Neurofeedback, Biofeedback, qEEG Brain Mapping, and Neuromodulation in Grimsby and Niagara
Neurofeedback and biofeedback teach you to change how your brain and body respond, using real-time information about what’s happening inside you. We also offer qEEG brain mapping and several newer neuromodulation treatments. These can be used on their own or alongside psychological treatment. Dr. Chris Friesen was the first Canadian to hold board certification in all three areas through the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA): neurofeedback, biofeedback, and heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback.
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On this page: Where these treatments fit · Neurofeedback · Biofeedback and HRV training · qEEG brain mapping · Concussion and brain injury · LENS · Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) · Transcranial photobiomodulation · Audio-visual entrainment (AVE) · Learn more about the brain · What to expect
Where These Treatments Fit
These treatments aren’t always the best place to start. For specific conditions, other treatments have more research behind them (see the APA’s statement on evidence-based practice). For most anxiety disorders, including OCD and PTSD, exposure-based therapies like CBT, ACT, and prolonged exposure have the strongest support. For depression, CBT, ACT, behavioural activation, and medication have the most evidence. For borderline personality disorder, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) has the strongest support. Most concussions also improve on their own with time and a gradual return to activity, so we usually don’t recommend these treatments early in concussion recovery.
If one of these applies to you, we’ll talk about whether neurofeedback, biofeedback, or neuromodulation makes sense now or later.
The research on these treatments is growing. For more, see:
- ISNR comprehensive research bibliography
- AAPB: Biofeedback and neurofeedback by condition
- Vielight photobiomodulation research
- Alpha-Stim CES research and reports
Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback or neurotherapy, is a type of biofeedback that trains the brain directly. Sensors on the scalp measure brain activity at specific sites, and that activity is shown to you on a screen in real time. When your brain moves toward a healthier pattern, you get feedback, often through a video, a sound, or a game. Over many sessions, your brain learns to produce those patterns on its own. The goal is lasting change that holds up without the equipment.
To learn more, read Dr. D. Corydon Hammond’s article, What Is Neurofeedback: An Update.
How long does it take?
Neurofeedback usually takes 20 or more sessions, ideally twice a week or more. Biofeedback usually takes fewer sessions, but it requires practice at home.
What can it help with?
Neurofeedback and biofeedback are used for ADHD, anxiety, depression, stress, epilepsy, headaches, brain injury, and stroke. They’re also used for optimal performance with students, entrepreneurs, executives, and athletes.
How strong is the research?
The Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB) rates the evidence for each condition on a five-level scale. The levels run from Level 1 (not supported) to Level 5 (efficacious and specific), which means the treatment has outperformed a sham or established treatment in at least two independent research settings. The ratings below are adapted from Tan, Shaffer, Lyle, and Teo (2016), Evidence-Based Practice in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback. Only conditions we treat are included.
Efficacious and specific (Level 5):
- ADHD
Efficacious (Level 4):
- Anxiety
- Depressive disorders
- Chronic pain
- Epilepsy and seizures
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Headaches and migraines
- Hypertension
- Raynaud’s disease
Probably efficacious (Level 3):
- Traumatic brain injury and concussion
- PTSD
- Performance enhancement
- Insomnia
- Chemo brain
- Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome
Possibly efficacious (Level 2):
- Stroke
More research by condition
Dr. Andrew Hill of the Peak Brain Institute has put together summaries of key neurofeedback studies:
- ADHD and learning disabilities
- Anxiety
- Autism
- Chronic fatigue
- Cognitive enhancement and decline
- Depression
- Developmental disabilities
- Migraines
- PTSD
- Seizures
- Sleep
- Substance use disorders
- Traumatic brain injury
Applied Psychophysiology Education (APEd) also has a comprehensive list of neurofeedback research abstracts.
Videos and stories
One girl’s experience trying neurofeedback to improve her sleep and focus:
Maggie’s Story, about a young girl whose seizures were reduced with neurofeedback. For the research, see study 1, study 2, and study 3.
How neurofeedback can help with depression:
https://youtu.be/a60KMpYAq0k
VIDEO
CNN on neurofeedback for ADHD and anxiety:
https://youtu.be/Ztl6lclnkxg
Dr. Velkoff of the Drake Institute on ADHD:
Dr. Andrew Hill discusses neurofeedback:
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, on neurofeedback for trauma and PTSD:
Biofeedback and HRV Training
Biofeedback works the same way as neurofeedback, but with the body. Sensors measure things like heart rate variability, breathing, muscle tension, sweating, and skin temperature, and that information is fed back to you in real time. Combined with changes in how you think, feel, and act, this feedback helps you learn to regulate your stress response. With practice, the changes can last without the equipment.
Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback focuses on the natural changes in time between heartbeats. Higher HRV is linked to better stress recovery and emotional regulation. HRV training uses slow, paced breathing guided by real-time feedback to strengthen your body’s ability to calm itself after stress. It’s one of the most practical forms of biofeedback, because once you’ve learned the skill, you can practise it anywhere.
qEEG Brain Mapping
An EEG measures the brain’s electrical activity, often called brainwaves, using sensors on the scalp. A quantitative EEG (qEEG) takes that recording from many sites at once and analyzes it by computer. Your results are compared to a normative database of people your age, and the differences are shown as colour-coded brain maps.
Advanced methods like Independent Component Analysis (ICA) and Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA) can estimate where in the brain certain patterns come from. These tools are changing how we understand brain function.
Why do a qEEG before neurofeedback?
Not every neurofeedback provider does a qEEG first, and that’s within the standard of practice. But there’s growing evidence that treatment works better when it’s customized to a person’s own brain map. We use the qEEG to design a neurofeedback plan for your brain, rather than using a one-size-fits-all protocol, and to track changes over time.
Other uses for qEEG
Clinicians also use qEEG to evaluate the effects of medication and help predict medication response, to assess head injuries, to assess cognitive and psychiatric changes, and for peak performance assessment and training.
Concussion and Brain Injury
Dr. Robert Conder, former team neuropsychologist for the Carolina Hurricanes, on the latest in concussion assessment and treatment:
For more on concussion, brain injury, and how neurofeedback and biofeedback can help, listen to Dr. Friesen on the Heal Better Fast podcast with Dr. Michael Pound.
Dr. Friesen also co-authored Neurorehabilitation of Persistent Sport-Related Post-Concussion Syndrome with Drs. Robert and Alanna Conder.
Other Neuromodulation Treatments
We also offer LENS, cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES), transcranial photobiomodulation, and audio-visual entrainment (AVE). Research on these is growing, but for many uses they’re still considered experimental. We’ll explain what’s known and what isn’t before recommending any of them.
To hear Vincent Clark, Ph.D., one of the leading researchers in neuromodulation, discuss the research and potential of these treatments, watch here.
LENS (Low Energy Neurofeedback System)
LENS is also known as High-Performance Neurofeedback (HPN), microcurrent neurofeedback, direct neurofeedback, and low-intensity pulsed transcranial electrical stimulation (LIP-tES). Unlike traditional neurofeedback, it doesn’t require you to actively train. Instead, it uses an extremely weak signal, guided by your own brain activity, to nudge the brain out of stuck patterns. Research is growing for anxiety, depression, PTSD, pain, addiction, and central nervous system problems like concussion, cognitive impairment, and ADHD. Much of the research has focused on concussion and PTSD in former NFL players and military veterans.
Research
- University of California study of HPN treatment for veterans with mild TBI and post-concussion syndrome: summary 1 and summary 2
- Dr. Stephen Larsen, The Special Applicability of the LENS Form of Neurofeedback to TBI, Biofeedback
- Multisite case series of retired NFL players with multiple concussions treated with direct neurofeedback
- Dr. Stephen Larsen’s clinical outcomes study of LENS with 100 patients, Journal of Neurotherapy
- Dr. Corydon Hammond’s case study and qEEG analysis of a young woman with severe TBI, Journal of Neurotherapy
- Special issue of the Journal of Neurotherapy devoted to LENS
- LENS reference list
Patient stories and news coverage
- Patient success stories: story collection 1 and story collection 2
- NBC: first responders getting treatment for PTSD
- ABC News: research and treatment with football players
- CBS News: former Denver Broncos players find concussion relief through neurofeedback
- Former NFL players Jesse Sapolu, Kermit Alexander, and Craig McEwen on concussions and direct neurofeedback
- Former NFL players Mark Robinson and Mark Cotney on concussions and HPN
- Former NFL player Gerry Wunsch on concussions and HPN
- The Doctors: direct neurofeedback for anxiety
- A young woman with cerebral palsy and TBI treated with LENS
A short documentary about a man who developed PTSD after a helicopter crash and was treated with LENS:
Further reading
- Dr. Stephen Larsen, The Healing Power of Neurofeedback
- Dr. Stephen Larsen, The Neurofeedback Solution
Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES)
CES uses a very small electrical current, applied through clips on the earlobes, to influence brain activity. It has been studied for anxiety, depression, insomnia, and chronic pain. In the United States, CES devices are cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for anxiety and insomnia. Research suggests CES affects neurotransmitters like serotonin and increases alpha brainwave activity, which is linked to feeling calm, relaxed, and focused. Devices like the Alpha-Stim are small and portable, so they’re often used at home.
