Has anyone here tried the neurofeedback approach ? If so I'd like to have your thoughts. Thanking you in advance.

PS - I've read the thread previously but just wanted to know if anyone has, or is, trying it as an alternative.

I've not yet seen any mainstream research that supports it, however, there are people that think it helps.

Personally, meaning strictly my own opinion, I'm very skeptical.

I'd have to read more ongoing research before I changed my viewpoint.

Thanks for that - are you skeptical because of the conflicting theories out there? It seems to me that no-one really agrees with the way to approach it - it being ADD!:confused:
Some people are totally against the meds route, others believe in diet and exercise, others in a combination of eveything! There just doesn't seem to be a mainstream answer and everyone's is different - no wonder I'm so confused!

From Russell Barkley, the worlds leading expert on ADHD.

"Treating at the Point of Performance

An important implication of this model is that the most useful treatments are those in place in natural settings at the point of performance, where the desired behavior is to occur. Ingersoll and Goldstein (1993) say that this “point of performance” seems to be a key concept in the management of those with ADHD. The further away in space and time the location of the intervention from this point of performance is, the less effective it should prove to be for managing or treating those having ADHD. This implication immediately suggests that clinic-delivered treatments, such as play therapy, counseling of the child, neurofeedback, or other such therapies, are not as likely to produce clinically significant improvement in ADHD, if at all, in comparison to treatments undertaken by caregivers in natural settings at the places and times the performance of the desired behavior is to occur. The latter treatments would be programs such as behavior modification that undertake to restructure the natural setting and its contingencies to achieve a change in the desired behavior and to maintain that desired behavior over time".

and..."EEG biofeedback? Very rapid growing treatment service offered out there in the community. A lot of people going back to get biofeedback training, so that they can use this equipment in their practice, this EEG biofeedback. There are no controlled studies of this anywhere in the literature. There are case reports, that’s all, no placebo controlled studies. There was only one placebo controlled study done in 1992 here in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it did not find anything. Once you use the placebo it found no evidence that this was a compelling treatment for AD/HD relative to a placebo intervention".

My first job out of grad school was in a pain clinic as a biofeedback technician.

I know that a great deal has changed in the delivery of those services, however, I believe they are best applied to headaches and,to some extent, low back pain.

That's stricitly anecdotal;based on my experiences in that capacity.

What have been repeatedly shown to work are (stimulant) meds and (for hyperactive kids), a rewards based behavior managment charting/home token economy.

Thanks again scuro for the post.

Russ essentially qouted those data the first day at Door County; right after he proved that subtest scatter from IQ tests, as well as neuropsych tests were "inappropriate" for diagnosing ADHD.

After the news that individual pyschotherapy didn't work either, I was bummed for like maybe 30 secs,because I knew he'd show us what did work.

That's when he introduced the "point of performance" data.

I'm skeptical because I'm an adult ADHD-Combined type and a Licensed (clinical/child) Psychologist in Minnesota,with a practice of kids between 6-19/20,of which 90-95% are ADHD.

As such, I'm reading constantly and going to workshops, etc.

If the research changes then I'll change with it. That's what you have to do.

For many years now, meds & behavior managment have been found to work ;nothing else.

The research on the overall safety and efficacy of medications to treat ADHD is overwhelmingly positive.

When you get a chance, please check out The U.S.Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, Chapter 3: Disorders of Infancy,Childhood & Adolescence.

It has excellent info on this subject.

There has been NO dietary or natural supplement dound to work as a clinical treatment for ADHD.

What I mean by that is that there has been no replication of data from any study by outside investigators.

Omega 3 long chain fatty acids (fish oils) have shown the most promise. There's also been some support for a high protein diet.

More importantly though, those data need to prove to be valid & reliable by way of being replicated by other researchers and then getting the same results.

scuro,

You may already know this, but Russ's 3rd edition of The ADHD Handbook is out now.

He co-authored with Kevin Murphy. Russ has referred to him as being one of, if not THE leading researcher on ADHD in adults.

It's available at the Guilford Press website and Chapter 2 can be read as a sample of the book.

I'm excited because that's where the "Checklist's trump tests" data are.

