Neurofeedback helps with seizure disorder

In the July 2009 edition of the Journal of Clinical EEG & Neuroscience, a group of researchers reported that EEG biofeedback was found to produce a significant reduction of seizure frequency. About one third of patients with epilepsy do not benefit from medical treatment. For these patients electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback is a viable alternative. EEG biofeedback, or neurofeedback, normalizes or enhances EEG activity by means of operant conditioning.

While dozens of scientific reports have been published on neurofeedback for seizure disorder, most have been case studies with too few subjects to establish efficacy. The researchers analyzed every EEG biofeedback study indexed in MedLine, PsychInfo, and PsychLit databases between 1970 and 2005 on epilepsy that provided seizure frequency change in response to feedback. Sixty-three studies have been published, ten of which provided enough outcome information to be included in a meta-analysis. All studies consisted of patients whose seizures were not controlled by medical therapies, which is a very important factor to keep in mind when interpreting the results.

All studies reported an overall mean decreased seizure incidence following treatment, and 64 out of 87 patients (74%) reported fewer weekly seizures in response to EEG biofeedback. This finding is especially noteworthy given the patient group -- individuals who had been unable to control their seizures with medical treatment. The title of the article is “Meta-Analysis of EEG Biofeedback in Treating Epilepsy”.

New research shows: neurofeedback is an 'Evidence-Based' treatment for ADHD

A recent publication in the journal EEG and Clinical Neuroscience (2009) shows that neurofeedback is an "evidenced based" treatment for ADHD. Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback, is a method used to train brain activity in order to normalize brain function and treat psychiatric disorders. This treatment method has gained interest over the last ten years; however, the question of whether this treatment should be regarded as an Evidence-Based treatment was unanswered until now.

Neurofeedback is a treatment where real-time feedback is provided for specific brain activity (most often EEG) in order to teach the brain to suppress or produce specific brain activity. This method was initially discovered for the treatment of epilepsy and since 1976 has been investigated further for the treatment of ADHD. This technique has become more popular with clinicians worldwide, and is currently used for the treatment of several disorders. Critics have often questioned the efficacy of neurofeedback and whether or not it can be considered an Evidence-Based treatment.

In collaboration with researchers from Tubingen University (Germany), Radboud University (Nijmegen, the Netherlands), Brainclinics and EEG Resource Institute, a meta-analysis was conducted on all published research about neurofeedback treatment in ADHD. This meta-analysis included 15 studies and 1194 ADHD patients. Based on this study it could be concluded that neurofeedback can indeed be considered an Evidence-Based treatment for ADHD. The results show that neurofeedback treatment has large and clinically significant effects on impulsivity and inattention and a modest improvement of hyperactivity.