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Posted on January 16 2012
By Dr. Brad Oostindie
I have had the opportunity to practice neurofeedback as a specialty since 2004, and since that time I have been able to assess and treat well over a thousand of participants using this “next generation of behavioral healthcare” treatment. A common question I receive from a potential participant at his or her assessment session is “Will neurofeedback really benefit me?” While it is impossible to predict the future, it is my opinion there are a few factors to consider in attempting to answer this question:
- Number of sessions completed: Those who complete 30-50 sessions tend increase their odds of better improvement. Less than that can work, but reduces the odds.
- Protocol followed: An experienced neurofeedback provider will be able to “prescribe” the best protocol for you. “One size” does not fit all.
- Medications: Depending on the type of medication you are taking that may play a role in how effective the training is for you.
- Condition: Some conditions are more difficult to address than others and may take more time to see results. For example, those with autism can take more time to respond than ADHD.
- Equipment Used: There is a wide variety of EEG equipment available for providers to use. Some equipment provides poor quality EEG connection and this can be a negative.
Overall, I tell our Ready To Focus participants the following based on my experience: Approximately a third of all participants may see very good results. By this I mean that neurofeedback will address the majority of issues you wanted it to. Another third of participants may see very solid results, but areas that could still use development and gain. By this I mean that neurofeedback will address many of the issues (but not all) and it is possible that occasional follow-up appointments every once and a while will be needed to keep you on track. The last third will struggle somewhat with neurofeedback and may require either additional therapies to reach their goal or longer term commitment to neurofeedback if the goal is to use it as a primary treatment. These statements coincide with neurofeedback literature and research that supports a 60% success rate with the treatment depending on the condition being treated (Gunkleman, 2005)