ADHD & Neurofeedback
What Science Tells Us
By AllNeuro Pathways
Neurofeedback and ADHD : Why it Works
In their lifetime, 8.7% of people will meet the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis, with nearly half experiencing severe impairment to their life as a result. For those with ADHD, neurofeedback has been found to be as effective as medications like Ritalin, with improvements lasting for multiple years. These improvements have been studied to include sleep, academic performance, inattentive, and hyperactive symptoms. But how does it work?
Neurofeedback rewards your brain with what it already wants & needs
Neurofeedback works because it rewards your brain with new input, which our brains have evolved to always be seeking. People with ADHD tend to have lower levels of dopamine, the brain’s natural reward chemical. These dopamine levels can be additionally lowered after significant stress or trauma. Without these naturally occurring rewards, people with ADHD can find these rewards especially powerful.
Neurofeedback increases connections between brain areas
Additionally, ADHD brains have been found to have lower connectivity between the Default Mode Network (the “passive” brain, used for things like daydreaming and imagination) and the Task Positive Network (the “active” brain, used for more involved activities such as problem solving and analysis). This disconnect is theorized to be a major factor of ADHD symptoms. By strengthening the connections between these areas, neurofeedback can help with ADHD symptoms including task initiation, transitions, and sustained attention.
Neurofeedback teaches your brain how to self-regulate
Lastly, neurofeedback uses a kind of learning called procedural learning. This is the kind of learning and memory that happens after practice, eventually becoming automatic. This includes things like riding a bike or typing on a keyboard without looking – things that you’ve done enough time they just come naturally without much thought. In neurofeedback, we use this procedural learning to practice creating more beneficial brain activity, which eventually will happen automatically. This allows your brain to have an easier time reaching a positive, calm, and focused state.
Neurofeedback at AllNeuro Pathways is individualized to you
It is worth noting that while there is strong evidence to support neurofeedback as an effective treatment for ADHD,, everyone who has ADHD is different. This means that ADHD can show up in a wide variety of ways based on age, sex, lived experience, environment, genetics, and more. Of those diagnosed with ADHD, 60% will have an additional mental health diagnosis. All Neuro Pathways will create a personalized treatment plan to address all symptoms and concerns.
Living with ADHD can be difficult, but neurofeedback has been shown to help with a wide number of its most challenging symptoms. All Neuro Pathways has proven ways to help you begin to work with your brain and can make a significant impact in peoples daily lives. Reach out to the All Neuro Pathways team today to answer any questions and begin your brain training journey!
Abstract
Neurofeedback has been found to be very effective in treating ADHD, and demonstrates how neurofeedback can be used to work with your brain, rather than against it. There are additionally several things about the brains of people with ADHD that makes neurofeedback so effective for one of the most prevalent disorders in our society.
Firstly, neurofeedback works by rewarding your brain with new input. People with ADHD do not always get our brains natural reward chemical, dopamine, so these novel rewards can be especially powerful.
Next, it can support connections between our ‘passive’ and ‘active’ brain areas which is theorized to improve major ADHD symptoms such as task initiation and sustained attention.
Lastly, and most importantly, every person with ADHD is different, and ADHD can effect people in a wide number of ways. All Neuro Pathways conducts a qEEG to identify what parts of the brain are activating the symptoms that you want to address.
References
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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). (n.d.-b). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd
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Enriquez-Geppert, S., Smit, D., Pimenta, M. G., & Arns, M. (2019b). Neurofeedback as a treatment intervention in ADHD: Current evidence and practice. Current Psychiatry Reports, 21(6), 46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-019-1021-4
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