Who Can Benefit
Our program is designed to help people from all walks of life. Specifically, Brain Fitness treats:

People with Psychological Symptoms and Conditions
Problems of attention and organization in adults and children (includes ADD/ADHD)
Excess weight/compulsive overeating
Sleep disorders, insomnia
Depression, anxiety, compulsive behaviors
Functional bowel disorders (irritable bowel syndrome)
Test performance anxiety

People Looking for Self Improvement
Develop centering and quieting skills
Improve memory skills; focus more intently for longer time periods
Reduce distractibility, shift to calm awareness and concentration
Build motivation and focus
Strengthen the "practicing" work ethic
Increase awareness of inner self and goals (clarity of intellect)
Learn to use your mental energy more efficiently

Mastery in Sports Training

Increase performance in golf, tennis and other hobbies. Learn to achieve the "winning zone"!

Executive Training

Achieve the mental edge needed for optimal performance in the work place.
Peak performance, learn to find and stay in the "peak performance" zone
Enhance focus and sustained concentration
Improve interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and known leader qualities
Strengthen the ability to multitask
Overcome test/performance anxiety

Can I use EEG neurotherapy and cognitive enhancement in addition to other treatments
You can use these methods in combination with other treatments you may be receiving for your clinical symptoms or conditions.

Is Neurofeedback Effective
Neurofeedback has been shown to:
Improve the ability to focus and sustain alertness and attention
Recharge the brain
Strengthen brain power
Optimize patterns of focus, clarity, alertness and relaxation
Boost performance in standardized I.Q tests
Improve performance in sports (tennis, golf, hockey)
Help the brain readjust itself to better meet the demands placed upon it in daily life

How is Brain Fitness like Physical Fitness
Just like body fitness training improves the performance of whatever we use the body to do, (walk, lift, turn, bend), brain fitness training benefits all the functions that we rely on the brain to do (think, sense, feel, plan, learn, reflect).

By challenging the brain as we challenge our bodies in physical fitness training, we can help the brain do what it was designed to do even better! Brain Fitness helps to tap into your own inherent asset, the brain!
ADHD: Symptoms and Self Screening
Several studies indicate that Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) affect anywhere from three to eight percent of school age children. ADD/ADHD can have serious negative effects on a child's learning, relationships and emotional development.

Research suggests that the symptoms of ADHD usually persist into adulthood, having a significant impact on the relationships, careers, and even the personal safety of those affected by it. Because this disorder is often misunderstood, many people who have it do not receive appropriate treatment and, as a result, may never reach their full potential.

ADD /ADHD Self Assessment (Based on the Standard Diagnostic Criteria for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adults)

IMPORTANT: This is not a tool for self-diagnosis. Its purpose is simply to help you determine whether ADD/ADHD may be a factor in the behavior of the person (adult or child) you are assessing using this checklist.Only an experienced professional can make a valid diagnosis.

A. Inattention (short attention span or distractibility)
The following symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least six months to a degree that causes difficulties in relationships, school, work, or family life. The behaviors are not appropriate for the person's age.
A score of six or more for children and four or more for adults may indicate ADD/ADHD.
Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or other activities.
Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities.
Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
Often does not follow through on instruction and fails to finish schoolwork, chores or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions).
Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities.
Often avoids, dislikes or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework).
Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools).
Is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
Is often forgetful in daily activities.

B. Hyperactivity-ImpulsivenessThe following symptoms of Hyperactivity-Impulsiveness have persisted for at least six months to a degree that causes difficulties in relationships, school, work or family life. The behaviors are not appropriate for the person's age.
A score of six or more for children and four or more for adults may indicate ADD/ADHD.
Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat.
Often leaves seat in classroom or in other situation in which remaining seated is expected.
Often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness).
Often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly.
Is often "on the go" or often acts as if "driven by a motor."
Often talks excessively.
Often blurts out answers before questions have been completed.
Often has difficulty waiting turn.
Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., at school or work and at home).

