What is EEG Biofeedback?

qEEG (quantitative electroencephalography) is a safe, accurate and painless way to find out how your brain is working by measuring the electricity it creates. This information can be used for biofeedback, which involves training the brain to help make it better. Training your brain with qEEG biofeedback – also called neurofeedback –is an exciting, innovative way to heal the brain that is making waves around the world.

Applications

In people who suffer from seizures or epilepsy, there are areas of their brains where the nerve cells – called neurons – are not functioning properly. This leads them to send abnormal electrical signals, which can be seen on the qEEG. These trouble spots are also seen in people who have suffered a concussion (traumatic brain injury), and in children and adults with attention deficient disorder (with or without hyperactivity).

These three brain disorders can all be treated effectively with neurofeedback. Several controlled clinical trials have shown good results in all three cases. Hundreds of other clinics around the world use neurofeedback for many other problems. The list includes include anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep disorders, depression, learning disorders, and a wide range of other neurologic and psychiatric symptoms.

Neurofeedback can also be used to make good brains better. Research involving athletes, executives, performance artists, and surgeons has shown that neurofeedback can help foster “peak performance”. By helping people shift their brains into “the zone”, neurofeedback can improve focus, concentration and memory and mental well-being.

 

qEEG assessment

During an qEEG assessment, something that looks like a swimming cap is placed on your head. There are 19 electrodes attached to the cap, allowing the electricity from your brain to be sent to a computer. The signal that is being measured is the sum of all the electrical impulses generated by the neurons in your brain – your ‘brainwaves’.

The EEG data is analyzed by specialized software, which compares your brainwaves to a database of 3000 healthy people of different ages. If there are areas where your brainwaves are unusually fast or slow, they will be clearly seen in colored charts and graphs.

After the assessment, your data will be sent to Dr. Tomas Ros, a world expert in neurofeedback who is working with the Seekers Centre. Based at the Laboratory for Neurology and Imaging of Cognition at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, Dr Ros is a neurophysiologist who is one of the leading researchers in the field. He also has extensive clinical experience, having trained a wide range of patients in the UK, Canada and Switzerland.

You will receive a detailed qEEG assessment report that shows you how your brain is working in pictures, graphs and words. The report will also include a recommended treatment protocol for neurofeedback. This means that your treatment will be custom-made for you. Your training program will be as unique as your brain.

Neurofeedback therapy

During a neurofeedback session, the software compares your brainwaves to the settings desired. Whenever your waves drift away from the ideal, it guides you towards the target state with attention-grabbing graphics and video. Essentially neurofeedback is like a computer game – with your brain as the joystick. With practice you get better and better at controlling your brain.

We use neurofeedback at the Seekers Centre to treat our patients’ specific psychiatric or neurological problems. Once you learn that your brain is an organ you can control, however, that knowledge changes the way you interact with the world around you. This can be a paradigm shift that helps accelerate personal development in many areas.

Learning to control your brain can help you deal with stress, anger, emotional upset, and even pain. This shift in consciousness has tremendous potential to improve the quality of your life. This is why we are so excited to make this service available to our patients, and to join the community of innovative healers whose work is focused on the mind and brain.

The most important thing to know about neurofeedback is that the results are usually permanent. This is not just a treatment: when your training is complete, you will have learned a new skill. Some people have found that short courses of refresher training are helpful, but just like riding a bicycle, what you learn during neurofeedback stays with you for a long time.

  • You should prepare for this test by coming to the centre without any products in you hair ( gel, hairspray etc..)
  • Continue with your regular morning routine, but refrain from caffeine within 2 hours of your test.
  • Continue to take medications you are currently on

  • qEEG assessments and neurofeedback therapy are safe, painless, and do not involve any shock to the body or brain
  • The initial qEEG assessment takes about 90 minutes
  • You will receive a printed report that shows your brainwaves in colour and includes personalized recommendations for neurofeedback treatment
  • If neurofeedback is right for you, you will have two 45-minute training sessions per week
  • Each session will involve about 30 minutes of mental focus while doing feedback
  • Your progress will be measured with an qEEG assessment after every 12 sessions
  • Patients usually notice improvements with the first 4-6 weeks, and progress continues with further training

If you’re interested in the EEG biofeedback treatment, contact us at (613) 727-7246 or info@seekerscentre.com. Our team will be happy to provide you with information, answer your questions, and help get you started on your healing journey.