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My
Introduction to Neurofeedback
On
March 18th at 4:30 in the afternoon, I kissed my two children
and husband goodbye, got into my Jetta and rolled down my
driveway. I was eager to arrive at my daughter’s preschool
where I would attend a presentation about neurofeedback and
children. As a former hypnotherapist and currently a meditation
teacher, I have been aware of neurofeedback but I hadn’t
delved into the subject long enough to truly understand it.
The closest I came was a biofeedback device called a Galvanic
Skin Response (GSR). This device measures slight changes in
skin pore size and sweat gland activity, which indicates whether
we are tense or relaxed. I often brought this two inch by
two inch gadget to expos and fairs where I asked passers by
to place two fingers into its cradles. A tone spewed from
a small speaker. Usually high at first and then after my volunteer
relaxed the tone would fall down in pitch. This proved to
be a wonderful way to show potential clients and students
how meditating or other calm activity changes what goes on
in our bodies.
Galvanic
Skin Response (GSR)
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I
arrived at my daughter’s preschool to find that
myself and the school director were the only attendees.
Excited about this intimate meeting, I sat down to listen
and eventually asked many questions, apparently jumping
ahead. Patiently, I learned the basics of neurofeedback
and how children benefit from it. Dr. Phillip Ellis,
the psychologist and presenter suggested I read A
Symphony in the Brain: The Evolution of the New Brain
Wave Biofeedback by Jim Robbins. I ordered the
book from Amazon the following day and read the book
cover to cover.
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My
first question was, what is the difference between biofeedback
and neurofeedback? During a biofeedback session the
practitioner uses devices to measure either blood pressure,
heart rate, skin temperature, sweat gland activity, muscle
tension or other physiological activity. The equipment also
indicates to the client or patient moment by moment what their
level of these functions are. What is important to know about
biofeedback is that we have the power to control these, otherwise
thought of, autonommic nervous system functions.
Most scientists cannot explain how we control these functions
but when most people witness some type of feedback, letting
them know moment by moment what their blood pressure is for
example, they can lower it.
Neurofeedback
is a specific type of biofeedback which measures our brainwave
activity. Sensors are attached to our scalp, which lets us
know how fast our neurons are firing. Neurofeedback training
is a process we use to train our neurons to fire at a different
speed than they are currently firing. Essentially, this training
is a video game but instead of using a joystick the software
uses the sensors on our scalp and our brainwave activity levels
to make an object move on a video screen. For example, a child
hooked up to the technology is told to make a rocket ship
fire up and blast off. Then the mysterious intuitive process
begins. Probably through a subconscious course of trial and
error, the child gets the rocket to fire up. With more concentration
the ship begins to move upward. Then the child might lose
concentration and the rocket descends. With returned focus
the child moves the ship upward and manages to make it fly
through space.
Leaders
in the field who have been working with clients for
years have discovered that many intellectual, emotional
and even physical challenges people face can be identified
by observing brain activity and healed through training.
That is, their brain waves are either too slow, too
fast or their speed jumps back and forth between too
high and too slow. Some of these conditions include
epilepsy, autism, brain injuries, ADD, addictions and
depression.
I find this discovery fascinating because I teach meditation
and know that meditation brings us into balance, including
bringing our brainwaves to more healthy speeds. I was
curious if there were any meditation teachers or therapists
hooking their clients up to neurofeedback equipment
while they meditate. I thought, wouldn't it be interesting
if a therapist could recieve feedback about a child's
brainwaves while he or she meditates. And then lead
the child through meditations that help the child either
slow down or speed up his or her brainwaves. |
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I found Anna Wise’s website. Anna has a masters in Humanistic
Psychology and uses a device called a mind mirror. Although
she does not work specifically with children, she leads clients
through meditation while the mind mirror records and displays
their brain wave activity. After hooking up spiritual masters
to her neurological equipment Wise found a consistent pattern
she calls Awakened Mind state. You can learn more
about her work at www.annawise.com.
Anna trains practitioners how to use this technique with their
clients.
Dr.
Ellis, Licensed psychologist in North Carolina, Certified
in EEG Biofeedback, and the founder of Focus
Centers and his associate Jackie Williams, former school
administrator, opened up a lab in Evergreen Community Charter
School in Asheville, NC. Dr. Ellis started working with a
few Evergreen students about four years ago. After a few years,
he had enough students to bring him there three days a week.
Eventually, the school bought the equipment and two special
education teachers were trained to provide neurofeedback tostudents
with special needs in addition to the sessions Dr. Ellis prvided.
Dr.
Ellis also encouraged faculty at Christ School to open a neurofeedback
program and are planning to place another lab inside a drug
and alcohol program later this year; both in Asheville. Typically
school counselors approach parents about permitting their
children to take advantage of the lab. Information about the
lab is also sent out in school newsletters and periodically
parent seminars are offered to explain more about the service.
Dr. Ellis tells me young children “eagerly greet me
at the door of their classrooms when it is their turn. The
older kids, middle school and older, prefer to have an appointment
to keep their sessions more private."
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Ellis and Williams help children change neural activity
in a specific location on their cortex. For example,
children who experience symptoms associated with ADD/ADHD,
anxiety, stress, depression and autism generally have
brain wave activity that is too slow. After a child
enjoys a few sessions mastering their video game
without joysticks, the child's brain eventually
incorporates the new frequency the therapist and child
are working towards. This training leads to subtle changes
over time or the results can be dramatic and immediate.
In either case, 85% of the children Dr. Ellis and Williams
work with, expereince their sypmtoms improve greatly
or disapear all together. "Neurofeedback has been
one of the most powerful and important interventions
that I’ve seen in my 32 years as an educational
administrator and special education teacher,"
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Williams
says. "Medication is an option, but it doesn’t
work for every child and it can have some terrible side effects.
The benefits from medication are temporary—it only works
as long as you take it. Neurofeedback is long-term learning,"
Williams adds.
Article
written by Sarah Wood Vallely. Information for this article
was found in The Symphony in the Brain by Jim Robbins,
www.wikipedia.org and interviews with Dr. Phillip Ellis and
Jackie Williams of Focus
Centers |
