Personalised Brain training for mind and soul
Menopause can have adverse cognitive and mental health symptoms.
Neurofeedback training has been shown to be an effective, non-invasive, medication-free treatment for many of these.
It is a complementary therapy and evidence presented is based on general applicability, rather than being menopause-specific.
Symptoms experienced during menopause include the following, and neurofeedback training has been shown to be effective for many of these:
– sleep disturbance
– brain fog: attention and working memory issues
– weight gain and body awareness issues
– headaches / migraines
– anxiety
– depression
– sexual dysfunction and impaired sense of self
– 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.
Menopause is a phase during which we can reorient our lives to emerge with a healthier sense of self.
Neurofeedback training helps us get over the obstacles presented by adverse symptoms.
It is safe, evidence-based, non-invasive and medication-free.
With three sessions per week over six weeks, neurofeedback training improved alpha – our sense of self – and lowered delta – core sleepiness
Better sleep, focus, motivation and sense of well-being reported as she emerged from defensive, shut-down mode to active.
Headaches disappeared and humour returned.
“It’s worth it.”
Results may vary with training intensity.
Mood regulation is a common symptom experienced during menopause.
Neurofeedback is a proven treatment for depression and anxiety.
Personalised Brain Training takes a holistic approach:
There are numerous contributing brain regions that can affect our mood regulation, general awareness, focus and motivation, social and general anxiety, as well as our physiological response.
With a brain map, training becomes individual.
Anxiety can increase with hormonal changes.
Changes in perceived femininity and altered body awareness affect how we present ourselves or feel perceived.
Uncertainty about the path of this transitional process is another factor.
Neurofeedback training is an evidence-based method that can result in enduring improvements.
Cognitive decline, in particular working memory, is a frequent complaint during menopause, and has been linked to permanent changes.
Neurofeedback training can improve working memory and make positive structural improvements to our brain.
In addition, we train areas involved in attention, focus and motivation.
Sleep is usually one of the first things to change with neurofeedback training.
Chronic sleep issues can further result in cognitive decline and other symptoms.
We address brain areas responsible for falling asleep and maintaining a restorative state, among other.
Neurofeedback is an evidence-based method to improve sleep.
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.
Personalised Brain Training is a holistic approach to restoring better body – mind balance.
Neurofeedback - How does it work?
The menopausal transition is often accompanied by mood, memory and sleep issues.
Managing symptoms becomes important to avoid cumulative effects resulting in cognitive impairments.
Brain Maps and Personalised Brain Training
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 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).
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.
We take a holistic approach to healthy brain self-regulation, rather than categorisation or diagnosis.
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.