatment for ADHD

Researchers conclude that neurofeedback training can be considered “Efficaceous and Specific” (Level 5) for ADD / ADHD.  Neurofeedback training was shown to produce significant improvement in attentiveness and impulse control.  It was shown to produce outcomes equivalent to those obtained with stimulant drugs.  The effects were shown to be long lasting.

Neurofeedback and ADHD Medication

We have successfully helped children and teenagers reduce or discontinue stimulant medication treatment of ADHD where this has become undesirable, under supervision of the prescribing entity.  

Individuals may offer motivations to change stimulant medication use to alternate forms of therapy, including ambiguity concerning long-term use and reduction of symptom-severity effectiveness at the cost of growth (height).  Many are considered “prohibited substance” in competitive sports, being listed as Schedule II / Class B substances when obtained without prescription.  Possible sleep problems are documented. 

 

There appears to be a range of conclusions in studies regarding the effect of psychostimulants used to treat ADHD on mood, anxiety, emotional reactivity, substance abuse, psychiatric conditions, cardiovascular implications, tics and other dyskenisias, among other, and these vary considerably in sample size, duration and scope.

A study with over 130 participants showed that neurofeedback can be used effectively in combination with pharmacological treatment, enhancing results. 

See here for more information.

 

Neurofeedback training for ADHD is evidence based and produces lasting results:

Attention deficit:  Efficacy is well-documented – there are over 370 research reports on Neurofeedback and ADHD on PubMed.  

In line with AAPB and ISNR guidelines for rating clinical efficacy, neurofeedback can be considered “Efficacious and Specific”, the highest level (5), with a large effect size for inattention and impulsivity in this study.

A large-scale study showed that neurofeedback is effective in remediating attentional dysfunction.  Significant clinical improvement in one or more of attentiveness, impulse control, and response variability was observed in 85% of participants after 20-40 training sessions.

Impulse control and attention improved through neurofeedback training, producing “patient outcomes equivalent to those obtained with stimulant drugs”

Neurofeedback “appears to have more durable treatment effects, for at least 6 months following treatment.” 

Neurofeedback was shown to be an effective method to enhance cognitive deficits, reduce ADHD symptoms and behaviour problems in children.  The effect was maintained in a follow-up six months later. 

There are numerous academic studies confirming the efficacy of EEG biofeedback (another name for neurofeedback) with sustained performance gains. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics bases its conclusion that there are “no significant contraindications” to its use on these studies. 

ILF / Othmer Method neurofeedback training was shown to reduce ADHD symptoms, specifically distractibility and impulsiveness, in a study involving 251 children over a course of 30 neurofeedback sessions. 

Training specific brain areassuccessfully activated error monitoring networks in ADHD patients, associated with symptom improvements.  Dynamic functional connectivity was found to be maintained in a follow-up 11 months later.

Another study attested improved response control and attention in ADHD post Neurofeedback.  

Mood regulation and Motivation:  see here

Working Memory: see here

Sense of Self:  With Personalised Brain Training, we work on the Default Mode Network, the neural basis of self. 

Challenging Behaviour, Anger, Aggression, Rage

Lack of mood regulation, self awareness,  and inhibitory control contribute to anger management and behavioural issues.   These complicated behaviour patterns have a neural basis and vary by individual.   With a Kaiser Neuromap we can detect vulnerabilities and train these with neurofeedback.

Excessive obstinacy, misunderstanding social cues and general overwhelm and anxiety are frequent characteristics of autistic children.  With neurofeedback training, we have had success in remediating these symptoms.

Multiple brain areas contribute to impulsive aggression, self-fuelling rage, physiological arousal, ‘acting out’ and conversely calming down and rationally understanding one’s behaviour and even showing regret, remorse, understanding and insight, or not as the case may be.  

 

Anger and behavioural issues in children can be resolved with neurofeedback training for ADHD and autism

A Kaiser Neuromap shows us possible vulnerabilities to such behaviour patterns, and can help us form a more nuanced understanding of a person’s preconscious drivers, that is, their ‘wiring’.  There are multiple contributors which we can address: 

 – impulsive aggression, e.g. in response to being denied something

 – rage, a continued unconsolable stage

 – lack of empathy or understanding of others’ feelings

 – inability to see different perspectives

 – turn taking, self/other differentiation, shared authority

 – monitoring and understanding consequences of actions

With neurofeedback training we can work on these preconscious processes, which occur before a person is able to apply conscious control or inhibition.  The aim is to reduce or eliminate the person’s propensity to exhibit such adverse and undesirable behaviour in the first place, freeing up the mind to enjoy the moment in constructive synchrony with others.  

Neurofeedback helps us stabilise the Default Mode Network, and reduce impulsive aggression and physiological arousal control.  We have seen success within a few sessions in clients from 8-15 years of age.

Anxiety and Fear

There are many manifestations of anxiety, including social anxiety, panic attacks, excess body awareness (body dysmorphia), emotional hypersensitivity, fears and phobias.  Autistic children generally present with a variety of these, all contributing towards an energy-consuming heightened state of vigilance.  Stress and defensive behaviour results.

Neurofeedback is an established, evidence-based treatment for anxiety. 

It was found that neurofeedback training for anxiety and depression “results in enduring improvements approximately 80% of the time” 

Confidence and social integration tend to improve accordingly, resulting in a positive feedback loop that helps shape new trajectories.  

A brain map will reveal overactivity of brain areas responsible for monitoring consequences of actions (timidity, general fright and reticence); watching out for an abuser (bully); body and face awareness; and excessive self-monitoring.  This helps us understand the potential presence of real threats and fear factors.  We can also detect possible tendencies to develop unhealthy body awareness.  Neurofeedback training lets us address this issues.

Anxiety can have multiple facets, including intrusive thoughts and social anxiety, and the feeling of everything coming at oneself all at once

There are multiple types of anxiety, each correlating with one or more brain areas being dysrhythmic:

Sensory overload: our brain interprets all sensory stimulus as directed to ourselves.  We lose the ability to discern what is directed at us, and which matters or interactions are of no concern to us.  This sets us up for panic attacks and ultimately psychosis.  It also means we become singular in our perspective, unable to take on other points of view

Loss of narrative: Our episodic understanding of the situation, how we got there and what happens next, is impaired, and we are unsure of where we are and where we’re going.  This hyperactivates our amygdala, and the sensation is highly emotional

Auditory sensitivity: we become prone to overly interpreting the emotional content of words and sounds, creating an air of prickliness and pushing people away without knowing it

Social anxiety: misunderstanding social complexities, social emotions and dynamics in a situation with others

Hypervigilance: as a result of avoiding a bully or abuser

Activation: Our ARAS is responsible for setting the right level of physiological arousal, or wakefulness, for the situation, and to remain stable there.  When this is on overdrive, we are pushed further into fight-or-flight mode than necessary, thus heightening sensory sensitivity.  Panic attacks are an extreme manifestation.  Our ability to calm down quickly is reduced.

Trauma: an inability to self-nurture – creating an emotional safe-space around us – and self-soothe – being able to talk ourselves down rationally from a situation, thus resulting in mood instability.  This can also manifest in dissociation and heightened pain perception.  We ruminate about the past and worry about the future, instead of being able to enjoy the present. 

Intrusive thoughts: Self-criticism overshadows motivation and confidence, and we become self-aware and distracted by negative thoughts and feelings.  Some use acquired habits to distract from this.  Others become attached to the reward circuitry triggered, and sustained by feeding obstructive, self-deprecating thought content.  Our confidence, motivation and social interaction suffer as a result.

The effectiveness of neurofeedback training for anxiety was first recorded four decades ago in 1978.  Since then, there have been over 120 peer-reviewed research papers published on neurofeedback and anxiety.  Academic interest in this application of neurofeedback has picked up notably during the last three years.    

Dr. Corydon Hammond finds in his 2005 paper, “Neurofeedback Treatment of Depression and Anxiety” that neurofeedback training results in “enduring improvements approximately 80% of the time”, with most perceiving a difference after between three and six sessions; a “very significant improvement” after 10-12 sessions, and more so after over 20 sessions.  

Improving emotional regulation with neurofeedback represents a “novel intervention to control anxiety”.   Just a single session resulted in a statistically significant improvement in anxiety.  

Contamination anxiety was improved in a lasting way in this study .

Twenty sessions of neurofeedback training led to a significant improvement in sleep, anxiety and depression evaluations.  The same disorders plus inattention showed significant improvements when conducting ten or more sessions in a naturalistic setting.  Anxiety was reduced in Canadian Aboriginals during seven days of two hour training.   Fifteen sessions reduced GAD symptoms. 

Neurofeedback improved depressive symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) patients, with significant decrease in anxiety and clinical illness severity noted as a result of the training.   Cognitive depression was reduced here.  Anhedonia and comorbid anxiety in MDD where also improved in this recent study.  Increased happiness ratings and decrease in anxiety was documented with related increased activity in specific brain areas.  

Post-operative depression and anxiety, pain, difficulties sleeping and attention and memory problems were resolved in 20 neurofeedback sessions.  The 45-year old female was able to return to work subsequently.  Postcancer cognitive impairment (PCCI) sufferers (a substantial subset of breast cancer survivors) found strongly significant reduction in anxiety, as well as somatisation and depression, after twenty neurofeedback sessions.  Anxiety, as well as depression and tinnitus were greatly reduced during stroke rehabilitation, plus improvement in speech fluency, word finding, balance and coordination, attention and concentration. 

Ten neurofeedback sessions improved symptoms of pain and fatigue, anxiety and depression in fybromyalgia patients.  Neurofeedback was also found to reach maximum effect within four weeks.

Multiple Sclerosis sufferers saw depression, fatigue and anxiety reduced, and the results were maintained at a 2-month follow-up.

Alpha Theta neurofeedback training reduced anxiety in competitive ballroom dancers, as well as increasing cognitive creativity. 

Neurofeedback provided benefit to high functioning ASD with regard to anxiety.  

Alcohol Dependence Syndrome patients found a significant reduction in cognitive deficits, anxiety and depression; noticeable improvement in memory and neurological functioning, and significant reduction in alcohol intake on follow-up.  Impulsivity, anxiety and depression were improved in long-term abstinent delinquents.   Sharp reductions in self-assessed depression were found in alcoholic outpatients, as well as reduction in anxiety, after twenty Alpha-Theta sessions.  

The physical basis of how neurofeedback training can be applied to reduce maladaptive rumination and anxiety was confirmed here.  

Neurofeedback for Autism

Autism is a spectrum disorder characterised by social integration issues and developmental delays that can be both physical and emotional.  With a Kaiser Neuromap we can identify individual weaknesses, and train these with Personalised Brain Training in a non-invasive, medication-free manner.  Improvements are evidence-based and impressive.  

Neurofeedback can positively impact trajectories of children and young adults

There are distinct brain areas that interpret the respective sensory input, and through various convergent processing stages – multi-modal association areas – the brain constructs a scene, and understands where we are with respect to our environment.  When any of these brain areas becomes dysrhythmic, our interpretation becomes distorted, for example, we can become hyper- or hyposensitive, as is seen in various symptoms of autism. 

With neurofeedback, we can train the brain areas relevant for efficient sensory processing and integration.  Personalised Brain Training uses the most advanced qEEG brain map interpretation method to form an individualised training plan.  Our neurofeedback method applies the most effective training protocols with an enjoyable feedback process, watching movies of choice.

