Neurofeedback for ADHD
In 2016 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 6.1 million children (nearly 10% of the children in the United States) have been diagnosed with ADHD and the most common treatment taken for ADHD by far is stimulant medication (1). While stimulants can help patients function and focus in the short term, they often come with many side effects and do not address any of the underlying issues of ADHD.
One of the reasons why people with ADHD have difficulty focusing is because their brain is producing too many beta waves. While beta waves generally help us with focus and concentration, when there is too much beta it becomes difficult for the person to focus on any one thing and very easy for them to be distracted by something new. With Neurofeedback the client’s brain is able to recognize that it is over producing beta waves and start training itself to have more balanced brain wave activity.
Alleviating symptoms of ADHD is one of the most common and documented uses of Neurofeedback. In 2017 a meta-analysis on the effects of Neurofeedback on ADHD showed significant improvement nearly universally in the Neruofeedback groups when compared to the control groups (2). One of the main benefits of using Neurofeedback for ADHD or other disorders is that is virtually risk free and will have no counter or negative reactions with any other form of medication or treatment. In fact, time and again studies have shown that traditional treatments are more effective when in conjunction with sessions of Neurofeedback.
Below is a graph from The Neuro Development Center showing significant improvements in a patient’s ADHD symptoms.