To learn more, see the American Institute of Stress review of CES, Psychiatric Times on the rise of CES, and Alpha-Stim’s research and references.
CES in the British health system for generalized anxiety disorder:
VIDEO
We offer CES units to clients on a rent-to-own basis.
Transcranial Photobiomodulation
Transcranial photobiomodulation, also called low-level light therapy, uses red and near-infrared light applied to the head. These wavelengths can pass through the scalp and skull, and they’re thought to support the energy-producing parts of brain cells. It has been studied for depression, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative conditions like dementia. It’s considered safe, but because research is still early, it’s considered experimental and no medical claims can be made. We’ve offered the Vielight Neuro at our clinic for a number of years.
Research
- General review
- Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease: study 1, study 2, study 3, study 4, study 5
- Traumatic brain injury: study 1, study 2
- Mild TBI and concussion
- Improved cognition and mood in healthy adults: study 1, study 2
- Reduced depression in major depressive disorder
- Vielight reference list
The first study to report significant cognitive improvement in people with dementia after photobiomodulation was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto in 2016. See the abstract, the poster, and a related news clip.
?
Stories
Concussion and TBI patients and their families at the University of Utah discuss their experience with the Vielight Neuro:
VIDEO
Boxing and football put him in a fog. Light therapy gave him his life back. A former football player and boxer’s experience, from a University of Utah study of collision athletes.
Audio-Visual Entrainment (AVE)
AVE uses pulses of light and sound at specific frequencies to guide the brain into different brainwave patterns. For example, a 10 Hz pulse encourages more alpha activity, which is linked to deep relaxation. During a session, most people move into a calm, meditation-like state. Their breathing slows, their muscles relax, their hands warm, and the mental chatter quiets down. AVE has been studied for anxiety, attention problems, seasonal mood changes, sleep, PTSD, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain. It’s also used to support performance in athletes, students, and older adults.
We believe AVE works best when the settings are tailored to each person’s qEEG brain map. For example, a setting that boosts fast beta activity can help someone whose brain produces too much slow-wave activity feel more focused. The same setting can increase anxiety, irritability, or insomnia in someone whose brain already produces too much beta. Every brain is different, so we match the settings to yours.
Some clients use AVE in the clinic after a psychological or neurofeedback session. More often, we offer Mind Alive AVE units to clients on a rent-to-own basis.
To learn more, read this review of the psychological effects of AVE and this article on the history and physiology of AVE.
How AVE works:
VIDEO
Learn More About the Brain
Dr. Norman Doidge helped popularize neuroplasticity, the idea that the brain can change with experience and non-invasive treatments. His books are a great place to start:
Watch the CBC’s The Nature of Things documentaries based on these books:
For the history, research, and potential of neurofeedback, read Jim Robbins’ A Symphony in the Brain.
While I don’t agree with everything Dr. Daniel Amen recommends, his TED talk on brain imaging is a good starting point for learning about your brain:
VIDEO
Hear Dr. Friesen discuss neurofeedback, HRV training, brain mapping, and photobiomodulation on Mindhacker’s Radio, Episode 4: Upgrading and Biohacking the Mind (also on Apple Podcasts).
What to Expect
Treatment usually starts with an assessment, which often includes a qEEG. From there, we’ll recommend the approach that fits your goals, whether that’s neurofeedback, biofeedback, another neuromodulation option, psychological treatment, or a combination. Neurofeedback, biofeedback, and qEEG sessions take place in person at our Grimsby office, under Dr. Friesen’s supervision.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re wondering whether neurofeedback, biofeedback, or neuromodulation could help you or your child, contact us. We’ll talk about what you’re dealing with and what the best starting point would be.
