What Is Neurofeedback And What Is It For?

In global terms, neurofeedback in psychology consists of study of brain waves to determine brain activity of a person. Another of its functions is to help understand various psychological problems with an organic basis.

To achieve this, it is intended to obtain more information about these conditions through research related to learning processes.

History of neurofeedback

The origins of neurofeedback date back to the last decades of the 19th century, approximately. Firstly, the research started by Richard Caton emerged, whose purpose was to study various mental states in relation to brain activity.

In 1920, psychiatrist Hans Berger conducted another study on the movements of brain waves to understand certain emotions of patients who attended a consultation. A few years later, Berger came to the conclusion that alterations in brain waves could lead to clinical pathologies.

In the 1960s, Dr. Barry Sterman began other clinical studies to investigate possible treatments for epilepsy. This doctor used neurofeedback as a therapy for the rehabilitation of patients with seizures, obtaining good results.

From the research described above, it was deduced that neurofeedback has several uses depending on the problem that must be treated. Next, we will describe what neurofeedback is for:

• Brain regulation.
• Anxiety.
• Depression.
• Organic-based problems.
• Severe psychiatric pathologies.

However, it must be taken into account that the application of this technique must always be carried out by a specialized health professional since the characteristics of each patient are evaluated.

This technique has a series of steps that must be followed for it to be done correctly. In the following points, we will develop the steps to follow to perform neurofeedback:

1. Firstly, an initial interview is carried out with the patient to determine the reason for the consultation and its severity. Furthermore, here it is decided whether intervention through neurofeedback is necessary.
2. The study of brain waves begins by recording a neurological evaluation of the affected patient.
3. Once the case has been analyzed and the strategies to be implemented have been developed, weekly sessions will be held with the patient to evaluate the functioning of the brain’s electrical signals using an electroencephalogram. Subsequently, visual and auditory stimuli will be presented to the person to establish the mode of action of the neural circuits.

From studies carried out over several years, it has been concluded that neurofeedback has a great efficacy and effectiveness in remission of symptoms of patients taking this type of treatment. However, it should be noted that its application occurs in certain clinical conditions since in this way the variables that affect the development of neurological alterations can be evaluated.

On the other hand, neurofeedback is indicated for addressing attention disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, epilepsy or autism, among others. Likewise, although it is true that there are still areas to investigate, it has been shown that neurofeedback can make modifications in the neuronal connections that are carried out in affected patients.

For all this, it is possible to corroborate that the progress after carrying out several neurofeedback sessions can be lasting. However, it must be taken into account that There are several variables that can cause setbacks in treatment, such as age, severity of the pathology, medical history, pre-existing diseases, among others.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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