Sensory interpretation areas of the brain which can be trained with neurofeedback

Sensory processing is a well-researched process that involves many dedicated brain areas, and their interaction to produce an impression of our environment, and how it relates to us.  Higher integration of ensuing awareness leads us into the realm of “what is consciousness”:  

Science shows that our brain is engaged in a constant process of modelling, or predicting, our environment, both with regard to space and time.  It does so on the basis of previous sensory information, as well as recent and consolidated memory.  Predictions are then matched with reality, and the process begins again.  This is an important distinction from the idea that we are merely reacting to our sensory input.  It introduces the theory that we essentially anticipate the next moment, and then update our model of our environment, continually. 

 Autism can be viewed as an impaired capacity to efficiently engage in this predictive process.  The theory easily explains the insistence on sameness and inflexibility with regard to changing routines, embracing novelty, interacting with moving objects, reduced appreciation of humour and even Theory of Mind, which is essentially the creation of a model of another person in one’s own mind.  An unpredictable world becomes overwhelming, explaining the fear and anxiety we so often witness with the condition, and resorting to self-stimulation (stimming) is an anxiolytic response.  As a result of reduced modelling and predictive capacity, repetition is favoured, and this can turn into a strength as replicative behaviours enhance certain skills or narrow areas of focus. 

 

We can think of autism as brain dysregulation in multiple functional areas.  This results in many comorbidities, which we implicitly address with neurofeedback training as part of a holistic approach.

Some of the challenges we have seen to improve with neurofeedback training include:

 – lack of bodily awareness, motion control and speech, spatial awareness
 – an inability to express, understand and convey emotions and physical needs
 – increased frustration at not being understood, whether on a basic survival needs level or in more emotional / intellectual areas
 – impulsive aggression, potentially morphing into self-fuelling rage and violent behaviour, sometimes self-directed
 – perceived lack of empathy and regard for the needs of others
 – generally being ‘misunderstood’, to the detriment being able to fully develop strengths and talents

With neurofeedback training, we can address these ultimately self-harming divergences and bring out the incredible potential in all of us. 

 Neurofeedback training has been shown to be a safe, feasible, and effective therapy approach to Autism Spectrum Disorder across all ages. 

Multiple studies confirm:

– improved cognitive flexibility

– improved facial recognition

– better behaviour, including being less aggressive, more cooperative and better at communication

– improved functional connectivity in the social brain regions. 

A 9 point improvement in IQ was reported alongside decreased ASD symptoms including attention, anxiety, aprosodias, social functioning, as well as academic and intellectual functioning. 

Sensorimotor behaviour (posturography) improved in children. 

Neurofeedback training has proven calming effects. 

Research evidence for comorbidities, e.g. ADHD, dyslexia, depression, anxiety, seizures, sleep and behaviour is shown under the relevant tabs below.

Emotional Balance is a core necessity for enduring, controlling and dominating the rollercoaster that competition provides.

Neurofeedback is an established method for treating anxiety.  

Athletic training and competition involves a lot of changing gears when it comes to physiological arousal.  From warm-up to competing, cooling down and waiting for the next stage, gearing up again and performing, and repeating this possibly multiple times in a day or session, flexibility and stability is key.

We can train our brain to be more flexible and stable, in particular with respect to having the right, and steady level of physiological arousal for the situation.  

Fears, setbacks and even easy wins can impair our judgement and performance.  Having a strong sense of emotional safety, and the ability to self-soothe, are instrumental in ensuring reliable performance.  

Neurofeedback takes a holistic approach to emotional balance.

 

Neurofeedback training for better emotional self-regulation

Over-attentive with regard to bodies, shapes and faces, and excessive monitoring of our own in relation to others, our self-confidence and social interactions suffer.  There are neural correlates for this which we can train. 

Studies have shown that there are neurological differences in people with Body Dysmorphia Disorder.  By identifying neuromarkers, we can assess vulnerability using a qEEG brain map (Kaiser Neuromap), and then train the affected brain areas accordingly using neurofeedback.

The condition affects higher order visual processing areas, which relates to the emphasis on face and body recognition and the over-attention to detail. 

Also, prefrontal areas pertaining to self-monitoring, risk-taking and empathy are activated differently in BDD. 

Sub-cortical structures involved in reward processing see similar activations. 

BDD has many comorbidities, including anxieties, social phobia, depression and OCD.  Impulsive aggression (violence) and suicidal ideation are also common, as are intrusive thoughts.  

From our experience, these issues, among other, show up as vulnerabilities on a Kaiser Neuromap, and we have successfully resolved body dysmorphia issues in clients using Personalised Brain Training, besides many other comorbidities.

Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is another application of neurofeedback training.  

We have found neurofeedback to be highly effective in assisting physical rehabilitation.  With a Kaiser Neuromap, we can detect areas of hypometabolism that respond hemodynamically with neurofeedback training.  There are neuromarkers for mTBI, as well as Alzheimer’s Disease, though these are non-specific (necessary, not sufficient conditions) and should not be seen as diagnosis.  General (rather than focal) lesions in neurodegenerative conditions appear to form first in the corpus callosum, a fibre bundle linking the two brain hemispheres; altered functional connectivity has been visible there on a brain map too, in our experience, at an early stage.

There is evidence that neurofeedback supports myelination, improving the important sheathing of axons, which is a critical part of the physical recovery process. 

With a brain map, we can detect areas of hypometabolism, some of which are characteristic of mTBI / concussion.  Using the most advanced neurofeedback protocols, we have reversed these, indicating the positive hemodynamic effects of neurofeedback training.  

 

Pain perception has neural correlates – there are brain areas that govern our attentiveness to the signs our bodies are giving us. 

In the first instance, these signs are real messages that something is wrong and needs dealing with.  Medical attention should provide solutions to this.  

Sometimes, pain perception can become irrational in this context, and with neurofeedback training we can help the brain establish a more reasonable approach to interpreting such stimulus.  

 

Neurometabolic Cascade post concussion indicates higher demand on energy against lowered blood flow in the first four minutes, with acute recovery effects lasting days

Immediately following concussion / mTBI, there is an increased demand on energy (glutamate) in the brain, at the same time as cerebral blood flow is constrained.  

This effect is most pronounced during the first four minutes following impact; other neuromodulatory impairments last for days, and it is estimated that cerebral blood flow is only normalised after around ten days.  The blood brain barrier is temporarily disrupted in the first few minutes leading to a complex inflammatory response in the hours and days following injury, and microglia can remain activated for many years.

There are numerous neuromarkers of mTBI, ranging from reduced prefrontal activation to impaired Default Mode Network functionality; while these are non-specific – necessary, but not sufficient conditions – some are highly unusual and show up on a Kaiser Neuromap.  With neurofeedback, we can train these, while restoring general functionality of our neural basis of self (the Default Mode Network).  We have seen impressive recoveries, both with regard to client feedback and before/after brain maps.  

Concussion / mTBI increased the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease by 50% and shares similar mechanisms of promoting tau / amyloid pathology.  TBI also increases the risk of Parkinson’s Disease and is capable of producing a prion-like spread of self-seeding proteinopathy.  Moderate to severe TBI adds around five years to measured brain age, relative to chronological age.  

– Alpha-Theta neurofeedback training has a “beneficial effect on symptom reduction as well as perceived stress.  It also has a beneficial effect on levels of serum cortisol” involving a significant reduction during acute recovery

 – neurofeedback training was shown to be effective with Postconcussion Syndrome (PCS) 

 – efficaceous treatment for chronic posttraumatic headache sustained in military service

 – neurofeedback therapy showed significant changes in structural and functional connectivity in young TBI patients, with cognitive scores and concussion symptoms improving significantly

 – neurofeedback is shown to be an effective intervention for auditory memory

 – deemed “probably an excellent complementary technique” that produced clear benefits in divided and sustained attention, visuospatial skills and the processing speed of motor-dependent tasks in persons with severe TBI

 – beneficial outcomes in upper limb stroke rehabilitation

 – neurofeedback training can lead to a learned modulation of brain signals with associated changes at both neural and behavioural level

 – modulation of premotor cortex and associated motor control areas can be achieved with neurofeedback training

 – improvements in TBI / PTSD in Vietnam Veterans across domains of cognition, pain, sleep, fatigue, mood/emotion, PTSD symptoms and overall activity levels

 – patients report improvement in a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms in TBI following neurofeedback training

 – result of 40 neurofeedback sessions included significant improvements in several motor tasks

The recent rugby player study by the Drake Foundation showed that 23% of players (10 out of 44) had axonal or diffuse vascular injury.  This contrasted with athletes in non-collision sports.  

Mild traumatic brain injuries are common in rugby, with an incidence rate of 20.4 per 1,000 player match hours (14.8 per 1000h in Australia).  

In addition to mTBI, repeated head impacts can lead to neurodegeneration that becomes progressive.  This increases the risk of dementia. 

Trauma, (C-)PTSD

Trauma and abuse leave scars.  

When the viability of our existence has been subjected to threat, our behaviour adapts.  We become primed for hypervigilance, sensitive to triggers, and our physiology responds accordingly.  A heightened sense of awareness now confers safety, and we can even become addicted to this.

 

Trauma and Abuse can be detected by a brain map and treated with neurofeedback

Our brain keeps the score:  Areas responsible for defence and vigilance are activated, even when there is no objective reason.  Sensory stimulus is amplified, and we dedicate value energy resources to the monitoring of others’ intentions.  Anxieties are rekindled, and the strain on our system leaves us exhausted while unable to switch off and effectively recuperate.  Our focus and productivity drop, as does our self-esteem.  We can feel detached from our bodies, dissociating.  Our social capacity is impaired.

Neurofeedback helps us break this cycle:  we equip the brain to get over it, to get on with it, re-establish our sense of self-worth, and the ability to constructively engage with our environment.  We gain a healthy sense of detachment, which allows us to process the past more efficiently and look forward to the future. 

With a brain map, we can identify which parts of our system are being particularly stressed.  Neurofeedback training helps us bring these brain areas into better alignment.  

Typical Symptoms of Trauma and PTSD

 The first indication that we are experiencing trauma / PTSD is when we find ourselves not living in the present.  Enjoyment of the moment and social interaction is clouded by constant ruminations about the past, and worries about the future.  We are unable to ‘let go’, relax, and grasp opportunities as they present themselves in the Now.  

We are plagued by intrusive thoughts that bring us back to events in the past, which needn’t even be related to a traumatic event, but which remind us of some inadequacy and amplify our self-doubt.  Feelings of shame and guilt come into the picture as well, further eroding our self-confidence.  “How can I be happy and enjoy this after what has happened?”.  Similarly, our perception of the future is shrouded in worry and fearful anticipation.  Uncertainty is our greatest foe, our perception of safety is unhinged by any doubt as to what could happen next.  

The absence of a plan becomes a concern, the lack of clarity as to what’s around the corner a burden.  Negativity associated with the past deprives us of hope.  We are thus unable to see uncharted territories ahead as an opportunity, and much rather dwell on impending threats.  

Indeed, our system is primed to protect us, and we are in survival mode.  This process becomes self-feeding as we become addicted to the hyper-arousal our sense of fear induces.  Our sense of joy and looking forward to fun becomes clouded to the extent we forget and no longer yearn it.  Detachment sets in, further isolating us from feelings that previously motivated us.  This process can even start slow and subtly, yet the cycle is self-fulfilling and deprives us of the necessary perspective to break and get out.

In Personalised Brain Training, our definition of trauma is wider.  We include for example perceived loss of social standing, which can be either the cause or the consequence of a traumatic event or development.  The perceived loss of social position results in us feeling judged.  We become hypersensitive to how people approach us, talk to us, deal with us.  

This is a subjective concept, as it should be, given that trauma should be recognised as an issue of perception by the affected person, rather than a concept being ‘awarded’ by an unrelated party, though external affirmation can help and medical advice should be sought in any event.  As humans, social recognition is a critical component of our biological drive to propagate.  Attraction relies on this, which ultimately leads to bonding.  

