Neurofeedback Therapy

Irregularities in your brain function cause many mental health conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and insomnia. At Myneurva Brain Centers in Hackensack, New Jersey, Frederick Starr, MD, FAACAP, uses neurofeedback to assess your brain activity and retrain your brain to work harmoniously. Neurofeedback therapy helps regulate your symptoms and improve your overall functionality and health. Call Myneurva Brain Centers or schedule a consultation online today to discover how neurofeedback can help you.

What is neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback is a natural, drug-free treatment that helps you to self-regulate your brain activity to control your emotional and behavioral responses. It is a specific type of biofeedback that monitors your brain activity and provides positive reinforcement to encourage healthy brain function. With practice, you learn to recognize your emotional reactions and self-adjust. You develop the skills needed to control your thoughts and emotions instead of being overrun by them.

What happens during neurofeedback therapy?

During a neurofeedback therapy session, Dr. Starr places electrodes on your head that are connected to a computer that monitors your brain activity. Your treatment begins with an assessment of your brain activity that shows Dr. Starr any abnormal or dysfunctional brainwaves linked to depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders. The region of your brain where activity is unusual determines the symptoms that you experience.

Once your brain activity is assessed, and your normal and abnormal brainwaves are identified, you start the process of using audio and visual positive reinforcement to encourage healthy brain activity.

For example, you wear the electrodes that monitor your brain activity. When your brainwaves are normal, you are rewarded with positive images or sounds. However, if you start to feel anxious or depressed, your brainwaves change, and the positive reinforcement fades away. You learn to shift your mood — which is regulated by your brain activity — to get more of the reward.

This process takes time and practice, but eventually, you learn to recognize the early signs of your anxiety or other mental health symptoms and change your emotional reactions, reducing your symptoms.

What conditions benefit from neurofeedback therapy?

Dr. Starr uses neurofeedback therapy to help patients with a variety of mental health conditions, including:

• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Insomnia and other sleep disorders
• Anxiety
• Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder
• Anger management
• Addiction

Dr. Starr often uses neurofeedback as part of a comprehensive treatment plan designed to improve your overall health and wellness as well as reduce your mental health symptoms.

What are the benefits of neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback is a natural approach to managing some mental health conditions. It helps you learn to regulate your emotions and behaviors without having to rely on medication. You develop some of the tools needed to improve your health and wellness for long-lasting benefits.

If you want to know more about neurofeedback therapy and find out if it’s right for you, call Myneurva Brain Centers or schedule a consultation online today.