C. Additional Considerations
Some hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive symptoms that caused impairment were present before age seven years.
Some impairment from the symptoms is present in two or more settings (e.g., in relationships, at school, at work, or at home).
There must be clear evidence of serious difficulties in social, academic or occupational functioning.
The symptoms are not accounted for by diagnosed problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, etc.)

If you or the person you are concerned about scored the indicated number of positive answers in either category ADD/ADHD may be a factor in the difficulties this person is experiencing.

Written by George Martin, MA, Clinical Psychologist, St. Paul, MinnesotaCopyright 2006 - International Society for Neurofeedback & Research.

Abstract showing EEG NF effectiveness with ADD/ADHD
Electroencephalographic biofeedback for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood and adolescence. Holtmann M, Stadler C. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Deutschordenstrasse 50, D-60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. holtmann@em.uni-frankfurt.

Considerable scientific effort has been directed at developing effective treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Among alternative treatment approaches, electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback has gained promising empirical support in recent years. Short-term effects were shown to be comparable to those of stimulant medication at the behavioral and neuropsychological level, leading to significant decreases of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. In addition, EEG biofeedback results in concomitant improvement of neurophysiological patterns. EEG biofeedback may already be used within a multimodal setting, providing affected children and adolescents with a means of learning to counterbalance their ADHD symptoms without side effects. However, there is still a strong need for more empirically and methodologically sound evaluation studies.
If you are interested in dramatically improving your brain activity, please call us for a FREE consultation at (847) 382-0740 or click here to reach us via email

Effectiveness of EEG NF for Depression
Compelling research evidence exists that there is often a neurophysiological basis for depression, particularly in people with a family history of depression. Neuroscientists have discovered a particular brainwave pattern that allows us to identify individuals with a biological predisposition for developing depression. This biological marker appears to be very robust (Davidson, 1998a, b), having been replicated many times in brain mapping research utilizing quantitative electroencephalograms (QEEG) and other forms of neuroimaging. It has even been found in infants of mothers with a history of depression, compared with babies of women without a depression history (Dawson, Grofer Klinger, Panagiotides, Hill, & Spieker, 1992; Dawson, Grofer Klinger, Panagiotides, Spieker & Frey, 1992).

The left frontal area of the brain is associated with positive emotions and approach motivation, which is a desire to be involved with other people. The right frontal area of the brain is more associated with depression and fear, accompanied by motivation to withdraw from and avoid other people. When there is more slow brainwave activity in the left frontal area, this part of the brain is more inactive and the right frontal area is more dominant. Such a person is predisposed to become depressed more easily, to withdraw from other people, and to be anxious. This may occur because of heredity (family history) or because someone has had a concussion or mild head injury in the left frontal area which produced the slowing.

Part of a brain map from two different people is reproduced below. The map on the left is from a person with a long history of depression. You can clearly see in the left frontal area (which is colored orange and yellow) that there is an excess of slow, alpha brainwave activity. This is the pattern that has been classically associated with a vulnerability to depression. In contrast, the brain map on the right displays how a relatively normal map would look, without any excess or serious deficit.

It is interesting that research has found that antidepressants do not correct the type of brainwave pattern that we see above on the left. Thus, medication treatment for depression appears to still leave intact the biological predisposition for becoming more easily depressed when unpleasant life circumstances come along. There is also new evidence that has found that on average, antidepressant medications only have an 18% effect over and above placebo effects (Antonuccio, Danton, DeNelsky, Greenberg, & Gordon, 1999; Kirsch, Scoboria, & Moore, 2002; Kirsch & Sapirstein, 1998), and medication may only be mildly effective in treating anxiety as well (Antonuccio et al., 1999). In contrast, we know that psychotherapy for depression compares favorably with medication in short-term follow-ups (DeRubeis, Gelfand, Tang, & Simons, 1999) and appears to be superior in long-term follow-ups (Antonuccio, Danton, & DeNelsky, 1995; Hollon, Shelton, & Loosen, 1991).

