From regulating the way your body functions to recalling that delicious meal from your favorite restaurant, the brain has proven to be able to perform countless operations.
Despite the brain’s incredible processing ability, it can also encounter problems. Specific areas may need to be trained while others may need to be relaxed to prevent and manage disorders like anxiety, aneurysms, and sleep problems.
Neurofeedback is a cutting-edge technique that monitors the output of the brain to determine what areas need to be changed. Visual and auditory output then helps to improve your brain’s function.
Let’s take a closer look at what neurofeedback is, and how it can help your brain function more efficiently.
What is Neurofeedback?
There are two parts to neurofeedback: measuring the brain’s activity, and training the brain to work differently. These parts are dependent upon one another.
The brain produces numerous signals that can be monitored by placing electrodes on the scalp. These electrical impulses can be used to determine how your brain functions without any invasive surgeries.
Your brain acts much like your car. Both will present measurable variables that can be used to determine if they are working as they should be.
The difference is how you use those measurements. While a car can be repaired by the hands of a mechanic, your brain needs to be repaired by itself. This requires the usage of audio and video cues to invoke certain processes within the brain, which in turn allows the neurons within your brain to begin changing.
With each change to the sensory input that the brain receives, it should begin to work differently. This can be used to train the brain to work in more favorable ways that can correct many psychological problems.
How Can Neurofeedback Help?
Neurofeedback can be used to manage and improve conditions such as:
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- Aneurysms and Strokes
- Brain Surgery
- Concussions
- Movement Disorders
- Parkinson’s Disease
- PTSD
The way neurofeedback addresses these conditions is by measuring the signals given from the brain. These signals will look different from a person without these conditions, which in turn allows for neurofeedback specialists to devise a strategy for retraining the brain.
A person with PTSD, for example, may have excessive cortical activity within the brain. This results in many of the symptoms of PTSD such as paranoia and agitation.
By delivering output, that activates other parts of the brain, the symptoms of PTSD can be reduced.
Similar techniques can be applied to other instances of neurological conditions, which includes everything from ADHD to anxiety, to achieve a reduction in both the symptoms and cause of those symptoms.
It is worth noting that each neurological condition can affect a person uniquely. This means that the involvement of a specialist in neurofeedback is the key to interpreting your neurological activity and successfully reshaping it.
If you think you’re experiencing any of the aforementioned conditions, contact Advanced Health and Performance Institute to schedule a consultation. We have extensive experience with neurofeedback and welcome the opportunity to review your concerns before scheduling a session. Contact us today to get started.