Neurofeedback - improve quality of life in a drug-free treatment

What is neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback is based on advanced technology that combines the neural activity in the brain – neuro – with providing feedback on this activity – feedback and improving brain wave control.

In its other name, neurofeedback, measures brain activity in real time by using electroencephalography or hemoencephalography, in order to make the patient train and learn to control his brain wave activity by providing positive feedback for different types of brain activity, and negative feedback on unwanted brain activity.

– The activity of the electric waves that exist in the brain of each of us affects all areas of our lives – thoughts, feelings, behavior and more. When this activity is not normal, we experience various difficulties – attention and concentration difficulties, learning disabilities, anxiety, communication problems, mood problems and more.

Neurofeedback therapy technology trains the brain waves and through positive feedback allows them to change and function in a more normal way.

What is behind the neurofeedback technology?

One of the most important experiments in the field of psychology was done by a scientist named Pavlov who was able to make a dog salivate at the sound of a bell alone without any food around. He accomplished this by giving positive feedback (food) every time a bell rang until the dog’s brain associated the two. Since then we refer to this process as “conditioning”.

Another theory discusses learning by imitation – modeling. This learning, which is basic and an important developmental stage in every child’s life, takes place when the child observes the adult’s behavior, waits for him, receives positive reinforcement for this, repeats the action over and over again, and thus the brain assimilates positive behavior and makes it a part of him. For example: when the teacher teaches writing, she draws the letter “a” on the board and then asks the class to draw the letter in a notebook. The teacher goes through the students and praises them for a good drawing, gives a sticker, claps, etc. At this stage the brain “understands” that it has done something good and the feeling of positive reinforcement is pleasant to it. The teacher repeats the process several times and the brain gets stronger in its motivation to succeed in the task to get the reinforcement. In the next step, the teacher asks the students to fill in an entire page with the letter “A”. This action assimilates and fixes the signal in the brain and hence it will be with him forever.

The scientists at NASA who developed the neurofeedback technology relied on these theories and artificially created these conditionings and learnings in the brain and thus developed a way to get the brain to change its activity in a positive, user-friendly and very efficient way

A little history about the treatment

Joseph Kamiya (1958) was able to condition alpha waves to specific images and in a later experiment alpha waves to the ringing of a bell.

Sterman & Wyrwicka (1967), in an experiment on cats, conditioned specific electrical activity to the presented stimulus of milk.

Lubar from UCLA University, tested the effect of increasing SMR waves on epilepsy and showed that the frequency of epilepsy attacks decreased among the recipients of the training compared to the control group, but another finding he discovered is that the students improved their attention and concentration abilities and academic achievements.

– Following Lubar’s research, a NASA study found a link between jet fuel and epileptic seizures. It was found that among cats that were exposed to the jet fuel and underwent training to increase SMR, the frequency of epileptic seizures decreased, while those that were not exposed to training experienced more seizures.

– Later, the technology was introduced to NASA in order to improve the cognitive abilities of astronauts, a connection was found between SMR waves and a state of high alertness and lack of movement during times of sleep but also during times of wakefulness and panic when the body does not respond – high mental functioning ability and alertness in a calm body.

Over the years, technology has developed significantly and today allows us to address each difficulty and problem specifically and adapt a focused treatment plan that by providing positive reinforcement will change the way of activity and allow a person to enjoy a higher quality of life. The training is done in front of a computer while watching enjoyable content – nowadays you can watch any show/movie/series on the net – the brain waves receive positive feedback on positive activity while watching the movie and thus change their way of activity. As you persist in training, the activity becomes regular and remains regular even many years after the end of the treatment process

We have specially prepared for you an answer to all the questions and answers regarding neurofeedback therapy with the advanced technology at the institute and in general.

How long does the treatment last?

As in any learning process that has undergone assimilation, also in this treatment, after the brain has faced the change in its activity, the change remains forever.

From many studies conducted around the world, it appears that in cases of attention and concentration disorders, preservation of the results is observed even after ten years from the end of the treatment. Since the field is still young, longitudinal studies are still being conducted and their results will be published in a few years.

We at the clinic witness reports of success several years after the end of the treatment. Many patients say that the success of the treatment even increases over time because the patient experiences successes and receives positive feedback from the environment (school, parents, spouses, etc.) which continue the learning process of the brain, improving self-confidence and self-image.

What are the success rates of the neurofeedback treatment method?

The world literature reports about 85% success in the treatment of ADHD upon completion of treatment and a similar percentage in tests after several years. After about fifteen years of experience with patients in Israel it can be said that there is almost no patient whose quality of life has not improved dramatically. It is known that the percentage of success following drug treatment reaches a rate lower than 70% and there is almost no success after the end of taking the drug.

What needs to be done to start neurofeedback treatment?

To start neurofeedback treatment for ADHD or any other problem, a diagnosis is made through a scan of the brain activity, just like an EKG test for the heart, the purpose of which is to see which area of the brain is not functioning properly. The results are compared to a global database according to gender and age (can be diagnosed from the age of 6). The analysis of the results is quantitative and from it we build a personal treatment protocol for each patient.