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2014Internet Addiction, ADHD and Depression
As the ease as well as need to access the internet increases in the age of technology due to academic and recreational reasons, it impacts extensively on multiple aspects of daily life. Internet addiction is now a recognised phenomenon, with various scales being developed in order to define the diagnostic criteria. This addiction may impact specific target groups differently, and of particular interest to this…
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2017Neurofeedback AND post-traumatic stress disorder
Bessel Van Der Kolk has just published a paper in December 2016 which describes a wonderful new study he has conducted into the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He examined 52 individuals with chronic PTSD and found a significant drop in traumatic events. Post-treatment with neurofeedback he found a significantly smaller proportion of the participants met criteria for PTSD compared to those in the study that did not…
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2017Neurofeedback and performance enhancement in elite athletes
A research study by Dr Dupee and colleagues, published in December 2016, explored the perceived outcomes of neurofeedback training intervention with high performance athletes. Five Olympic level athletes preparing for world championships and the 2012 Olympic Games took part in a 20 session intervention over the period of one year. At the completion of the intervention, an interview was conducted with each athlete. The athletes indicated…
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2017The effects of gluten in children with ASD
The gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet is an alternative intervention that has been extensively used with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The GFCF diet involves the elimination of all foods containing gluten or casein (proteins found in wheat or barley products and dairy products, respectively). The intervention’s popularity is largely due to the ease of implementing it into the child’s (and family’s) day-to-day routine, the…
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2016The Psychology of Happiness
Have you ever thought about what makes you happy? Considered why the things that used to make you happy might not anymore? Or maybe you have wondered why the things that make you happy aren’t the same things that make your friends and family happy? The psychology behind happiness has an immense amount of research backing it – but for some reason happiness is still seen…
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2016Neurofeedback versus stimulant medication: Who is the winner?
ADHD is commonly combated with medication and this is because pharmaceutical methods have historically been considered the only efficacious treatment for this disorder. However neurofeedback has recently emerged as a complementary or even alternative treatment to medication. By training the patient to increase or decrease certain levels of cortical activation, symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity can be effectively decreased on a long-term basis with…
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2016Depression and anxiety in young people: How effective are preventative efforts?
Depression and anxiety are very common in young people. Due to the nature of the two disorders, children and adolescents who experience depression often experience anxiety as well, and vice versa. Depression and anxiety tend to persist once established and impact negatively on one’s quality of life. Thus, it is important to focus on preventing depression and anxiety early on, such as in school settings….
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2016Neurofeedback as a treatment for epilepsy
Sterman and Thompson have recently detailed how epilepsy can be effectively treated with neurofeedback therapy, with some patients resistant to anti seizure medication experiencing significant reductions in seizure frequency and intensity after this non-invasive treatment. Sterman, a guru of neurofeedback and an innovative researcher in this field, originally studied EEG patterns in cats. He discovered the animals could be trained with a food reward to…
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2016Neurofeedback may improve cognitive flexibility in children with epilepsy
Neurofeedback is a non-pharmacological therapy used for the treatment and long-term management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Among children with ADHD, studies have shown neurofeedback provides a sustained effect and is effective in improving executive function. Improvements in executive function can have downstream positive consequences on cognitive flexibility – that is, being mentally flexible and organising one’s behaviour to solve problems. Neurofeedback may be…
2
2016It is better for children with learning disabilities to be exposed to auditory (rather than visual) reinforcement during neurofeedback
Neurofeedback using a reinforcer is useful in treating children with learning disabilities. Here, neurofeedback aims to increase EEG alpha activity and decrease theta activity. Visual reinforcement (e.g. a white square presented when eyes are open) is often used during neurofeedback. This seems logical as vision often has an advantage over other senses in environments and thus visual dominance emergences, because the visual system is less…
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2016Neurofeedback: A potential treatment option for Tourette Syndrome
Neurofeedback is increasingly used in various neuropsychiatric disorders. It aims to modify mental processes (in particular cognition) and thereby positively impact on disorder-specific symptoms. A review by Farkas and colleagues (2015) proposes that neurofeedback can be potentially used in the treatment of Gilles-de-la Tourette Syndrome (GTS). This is important as GTS is characterised by multiple rapid and non-rhythmic motor and vocal productions, which can only…