Consequently, there are numerous brain areas devoted to, or involved in, the assessment of our position with regard to others.  When our self-perception is assailed, or even the viability of our self is questioned, we are naturally shaken.  Various brain areas become dysrhythmic.  These include areas responsible for our body control and awareness, and many therapies focus on engaging the body and somatosensory system with a view to inducing cerebral changes.  

However, this is only a part of the picture – there are many, arguably more powerful neuronal centres in the brain that are affected by trauma, and with a Kaiser Neuromap and Default Network Training (together, Personalised Brain Training), we can assess the issues more accurately, completely and efficiently, as well as then successfully training the brain to overcome trauma and setting ourselves on course for a positive trajectory.  

Another consequence of trauma is that we may feel unable to rationally assert a sense of safety.  This is different to self-nurture, or an emotional sense of safety.  When we are unable to talk ourselves down from a situation we lose the ability to effectively regulate our moods, to switch off when we need to, and ultimately can become excessively paranoid.  

There are neural correlates for this behaviour, and we can asses this with a Kaiser Neuromap.  Safety and assurance are core needs we are programmed to seek to fulfil.  Authority and role models help us in this quest.  When we become dysregulated in our ability to self-soothe, we are also compromised in our ability to find paternal guidance.  As a result, we tend to over-idolise figures who seemingly exude strength and power, or disobey completely and become unnecessarily rebellious – both immature behaviour patterns.  Resetting this balance is crucial to achieving calming, regulated emotions, reduced hypervigilance and controlling impulsiveness.  Personalised Brain Training lets us achieve this. 

When hypervigilance persists untreated, we face further problems.  

Physically, our heart beats faster and harder, more of the time, which is a clear stress on our system.  

Mentally, we become prone to developing intrusive thoughts, even when we are able to relax, and more so when we are stressed, where these can take on third-person character, a voice in our head.  This can have a destabilising effect, not least because we are now spending energy ‘defeating’ other perspectives we are internally engaged with, and thus distracting us from the ‘now’.  Being on hyper-alert can also make us more susceptible to feeling relational to sensory input, in that we feel that everything is directed at us, which can set us up for psychosis.  

As we lose our ability to enjoy the moment, our social interactions suffer.  Exercising our social brain keeps us alive and forms the basis for sound mental health.  Our brains are adaptive, and we need to provide stimulus to maintain connections and sustain flexibility.  Isolation deprives us of many necessary exercises.  For example, brain areas that deal with face recognition also respond to affective interactions and the ability to discriminate between emotional content of faces.  We need to keep training these brain areas through social interaction in order to maintain emotional recognition – it is not a surprise that perpetual mask-wearing heightens our social anxiety (aside from adverse physical effects).  

Social recognition, a key component of our biological need to attract and bond, is driven by sensory interpretations.  Again, we need to exercise brain areas that contribute to this, including language and speech generation and comprehension, auditory sensitivity, and monitoring rewards for actions, both directly and vicariously.  Our mirror neuron system contributes towards learning from others’ mistakes or examples, and consequently the storage of social rules necessary for constructive functioning in a society.  

Inclusion is imperative to establishing a healthy self-image or sense of self.  This in turn is crucial to forming stable relationships with friends, family and forming healthy alliances necessary for personal and professional progression.  When we lose our sense of belonging to a group or cause, we may become unstable in our self-perception and our relationships with others.  The effect may snowball into perceptions of abandonment, feelings of emptiness and dissociation; this in turn correlates with mood dysregulation, impulsive and often dangerous behaviours, intrusive thoughts and potential self-harm.  

With Personalised Brain Training, we can assess vulnerability to these traits as they manifest in functional brain area dysrhythmia that shows in a Kaiser Neuromap; with Default Network Training, an advanced form of neurofeedback, we can train these brain areas and networks in a holistic manner to help re-establish balance.  This enables us to reconnect with our environment and re-enter a positive feedback loop.

Sleep is adversely affected by trauma.  First, the mind needs to ‘let go’ in order to enter deeper sleep cycles, which is a challenge for many.  Excessive rumination and intrusive thoughts can hinder this, as does the loss of our ability to rationally calm ourselves down.  The depth of our sleep is governed by our ability to self-nurture and create an emotional ‘safe space’.  Homeostasis during various sleep stages is governed by other parts of our brain, some still involving the cortex.  With a Kaiser Neuromap we can detect dysrhythmia in the relevant brain areas and train these accordingly with Default Network Training (together, Personalised Brain Training).  

Focus and organisation suffers as a consequence of sleep issues.  This time, different brain areas are affected, which we can also train.  When we are unable to concentrate and produce our best output, we become demotivated and our mood and sense of self suffer.  Again, there are brain areas responsible for these aspects of being, for which we can again detect dysrhythmia and provide neurofeedback training.  The process is holistic – many components have to work together effectively for us to function optimally. 

Mood regulation suffers when we lose social integration, sleep and focus. Neurofeedback training found to significantly help 80% of people with depression by aiming to restore motivation, improving sleep and focus, and reducing anxiety.  

There are numerous potential cortical contributors to depression, and with a brain map we can see vulnerabilities.  

Neurofeedback training lets us address these as well as establish a generally improved sense of well-being in a holistic manner.  he positive effects of neurofeedback training have been shown to be lasting.  Neurofeedback is non-invasive and medication-free.

There are multiple types of anxiety, each correlating with one or more brain areas being dysrhythmic:

  • Social anxiety: When we’re in a situation with other people and our understanding of the social dynamics and complexities is overwhelmed. 
  • Sensory overload: our brain interprets all sensory stimulus as directed to ourselves.  We lose the ability to discern what is directed at us, and which matters or interactions are of no concern to us.  This sets us up for panic attacks and ultimately psychosis.  It also means we become singular in our perspective, unable to take on other points of view
  • Loss of narrative: Our episodic understanding of the situation, how we got there and what happens next, is impaired, and we are unsure of where we are and where we’re going.  This hyperactivates our amygdala, and the sensation is highly emotional
  • Auditory sensitivity: we become prone to overly interpreting the emotional content of words and sounds, creating an air of prickliness and pushing people away without knowing it
  • Activation: Our ARAS is responsible for setting the right level of physiological arousal, or wakefulness, for the situation, and to remain stable there.  When this is on overdrive, we are pushed further into fight-or-flight mode than necessary, thus heightening sensory sensitivity.  Panic attacks are an extreme manifestation.
  • Trauma: an inability to self-nurture – creating an emotional safe-space around us – and self-soothe – being able to talk ourselves down rationally from a situation, thus resulting in mood instability.  This can also manifest in dissociation and heightened pain perception.  We ruminate about the past and worry about the future, instead of being able to enjoy the present. 
  • Intrusive thoughts: Self-criticism overshadows motivation and confidence, and we become self-aware and distracted by negative thoughts and feelings.  Some use acquired habits to distract from this. Our confidence, motivation and social interaction suffer as a result.

The primary issue of trauma affects brain areas that are activated during empathy and forgiveness.  With these two qualities impaired, our emotional life suffers, as do our social capacities.  With neurofeedback training, we can restore functionality of these brain areas.  Another reason this is important is because we do not want to become oppressors ourselves.  As we lose our sense of emotional investment in our surroundings, we become careless with regard to others’ feelings and needs.  

Implicitly, we are now capable of unintended yet real behaviour patterns that can harm others, as we become deaf to feedback.  Not only has trauma affected us, it now makes us perpetrators that pass it on. 

Besides reduced social interaction and a less meaningful emotional life that is now more self-centred – and with the wrong type of therapy, becomes self-indulgent and self-perpetuating – we can experience a physical withdrawal from our environment.  Dissociation can be momentary and intense, or subtle and ongoing to the extent that we are not even cognisant of it.  Either way, our bodies retreat from sensations, analogous to our emotional withdrawal.  

Many therapies aim to revive our sense of ownership of our bodies, and thus ultimately our life and future, by training our body awareness in various ways.  Realising that our bodies are steered by our mind, specifically our cortex, we can train the relevant brain areas that govern our body perception and movement execution.  

Neurofeedback training effectively complements these approaches by directly treating the areas involved in perception and interaction with our surroundings.

One of the first manifestations of trauma is in our bodies.  Aside from heightened physiological arousal, a form of paralysis can override our natural motions and postures.  Stress, and pain ensue, which can often be felt all around the body.  Fibromyalgia is a variant of this phenomenon, as are headaches, chest pains, and chronic fatigue.  

There are many techniques for combating this form of physical dissociation.  Neurofeedback complements these by training the brain areas that instruct the body to behave in this undesirable way.  It is a holistic approach, and we restore overall calming while providing the brain with rational and emotional capacity to overcome its challenges.  

An inability to self-nurture – creating an emotional safe-space around us – and self-soothe – being able to talk ourselves down rationally from a situation, thus resulting in mood instability.  This can also manifest in dissociation and heightened pain perception, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.  We ruminate about the past and worry about the future, instead of being able to enjoy the present.  

Our autonomic nervous system is primed to produce sympathetic nervous system responses, or fight-flight-freeze mode.  This wears us down, as it is more energy intensive, our recuperation periods are shortened and we can even become used to the adrenalinergic buzz of being in hypervigilant overdrive.  It becomes a safe space.  Our pain perception is altered and fluctuates between numbness and hypersensitivity.  Deprived of a ‘calm’ reference state, we become vulnerable to overattributing emotions to sensations.    

Dissociation is another phenomenon that can ensue, and this can be subtle and paroxysmal.  Engagement of defensive mechanisms is triggered pre-, or subconsciously.  This can compromise our ability to rationally self-soothe – the role of our prefrontal cortex.  Instead, our limbic system is primed.  We also lose our emotional sense of safety.  The integrity of our Default Mode Network is challenged, as is the natural transition between its activation and that of the Task Positive Network.  We are less able to regulate engagement with our environment and the neurological basis for our sense of self is under threat.

There are distinct brain areas regulating pain, physical sensations and our self-awareness, and we can train these with neurofeedback.  We can also train brain areas with strong connections to sub-cortical structures that regulate our autonomic nervous system, including the amygdala and our reticular activating (or limbic) system.  Our brain is ultimately in charge of trauma response, and with neurofeedback we can assess vulnerability to its various submodalities, and address these with training.  This is evidence-based and effective. 

See here for more information on Neurofeedback and Trauma.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia often presents together with ADD/ADHD and other behavioural issues.  With a Kaiser Neuromap, we can assess vulnerabilities, and then train these with Personalised Brain Training.

Dyslexia is an impaired ability to understand written and printed words or phrases and affects 10-20% of the population in both males and females.  The disorder can result in learning difficulties, poor academic performance, stigmatisation and ensuing behavioural issues.  

While often classed as a disability, there are associated strengths:  creativity, the ability to solve complex problems, unorthodox approaches to ideas and projects, and a more detached ability to apply logical thinking are some of these.  Nonetheless, the condition can impair school and social functioning, slow maturation and significantly affect self-confidence and -esteem.

“Picked up a book and started reading! Unheard of before, I could never get her interested in reading for herself.”​  – Mother of Anna (9)

There are multiple types of dyslexia and neurofeedback can help with many aspects

There are neural correlates with dyslexia which we can train with neurofeedback.  

Reading and comprehension involves multiple brain areas as well as their seamless communication.  We have Wernicke’s area for comprehension, and Broca’s for speech generation.  Additionally, there are regions involved in sequencing, visual recognition, focus and attention, and contextualisation or syntax recognition of subject matter along with various memory-related areas. 

It is important to note that there are different types of dyslexia.  A brain map shows us which brain areas are dysrhythmic.  

