Neurofeedback Working Examples
Neurofeedback is a learning method based on the principles of behaviour therapy (operant conditioning).
The brain is permanent electrically active. We can meassure this activity outside of the sculp bone with modern sensors (electrodes). The procedure is called EEG (Electro-Encephalo-Gramm), the taken values are called brain electricity curve (....) Characteristically for the messurement are amplitudes (differences between the electricity) and frequencies (amplitudes per second).
Neurofeedback enables the awareness of electic brain activity changes and therefore the feedback of the mental situations (e.g. concentration, vigilance, relaxation, focus)
In Neurology the EEG is still a very important tool making a diagnosis. The neurofeedback procedure is only limited usable for diagnostic. We assume that there is already made a diagnosis (e.g. AD(H)D) or that the goal is to improve the capacity of the brain or concentration (e.g. in sport or job activities)
According to new scientific studies, Neurofeedback is is extremly good to use for those things.
Especially for children this therapy is very helpful. Children with AD(H)D very often feel treatened unfair by their families, their teachers and their peers. With a neurofeedback therapy they could gain back a normal life. It helps to improve their relationships to their families, their friends and their teacher. After all, they gain back the abilities they have lost because their different way of behaviour.
During neurofeedback applications we have different possibilities to influence the brain waves. It depends which goals you apply with positive or negative feedback. A wished change will be „REWARDED“ with the feedback – a unwished change will be inhibited (at this point we need to say that the terms „reward“ and inhibit ( „punish“) are not used in the sence of the theory of operant conditioning).
The reward or inhibit is „taken place“ throu a computer programme, which registers the change and afterwards starts or stopps a certain motivation (which is pre-determined). This motivation could be a light, a simple game, a puzzle or a small movie. The registration of the change and the reward/inhibit will be in real-time (within micro-seconds).
Because of this extremly fast real-feedback of the increase or decrease of the ability to concentrate or the change of the mental situation, it will be a „LEARNING EFFECT“