Take care and thanks again for all the excellent posts.

mctavish23 (Robert)

Thanks Scuro and Robert for the info.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

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I’ve read Russell Barkley’s book and a few very interesting articles on the net.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

I finished reading “ADD: The 20-Hour Solution” Siegfried Othmer and I have had my daughter doing neurofeedback for the past couple of months – she has about ten sessions to go. It just seems to take a long time and it’s hugely expensive here. I know the same applies to the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Now, I’ve seen changes in her, but this could be because of the onset of puberty or it could be that she’s started believing in herself or it could be that this is working for her. I also saw changes after the fish oils and dietary changes – again this, as you said previously, is beneficial for everyone. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

What I don’t understand is that IF this works why is it not more available to people? Why are there ONLY case studies out there? Why only efficacy studies? <o:p></o:p>

sorry about that - I wrote something in word and pasted it here so I suppose the embarrassment smilie fits me ! Won't do it again - promise.

From Taking charge of ADHD.

"So although we cannot rule out the possibility that EEG biofeedback training might be of some benefit, we cannot consider it a scientifically established effective treatment. Furthmore, a child and family could receive 12 years of stimulant medication, 3 years of weekly group parent training, nearly 31/2 years of twice monthly classroom consultations by a clinical psychologist, or almost 21/2 years for the of twice-weekly educational tutoring for the cost of 6 months of this treatment..."

There is more on page 68

But Scuro, this is exactly what I was saying before - no consensus - on neurofeedback. That and the fact of it's expense. Why so expensive? Basic economics will confirm that you could easily sell something at half the price and probably quadrupel your sales! If it works the way it's supposed to work, well, we'd have a society of farmers as opposed to hunters ( brilliant book by the way - it makes you look at ADD in a whole different light, just can't for the life of me remember who wrote it off hand).
The meds work for some but not for all. One just has to look at the various messages from groups in yahoo to see that.
And this, from " A Symphony in the Brain" - Jim Robbins : " Lubar and others feel they are being held to a very high standard of proof, not for scientific reasons, but because of an irrational prejudice against biofeedback. Another problem is the fact that biofeedback doesn't fit neatly into any category". Joel Lubar is supposed to be one of the best in this field.
I'll go on - " "There's something else at work " in the criticism of neurofeedback, Strohmayer believes. " As medical spending is cut back, there's a turf war for health care dollars. Neurofeedback is a major threat to the medical industrial complex. It doesn't fit in. It's not something they can package and sell, like drugs and make large amounts of money". Yet the cost of neurofeedback is excessively high as you have pointed out in your previous post and I happen to agree with. I ask the same question again - Why?

I once saw some Dyslexic program...teaching phonics with clay. According to them, it had to be 3d or it wouldn't work. It cost an arm and a leg too. The concept was actually interesting and intelligent. But it doesn't mean squat unless you can clinically prove that it works. :) Scientists and Doctors are not cogs in the wheel. They want to help people. If the cure was there...it would be out to the public in no time flat.

Thing is about that Dyslexia program, some smart person came up with this, and the person trying to sell it in our school was the father of one of our gifted children. We have geniuses on this board who truly believe a multitude of things will cure ADHD. Why do they grasp at straws? Why did Steve McQueen go to Mexico for the miracle cancer cure? Basically, for a good deal of them, they have not gotten to the stage of acceptance that there is a really a very significant problem that is not going to go away.

ADHD is not a nutritional input disorder, it is not a learned disorder, or skill set disorder. Why do meds work so amazingly(92%) for most classic ADHD people? Because something at the "synaptic gap" level is not working as it should. Less activity less neural connections...less brain weight or size. I think it may be as simple as that. I'd bet that the parts of the brain that deal with self regulation are the parts that have less activity.

When my daughter was diagnosed with ADD just over a year and a half ago I must admit I was devastated, went through the whole denial thing and decided I was going to "fix" My fist "fix" was to read as much as I could about it on the net and in book form - very anal that way! This is how I came to find out about neurofeedback.
What it is doing ( and I can only speak for her ) is helping her "train" her brain through visual and audio feedback - much like Pavlov and Skinner's conditioning - that's the only thing I can equate it to.
I'm sure you know how it works but it is very interesting to see it in action. Basically she is able to inhibit the theta whilst stimulating the SMR waves. I know that theta is more prevalent in children under the age of 13 and that this seems to fade after the age of 13 - but maybe, and this is a huge jump in my logic, not in ADDers. Neurofeedback makes her feel that she is more in control of her brain. Or it could be a simple case of - I think, therefore I am!