With neurofeedback, we train brain areas involved in visual and auditory processing; memory; focus and attention; syntax and context; sequencing and organisation.  We also train the connections between these areas.  The approach is holistic:  we work on core networks, and their integration with each other.   

Research on Neurofeedback and Dyslexia

Research has shown that neurofeedback training can improve reading ability and phonolocigal awareness deficit in children with reading disabilities, as well as improvements in spelling.  

For a summary of 18 neuroscientific research studies on language learning impairment produced until 2015, see here. 

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is often linked to trauma and presents with other symptoms such as anxiety, mood dysregulation and sleep issues.  Neurofeedback is an evidence-based treatment for many of these comorbidities.  

The elusive source of pain in fibromyalgia can result in misdiagnosis, and often skepticism from medical professionals, compounded by a lack of specific treatment options.  This can further erode the sufferer’s self confidence, as they are faced with doubt and misunderstanding.  With neurofeedback, we take a holistic approach by stabilising the Default Mode Network, thus re-establishing a healthy sense of self; helping with exacerbating factors such as sleep and motivation issues, and anxieties.  Neurofeedback has been shown to be effective in trauma and PTSD.  

Fibromyalgia patients report significantly improved pain severity and interference, fibromyalgia symptom severity, sleep latency and sustained attention following eight weeks of neurofeedback training.  

A separate study finds significant improvement in cognitive dysfunction, fatigue, pain, sleep, depression and overall activity level in fibromyalgia sufferers,  further illustrating the debilitating comorbidities of this condition. 

Fibromyalgia patients saw an 82% reduction of fatigue, depression and anxiety, and an increase in social and physical functioning; these effects were upheld.  Another fibromyalgia study with different neurofeedback protocols achieved a 39% improvement, and another found a 55% improvement.  Neurofeedback training improved functional connectivity in somatomotor areas leading to reduced impact of fibromyalgia and pain symptoms and improved quality of life.

Chronic pain sufferers of Spinal Chord Injury found immediate and lasting effects on pain intensity from neurofeedback training. 

Self-criticism overshadows motivation and confidence, and we become self-aware and distracted by negative thoughts and feelings.  Some use acquired habits to distract from this. Our confidence, motivation and social interaction suffer as a result. 

With a brain map, we can identify vulnerability to various mechanisms of self-deprecation, ranging from thought, habits and mood regulation to actions and self-acceptance.  With neurofeedback, we train core networks responsible for our sense of self, as well as brain areas related to adverse behaviour and sensory interpretation. 
Clients report feeling more grounded, calm and optimistic.  Neurofeedback takes a holistic approach, and we are usually also working on areas related to productivity and motivation. 

Menopause

Menopause can have adverse cognitive and mental health symptoms.  This is a particularly difficult time when raising children with strong emotional needs as they enter puberty contemporaneously.  Ideally, we would like to be grounded and able to offer support while going through a transformative period ourselves.

Neurofeedback training has been shown to be an effective, non-invasive, medication-free treatment for many mental health issues precipitated or exacerbated by menopause..  

It is a complementary therapy and evidence presented is based on general applicability, rather than being menopause-specific. 

The menopausal transition is often accompanied by mood, memory and sleep issues.  

Managing symptoms becomes important to avoid cumulative effects resulting in  cognitive impairments. 

Symptoms experienced during menopause include: 

 – weight gain and body awareness issues

 – anxiety 

 – depression 

 – sexual dysfunction and impaired sense of self

 – sleep disturbance 

 – brain fog: attention and working memory issues

 – vasomotor irregularities: hot flashes, night sweats

Personalised Brain Training aims to restore a healthy sense of self by working on brain areas that are core to our individuality, and addressing areas contributing towards anxiety, mood regulation, sleep, memory and physiological self-regulation. 

The process is enjoyable – while watching a movie, we obtain a real-time measurement of a particular brain area’s performance.  Feedback is given via small changes in volume, which our preconscious mind understands and uses to adjust it’s behaviour, thus learning to be more efficient.  The result is a feeling of calm and self-assurance, with improvements in focus, motivation and sleep. Responsiveness can usually be assessed within a few sessions.

Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Mood Regulation and Motivation

There are numerous contributors to depressive tendencies from a neural perspective.  A brain map lets us identify possible cortical contributors, and we can train important neural hubs that affect our ability to regulate mood.

In this sense, neurofeedback is a next-generation treatment for depression.  We seek to avoid reliance on medication, especially from an early age.

The effectiveness of neurofeedback training in treating depression is well-documented.  Effects have been shown to be strong and lasting.  Working on depression helps us re-establish our sense of safety in the world, and often correlates with our ability to fall asleep. 

 

Depression and the road ahead, treatment with neurofeedback

There are multiple contributors to Depression, and neurofeedback has been shown to help with each: 

 – mood regulation and stability

 – motivation and productivity

 – sleep and effective recuperation

With Personalised Brain Training we take a holistic approach:  Key neural networks responsible for our sense of self, for focus and productivity, and for mood regulation are addressed during neurofeedback training.  The process is non-invasive and medication free, as well as enjoyable as we use movies to embed the feedback.

Bipolar disorder affects one in five people with depression.  Again, we can address brain areas responsible for maintaining stability, and help calming, particularly important during manic episodes, thus seeking to avoid psychosis.  Also, given that more than two-thirds of bipolar disorder sufferers are misdiagnosed initially, identifying the presence of non-specific neuromarkers can aid (but not replace) the diagnosis process.

Neurofeedback helps motivation by training dopamine pathways in the cortex

The US National Library of Medicine records over 140 peer-reviewed research papers on neurofeedback and depression, with a significant recent rise in research attention to this non-invasive, drug-free treatment method.  Here are some excerpts of the scientific evidence supporting neurofeedback for depression.  Note the diversity of brain areas involved, suggesting that depression need not have a single nor consistent source, and the comorbidities often found: 

Dr. Corydon Hammond finds in his 2005 paper, “Neurofeedback Treatment of Depression and Anxiety” that neurofeedback training results in “enduring improvements approximately 80% of the time”, with most perceiving a difference after between three and six sessions; a “very significant improvement” after 10-12 sessions, and more so after over 20 sessions.  

Twenty sessions of neurofeedback training led to a significant improvement in sleep, anxiety and depression evaluations.  The same disorders plus inattention showed significant improvements when conducting ten or more sessions in a naturalistic setting.   

Neurofeedback improved depressive symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) patients, with significant decrease in anxiety and clinical illness severity noted as a result of the training.   Cognitive depression was reduced here.  Anhedonia and comorbid anxiety in MDD were also improved in this recent study. Cognitive impairment during MDD is recognised and neurofeedback treatment advocated.  Its effectiveness on a variety of cognitive functions in MDD such as working memory, attention and executive functions is established.   

Neurofeedback is recognised as a next-generation treatment for Major Depressive Disorder. 

Increased happiness ratings, mood improvements and decrease in anxiety was documented with related increased activity in specific brain areas.  Cognitive-affective brain areas as neural targets for treating depression are recognised here, while higher-order visual areas are implicated in this study that recognises that neurofeedback training can reduce depressive symptoms by over 40%.   Further success in treating MDD with comorbid anxiety symptoms was documented here, training specific brain areas.

Sub-threshold depression was improved in college students and recommended as an effective new way for college students to improve self-regulation of emotion.  

Rumination, a maladaptive emotional-regulation strategy, was found to have a neurological basis that was successfully reduced while ameliorating depression.  The tendency to preferentially attend to negative stimuli in the world and negative thoughts in mind during depression was found to be controllable with neurofeedback.  Ruminative processes and avoidance when dealing with autobiographical memories were attributed to specific brain areas and recognised as contributing to Major Depressive Disorder, promoting neurofeedback training as a depression treatment.  Similar brain areas when trained with neurofeedback resulted in improvements in self-esteem.   

Training brain areas responsive to negative stimuli decreased negative cognitive biases in MDD, showing greater decrease in self-reported emotional  response to negative scenes and self-descriptive adjectives.  Neurofeedback training is also able to improve processing of positive stimuli in MDD patients.  Another recent study achieved significant improvements in reducing the severity of depression and rumination in MDD training a different brain area.  Lasting effects of reinforcement learning of better brain habits on rehabilitating emotion regulation in depression through neurofeedback were found.  Depressive symptoms were alleviated consistently. 

The treatment resistance of recurrent depression is linked to rigid negative self-representations during an identity formative period in adolescents, with potential lifetime repercussions.  The study finds neurological evidence for which it recommends neurofeedback interventions.  Significant and lasting improvements following neurofeedback training were discovered in another study on Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD).  Significant reduction in depression symptoms were reported after four neurofeedback sessions in patients showing no response to current pharmacological or psychological therapies for depression.  

Post-operative depression and anxiety, pain, difficulties sleeping and attention and memory problems were resolved in 20 neurofeedback sessions.  The 45-year old female was able to return to work subsequently.   Cancer patients found non-invasive, drug-free neurofeedback to ameliorate pain, fatigue, depression and sleep.  Chronic Stroke victims found neurofeedback therapy to reduce anxiety and depression level while improving motor, verbal and cognitive skills. 

Opiate addicts treated additionally with neurofeedback showed greater improvement in depression and somatic symptoms, and relief from withdrawal, as did cocaine addicted individuals. 

Multiple Sclerosis sufferers saw depression, fatigue and anxiety reduced, and the results were maintained at a 2-month follow-up. 

Elderly patients found a significant improvement of their depression condition following neurofeedback treatment.   

Surgery Residents with burnout and depression saw a return to a more efficient neural network following neurofeedback training. 

Neurofeedback has been shown to improve sleep quality and sleep onset as early as 1982, with substantially more research interest confirming this in recent years, also in relation with pain and seizures.

Neurofeedback was shown to additionally benefit patients undergoing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. 

 

Neurofeedback for Depression and Bipolar Disorder

Motor Issues, Dyspraxia, Tics, Stutter, Tourette's

Our brain controls our movements.  Functional connectivity dysregulation in autism can affect many of the brain areas involved in planning and executing motor actions.  With neurofeedback, we can train these areas to improve symptoms in an evidence-based manner.

There are various cortical, and sub-cortical brain areas involved in motor coordination.  With neurofeedback, we are training the cortex.  Many cortical areas have deep connections to the basal ganglia and cerebellum, and it appears that we are training these deeper structures implicitly. 

In our experience, the following issues can resolve with neurofeedback training:

 – motor issues, such as dyspraxia and lack of coordination

 – stutter and speech production

 – facial tics

 – uncontrolled, compulsive movements and actions. 

Before and after brain maps corroborate these findings; research has so far focused on neuromarkers for these phenomena, and suggest neurotherapy as an adjunct to traditional therapies. 

Tourette’s Syndrome can involve many of the above issues, as well as lack of executive control, again an aspect we have seen improve substantially with neurofeedback training.

 

Neurofeedback can help with stutter, motor coordination issues, facial tics and dyspraxia

Before and after brain maps corroborate these findings; research has so far focused on neuromarkers for these phenomena, and suggest neurotherapy as an adjunct to traditional therapies. 

Tourette’s Syndrome can involve many of the above issues, as well as lack of executive control, again an aspect we have seen improve substantially with neurofeedback training.

Neurofeedback is an effective, evidence-based method to reduce migraines. 

The source and phenomenon of migraines is elusive.  Elements in the brainstem that form part of our reticular activating system are suspected to be generators.  Neurofeedback training seeks to calm this. 

Studies have found cortical differences in migraineurs, which gives us the opportunity to train relevant brain areas.  Notably these comprise parts of the Default Mode Network, which we aim to strengthen with neurofeedback. 

