Coherent Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback for Anxiety/Depression
Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback or neurotherapy, is a research proven way to help you improve your brain function through intensive brain training exercises. Although the technology is quite sophisticated, the process is simple, painless, and non-invasive. It is just learning. You learn to alter your brain activity the same way you learn every other skill. You learn through feedback and practice. What is new in neurofeedback is that you are guided by a form of feedback that was previously not available to you. You are guided by instantaneous information about changes in your brain’s electrical activity. Every half second, your brain activity is compared to your targets for change. You get a signal and “reward” when you meet the goal. No signal or reward when you do not.
In 40 neurofeedback sessions, with feedback every half second, you get 144,000 chances to learn. That’s a lot of repetition and practice! Brain science has shown that repetitive exercise of brain networks reshapes the brain. Neurofeedback allows you to reshape mood networks in your brain.
Research on neurofeedback for anxiety and depression
Many small studies have been done showing that neurofeedback for anxiety is effective. In each of these studies, neurofeedback training resulted in reduced anxiety. Much more and better research needs to be done. At the Brain + Stem, we have found neurofeedback for anxiety to be consistently helpful. We recommend neurofeedback for anxiety whenever better proven methods of treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy have not been successful. We also strongly recommend that neurofeedback be done together with individual or family therapy. The quieting of anxiety networks in the brain from neurofeedback often makes progress faster in individual or family therapy.
​
Many other studies have shown that your mood is positive when the left frontal area of your brain is more active than the right frontal area, and that your mood is poor when the right is more active than the left.
This well-established finding in neuroscience and functional neurology can be directly applied in treatment with neurofeedback for depression. Three controlled studies showed that mood was improved in college students when the left front side of the brain was trained to be more active than the right using neurofeedback. One study showed that patterns of thinking also changed. Neurofeedback for depression resulted in more positive thinking patterns and a reduction in ways of thinking that have been associated with depression.
Several early studies have been completed with depressed adults. These have shown significant improvements in mood with neurofeedback for depression. At the Brain + Stem, we believe that this early research supports use of neurofeedback for depression when better studied methods such as medication or psychotherapy fail or result in only partial improvement. If you are experiencing depression/anxiety, the existing research suggests that neurofeedback may be helpful.
See the problem, then correct it.
Neuroscience is increasingly showing the basis in the brain for anxiety and depression and other mood problems. For example, many studies have shown that on average, mood is better when the left frontal cortex is more active than the same location on the right. But not all anxiety and depression is the same.
Medications treat the symptoms and do not correct the source of the problem in the brain. At the Brain + Stem, our approach is different. We measure brain function with a quantitative EEG brain map (qEEG), so that you can see the reason in your brain for your mood problems. Once we see the source of the problem, we target that area for change through neurofeedback brain training. This allows you to reshape your brain, not just mask your symptoms.
See the problem, then correct it
Neuroscience is increasingly showing the basis in the brain for anxiety and depression and other mood problems. For example, many studies have shown that on average, mood is better when the left frontal cortex is more active than the same location on the right. But not all anxiety and depression is the same.
Medications treat the symptoms and do not correct the source of the problem in the brain. At the Brain + Stem, our approach is different. We measure brain function with a quantitative EEG brain map (qEEG), so that you can see the reason in your brain for your mood problems. Once we see the source of the problem, we target that area for change through neurofeedback brain training. This allows you to reshape your brain, not just mask your symptoms.