Many of us know of a child who is on medication for Attention Deficit Disorder, or an adult who suffers from migraines, anxiety, PTSD, depression, addictions, seizures or chronic pain such as fibromyalgia. But what if you knew of an alternative treatment that didn't necessarily require medications (and their side effects) and might promise relief from these and other problems? A report in the Baltimore Sun, "Teaching the Brain to Retrain Focus" (June 11, 2000) shed light on a treatment that just might do this. The article points out that Dr. Joel Lubar, a professor and researcher at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, had been using Neurofeedback, a type of Biofeedback, for nearly 30 years to train people with ADD/ADHD to use their brains more effectively. He claims that more than 90 percent of his patients have benefitted from this treatment. When combined with family therapy and a supportive school environment, the training has reduced and often eliminated the use of medications.

I have been offering Neurofeedback for various patients for nearly 13 years and certainly agree with Dr. Lubar - at least 90 (if not more) of my patents with ADD/ADHD have shown huge benefits from their training. But this is only if they complete the 20 hours (40 sessions) of training.

SHOULD I STOP TAKING MY MEDS WHEN DOING NEUROFEEDBACK?

I believe that my job as a Psychologist is to work as part of a team with the patient and his physician to design the most effective treatment for the problem. If this means that the patient, with the advice of his physician, is able to reduce or eliminate medications, then it can certainly be a blessing for the whole family. I would never tell a patient to stop any medication before consulting with his/her physician.

OK, SO WHAT IS NEUROFEEDBACK?

First the basics; Biofeedback is simply a way of reflecting back to a person, information about what is going on in their body. For instance, if you are feeling anxious, your body will exhibit certain symptoms that will be manifestations of this feeling. Your hands may become cold and clammy, your heart may race, or your muscles may become tense, all in preparation for some perceived threat. All of these signs can be easily measured and recorded. The word "Biofeedback" simply means that bodily indicators such as temperature or pulse can be measured, amplified and "fed back" to you via electronic equipment, often a computer. Once this information is "fed back," it is possible to control and change what is happening in your body. Scientists have been successfully using Biofeedback for over a hundred years to treat problems such as pain.

While people may be skeptical about it, they shouldn't be, because we use it everyday and have since Adam and Eve. Every time we look in the mirror or get on a bathroom scale we are using basic forms of Biofeedback.

Neurofeedback is a type of Biofeedback that measures responses of our brain waves. The word "neuro" means nerve, but here it is used to describe brain activity. All we do, feel and think is mediated through our brain. A device called the electroencephalograph ("electric-head-graph"), or EEG, records electrical activity of the brain through electrodes, or small sensors, attached to the scalp with electrode paste. "There are no needles or pain involved, says Dr. Aaron R. Noonberg, a co-author of the book, "Biofeedback (1980)." These electrodes record the average activity of a whole population of neurons, or nerves, that are in the area under the electrode. The output of the electrodes is then recorded.