Personalised Brain Training takes a holistic approach and we look for comorbid symptoms such as PTSD, sleep issues, mood regulation, focus and attention, and anxiety to improve.  Neurofeedback is an evidence-based approach to these challenges.  

Migraines can respond quickly, though often the process can be extended; secondary symptoms such as sleep, mood regulation, focus and anxiety should respond meanwhile.  This usually becomes clear within the first few sessions. 

Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder

Obsessions and Compulsions are behaviour patterns we may observe, and which in themselves appear to be pathological or non-conventional.  What underlies their motivation however can be far more sinister than what meets the eye.  It is often a way for a person to manage or attempt to expunge an internal thought process, which they may or may not be conscious of.  We look to break the cycle: Both the internal spiral and the physical manifestation (obsessive / compulsive behaviour patterns), which in themselves can precipitate further mental health issues and social problems.  

There are different neural correlates for various OCD behaviours, confirming that this is not a unitary pathology.  With a brain map, we can detect dysrhythmia, and train the relevant areas with neurofeedback.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is defined in the latest handbook of psychopathologies, the DSM-5, per below.  For the purpose of seeking help and treatment with neurofeedback, a complementary therapy method, we are less interested in whether to fit someone in a basket – huge overlap may exist with other defined pathologies, which include depression, anxiety, body awareness issues, psychotic behaviour and the autism and schizophrenia spectrums.  

Rather, we look for vulnerabilities as expressed in a Kaiser Neuromap and train these accordingly. 

Comorbidities of OCD

OCD most commonly presents with a number of other mental health issues.  With neurofeedback we can address most of these symptoms in an evidence-based, medication-free manner.

Around two-thirds of OCD sufferers also present with depression.  One fifth have anxiety or panic disorder.  Mood regulation, ADHD, trauma and substance abuse affects ten percent, as do body awareness disorders.  Tics and autism can affect one in twenty. 

OCD is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and has significant overlap with many mental health comorbidities, such as ADHD, anxiety, body dysmorphia, tics, depression, autism and schizophrenia, and we can threat these with neurofeedback training

DSM-5 Definition of OCD

The presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both  AND the obsessions or compulsions are time consuming (e.g., take more than one hour per day) or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning AND the disturbance is not due to the direct physiological efects of a substance (e.g. drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition AND the disturbance is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder

(1) Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive, unwanted, and that in most individuals cause marked anxiety or distress; and (2) The individual attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, urges or images, or to neutralise them with some thought or action (i.e., by performing a compulsion).

(1) Repetitive behaviours (e.g. hand washing, ordering checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to the rules that must be applied rigidly; and (2) the behaviours or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however these behaviours or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralise or prevent or are clearly excessive.

 

Behaviour patterns we can seek to address with neurofeedback training include the following: 

 –  excessive worries, intrusive thoughts and ruminations

 – guilty ruminations and negative outlook

 – preoccupation with self and appearance

 – substance abuse issues

 – inappropriate risk taking, impulse-control and lack of inhibition

 – social awareness and invasive behaviour

 – hallucinations, delusions and excessive internal dialogue

 – repetitive restrictive behaviour

 – letting go – emotional and physical hoarding.

Pain perception has neural correlates – there are brain areas that govern our attentiveness to the signs our bodies are giving us. 

In the first instance, these signs are real messages that something is wrong and needs dealing with.  Medical attention should provide solutions to this.  

Sometimes, pain perception can become irrational in this context, and with neurofeedback training we can help the brain establish a more reasonable approach to interpreting such stimulus.  

 

PoTS - Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) was first described in the 1940s, refined in 1993 and finally received a specific diagnostic code in October 2022.  It is characterised by exercise intolerance and near syncope upon standing upright, elevated pulse (tachycardia) by 30-40bpm within 10 minutes of standing up, fatigue, anxiety and light-headedness.  Often misdiagnosed as chronic anxiety or panic disorder, the group of symptoms comprised by PoTS has a biomarker and increasingly considered an autoimmune disorder, rather than only autonomic nervous system dysfunction.  Specifically, increased levels of cytokines and chemokines characteristic of an innate immune condition were found, similar to autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, type-1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). 

The condition affects females five times more frequently than males, mainly between 15-25 years of age, with over one million affected in the US alone.  PoTS symptoms can persist for years, though half of patients find that orthostatic symptoms and functional impairment subside within five years, and of thost most within 1-2 years.  It is estimated that 2-14% of Covid sufferers go on to develop PoTS, while 30% of long Covid patients, especially women, meet the diagnostic criteria.

A client presenting with PoTS like symptoms, recovered within three months of starting neurofeedback training, to the extent that the tachycardia was fully under control and anxieties had subsided substantially.  Clinical studies will have to prove correlation.  Notably, physical symptoms became manageable, from being previously incapacitating, in a relatively short period of time.  This result is encouraging, especially with regard to the speed and extent of recovery, and neurofeedback has been shown to be effective for anxiety.  Also, in this person, other neurological issues could be detected with qEEG.  

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) affects about 5% of the population.  It is a serious, chronic condition characterised by a painful urge to move the limbs.  This is only relieved by walking, and can affect the ability to fall asleep, as much as concentration during seated tasks, like office work.

Treatment often involves medication that affects dopamine or norepinephrine levels.  These are considered strong, regular and indeed permanent interventions by many.

Neurofeedback, in our experience, has woked in reducing and eliminating restless leg symptoms in many clients.  In fact, while optimising training frequency during a neurofeedback session, the symptom has been observed to stop when this was found.  A subsequent small deviation would restart the symptom, only to subside again upon return to the optimum training frequency.  This suggests that restless leg syndrome is highly sensitive and susceptible to neurofeedback training.

To have a chance at permanency, it is recommended to do twenty sessions of neurofeedback.  The cost of this compares very favourably to the irritation the untreated RLS causes.  This includes lack of sleep, resulting irritability, loss of productivity, and the potential for side effects if a medication route is chosen.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia comprises a wide range of thought disorders, which ultimately affect an individual’s ability to share a reality with others.  Causes can be trauma, emotional or physical; drug use; stress; genetics.   

With neurofeedback training we aim to restore a healthy sense of self; flexibilise the social brain; and ameliorate comorbidities such as intrusive thoughts, mood disorders, focus and attention issues, paranoia and anxieties; and psychosis. 

Neurofeedback training can improve functional connectivity and strengthen white matter tracts, both of which are impaired in Schizophrenia.  

Each person is different:  with a Kaiser Neuromap we assess individual vulnerabilities and train these with neurofeedback.  Personalised Brain Training enables the person to unfold their genius in a socially reciprocal manner.  

Neurofeedback is medication-free, non-invasive and evidence-based. 

Schizophrenia fMRI Brain shows diminished Default Mode Network Difference
Diminished Default Mode Network functionality in Schizophrenia per fMRI

While there are certain commonalities between sufferers of schizophrenia, no two brains are the same.  On the basis of a brain map we can identify particular vulnerabilities and work on these specifically. 

Neurofeedback training can help restore the integrity of the Default Mode Network, the neural basis for ‘self’, as well as switching between self-referential states and active modes (the Central Executive and the Salience Networks). 

Emotional self-regulation can be improved and anxiety, depression, sleep and focus issues alleviated.  

Neurofeedback can calm the brain and help manage the ‘Voices’, as well as other regions prone to over-priming external agency.  Significant reduction in Auditory Verbal Hallucinations (AVH) has been achieved with neurofeedback training. 

Psychosis is a state that can occur, and recur, in persons diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Trauma and neurodegenerative conditions.  Note however that it is not a necessary condition for any of these.

Daniel Webster of Neurofeedback London-Brighton has extensive experience working with Schizophrenia patients.  Research and experience have shown effectiveness of neurofeedback training for Schizophrenia and its various comorbidities (see other tabs)

Psychosis

A feature of psychosis is a state of mind where all sensory stimulus is interpreted as being directed to oneself.  

While it is natural for infants and children to interpret the world this way, we grow out of this mode between the ages of 3-5.  We can assist this important maturation step with neurofeedback training.

As we mature, we start to learn that not everything that’s happening in the world is directed at ourselves.  

Feeling as if everything is directed at us results in anxiety and / or deep depression, and clouds our interactions with others.

It also reduces our ability to take on other perspectives, consider different views and be accommodating of others’ stances.  This reduces people’s self-awareness and thus insight into the need for change and improvement, providing another obstacle to betterment.

Shocks, such as trauma, drug use (in particular, cannabis and cocaine) and isolation (such as lockdowns) can cause us to revert into this child-like state, without us noticing. 

Psychosis is a state that can occur, and recur, in persons diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Trauma and neurodegenerative conditions.  Note however that it is not a necessary condition for any of these. 

Schizophrenia comprises a wide range of thought disorders, which ultimately affect an individual’s ability to share a reality with others.  Causes can be trauma, emotional or physical; drug use; stress; genetics.   

With neurofeedback training we aim to restore a healthy sense of self; flexibilise the social brain; and ameliorate comorbidities such as intrusive thoughts, mood disorders, focus and attention issues, paranoia and anxieties; and psychosis.  

Each person is different:  with a Kaiser Neuromap we assess individual vulnerabilities and train these with neurofeedback.  Personalised Brain Training enables the person to unfold their genius in a socially reciprocal manner.  

Neurofeedback is medication-free, non-invasive and evidence-based. 

Schizophrenia is an elusive term: its definition allows for wide subjective interpretation, and resembles almost an ‘other’ category for mental health disorders not elsewhere defined more strictly.  Whether overlap and/or comorbidity, the following addresses the phenomenon resulting from dysrhythmia of key Default Mode Network nodes and thus a disintegration of the neurological definition of ‘self’.  Labelling can have deleterious consequences for a person’s self-esteem, and it risks association with worse symptoms and manifestations than experienced.   

In Schizophrenia, the formation of a neural basis for a ‘self’, the Default Mode Network, is impaired, as is its ability to anti-correlate with the Central Executive Network.  Key nodes of these networks are often dysrhythmic, impacting the ability to self-sooth and self-nurture.  

Thought disorders, delusions or hallucinations are signs of not engaging sufficiently with the outside world.  These have neural correlates which we can detect with a Kaiser Neuromap and then train with neurofeedback.   

Many other pathologies ensue, including trauma, mood dysregulation, sleep and focus issues, and other personality disorders are at risk of developing as the social brain breaks down. 

With neurofeedback, we aim to restore social functionality, launching the person back into a virtuous cycle of affirmation and productivity with others.  

Daniel Webster has done week-long intensives with clients, where substantial progress was made in reducing psychosis and trauma symptoms.  This was ascertainable with before and after Kaiser Neuromaps, corroborating positive functional connectivity changes.  These were confirmed cognitively by the clients and their families. 

Neurofeedback is a form of complementary therapy and works alongside medication and psychotherapy, as well as calm-inducing approaches aimed at re-socialisation and maximising of interpersonal function.  

Causes of Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder include migration, cannabis and substance abuse, trauma and genetics

Seizures and Epilepsy

One of the first discoveries made in the exploration of EEG, fifty years ago in 1972, was the ability to improve seizure resistance through neurofeedback. 

An analysis of studies indicated that 82% of subjects demonstrated significant (more than 30%) seizure reduction, with an average value of 50%.  

A 2009 review of studies established that EEG operant conditioning was found to produce a significant reduction on seizure frequency.

Barry Sterman was able to cure a 23-year old female epileptic from seizures using his SMR-biofeedback training over the course of two-and-a-half years. 

Another pioneer of the field, Joel Lubar, reached similar results.  

In our experience, neurofeedback has improved seizure resistant in many cases, and has always been beneficial in the treatment of secondary mental health effects.  Medical attention should always be sought, and sources can be diverse and elusive.

