Training For Your Brain  

by Gretchen L. Morse

Imagine being able to “re-train” your brain to function at more optimal performance levels, both emotionally and cognitively.  Think about the benefits that lifting weights and increasing cardiovascular activity have on your body - they can undo damage from idleness or disease, facilitate greater ease and energy in your daily activities, and add years to your life.

Well, neurofeedback, or “Brain Biofeedback,” can train your brain to let go of undesirable patterns that you have had since birth, or that you have developed over time.  With the help of computers that can measure your brainwaves, you can learn to become more focused, more relaxed, or both.

How does it work?  Sensors are applied to the scalp and fed through an amplifier and a computer; then the electrical activity in your brain is recorded.  The data from this recording is then analyzed, along with the symptoms and goals that you may have.  Special computer settings are then made for you that will reward your brain with sounds and graphics when you approach the desired state.  The sounds and graphics stop when you are not in the desired state.  Over time, clients learn to apply the “self-regulation” of their brain states away from the computer which can also offer them a sense of self empowerment.

The field of neurofeedback is growing fast, and many believe it has exciting potential as a non-medicinal approach to many disorders.  Although it has been around since the 1960s, it has grown in popularity and accessibility in the last 15-20 years due to the development of new technology that makes EEG equipment more available, effective and less cost-prohibitive to smaller, independent doctor’s offices. 

Many athletes, musicians and executives who have utilized this approach  for performance enhancement report that  over many sessions they have learned to achieve an optimally  balanced state of alertness and relaxation.

Others have turned to neurofeedback for sleep disorders, ADD/ADHD and other learning disabilities, depression, anxiety, OCD, migraines, epilepsy, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder and a host of other disorders.

As a professional, classically-trained musician, I feel that I have experienced the positive effects of this approach on my own performance.  Special protocols have helped me quiet my brain of the critical chatter that tends to wander its way into potentially stressful performance situations – like having a solo in the orchestra in front of 2,000 people.  In general, I feel that I am much more tolerant of daily stressors and have also grown more insightful.

Other people treated with neurofeedback, have also reported experiencing increased levels of self-awareness and insight, which, they say, has greatly enhanced their work in therapy as well as their personal and professional relationships.

This approach is definitely an investment of time, and in many cases, money, as  many insurance companies do not yet cover it.  It also takes many sessions (from 20-40) for the brain to learn and maintain the desired states (think of the brain as a muscle – you wouldn’t re-train a muscle with one trip to the gym).  Most individuals see this investment as a potential savings later on, with the possibilities it can have for reducing/eliminating medication, and also better functioning at school, work, and/or home.

So, while you put together a plan of exercise, strength training and diet for your body,  don’t forget to include your brain!

Gretchen Morse is a Neurofeedback Trainer at Neurofeedback of East Lansing.  She works in tandem with Psychiatrist, Angela Hoogterp, D.O. and Bobbie Rosencrans, M.S.W. to offer a full realm of psychiatric care at their clinic.  Morse also has a Doctorate in Music from MSU and has performed with orchestras throughout the United States.  She can be reached at (517) 337-1774.