Jackiesamgeorge, how long will your daughter continue the neurofeedback treatment?

She has about 10 sessions left before she hits the 40 mark which is about the norm, so I'm told. Why? Have you tried it?
I want to be finished with it before the end of November as this is when the school year closes here. I've been really careful not to introduce any other alternative theories and am monitoring this really closely. I will probably take her for a session before the start of school in January just to see what is happening - if the sessions have stuck with her.

I've completed 35 sessions, and let me tell you it works!

Now, it doesn't turn me "normal", but I'm no longer on any stimulants or anti-depressants, and I'm able to function better and more consistantly than I can remember in my whole life.

I'm not profiting in any way by saying this, but I think every kid with ADHD should go through Neurotherapy like every kid with crooked teeth should have braces.

I've done 2 QEEG tests, one before and one after, and I can tell you there were some pretty signaficant differences. I'm still continuing Neurotherapy, but it's because there were still some items on the 2nd QEEG test that looked like they could use further adjustment, and I'm to the point where I can go once a week instead of 3 times a week.

Before I started, I was headed into a mental breakdown. My depression was horrible, my life was bleak, I couldn't keep my brain on task at work to save my life, but since my wife and kids have Chronic Lyme Disease, I had no choice but to keep going to work, feel miserable because I knew I wasn't earning my wages, and just trying to get through each day without getting fired.

I had been on anti-depressants pretty regularly for 7+ years, and had just started taking Adderall again. The Addreall was working short term, but there was the feeling of beeing too excited, and the crash at the end of the day where I just wanted to go somewhere and hide from the world. My body was pretty much hooked on the Lexapro because occasionally when I forgot to refill my prescription, I could only skip a few days before it started to feel like my brain and eyeballs were swimming around my skull. I started the detox off the meds back when I started Neurofeedback in May, and I've been meds free since then.

I still have the social and emotional disconnect, but I'm hoping that to descrease with one of the protocols we are going to be working on.

As soon as my kids are old enough to sit still long enough to do a QEEG and the training, (I'm thinking about 7), I'm going to take some of our Tax Return for that year and put them through Neurofeedback over the summer. I'm also trying to convince my parents to at least do a QEEG on some of my younger siblings.

I know that there is a site @ www.brain-trainer.com (http://www.brain-trainer.com) that teaches courses on how to do a "QEEG-lite" assessment, buy the equiptment, and train at home. I'm thinking I may go this route in the future with one of the kids, and well as continuing on myself.

Feel free to send me a PM or reply if anyone has any questions about my experience.

I've completed 35 sessions, and let me tell you it works!

Was it $100 a session? I heard a non-profit a church I think uses biofeedback
to treat various issue but I do not think they beleive in the concept of ADHD.
.....looking their name up.....
Oh dear its the Church of Scientology! I thougt I could save the users here some
money by seeking out the aid of a non-profit but I think the Scientologist charge more per session. :(


I'm not profiting in any way by saying this, but I think every kid with ADHD should go through Neurotherapy

Thats good you have altruistic motivations. :)


I know that there is a site @ www.brain-trainer.com that teaches courses on how to do a "QEEG-lite" assessment, buy the equiptment, and train at home

A cheaper source for EEG equipment is to build it yourself.

http://openeeg.sourceforge.net/doc/

Was it $100 a session?
Actually, the Clinician I work with is still growing his business, so it was $50/session.
A cheaper source for EEG equipment is to build it yourself.

http://openeeg.sourceforge.net/doc/
That's just the EEG equiptment itself, no software and no training plan.

You can do a lot of harm if you just pick a protocol and start to do it. That is why it is very important to do a QEEG test, and have a competent Clinician work with you to come up with a protocol before you go training something that may make you an insonmiac or kill your sex drive...

That's just the EEG equiptment itself, no software and no training plan.



No the website has links to alot of free software for the device.

http://openeeg.sourceforge.net/doc/sw/


You can do a lot of harm if you just pick a protocol and start to do it. That is why it is very important to do a QEEG test, and have a competent Clinician work with you to come up with a protocol before you go training something that may make you an insonmiac or kill your sex drive...

In that case make sure all the equipment the "clinician" is using is FDA
approved and the "clinician" is a neurologist(real medical doctor).