Self-Harm

Impulsive aggression can become self-directed at times.  This irrational urge is often triggered when an autistic child doesn’t get what they want, or feels misunderstood and frustrated.  Self harm can also take the form of resignation, accepting less than one’s worth, and thus denying oneself recognition and opportunity.

Neurofeedback calms the mind and we can address brain areas contributing to self-harming ideation and intrusive thoughts. 

We look to improve sense of self, reduce anxieties and strengthen inhibition levels while reducing self-directed impulsive aggression. 

Self Harm can take many forms, and with a brain map we can detect vulnerabilities and treat these with neurofeedback

‘Self-harm’ can take many forms, and beyond physical manifestations (e.g. cutting, suicidal thought or even action) it can be more subtle: 

 – Accepting less than what we’re worth, overly and unnecessarily acquiescing to the perceived demands of others when not at all in our own self-interest, self-deprecation 

 – an inability to defend one’s own stance and needs are often overlooked and can be very harmful to a person’s development, especially when repeated and consolidated into a character trait.

With a Kaiser Neuromap we can detect vulnerability to such behaviour, including suicidal tendencies or ideation.  

This is not diagnosis and it is non-specific in that dysrhythmia of the brain area(s) responsible for this is a necessary, but not sufficient condition.  Nevertheless, it is a worthwhile finding that can help prevent worse outcomes by prompting awareness and intervention.  

With neurofeedback training, we have helped self-harming adolescents transition from ‘cutting’ and dissociation to becoming engaged young individuals who are able to stand their ground, maturely deal with setbacks and embrace the sense of being part of a community.

Neurofeedback is a complementary therapy and medical attention should be sought in cases of self-harm.

Our brain interprets all sensory stimulus as directed to ourselves.  We lose the ability to discern what is directed at us, and which matters or interactions are of no concern to us.  This sets us up for panic attacks and ultimately psychosis.  It also means we become singular in our perspective, unable to take on other points of view. 

Ideally, we would like to have a healthy sense of detachment and the ability to take on other perspectives while being free to develop and defend our own.  This contrasts with a state where we feel that every sensory stimulus is aimed at us.  It is also different to dissociation, where we don’t feel part of the situation or even our body.  Rather, it is about being able to discern between what is directed at us, and which are other dynamics in the room that don’t concern us.  We also want this process to be instinctive, that is, pre-conscious and efficient, so we don’t have to waste conscious resources, and time that takes us away from the moment.  

 

An extreme example is when we feel that too much is going on around us and we respond by having to turn the music down, explode at our environment or, potentially worse, retreating into tacit acceptance and self-deprecating thought.  We can even feel that people are talking about us, and are convinced that we are the centre of every situation.  This is highly stressful, resulting in anxiety and often deep depression.  It can also lead to psychosis, for which this state of mind is a necessary, but not sufficient condition.

With neurofeedback, we can restore the brain’s ability to self-regulate efficiently. 

Sleep

"I felt so calm last night! And slept like there were magnets between me and the bed.  10 hours straight."
"Slept like a log."
"Since I started neurofeedback training, my dreams have come back!"
Client testimony.

Sleep is where we recover – physically, mentally, emotionally.  

It is a complex process whereby the brain enters different behaviour patterns in various stages.  Slow wave sleep is where our body recovers; REM sleep is where we digest the day’s experiences, consolidate what we’ve learned and let our brain process memories and impressions.  

Ideally, we would like to be able to switch off once comfortable, enter a deep sleep and wake up restored and energetic.  If our sleep suffers, so do our concentration, productivity, physical abilities and emotional flexibility. 

Neurofeedback has been shown to improve sleep quality and sleep onset as early as 1982, with substantially more research interest confirming this in recent years, also in relation with pain and seizures.  

Brain areas and connections identified in research to be dysrhythmic in clients with insomnia respond well to neurofeedback training, in our experience, helping to restore REM sleep and depth of recovery.

 

Neurofeedback improves sleep and restoration, both REM and slow wave sleep

Sleep is adversely affected by trauma and anxiety.  First, the mind needs to ‘let go’ in order to enter deeper sleep cycles, which is a challenge for many.  Excessive rumination and intrusive thoughts can hinder this, as does the loss of our ability to rationally calm ourselves down.  The depth of our sleep is governed by our ability to self-nurture and create an emotional ‘safe space’.  Homeostasis during various sleep stages is governed by other parts of our brain, some still involving the cortex.  With a Kaiser Neuromap we can detect dysrhythmia in the relevant brain areas and train these accordingly with Default Network Training (together, Personalised Brain Training).  

Focus and organisation suffers as a consequence of sleep issues.  This time, different brain areas are affected, which we can also train.  When we are unable to concentrate and produce our best output, we become demotivated and our mood and sense of self suffer.  Again, there are brain areas responsible for these aspects of being, for which we can again detect dysrhythmia and provide neurofeedback training.  The process is holistic – many components have to work together effectively for us to function optimally. 

Neurofeedback has also been successful in treating other sleep disorders, such as somnambulism (sleepwalking), obstructive sleep apnea (to the extent the cause is not physical), confusional arousals, sleep terrors, nightmares, nocturnal enuresis (bed-wetting), delated sleep phase disorder, insomnia and restless leg syndrome.  Evidence is provided at practitioners’ conferences and has yet to be manifested in published research.  The above disorders have EEG correlates, which provides an intuitive basis for understanding that we have a chance at treatment with neurofeedback training. 

Different neural hubs are responsible for sleep onset and depth of sleep.  We can identify vulnerabilities with a brain map, and train these with neurofeedback to help restore healthy sleep hygiene.  

Sleep is usually one of the first things to normalise during neurofeedback training.  

We have also seen improvements in other sleep conditions, such as enuresis and sleep apnea.

Speech & Language

One in four persons with ASD are non-verbal, and 40% of all children referred to an autism clinic have significant speech delay, regardless of diagnosis.   

Infants begin to understand and produce single words and gestures in the context of playful interaction from 12 months of age; between 18-24 months there is a rapid expansion in vocabulary and knowledge of rules regarding conversational exchange.  Typically developing children will use language for social interaction; this contrasts with ASD children who are more likely to use words to regulate their environment (demands, protest), rather than with communicative intent.  Despite the range of language abilities, articulation skills are generally spared.  There is a strong link between language and social skills in autism.

Speech development has numerous components, all of which have neural correlates, meaning there are brain areas contributing towards language comprehension and generation, which have to mature and work together efficiently.  This means we have a chance to improve speech generation by training the brain, and both research and experience confirm this.  The research below illustrates how we can assist with improving necessary building blocks that contribute to a person’s development of speech and language capabilities. 

Speech and language development are also a function of social reciprocity, both with regard to initiation and reception.  It should therefore not be seen in isolation, and rather as an accompanying component of improving effective synchrony with the social environment.  

Personalised Brain Training takes a holistic approach to improving social integration by way of training various features of cognition and consciousness, including sense of self, joint attention, Theory of Mind, focus, mood regulation, behavioural challenges and communication, both verbal and non-verbal.

PET activation of the brain in different word tasks, showing differential activation of various language and speech networks, which we can train with neurofeedback

Research on Neurofeedback and Speech

Neurofeedback training was shown to improve speech-in-noise perception and auditory discrimination that was applicable post training and long-lasting.  This shows that we can positively affect neural encoding of acoustic inputs in the auditory cortex, a frequent issue with autistic individuals. 

In ADHD children, neurofeedback training improved visual memory, enhanced auditory short-term memory and auditory working memory.  

Biofeedback produced better and more lasting effects than traditional therapy in behavioural dysphonia.  

Neurofeedback was shown to improve the ability to identify emotional prosodic intonations. 

Phonetic recognition and reading skills have been shown to improve with neurofeedback training, another important component of speech and language acquisition (see “Dyslexia”).  

Personalised Brain Training is a holistic approach; we also train brain areas relating to focus, motivation and sense of self, as well as sequencing and motor skills, all of which contribute to the development of speech.  

Neurofeedback for Neurodegenerative Conditions

Neurodegeneration leads to changes in how brain areas are able to communicate with each other – functional connectivity.  A brain map provides us with early warning signals, and neurofeedback training has been shown to strengthen the physical integrity of our brain, and help with many symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases.

Various neurological disorders have been associated with Long COVID.  These include the neurodegenerative disorders Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), MS, prion disease (e.g. Parkinson’s), ALS, and visual system disturbances. 

The following tabs describe how Personalised Brain Training can help with neurodegenerative conditions in a holistic, non-invasive and medication-free manner. 

(Scroll down on mobile)

Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

Alzheimer Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder.  Similar to Parkinson’s Disease, secondary symptoms are neuropsychiatric in nature and can be addressed with neurofeedback training, helping the person to maintain their sense of self, mood regulation and sleep, and contain arising anxieties.  

There are biomarkers that allow us to differentiate between Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer Disease.  A Kaiser Neuromap gives us a non-specific indication of each, that can assist early onset diagnosis and thus shape the treatment plan at an early stage.  

Occipital Hypoperfusion in Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Alzheimer Disease per Caminiti et al, 2019

As with other neurodegenerative disorders, physical changes in the brain affect our sensory interpretation of our surroundings, giving rise to neuropsychiatric disorders.  We can become relational in our thinking, and specifically with regard to brain areas that are responsible for our interpretation of personal space  and social boundaries.  

Neurofeedback Personalised Brain Training aims precisely at encouraging cortical participation and help us share a reality with others,  counteracting progression of major secondary, and possibly primary symptoms.  Rather than promoting a ‘cure’, we are helping affected persons improve their quality of life in many ways.

The link between Alzheimer’s Disease and Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) has long been established, as summarised in this research paper from 2014.  Four out of five people carry the herpes virus, with one in four being prone to physical symptoms upon periodic reactivation, e.g. blisters / cold sores occurring during times of stress and/or immunosuppression.  Reactivated HSV1 has been found to cause inflammatory damage directly, probably involving increased formation of beta amyloid and AD-like P-tau changes found in HSV1-infected cell cultures.  HSV1 DNA was found to be specifically localised in amyloid plaques in AD.  Further links have been discovered between shared pathways of HSV1 and AD.  HSV1 (herpes virus) can cross the blood-brain barrier and remain latent in the brain; combined with carriage of a type 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE-e4), this confers a high risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.  Some 25-30% of the population carry this gene.  

COVID-19 is of particular concern with respect to Alzheimer’s Disease.  A pre-existing AD diagnosis is the single highest risk indicator of Covid infection identified thus far; the highest mortality is observed among the most elderly AD patients.  

This susceptibility is partly explained by the up-regulation of ACE2R receptors in the limbic regions of AD-affected brains.  It is even hypothesised that amyloid-beta is involved in fighting cerebral Covid infection, similar to an observed process with regard to alpha-synuclein in PD and Covid, a defence mechanism that might result in higher levels in the long run.  

Reactivation of HSV-1 can aggravate Alzheimer’s Disease processes, such as amyloid beta and p-tau production.  It has been shown that Covid can reactivate HSV-1, in particular the S1 spike protein.  

Alzheimer’s Disease is viewed as a prion disease, a feature that again puts it into context with Covid-19, a coronavirus whose S1 spike protein has prion-like qualities.

