Neurofeedback: An ADHD Treatment That Retrains the Brain?
By Johnson, Megan; U.S. News and World Report ,Publication Date: September 10, 2009
Article discusses neurofeedback as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The treatment, also known as EEG biofeedback, consists of placing electroencephalograph (EEG) wires connected to a computer on different points of the patient’s head and seating him or her in front of a monitor displaying a video game or movie. The therapist, while monitoring the patient’s brain waves on another screen, tells the patient to concentrate on the action; if the user’s attention flags, the action on the screen slows down, and the therapist then encourages the patient to focus using techniques such as slow, deep breathing. The therapy supposedly retrains the brain to produce electrical patterns, known as beta waves, associated with calm and focus. A German comparative study involving 94 participants aged 8 to 12 years with ADHD who received neurofeedback treatment or an alternative technique found that neurofeedback improved attention and reduced impulsivity and hyperactivity. Scientists who analyzed this and 14 other studies involving a total of nearly 500 children are quoted as concluding that the clinical effects of neurofeedback in the treatment of ADHD can be regarded as clinically meaningful.
Published by: U.S. News and World Report (Website:http://www.usnews.com)
Link to text: http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/brain-and-behavior/2009/09/10/neurofeedback-an-adhd-treatment-that-retrains-the-brain.htm
