Neurotherapy, also called neurofeedback therapy, involves keeping track of and changing the electrical impulses sent by nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. Electronic encephalogram (EEG) data correlate with the level of activation of various brain areas and reveal the efficiency with which certain regions function.
Types of Neurotherapy
Neurotherapy can be one of seven approaches to address a wide range of medical issues.
- Neurofeedback based on frequency and intensity
- Neurofeedback for the slow cortical potential (SCP-NF)
- A Neurofeedback Method with Minimal Power Consumption (LENS)
- Neurofeedback using hemiencephalography (HEG)
- Real-time neurofeedback based on the Z-score
- Electromagnetic tomography with a low resolution (LORETA)
- MRI with Functional Signal Acquisition (fMRI)
Your doctor may choose one form of Neurotherapy over another depending on the nature of your illness or symptoms.
Benefits of Neuropathy
People of all ages can benefit from Neurotherapy, and it can be used to treat a wide range of ailments. Anxiety, depression, stress, attention, sleeplessness, chronic pain, substance misuse, stress, headaches, trauma, and brain injury are all treatable conditions that Neurotherapy can enhance.
People with developmental difficulties, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning challenges, and intellectual disabilities, can also benefit from Neurotherapy. Musicians, business leaders, and athletes can benefit from Neurotherapy to perform at their highest levels.
How Does Neurotherapy Work?
Neurotherapy is the process of "rewiring" neurons to improve brain function in some way. Standard applications include the treatment of mood disorders, the improvement of cognitive learning and performance, and the treatment of addictions or bad habits.
Neurotherapy can be used in a variety of ways, including the following:
- Neuron healing: Neurotherapy tries to mend damaged brain cells in cases of brain injury or damage.
- Neurostimulation: Stimulation, like electroconvulsive therapy, can help wake up parts or circuits of the brain that have been turned off and need to be turned back on to improve brain function.
- Neuromodulation: Neurotherapy uses neurostimulation, frequently in conjunction with neurofeedback, to help modulate activity in the brain or other areas of the nervous system in response to signals.
Each of these therapies aims to help restructure brain circuits to improve or restore normal brain function.
Techniques
Electrodes are placed on your scalp, and you sit in a chair during an ordinary Neurotherapy session. This causes zero discomforts in any way. Comparable to having a doctor listen to your heartbeat using a stethoscope.
While the EEG monitors your brain's electrical activity, your therapist will perform easy exercises. You might be asked to look at pictures, play a game, or listen to music as part of your treatment.
The electrodes provide instantaneous audible and visual input on your brain activity. For example, if you're watching a video and your brainwaves are in a good state, the screen you're looking at will brighten. The display's brightness decreases as the frequency of its generated brainwaves increases in a state of discord.
By receiving immediate confirmation of your actions, your brain can better understand how to increase the display's brightness. Your brain learns how to generate and maintain the excellent brainwave patterns (and suppress the bad ones) that keep the screen illuminated with practice.
The average length of a Neurotherapy session is between 30 and 60 minutes. The average course of Neurotherapy entails 30–40 treatment sessions. Although everyone is different, most people don't need more than 40 sessions.
Things you should consider
Although Neurotherapy shows promise for treating many disorders, it is not without its drawbacks. Such things consist of:
- It's a pretty penny, so this treatment choice is only for some.
- It may take a considerable amount of time.
- Consistency is required because results may not be seen for a few months.
Because of issues like these, some patients may find Neurotherapy less appealing than other treatment options.
Final Thoughts
Psychiatric problems are often treated using medicine and psychotherapy rather than Neurotherapy because Neurotherapy is still in its infancy. When conventional treatments have proven ineffective, Neurotherapy is now being tried out as a last resort. Similar efforts are being made to learn more about motor rehabilitation treatments.
Few medical neurofeedback devices have been approved for sale by the FDA in the United States. There are devices like Neuropace, which helps avoid partial-onset seizures, and the Monarch external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) System, which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. Currently, the FDA only permits neurofeedback devices to be advertised as stress reduction and relaxation equipment. More study is needed before neurofeedback devices may be used to treat mental health issues in the United States.