Alzheimer’s Disease is the number one cause for dementia, with no known effective treatments.  Finding the ‘root cause’ of this condition in order to produce a targeted cure is further complicated by the fact that the definition of what constitutes AD is somewhat circular.  We define the phenomenon by its symptoms: 

 – Amyloid beta (Ab) plaques: Ab(40-42) oligomers are prominent in AD brains, both in soluble form, where they are more toxic, and in dense plaques, which are thought to serve as reservoirs.  These oligomers can cause synaptic dysfunction, dendritic spine damage and neuronal death.  Their inflammatory effect includes activation of microglia, astrogliosis, overproduction of cytokines, and dystrophy of neurites.  This leads to brain atropy, often first observed in the temporal lobes.  The epsilon4 allele of ApoE (e4APOE) is a genetic risk factor thought to affect Ab metabolism; 25-30% of the population have this gene.  Ab oligomers can also induce the formation of Neurofibrillary Tangles (NFTs): 

 – P-Tau: Neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) is another defining feature of AD.  These formations occur after Ab accumulations, though they are seen in frontotemporal dementia without Ab plaques and may also be a parallel, symbiotic phenomenon accelerating disease progression.  The Ab / p-tau theory however only accounts for a fraction of the structural dementia comorbidities, and treatment strategies targeting these two aspects have thus far been unsuccessful.  This necessitates additional theories: 

 – Neuroinflammation: While unclear whether this is a consequence or cause of the condition, neuroinflammation is deemed to a major contributor towards the progression and severity of AD, possibly more so than Ab accumulation and NFTs.  All three of the above aspects are addressed by another causative, or at least contributory theory: 

 – Viral Infection: Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) reactivation is highly correlated with AD; causes damage to the same brain areas that are affected in AD (herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE), induced by HSV, damages the hippocampus, temporal and frontal lobes); is found (by DNA analysis) in substantially all amyloid plaques; is known to alter Ab metabolism, CA2+ homeostasis, synaptic dysfunction and apoptosis in HSV infected neuronal and glial cells.  Note that this pertains to carriers of the e4APOE allele, while HSV in the brain of non-e4APOE carriers confers a much lesser risk.  At least 80% of the population carries HSV, with only one fifth exhibiting symptoms (e.g. cold sores in times of stress or immunodeficiency); 25-30% of the population carry the e4APOE allele.

The last point is particularly relevant:  There are multiple approaches to arresting HSV reactivation (e.g. anti-virals, such as acyclovir, and also components of seaweed(!)), which appears to be the most promising approach addressing suspected cause.  It also provides a link with Covid, and an explanation for the high susceptibility of AD patients to this: 

Covid, especially the S1 spike protein, has been shown to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and enter the brain through a number of pathways, including olfactory and vagus nerve.  It has been found to reactivate latent cerebral HSV-1.  Amyloid beta (Ab) (1-42) has been found to strengthen the binding of the S1 spike protein of Covid (SARS-CoV-2) to ACE2 receptors and increase viral entry.  Covid also increases neuroinflammation.  Further, the CA2+ dysregulation in AD facilitates passage of the Covid virus.  ACE2 receptors are more prevalent in limbic regions of the brain, including brainstem and hippocampus, and importantly, they are up-regulated in AD brains, thus conferring higher susceptibility.  Another possibility is that beta amyloid formation increases in response to HSV (and potentially Covid), as a defence mechanism, resulting in higher aggregation.  An analogy is an observation made with influenza viruses, in particular the West Nile Virus, where alpha synuclein production increased to combat the virus (an absence thereof resulted in disastrous disease progression), leading to aggregation and thus higher Parkinson’s Disease susceptibility. 

Parkinson's Disease (PD)

Parkinson’s Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, after Alzheimer disease (AD).  

Onset is usually characterised by motor symptoms:  bradykinesia (slowness of movement), rigidity, resting tremor and instability of posture.  

REM sleep disorder in Parkinson’s sufferers has been shown to predict worse disease progression.  In turn, REM sleep is a function of Default Mode Network deactivation.  

With regard to PD, Neurofeedback training has been shown to improve:

– static and dynamic balance

– motor symptoms

– speed of movement initiation 

– sensory integration

– life quality

Secondary, non-motor symptoms evolve, such as cognitive impairment, depression, sleep issues (e.g. REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD), a potential prodromal marker of PD, where paradoxically motor function is improved relative to wake state), and olfactory dysfunction.  

Neurofeedback is effective at reducing symptom severity and addressing most of these neuropsychiatric disturbances in healthy patients; while not shown to be a ‘cure’, quality of life improvement can be substantial.  

On a cortical level, PD involves the loss of dopaminergic neurons, accumulation of Lewy bodies, damage to neuroglial cells and demyelination of neuronal axons. 

Neurofeedback training has been shown to improve myelination across white matter tracts.  We can also train frequencies that pertain to glial cells, potentially improving their self-regulation. 

A recent study raised the spectre of a connection between COVID-19 infection and Parkinson’s; three persons without familial history developed clinical parkinsonism within 2-5 weeks following infection requiring hospitalisation.

Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Alzheimer Disease and Parkinson's Disease fMRI patterns per Caminiti et al, 2019

Neurofeedback improves quality of life, sensory integration, motor skills, movement initiation and balance in Parkinson’s Disease.

Peer-reviewed research shows the following effects in neurofeedback applications to Parkinson’s Disease:

– improvement in static and dynamic balance

– improved motor symptoms, on a par with other therapies such as rTMS – while being non-invasive and drug-free

– improvement in life quality

– potential to train up speed of movement initiation by 37%

– increased sensory integration in 10-12 sessions

– reduced symptom severity

General (non-PD specific) effects of neurofeedback training include:

– overall increased fine motor skills

– boost behavioural performance and learning

Comorbid mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, aggression,  and mood imbalances can be addressed directly with neurofeedback. 

Chronic Pain is another application for neurofeedback, where studies have demonstrated its efficacy. 

Subjectively, PD sufferers find neurofeedback training calming, reassuring and report an improved sense of feeling being part of their body.  

MS and Huntington's Disease

It has recently been shown that neurofeedback training led to cognitive improvements in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients, and that this corresponded to improved functional connectivity in key motor and salience networks.  Increased fractional anisotropy (FA) was observed, which correlated with cognitive improvement. 

 MS is a neurodegenerative condition that adversely affects axonal myelination.  FA is among other a measure of myelination, so the result that neurofeedback can make positive changes in this condition is very encouraging. 

Lesions in MS present first in the corpus callosum, a fibre bundle linking left and right brain hemispheres.  With a Kaiser Neuromap, we can detect changes in functional connectivity here, which can serve as an early indicator to prompt further investigation at an early stage, while being a complementary approach that is not a substitute for full examination.  Neurologists have appreciated this input.

A study with sufferers of Huntington’s Disease, another neurodegenerative condition, showed that cognitive and motor skills improved and that these changes related to improved functional connectivity in key brain regions, again a conclusion that neuroplasticity can be induced despite the presence of neurodegeneration.  

White Matter Dementia

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White Matter Dementia

The ability of white matter disruption to contribute towards cognitive decline to the extent that dementia results is known since the 1980s when the term “White Matter Dementia” was coined.  Various pathologies, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, ALD and MS (Multiple Sclerosis) are significantly characterised by white matter disruption.  In fact, the involvement of white matter disruption in these neurodegenerative pathologies has been asserted with a certainty that contrasts with the evolution of attempts to define the various ‘diseases’ at times.  

Neurofeedback can positively affect white matter growth.  In healthy patients, this growth was faster than the rate of neurodegeneration in neurodegenerative conditions.  Research has yet to confirm that this works for these conditions specifically.  

This approach is non-specific and holistic – we are treating the brain as a whole, and not with regard to a particular condition.  Indeed, defining a neurodegenerative pathology is in itself a challenge – Parkinson’s diagnostic criteria have evolved substantially in recent decades and are still subject to debate and expansion, as is the definition of a disease itself.  In vivo, that is, before a post mortem examination, Parkinson’s is largely ascertained on the basis of symptoms.  It would seem logical to aim therapy at these symptoms, rather than, say, chase a ‘cure’ for an ill-defined phenomenon (is it strictly, and only, dopaminergic neuron death?).  This differentiation in approach is important as funding criteria for research into ways to ameliorate the condition often utilise this to the detriment of alternatives.   As a result, neurofeedback is sadly neglected in the quest for helping people with neurodegenerative conditions.  

Neurofeedback has been shown to help with primary and secondary symptoms in Parkinson’s; it is a non-specific, complementary therapy that is non-invasive and medication-free.   

White matter decline is measurable with DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) even before the onset of cognitive decline.  The mechanisms by which damage occurs varies by pathology.  However any intervention that improves these connections should have a positive effect on the person, both structurally and cognitively.  Counteracting this trend in a non-invasive, medication-free and enjoyable manner seems a worthy cause. 

The search for a ‘cure’ of different neurodegenerative conditions which lead to dementia is strongly focused on the defining feature – e.g. amyloid beta production in Alzheimer’s, and dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s.  Addressing symptoms is often seen as a secondary endeavour, with regard to time, prestige, funding and resources.  Daniel Webster has spent time working in palliative care and high-support living and rehabilitation facilities.  He found that ameliorating life quality can lead to at least a perceived slowdown in the progression of a condition.  There is also a possibility that symptom reduction can actually impede a worsening of the condition, and certainly worthy of further research.     

Subjective feedback by dementia clients is very encouraging. Research into this aspect of dementia, and how neurofeedback can be applied to slow, arrest and potentially reverse disease progression, is a worthwhile endeavour.  Please contact Daniel directly to support initiatives in this regard.  

White matter tracts are information superhighways connecting various brain regions and make up c.50% of our brain volume.  White matter abnormalities in various forms of dementia, including DLB, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and mTBI (mild traumatic brain injury) are well documented, and these contribute towards cognitive decline.  

With neurofeedback, we can train white matter tracts.  This seminal study indicates that we can improve myelination with neurofeedback training.  It has been further corroborated since, notably with regard to efficiency. 

Neurofeedback training improves cognitive ability and strengthens white and gray matter per Ghaziri Study 2013 "Neurofeedback Training induces Changes in White and Gray Matter"
Neurofeedback can Strengthen Neuronal Pathways​

Stroke

The following account of the recovery of a Stroke patient illustrates the potential efficacy of neurofeedback for Stroke / TBI.  For Research on neurofeedback and Stroke / TBI see here. 

Claire (name changed) is a 48-year old female who is three years post-thalamic CVA (ruptured aneurysm).  In particular, her physical symptoms included severe muscle contractures in her wrist and elbows leading to impaired movement, as well as being wheel-chair bound.

After two neurofeedback sessions, she got her wrist and elbow released.  

Claire was getting active elbow extension and shoulder flexion after five sessions.  Pain was also resolved in her hand, which had been a major issue previously.

Functionally, she achieved improved independence in dressing skills, required only minimal assistance with bathing, and was able to walk with a cane.  

After thirty neurofeedback sessions, Claire started walking without her cane. 

Significant improvements (over 50%) included: 

 – Working memory, chronic aching pain, attention deficit

 – night sweats, vertigo and hot flashes

 – body awareness, balance, fine motor coordination, muscle spasticity, reflux and chronic nerve pain

 – paranoia

Note that this is a subjective account from a therapist and a causal relationship between training and improvements is not proven.

Neurometabolic Cascade post concussion indicates higher demand on energy against lowered blood flow in the first four minutes, with acute recovery effects lasting days

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is another application of neurofeedback training.  

We have found neurofeedback to be highly effective in assisting physical rehabilitation.  With a Kaiser Neuromap, we can detect areas of hypometabolism that respond hemodynamically with neurofeedback training.  There are neuromarkers for mTBI, as well as Alzheimer’s Disease, though these are non-specific (necessary, not sufficient conditions) and should not be seen as diagnosis.  General (rather than focal) lesions in neurodegenerative conditions appear to form first in the corpus callosum, a fibre bundle linking the two brain hemispheres; altered functional connectivity has been visible there on a brain map too, in our experience, at an early stage.

