Neurofeedback technique can 'reboot' brain for ADHD, PTSD sufferers

In September 2013, Chris Gardner went from kicking and spinning as a black belt in taekwondo to being locked in a world where he could not follow conversations or even walk his dog. The 58-year-old Vienna, Va., resident had just had brain surgery to remove a large tumour, and the operation affected his mobility and cognition.

After nine months of physical and occupational therapy, he'd made little progress. So he tried neurofeedback, hoping this controversial treatment would improve his balance and mental processes.

Neurofeedback a type of biofeedback uses movies, video games, computers and other tools to help individuals regulate their brain waves. A patient might watch a movie, for example, while hooked to sensors that send data to a computer. A therapist, following the brain activity on a monitor, programs the computer to stop the movie if an abnormal number of fast or slow brain waves is detected or if the brain waves are erratic, moving rapidly from fast to slow waves.

The stop-and-start feedback, repeated over and over in numerous sessions, seems to yield more-normal brain waves. Researchers who endorse the technique say they don't know exactly how it works but they say the changes in brain waves result in improved ability to focus and relax.

Better focus and relaxation can seemingly help improve or eliminate such conditions as migraines (imbalanced brain waves are associated with certain symptoms like pain) and anxiety.

Neurofeedback, which is also used for post-traumatic stress disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, has been around since the 1960s. Some research has found it promising. Other studies have been inconclusive, and some have shown no positive outcomes.

The most solid data concern ADHD, especially a recent trial involving 104 children published in March in the Journal of Pediatrics. Those who received neurofeedback had improvements in attention and impulse control, while those who did not receive the therapy did not. These improvements persisted after six months. The authors concluded that neurofeedback may be a "promising attention training treatment for children with ADHD."

Gardner had read that the technique could aid in recovery from brain injuries.

"I was skeptical. But I was desperate. I felt like I was wrapped in miles of cotton and could not reach through it to touch or feel anything," said Gardner, an electronic technology consultant. His doctor was projecting a two-to-three-year recovery period, based on Gardner's slow progress nine months after surgery.

By his ninth neurofeedback session, he was driving, taking power walks and working from home.

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Neurofeedback technique can 'reboot' brain for ADHD, PTSD sufferers