Alexis Anvekar MD: The Leela Integrative Medicine Center
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback has been around for nearly 40 years. It is a process of training brainwaves back into healthy patterns using computer technology. Think about learning a language. With repetition and positive reinforcement, your brain creates new connections to learn how to communicate in a foreign tongue. It's natural. Neurofeedback is a way to use technology to tap into this brain power in order to build and restore connections and optimize your overall brain health.
The first step is to diagnose any problem areas of imbalanced brain waves with a QEEG Brain Map. We put a cap on your head and the software reads your brainwave patterns--much like an EKG reading heart wave patterns. The results are uploaded to a database created with decades of patient experience, and a detailed report is generated which includes a set of protocols for your individualized neurofeedback sessions. You will be asked to complete a questionnaire at this step and we will verify your insurance as well to see what is covered.
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The second step is to start your first 30 minute neurofeedback session. You sit down, Patrick applies some electrodes on your scalp to read your brainwaves in the problem area and he puts on a movie for you. Your job is done for the next 30 minutes. However, the magic is just beginning.
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When the computer reads from the electrodes that your brainwaves are moving in the wrong direction, the movie on the screen dims and the audio dims. This subconsciously annoys the brain. When your brainwaves increase, everything normalizes. It's like positive reinforcement which is a natural way for your brain to learn. Your brain learns, over multiple sessions, that up is good and down is bad. Just like learning to swim.
With repetition of this process (around 20-30 sessions for most), your brain learns to stay within healthy ranges on its own without neurofeedback. When this occurs, whatever symptoms were caused by the abnormal brain wave patterns resolve--nearly permanently based on 40 years of research. Neurofeedback permanently helps to improve concentration, short-term memory, speech, sleep disorders, motor skills, energy level, and emotional balance. It helps to recover from traumatic brain injuries and concussions, and many athletes use it for peak performance.
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The system we use in our office speeds up your treatments by the use of photic stimulation technology, which is called NeuroIntegration Training. The photic stimulation glasses help stimulate the brain and trigger the system more accurately, increasing your results.
Digital QEEG Brain Mapping: An electrode cap is placed on the head to read and evaluate your brainwave patterns.