Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback or neurotherapy, makes use of neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity for change, to reshape brain networks. It is a way to directly train the brain to function better. Neurofeedback is an evidence-based process which sharpens attention, relieves anxiety and stress, enhances mood and improves learning and behavior, without medication.
Although the technology is complex, the process is simple, painless and non-invasive. It’s just learning. You learn to alter your brain activity the same way you learn every other skill, through feedback and practice. What’s new in neurofeedback is that you are guided by a form of feedback that was previously not available to you.
In neurofeedback training, EEG sensors pick up your brain’s electrical activity and the computer system compares it to targets or goals for optimal functioning. You receive immediate feedback – a visual cue or a continuous sound that tells you when your brain reaches your targets and a minute pause in the sound when you do not – sometimes this is part of a visual puzzle which “rewards” when your brain reaches the target by successful solving of the puzzle.
Through this process the brain learns to self-regulate which calms the nervous system and reduces or eliminates symptoms such as anxiety, depression, behaviour problems, sleep disorders, nightmares and stress, as well as many physical or somatic symptoms.
NeurOptimal® neurofeedback
NeurOptimal® was developed by Clinical Psychologists Dr Valdeane Brown and Dr Susan Brown, founders of Zengar Institute in Canada. It utilizes a Dynamical Neurofeedback® algorithm they developed and is exclusive to NeurOptimal.®
This innovative form of neurofeedback is not a medical treatment, but instead, training for the brain. It doesn’t require diagnosis but rather offers your brain the information it needs to reorganise itself – and when it does that, a whole lot of complaints drop away. You feel calmer, clearer, happier and able to function better in your life.
You can think of NeurOptimal® training as holding up a mirror to your brain. Imagine you had not seen yourself in a mirror in a long time. Once you see your reflection, you naturally start adjusting yourself, maybe standing a little taller, straightening your hair and so on. The mirror provides the information you need to correct and adjust yourself according to social “rules”. And so it is with the brain.
The brain has an inherent ability to self-correct when given the right information and NeurOptimal® is designed to provide it with the information it needs to make its own adjustments. Inconsistency, or abrupt changes in electrical activity in the brain, undermines optimal functioning. NeurOptimal® detects these abrupt changes and informs the brain through interruptions in the sound you listen to in a session. These almost imperceptible pauses invite your Central Nervous System to pull away from the less-than-ideal pathway based on past mental habits – and self-correct. This self-correction happens over and over until it becomes your new “normal” and your brain functions more efficiently, effectively and comfortably. When this happens, you sleep better, are less stressed, more resilient to change, can focus more easily and feel the joy of an easier life despite the challenges you may face from the outside world.
Many NeurOptimal® users report life changing results. Elite athletes have used NeurOptimal® reporting improvement in their physical performance and mental stamina. People with sleep disorders report improved sleep, in quality and duration as well as a shorter time to fall asleep. Veterans have said it helps relieve the extreme adjustment challenges they face returning home from a war zone and relief from the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). People with “foggy” thinking, due to injury or life circumstances say how, after using NeurOptimal,® they’ve rediscovered clarity to an extent they and their loved ones once believed impossible. Brain training with NeurOptimal® has also helped improve the lives of children suffering from communication, social challenges and difficulties focusing on school work. Many symptoms stemming from stress commonly fall away when the brain is trained for optimal functioning.
NeurOptimal® is a brain training tool and does not diagnose, treat, mitigate, prevent or cure any disease, disorder or abnormal physical state, nor does it restore, modify or correct the body’s structure or functioning. If you require medical assistance, please seek the advice of your physician.
Oksana Pueschel 