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Taken from http://www.eeginfo.com/info_what.htm (http://www.eeginfo.com/info_what.htm)

What is Neurofeedback?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>Neurofeedback is direct training of brain function, by which the brain learns to function more efficiently. We observe the brain in action from moment to moment. We show that information back to the person. And we reward the brain for changing its own activity to more appropriate patterns. This is a gradual learning process. It applies to any aspect of brain function that we can measure. Neurofeedback is also called EEG biofeedback, because it is based on electrical brain activity, the electroencephalogram, or EEG. Neurofeedback is training in self-regulation. It is simply biofeedback applied to the brain directly. Self-regulation is a necessary part of good brain function. Self-regulation training allows the system (the central nervous system) to function better.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>What is Neurofeedback good for?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>Neurofeedback addresses problems of brain disregulation. These happen to be numerous. They include the anxiety-depression spectrum, attention deficits, behavior disorders, various sleep disorders, headaches and migraines, PMS, emotional disturbances. It is also useful for organic brain conditions such as seizures, the autism spectrum, and cerebral palsy.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>May this be considered a cure for some of these conditions?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>In the case of organic brain disorders, it can only be a matter of getting the brain to function better rather than of curing the condition. When it comes to problems of disregulation, we would say that there is not a disease to be cured. Where disregulation is the problem, self-regulation may very well be the remedy. But again the word cure would not apply.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>But the symptoms may go away, so it's all the same in the end?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>Indeed, with Neurofeedback the symptoms may be entirely suppressed. A person with diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder may be able to train the brain to pay attention, so that condition will no longer be diagnosable. A person coming in with migraines may no longer have them. (However, that person may still have a greater "vulnerability" to migraines than the average person on the street.) A person with epilepsy may no longer have seizures. (Although that person still retains a vulnerability to seizures.) A child with severe rages and temper tantrums may not have them again. Etc.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>How is this done?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>We apply electrodes to the scalp to listen in on brainwave activity. We process the signal by computer, and we extract information about certain key brainwave frequencies. (All brainwave frequencies are equal, but some are more equal than others….) We show the ebb and flow of this activity back to the person, who attempts to change the activity level. Some frequencies we wish to promote. Others we wish to diminish. We present this information to the person in the form of a video game. The person is effectively playing the video game with his or her brain. Eventually the brainwave activity is "shaped" toward more desirable, more regulated performance. The frequencies we target, and the specific locations on the scalp where we listen in on the brain, are specific to the conditions we are trying to address, and specific to the individual.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>What conditions can be helped?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>We are especially concerned with the more "intractable" brain-based problems of childhood whose needs are not currently being met. This includes first of all seizures and febrile convulsions. It includes the severely disruptive behavior disorders, such as conduct disorder and bipolar disorder. It includes the autistic spectrum and pervasive developmental delay. It includes cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and birth trauma. Many children have sleep problems that can be helped: bedwetting, nightmares and night terrors, sleep walking, and teeth grinding. We can also be helpful with many of the problems of adolescence: drug-taking, suicidal behavior, anxiety and depression. And we can also help to maintain good brain function as people get older. The good news is that almost any brain, regardless of its level of function, can be trained to function better.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>How do you know how to train a particular brain?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>Over the years, certain training protocols have been developed that are helpful with certain classes of problems such as attention, anxiety and depression, seizures and migraines, as well as cognitive function. There are a number of assessment tools we use to help us decide which protocols to use. These are simple neurodiagnostic and neuropsychological tests.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>What is neurodiagnostic and neurophysiological testing?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>Neurofeedback addresses issues of brain function, and hence assessment likewise is aimed at measuring function: We employ a continuous performance test called the TOVA ® (Test of Variables of Attention) and the QIK in order to characterize impulsivity and attention. We offer other tests of cognitive function and memory. We do screenings for certain visual problems that are ordinarily overlooked. And we can measure the EEG with quantitative and statistical assessments, a technique referred to as Quantitative EEG, or simply qEEG.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>What is Quantitative EEG (qEEG)?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>QEEG is one of the modern brain imaging techniques. Whereas PET and SPECT and fMRI scans look at how metabolic activity is distributed in the brain, the qEEG looks at how electrical activity is distributed over the scalp. In terms of imaging, nothing else is as fast in revealing brain activity as the qEEG. It is also completely non-invasive, and can be done in a clinician's office. It is well suited to the needs of the Neurofeedback clinician. Often a qEEG will be recommended for clients with clients with brain injury or developmental disorders, in order to help determine the path toward improved function.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>What happens if Neurofeedback clients are taking medications?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>With successful Neurofeedback training, the medications targeting brain function may very well no longer be needed, or they may be needed at lower dosages, as the brain takes over more of the role of regulating itself. This decrease in medications is particularly striking when the medications play a supportive role in any event, as is often the case for the more severe disorders that we are targeting with our work. It is important for clients to communicate with their prescribing physician regarding Neurofeedback and medications.