NEUROFEEDBACK
"A GYM FOR THE BRAIN"
Neurofeedback is a non-invasive brain self-regulation technique that allows the individual to visualise and modulate their own brain activity in real time. Through the use of electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor brain wave patterns, neurofeedback provides immediate and precise information about the functioning of the brain, making it possible to identify and consciously train the brain to normalise dysfunctional patterns.
This advanced approach is based on the principles of brain neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to learn to self-regulate more efficiently through a process of personalised operant conditioning. By receiving visual, auditory or tactile feedback on their own brain activity, the individual gradually learns to modify less-than-ideal neural patterns, establishing new connections, strengthening, and making the functioning of their neuronal circuits more efficient.
HOW NEUROFEEDBACK WORKS
Neurons communicate with each other and with the rest of the body via electrical stimuli. During neurofeedback sessions, sensors are placed on the scalp to capture the brain's electrical activity. This information is processed by specialised software that translates the brainwave patterns into immediately perceptible audiovisual stimuli. When the brain produces the desired patterns, the patient receives positive reinforcement - such as the advance of a video, a pleasant sound or points in an interactive game.
With consistent training, the brain begins to recognise and reproduce the healthiest and most efficient patterns, integrating these changes in a gradual and lasting way. This process resembles a "gym for the brain", where specific exercises strengthen and optimise particular neural circuits, promoting a more balanced and resilient functioning of the central nervous system.
CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF NEUROFEEDBACK
- Performance optimisation: Improving cognitive efficiency, creativity, concentration and resilience to stress in healthy individuals, athletes and high-performance professionals.
- Neurological Rehabilitation: Recovery of cognitive and motor functions after traumatic brain injuries, strokes or neurodegenerative processes, enhancing endogenous neuroplasticity.
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Significant improvement in concentration, impulse control and cognitive organisation, with results superior to traditional pharmacological treatments.
- Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD): Reduction in repetitive behaviour, improvement in social communication and sensory processing, promoting greater integration and functional adaptability.
- Anxiety and Depression Disorders: Normalisation of frontal hyperactivation patterns and hemispheric imbalances associated with persistent negative emotional states.
- Sleep Disorders: Regulation of circadian rhythms and brain wave patterns associated with the different phases of sleep, promoting a more restful and continuous rest.
Neurofeedback represents a significant advance in applied neuroscience, offering a personalised, non-invasive approach with no significant side effects for a wide range of neuropsychiatric conditions. As a treatment that empowers the individual themselves to actively participate in their own healing and brain optimisation process, it promotes not only the resolution of specific symptoms, but a general state of greater balance, resilience and neurobiological well-being.
QUANTITATIVE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (qEEG)
The Quantitative Electroencephalogram (qEEG) is an advanced brain analysis technique that represents the essential starting point for effective, personalised neurofeedback treatment. This sophisticated diagnostic tool makes it possible to map the brain's electrical activity with millimetre precision, identifying specific patterns of functioning that deviate from normality.
By placing sensors at strategic points on the scalp, qEEG captures the oscillatory activity of different brain regions, transforming these complex biological signals into quantifiable data. This data is then compared with extensive normative bases, making it possible to identify imbalances in brain waves that may be associated with specific symptoms or neuropsychiatric conditions.
The brain map resulting from qEEG, often represented by colour topographic images, offers an objective and detailed view of brain function. It reveals areas of hyper (+) or hypoactivation (-), imperfect connectivity between regions, and significant hemispheric asymmetries. This individualised "neurological fingerprint" makes it possible to design highly specific neurofeedback protocols, targeted at each patient's particular dysfunctional patterns.
In addition to its initial diagnostic function, qEEG plays a fundamental role in monitoring the progress of treatment, making it possible to objectively quantify changes in brain activity over the course of neurofeedback sessions. This continuous monitoring enables precise adjustments to therapeutic protocols, optimising clinical results and providing tangible evidence of neuroplasticity in action.
