What is Neurofeedback?
Kayle Sandberg-Lewis, LMT, MA, BCN-Fellow
The living, breathing body is constantly sending out signals as a byproduct of its function. When a person goes to an appointment with a health care provider, it is common for a few readings to be taken - temperature, blood pressure, etc. This is information the body is generating as it goes about its business of being alive and can be a way to monitor whether it is functioning well. If the temperature is too high and/or the pulse oximetry is too low, concerns are raised.
Biofeedback is a general term for giving information about body function back to the person. Instead of monitored information being written in the patient’s file, a graphic form of the info is “fed-back” as it happens so the person can influence what is happening. There are forms of biofeedback for heart rate, muscle tension, temperatures of the hands and feet and many other bodily functions.
The simplest form of biofeedback is standing on a scale and checking our weight.
When information from and about the brain is fed back, that is called neurofeedback. [The terms neurotherapy and neurobiofeedback are also used.] The brain is incredibly complex, functioning in several realms simultaneously. For example, there is the “electrical” activity of the neurons, reflected in the electroencephalogram [EEG]. The EEG has many aspects and can be viewed in several different ways. [Some people refer to this as “brainwave training”.]
We can reflect the brain wave activity back to the brain, much like holding a mirror up to the brain, as we do in the Low Energy Neurofeedback System [LENS]. Essentially asking the brain, “Do you like what ‘see’?” The brain then works to adjust itself. It has proven to be effective in addressing many forms of brain injury and/or trauma.
We can “take the brain to the gym” as we do in training specific neuronal circuits, amplitudes, or frequencies, asking the brain to “exercise” areas that are associated with specific performance problems. We use this to help with ADD/ADHD, developmental trauma, sleep disorders and mood stabilization
We can compare brain activity to a normative database by collecting a quantitative EEG or qEEG, or simply Q. Using the information we gather, we can give feedback when the brain approaches the mean or average activity that has been determined for that person’s gender, age and handedness. Again, we target areas that are underperforming. These are called ZScore Training and sLORETA.
There is a form of EEG training called Alpha/Theta training that allows a person to “hover” just above the sleep state, allowing the nonconscious brain to resolve old and/or troublesome issues. I use a program called EEGer for this form of feedback.
Other forms of neurofeedback do not rely on the brainwaves:
The blood supply to the brain, monitored through hemoencephalography [HEG] allows people to influence their attention levels and change their relationship with head pain, such as migraines.
There is a feedback program called Interactive Metronome that influences the timing, in milliseconds, needed to coordinate body movement with brain activity. The timing of the brain is implicated in memory issues, ADD/ADHD, as well as physical balance and coordination.
Each form of neurofeedback has been shown to help people overcome performance anxiety, enhance creativity, increase skills and improve endurance.
All of these methods are non-invasive, well researched, have robust clinical outcomes, generally improving mood, focus, sleep and physical comfort. It is common for people using neurofeedback to reduce or eliminate prescription drug use.
Kayle Sandberg-Lewis holds a M.A. in Behavioral Medicine, the study of how what we do affects our well-being. She has over three decades experience in stress management and is board certified in neurofeedback, which she introduced to her practice in 1996. Kayle co-founded Hive Mind Medicine in 2019, where she currently offers neurofeedback to her clients. Telehealth consults are available.
Hive Mind Medicine blog posts are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your health care practitioner for personalized guidance. Click on the contact button below if you would like to schedule with one of our Hive Mind practitioners.