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>Who provides Neurofeedback?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>Neurofeedback is typically provided by mental health professionals such as psychologists, family therapists, and counselors. These professions usually work with people one-on-one. The training may also be provided by nurses, clinical social workers, rehabilitation specialists, and educators. MDs also provide the service, but with the exception of psychiatrists will usually have the service provided by a trained staff person.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>If Neurofeedback deals with so many conditions, why have I not heard of it before?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>Neurofeedback involves "operant conditioning" of the EEG. As such, it is a psychological technique more than a medical one. The technique is not generally taught in medical school, but operant conditioning is a well-known technique in the science of psychology. On the other hand, most psychologists do not usually deal with the kinds of problems we are targeting. Hence we need to attract a greater variety of professionals to this field. The Brian Othmer Foundation exists for this purpose, among others.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>Is Neurofeedback a reimbursable treatment?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>There are insurance codes for biofeedback, under which Neurofeedback is covered. And there are codes for combining psychotherapy with biofeedback/neurofeedback. However, coverage for chronic mental health concerns is rarely adequate in the United States, so parents may have to advocate strongly with their insurance company for reimbursement. This, more than anything else, makes it necessary for the Brian Othmer Foundation to exist.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>What are the customary costs of Neurofeedback training?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>The typical per-session fee ranges from $50 to $125 depending on the part of the country and the qualifications of the professional. In addition there are costs of assessment, which are usually billed separately. Discounts may be available for massed practice, or for pre-payment plans.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>Is home-training a possibility?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>Many of the conditions we address with Neurofeedback involve long-term training, as the brain's capacity to function is gradually enhanced. For some children, Neurofeedback may remain a useful challenge over their life span. To make this economically viable, remote training is an available option for parents. Remote training refers to home training under the (remote) supervision of a clinician. After parents have had their child trained with a clinician for at least twenty sessions, they may transition to remote training and continue on that basis, consulting with the clinician regularly to monitor progress and determine changes in protocol. Then training can be done frequently and consistently, on an affordable basis.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>Neurofeedback sounds like a real breakthrough. Is it? And should I be hopeful for my child?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>The most significant scientific frontier in health care at this time is to understand how our brain functions. We are beginning to learn the brain's "operating system," and these findings are not without clinical implications. We have already learned how to make almost any functioning brain function better. But we can promise only progress, not perfection. The parent's first role in this is to resist the message "there is nothing more that can be done for your child," and to move forward to experience what Neurofeedback may offer.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>Do the effects of the training really last?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>If the problem being addressed is one of brain disregulation, then the answer is yes, and that covers a lot of ground. This is quite as it should be. Neurofeedback involves learning by the brain. And if that brings order out of disorder, the brain will continue to use its new capabilities, and thus reinforce them. Matters are different when we are dealing with degenerative conditions like Parkinson's or the dementias, or when we are working against continuing insults to the system, as may be the case in the autism spectrum. In such cases the training needs to be continued at some level over time. Allergic susceptibilities and food intolerances make it more difficult to hold the gains. Poor digestive function will pose a problem, as does poor nutrition. A child living in a toxic environment (in either the physical or the psychological sense) will have more difficulty retaining good function.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>What is the success rate?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>Through our twenty years of experience with Neurofeedback, we have reached the point of having very high expectations for success in training. When such success is not forthcoming, or if the gains cannot hold, then there is usually a reason for that which needs to be pursued. In the normal course of events, Neurofeedback ought to work with everybody. That is to say, nearly everyone should make gains that they themselves would judge to be worthwhile. Our brains are made for learning and skill-acquisition. On the other hand, we are working with many families whose expectations have been lowered by their past experience. And they need to see progress before they will share our optimism. We understand that. It turns out that among the vast majority of clients (>95% in one clinician's experience) the actual outcome exceeds the prior expectations. Against such low expectations, the changes that can be produced with Neurofeedback may even appear miraculous. One Neurofeedback office has a sign on its front desk: "We expect miracles. If none occur, something has gone wrong." What appears miraculous in all of this is really nothing more than the incredible capacity of our brains to recover function when given a chance.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=20></TD></TR><TR><TD>I want to know more, where can I read about this?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>The information above is from The Brian Othmer Foundation (http://www.brianothmerfoundation.org/) website. More information can be found there. Books on Neurofeedback:
Symphony in the Brain (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0871138077/eeginstituatt-20/103-2587675-9865452)
Getting Rid of Ritalin (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1571742549/eeginstituatt-20/103-2587675-9865452)
ADD the 20-Hour Solution (http://www.addsolution.info/)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Since the other thread on Neurofeedback I was contributing to (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47081)was shut down, here are some good links I found for more information if anyone is interested.