There is evidence that neurofeedback supports myelination, improving the important sheathing of axons, which is a critical part of the physical recovery process. 

Pain perception has neural correlates – there are brain areas that govern our attentiveness to the signs our bodies are giving us. 

In the first instance, these signs are real messages that something is wrong and needs dealing with.  Medical attention should provide solutions to this.  

Sometimes, pain perception can become irrational in this context, and with neurofeedback training we can help the brain establish a more reasonable approach to interpreting such stimulus.  

 

– Alpha-Theta neurofeedback training has a “beneficial effect on symptom reduction as well as perceived stress.  It also has a beneficial effect on levels of serum cortisol” involving a significant reduction during acute recovery

 – neurofeedback training was shown to be effective with Postconcussion Syndrome (PCS) 

 – efficaceous treatment for chronic posttraumatic headache sustained in military service

 – neurofeedback therapy showed significant changes in structural and functional connectivity in young TBI patients, with cognitive scores and concussion symptoms improving significantly

 – neurofeedback is shown to be an effective intervention for auditory memory

 – deemed “probably an excellent complementary technique” that produced clear benefits in divided and sustained attention, visuospatial skills and the processing speed of motor-dependent tasks in persons with severe TBI

 – beneficial outcomes in upper limb stroke rehabilitation

 – neurofeedback training can lead to a learned modulation of brain signals with associated changes at both neural and behavioural level

 – modulation of premotor cortex and associated motor control areas can be achieved with neurofeedback training

 – improvements in TBI / PTSD in Vietnam Veterans across domains of cognition, pain, sleep, fatigue, mood/emotion, PTSD symptoms and overall activity levels

 – patients report improvement in a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms in TBI following neurofeedback training

 – result of 40 neurofeedback sessions included significant improvements in several motor tasks

Neurofeedback is a form of complementary therapy and should not be seen as a replacement for conventional medicine.  qEEG brain map-based neurofeedback training takes a more holistic approach to brain functioning, rather than just focusing on medical symptoms.  It is not intended as a form of diagnosis nor medical intervention nor medical advice per the disclaimer.

Brain Maps and Personalised Brain Training Explained

Brain Maps expose Individual Vulnerabilities

With a Kaiser Neuromap, we can identify character traits, vulnerabilities and strengths. 

Different brain areas and networks govern our behaviour.  For example, there are parts of our brain which control mood regulation; spatial distractibility; physiological arousal; our sense of self; self-critical thoughts; anger and emotional attachment; and there are various sources of anxiety.

A brain map shows us which brain areas are behaving immaturely, and thus expose us to vulnerabilities or mental health issues.

Rather than fitting people into categories – diagnosis – we can assess vulnerability to behaviour patterns.  Every brain is different.  A brain map provides a more granular approach to understanding our strengths and weaknesses.

Personalised Brain Training with Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback lets us train dysrythmic brain areas. With sensors comfortably fitted to the brain areas we want to train, we detect brainwave patterns real-time while watching a movie. When these patterns are inefficient, the volume drops momentarily. This is the feedback we are giving our brain, short and instantaneously.

The brain area we are training recognises this – while our conscious mind is focussed on the movie – and adjusts its behaviour to restore the normal volume. With repetition, throughout a session, learning occurs.

Meanwhile our conscious mind is solely focussed on the movie; the training process is passive in this sense.

The drop in volume is subtle, so we continue to understand the flow of the movie. No current or electrical stimulation is fed to the brain; sensors simply read brainwaves and the feedback is purely audio-visual.

Neurofeedback is preconscious brain training aimed at enhancing our mental, emotional and spiritual health

Neurofeedback trains our Pre-Conscious Mind

Rather than engaging the conscious mind, which slows us down, we are training preconscious processes. 

This equips us with the ability to live in the moment and attain our potential (if we have to resort to conscious control, we are not living in the moment).

We take a holistic approach to healthy brain self-regulation, rather than categorisation or diagnosis.

Personalised Brain Training is an advanced qEEG brain map-based approach to neurofeedback training developed by the founders of the field. Taking Othmer Method / ILF training methods further, it employs Default Network Training protocols as developed by David Kaiser.

Neurofeedback is evidence-based complementary therapy with over 2000 PubMed peer-reviewed research reports

Neurofeedback is Evidence-based

Neurofeedback training is an evidence-based complementary therapy.  Its efficacy was first demonstrated some 50 years ago, and with advances in technology, training protocols have become more efficient and the feedback method – watching movies – thoroughly enjoyable. 

Neurofeedback is evidence-based.  It’s first application was discovered in 1971 when it was used to resolve intractable epilepsy. 

There are over 2,000 peer-reviewed research reports on PubMed demonstrating efficacy across a number of pathologies. 

In the US, it is an accepted complementary treatment for many challenges. 

Brain Waves Overview

 

   

Gamma

  • Highly concentrated state of mind
  • 40Hz is a prevalent rhythm occurring naturally across the entire brain

31 – 100 Hz


Beta

·        Concentration, interaction, focus, higher cognitive tasks

·        Higher beta frequencies are also associated with fear and anxiety, fight or flight

12 – 30 Hz

Alpha

·        Quiet mind, flowing thoughts, slight detachment, meditative state

·        10Hz is a natural rhythm particularly at the back of the head with eyes closed

·        Serotonin release

8 – 12 Hz

Alpha Waves 10Hz Neurofeedback

Theta

·        Dream-like state with vivid imagery; creative, gateway to the unconscious

·        Stage 1 sleep and also present in REM sleep

·        Deep state meditation

3 – 8 Hz

Theta Waves Zen Meditation Neurofeedback

Delta

·        Dreamless sleep stage 4

·        Bodily recuperation

·        Growth hormones GHRH and PRL released

0.5 – 3 Hz

Delta Waves Growth Sleep Neurofeedback

Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training to Resolve Trauma

With Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training, we are putting the mind in a state where it can relax and start healing.  Alpha Theta neurofeedback training holds the participant in a state of deep relaxation, where memories can safely surface and as a result be processed.  The concept is that traumatic memories are put into long-term storage, where they can be recalled from, without the adverse emotional state attached to them.

Another key advantage of alpha theta training for trauma resolution is that most of the digestion happens at a subconscious level – we are not asking someone to relive their trauma, but rather enable the brain to order such experiences by itself.

In thirty minute sessions, eyes-closed, we feed the brain information about its own state – specifically, whether it is in alpha or theta state, and importantly, we allow the brain to choose its own path.  The brain inevitably chooses to slowly oscillate between meditative alpha and more dream-like theta.  It is during the transition between these mental states that the brain appears to digest trauma, mostly at at subconscious level.

Through headphones, binaural frequencies are used to show the brain which state is dominant, accompanied by relaxing music and other sounds that help it orient itself.  Unlike in binaural meditation, e.g. binaural theta waves, we are not trying to stimulate the production of certain frequencies, but are more interested in showing the brain simply where it is operating.  It is in fact important that we don’t resort to meditation while doing alpha theta training.

After half an hour of this deep yet relaxing experience, we slowly arise with the feeling of having had a power nap.

Music and Creativity

A study by Imperial College, London, and the Royal College of Music showed that students advanced effectively one or two years in musical maturity with a mere ten sessions of Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training. 

Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training Study at Imperial College London Musicians improve Creativity
Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training Study at Imperial College London Musicians improve Creativity

In this 1999 study at Imperial College, London, Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training was compared to other standard supportive services and relaxation training techniques and exercises.  Students of the Royal College of Music, London, were evaluated on their musical performance, having received ten sessions of Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training.  Only the Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training subset demonstrated gains in musical performance, and these gains were substantial and systematic:  

Overall Quality

14%

Musical Understanding

16%

Stylistic Accuracy

14%

Interpretive Imagination

17%

Total Average Musical Improvement

15%

These impressive gains as judged by blind evaluators represent a substantial improvement.  All aspects of musicianship were positively, and greatly affected, including physical ability as well as creativity and insight. 

Source:  Othmer / Gruzelier

J Gruzelier also finds in a 2014 study that Alpha Theta training benefits both advanced instrumental and novice singing abilities, including improvisation – beyond the outcome of the previous study with elite conservatoire musicians. 

Alpha Theta neurofeedback training reduced anxiety in competitive ballroom dancers, as well as increasing cognitive creativity. 

Addiction and Substance Abuse

Alpha Theta neurofeedback training has also been successfully used in treating addiction / substance abuse issues, with nearly half of participants having experienced the Peniston effect – a subsequent allergic reaction to alcohol or other psychoactive substances.

The Process Explained

Step 1: Brain Map

A qEEG recording takes about 45minutes for a 20 minute recording.

A cap with 19 sensors is is fitted to our head and gels inserted to ensure connectivity.  The sensors only read – there is a tiny voltage on the surface of our head that these pick up.  The gels are easily washed out later.  This is also the last time we wear the cap (until a remap after ten sessions); training is done with single sensors. 

We analyse the data with Kaiser Neuromap software which gives us a unique view into character traits and vulnerabilities.  

Findings are presented in a separate one-hour conversation where we discuss the key elements.

Step 2: Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback process explained, illustrating real-time analysis of brain waves and feedback given

 We use a movie of choice as the feedback mechanism – our conscious mind engages with the film, and feedback is delivered by small changes in volume or picture size.  

Our pre-conscious mind adapts its behaviour to preserve the more comfortable volume and picture size, and learning occurs. 

Volume changes are slight, not stop-start, and the process is enjoyable. 

Key is that we are interested in the movie – our conscious mind is engaged with the content, which forms the reward, and our preconscious mind – without our conscious effort – changes its behaviour in response to the feedback.

Capturing the ultradian cycle with neurofeedback Personalised Brain Training using Kaiser Neuromap

A two hour training session allows us to do 90-110 minutes of neurofeedback training during which we can work on various brain sites. 

This captures an entire ultradian rhythm cycle and corresponds to the approximate duration of feature film movies.  

We can start with shorter sessions as appropriate, mainly with children. 

Ideally, we do two or more sessions per week to start with.  

We would expect to see responsiveness within the first few sessions and remap after twenty hours or about ten sessions.  

Generally, we would expect to doing twenty sessions over two months, though this can vary substantially. 

We can also accommodate intensives, where we do two sessions per day over a number of days, and have had good results with these.

 

Neurofeedback: Uses and Applications

Personalised Brain Training is a non-invasive, medication-free way to address cortical imbalances.  With a Kaiser Neuromap, we understand which brain areas are dysrhythmic, and train these with the most advanced neurofeedback methods.  

This provides a more granular approach than categorisation into pathologies.  In fact, many mental health issues present in combination with others, and the diagnostic approach can set rigorous hurdles that often result in distinct labels that don’t necessarily capture the entire picture. 

The vulnerabilities exposed by a brain map may manifest in various combinations of behavioural and mental health issues.  With Personalised Brain Training we look at the brain as a whole.  Treatment is non-specific with respect to psychopathologies.  For ease of navigation and understanding, the following applications are listed below, along with research evidence, in their separate domains.  

Neurofeedback for children, teenagers and young adults for ADHD, behaviour issues, focus, attention, maturation and personality formation and autism
Neurofeedback for ADHD and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
Neurofeedback for Sleep
Neurofeedback for Anxiety Disorder
Neurofeedback for Autism and Asperger's, ASD
Neurofeedback training for PTSD and Trauma
Neurofeedback for Dementia, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Multiple Sclerosis, super-aging
Neurofeedback for Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Neurofeedback training for menopause using the Othmer Method and Personalised Brain Training
Neurofeedback for Psychosis, Mania and Schizophrenia

Personalised Brain training for mind and soul

Neurofeedback London - UK & International

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