Neurofeedback
All content is checked by medical journalists.A biofeedback of the brain activity is called neurofeedback. Devices that are used for this are called electroencephalograms (EEG). They measure brain activity and give the patient feedback on a monitor. Read here when neurofeedback can be helpful and how it works.
When do you do neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback therapy is effective in supporting many diseases. This is how patients with the following diseases benefit from neurofeedback:
- ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
- Panic attacks
- autism
- epilepsy
- Learning and concentration disorders
- stress-related illnesses
- sleep disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Addictions such as drug addiction
As a rule, neurofeedback therapy alone is not sufficient to successfully treat the disease in question. Therefore, the doctor uses neurofeedback more as an additional therapy to medication, talk therapy and other treatment methods.
How exactly does neurofeedback work?
The doctor sticks electrodes, i.e. flat sensors, onto the patient's scalp. He uses this to derive the electrical activity of the brain with the EEG. The brain waves are represented as waves. However, these are difficult to interpret for the layperson. Therefore, instead, the patient is shown a graphic sequence, for example of a moving airplane, on a screen. This increases or decreases depending on how the brain activity changes. The patient should now learn to consciously influence his electrical brain activity on the basis of the simple pictorial representation in neurofeedback training. These exercise sessions are designed to be playful for children: Reward points are awarded for successfully “moving” the aircraft.
A lot of practice is necessary so that the patient can later use the ability to influence himself safely in everyday life. Some doctors therefore give their patients a picture of the training screen, for example one of the airplane, to take home with them. The patient should then look at the image several times a day and go back to the training session. Children with ADHD, for example, can take it with them to class so that they can use the mechanisms learned in neurofeedback at school.
Is neurofeedback dangerous or painful?
Even if the rumor persists - with neurofeedback, no electric shocks are administered to the patient! The attached electrodes are only used to measure brain activity, and this is neither painful nor dangerous.
Tags: book tip pregnancy birth unfulfilled wish to have children
.jpg)