Here is a good one listing out the basics of Neurotherapy, but the really good part is under the "Effect of Neurotherapy on hyperactivity and Attention" section where it lists the major discoveries and developments training down ADHD:
http://www.adhd.com.au/neurotherapy.htm

And, if you really want to see a comprehensive list of medical research in Neurotherapy, check out the Bibliography (Warning - this is citing medical journals, so you may need a membership to NIH to read the full articles and a PhD to understand a lot of it, but you should be able to get the gist of it from the Abstracts):
http://www.isnr.org/ComprehensiveBibliography.cfm

My doc gave me a copy of a peer-reviewed article on neurofeedback. It is titled: "Electroencephalographic biofeedback (neurotherapy) as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: rationale and empirical foundation".

I wish I could post the article, but unfortunately it is copyrighted.

In the conclusion the neurofeedback therapy was given a score of Level 3: Probably efficacious. The meaning of this scores is:

Level 1: Not empirically supported. This classification is assigned to treatments that have been described and supported only by anecdotal reports or case studies in non–peer-reviewed journals.
Level 2: Possibly efficacious. This classification is considered appropriate for
treatments that have been investigated in at least one study that had sufficient statistical power and well-identified outcome measures but lacked randomized assignment to a control condition internal to the study.
Level 3: Probably efficacious. Treatment approaches that have been evaluated and shown to produce beneficial effects in multiple observational studies, clinical studies, wait list control studies, and within-subject and between-subject replication studies merit this classification.
Level 4: Efficacious. To be considered efficacious, a treatment must meet the following criteria:
In a comparison with a no-treatment control group, alternative treatment group, or sham (placebo) control using randomized assignment, the investigational treatment is shown to be statistically significantly superior to the control condition or the investigational treatment is equivalent to a treatment of established efficacy in a study with sufficient power to detect moderate differences.
The studies have been conducted with a population treated for a specific problem, from whom inclusion criteria are delineated in a reliable, operationally defined manner.
The study used valid and clearly specified outcome measures related to the problem being treated.
The data are subjected to appropriate data analysis.
The diagnostic and treatment variables and procedures are clearly defined in a manner that permits replication of the study by independent researchers.
The superiority or equivalence of the investigational treatment have been shown in at least two independent studies [74].Level 5: Efficacious and specific. To meet the criteria for this classification,
the treatment must be demonstrated to be statistically superior to a credible sham therapy, pill, or bona fide treatment in at least two independent studies.

"Probably efficacious" is good enough to give it a try. Just a shame that it is so expensive.

Lol, actually I see now that the article is freely available on the internet here (http://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aapb.org%2Ffiles%2Fpublic%2FM onastra_White_Paper.pdf&ei=1BaBR-6FBYHoQe_XodYP&usg=AFQjCNG0-273013GQYZfBy_1_iSwMMgPZA&sig2=IFGJN-qN0M5xFUFQXJ9phw) [PDF].
It took me several days to read that article completely. However, it's definitely worth it. Very educative.

...
"Probably efficacious" is good enough to give it a try. Just a shame that it is so expensive.
I was a little cautious of the expense as well when I first looked into it, but after having gone through with it, the only complaint is that I didn't do it when I was diagnosed with ADD back when I was 18.

I'm blessed enough to have worked with a Clinician who is still growing his business, so it was only $50/session for me. $1500 for 30 sessions is a pretty whopping chunk of cash, but both me and my wife felt inspired that it was worth the money.

We have had to pay for a lot of other out-of-pocket expenses for dealing w/ my wife's Chronic Lyme Disease, so we were both used to the idea that there are some things that you just have to deal with and budget around. (That, and we both have the attitude of "Money is for Family", which I think is a great perspective to have on wealth and finances in the face of so many pitfalls in this world - but that's for another thread in a different forum).

