BY GRETCHEN MORSE
MIND
Decoding brainwaves Neurofeedback can help you train your brain
T
he brain is a wonderful, mysterious, and powerful organ, and we are discovering new information about it, all the time. Amidst all of its matter lies a range of electrical rhythms (called “brainwaves”) that, just like the heart’s electrical rhythms, have key roles in the function and wellness of the brain and body. Neurofeedback is a modality that can both measure the brain rhythms, and then can help clients to re-train brain patterns that contribute to issues with sleep, behavior, mood, pain, and more. The process starts with a non-invasive recording of the brainwaves, by wearing a special cap with sensors. The following map is from a child with behavioral, mood and sensory issues. The red areas on the sides and back of the brain can correlate with anxiousness and hyper-vigilance, as there are excessive fast waves in these areas. These fast waves would make it difficult for anyone to be calm and relaxed. The blue areas in the “Alpha” column indicate that this child’s alpha levels are too low. The alpha would ideally help keep a person in a more relaxed state (think about meditators, who have high levels of alpha). And the red and blue lines in the bottom row indicate a large amount of dysregulation in the connectivity of different areas throughout the brain, making it even more difficult for this child to regulate themselves. Each person’s map helps clinicians to plan unique training protocols for each client, that would be appropriate for their map and symptoms. Neurofeedback is a safe, gentle process
that helps a person learn to balance out the brainwave irregularities. As relief and improvements begin, the training continues for a time, to “cement” the positive changes for long-lasting change.
Gretchen Morse, DMA, is Board Certified in Neurofeedback and serves on the Board of the Midwest Society for Behavioral Medicine and Biofeedback. For information, call her at 517/290-4965, visit her website at www.mmneuro.com , or “Like” Mid-Michigan Neurofeedback on Facebook.
(517) 393-1900
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