Neurotherapy with Adults

Abstract

Several possible conceptualizations of neurotherapy are discussed: EEG operant conditioning; EEG homeostatic normalization; and utilization of EEG biofeedback as a means of accessing particular states of consciousness. Attention is given to how neurotherapy is actually done and when it may be a useful adjunct to psychological or medical therapies. Integration of neurotherapy with the larger framework of cognitive behavior therapy and the biopsychosocial model is discussed. Three case studies of adults involving the use of neurotherapy are described.

An Overview of the Use of Neurofeedback Biofeedback for the Treatment of Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury in Military and Civilian Populations

“…4,8,[12][13][14] There are also varied protocols and approaches to using the many types of biofeedback, many of which are used in combination with more than one form of biofeedback concurrently, and are also often used in conjunction with other forms of therapy, such as CBT. 4,8,[12][13][14][15] Furthermore, patients might also be receiving a number of additional treatments at the same time as biofeedback, such as medications, cognitive rehabilitation therapies, physical therapy, and general psychotherapy, as well as potentially experiencing ongoing or ''spontaneous'' recovery over the time following the injury, in addition to having comorbid diagnoses or symptoms that mimic those associated with TBI (e.g., attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or PTSD). 1,7,8,[12][13][14]16 216 GRAY Therefore, the heterogeneity related to both the injury and to biofeedback as a treatment can add to challenges in making conclusions about the efficacy of this approach from the research literature, and there needs to be more blinded, randomized, controlled trials with identified protocols using biofeedback for the treatment of symptoms of TBI in both civilian and military populations.…”

“…18 Although the research still lacks a large body of randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled studies following standardized protocols, the literature does suggest that survivors-in both civilian and military populationsof brain injuries of differing levels of severity report improvements across a wide range of complaints of problems with attention, impulse control, processing speed, shortterm memory, and mood. 4,8,[12][13][14][15][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Research on the use of neurofeedback for veteran populations has often focused on its use when PTSD or substance abuse is comorbid with TBI from blast injuries, with significant improvements reported, once the original protocol was modified. 18,28 Generalizability from the research is complicated by not only the lack of randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled studies following standardized protocols, but also by the variety of types and causes of TBIs.…”

Neurotherapy in Adult Management of Stress: Developmental Aspects of the Adult Immune System

“…Other studies have been conducted that confirm the effectiveness of neurotherapy to address different conditions, that include, but are not limited to, anxiety and affective disorders (Hammond 2005), addictive disorders (Trudeau 2005), attentional deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Thompson and Thompson 2005), traumatic brain injury (Nash 2005), and epilepsy (Mostofsky and Loyning 1993).…”

Biofeedback and Neurofeedback Treatment for ADHD

“…Seven years later, a single case study described a 29-year-old man, previously diagnosed with ADHD, treated with 40 twice-weekly NF ses-sions as an adjunct to mixed amphetamine salts. 32 Whereas a pretreatment computerized continuous performance test while on medication indicated extremely impaired attention, posttreatment testing while off medication showed normalized attention scores.…”