In order for Neurofeedback Clinicians to stay in business, they have to make a certain amount of money to rent a place, keep the lights on, buy/maintain EEG equiptment, keep up on their training, pay their staff, and have some money left over to feed their families at the end of the day let alone try to turn a profit.

Really, if you think about it, $50-$125 is a pretty reasonable price for something like a Doctor's visit, or a session of Physical Therapy w/o insurance. But, if you had a condition that required 30 visits of either to correct and didn't have insurance, I'd bet you'd say Doctors visits and Physical Therapy was too expensive too. The only difference is that Health Insurance usually covers those two, and doesn't cover Neurotherapy, (or a host of other tests and services that are very effective in treating Chronic Lyme Disease). They'll gladly cover thousands of dollars worth of drugs on a monthly basis or as many times as you go see Dr. Smith to have your meds refilled, but they tend to only like tests or treatments that only Drug Companies can afford to prove are "Efficacious and specific". (Ask anyone into Medical Research - clinical trials don't come cheap!)

And, you don't have to just take the leap and see if it works. That's the beauty of the QEEG test and attention / cognative / intelligence evaluations. Using these tools, a good Neurofeedback Clinician can get a pretty good picture of what is going on, and from there you and the Clinician can make a decision based of if others with brain electrical patterns and evaluations similar to yours have had good success in Neurotherapy.

I see it as an investment in the rest of my life and in my children's futures, so I have absolutly no problems with the expense knowing how much of a difference it makes to help their brains better regulate themselves.

Eventually I'm sure insurance will end up covering it as it builds a better and better track record and more research trickles in to prove the theories are correct, but I'd much rather spend that time having benefiting from the treatment rather then spend it still suffering daily.

I was a little cautious of the expense as well when I first looked into it, but after having gone through with it, the only complaint is that I didn't do it when I was diagnosed with ADD back when I was 18.

I'm blessed enough to have worked with a Clinician who is still growing his business, so it was only $50/session for me. $1500 for 30 sessions is a pretty whopping chunk of cash, but both me and my wife felt inspired that it was worth the money.

We have had to pay for a lot of other out-of-pocket expenses for dealing w/ my wife's Chronic Lyme Disease, so we were both used to the idea that there are some things that you just have to deal with and budget around. (That, and we both have the attitude of "Money is for Family", which I think is a great perspective to have on wealth and finances in the face of so many pitfalls in this world - but that's for another thread in a different forum).

In order for Neurofeedback Clinicians to stay in business, they have to make a certain amount of money to rent a place, keep the lights on, buy/maintain EEG equiptment, keep up on their training, pay their staff, and have some money left over to feed their families at the end of the day let alone try to turn a profit.

Really, if you think about it, $50-$125 is a pretty reasonable price for something like a Doctor's visit, or a session of Physical Therapy w/o insurance. But, if you had a condition that required 30 visits of either to correct and didn't have insurance, I'd bet you'd say Doctors visits and Physical Therapy was too expensive too. The only difference is that Health Insurance usually covers those two, and doesn't cover Neurotherapy, (or a host of other tests and services that are very effective in treating Chronic Lyme Disease). They'll gladly cover thousands of dollars worth of drugs on a monthly basis or as many times as you go see Dr. Smith to have your meds refilled, but they tend to only like tests or treatments that only Drug Companies can afford to prove are "Efficacious and specific". (Ask anyone into Medical Research - clinical trials don't come cheap!)

And, you don't have to just take the leap and see if it works. That's the beauty of the QEEG test and attention / cognative / intelligence evaluations. Using these tools, a good Neurofeedback Clinician can get a pretty good picture of what is going on, and from there you and the Clinician can make a decision based of if others with brain electrical patterns and evaluations similar to yours have had good success in Neurotherapy.

I see it as an investment in the rest of my life and in my children's futures, so I have absolutly no problems with the expense knowing how much of a difference it makes to help their brains better regulate themselves.

Eventually I'm sure insurance will end up covering it as it builds a better and better track record and more research trickles in to prove the theories are correct, but I'd much rather spend that time having benefiting from the treatment rather then spend it still suffering daily.DominoPhreak, would you be able to help some members with information about your experience with neurofeedback?
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50736