Neurofeedback treatments for depression (Baehr, Rosenfeld, & Baehr 1997, 2001; Hammond, 2000, 2004) appear very promising not only in bringing relief from depression, but in modifying the underlying biological predisposition for becoming depressed. Neurofeedback focuses on retraining the brain, for example, reversing the frontal brainwave asymmetry, with the goal of producing an enduring change that does not require people to remain on medication indefinitely. Training often requires about 20 to 22 sessions.
Written by D. Corydon Hammond, PhD Professor & Psychologist, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation University of Utah School of Medicine.

References
  • Antonuccio, D. O., Danton, W. G., & DeNelsky, G. (1995). Psychotherapy vs. medication for depression: Challenging the conventional wisdom with data. Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 26, 574-585.
  • Antonuccio, D. O., Danton, W. G., DeNelsky, G. Y., Greenberg, R. P., & Gordon, J. S. (1999). Raising questions about antidepressants. Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, 68, 3-14.
  • Baehr, E., Rosenfeld, J. P., & Baehr, R. (1997). The clinical use of an alpha asymmetry protocol in the neurofeedback treatment of depression: Two case studies. Journal of Neurotherapy, 2(3), 10-23.
  • Baehr, E., Rosenfeld, J. P., & Baehr, R. (2001). Clinical use of an alpha asymmetry neurofeedback protocol in the treatment of mood disorders: Follow-up study one to five years post therapy. Journal of Neurotherapy, 4(4), 11-18.
  • Davidson, R. J. (1998a). Affective style and affective disorders: Perspectives from affective neuroscience. Cognition & Emotion, 12, 307-330.
  • Davidson, R. J. (1998b). Anterior electrophysiological asymmetries, emotion, and depression: Conceptual and methodological conundrums. Psychophysiology, 35, 607-614.
  • Dawson, G., Grofer Klinger, L., Panagiotides, H., Hill, D., & Spieker, S. (1992). Frontal lobe activity and affective behavior of infants of mothers with depressed symptoms. Child Development, 63, 725-737.
  • Dawson, G., Grofer Klinger, L., Panagiotides, H., Spieker, S., & Frey, K. (1992). Infants of mothers with depressed symptoms: Electroencephalographic and behavioral findings related to attachment status. Development & Psychopathology, 4, 67-80.
  • DeRubeis, R. J., Gelfand, L, A., Tang, T. Z., & Simons, A. D. (1999). Medications versus cognitive behavior therapy for severely depressed outpatients: Mega-analysis of four randomized comparisons. American Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 1007-1013.
  • Hammond, D. C. (2000). Neurofeedback treatment of depression with the Roshi. Journal of Neurotherapy, 4(2), 45-56.
  • Hammond, D. C. (2004). Neurofeedback treatment of depression and anxiety. Journal of Adult Development. (in press).
  • Hollon, S. D., Shelton, R. C., & Loosen, P. T. (1991). Cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy for depression. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 59, 88-99.
  • Kirsch, I., & Sapirstein, G. (1998). Listening to Prozac but hearing placebo: A meta-analysis of antidepressant medication. Prevention & Treatment, 1, Article 2. Available online at: http://www.journals.apa.org/prevention/volume1
  • Kirsch, I., Moore, T. J., Scoboria, A., & Nicholls, S. S. (2002). The emperors new drugs: An analysis of antidepressant medication data submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Prevention & Treatment, 5, Article 23. Available online at: http://www.journals.apa.org/prevention/volume5/pre0050023a.html.
  • Kirsch, I., Scoboria, A., & Moore, T. J. (2002). Antidepressants and placebos: Secrets, revelations, and unanswered questions. Prevention & Treatment, 5, Article 33. Available online at: http://www.journals.apa.org/prevention/volume5/pre0050023a.html.
  • Copyright 2006 - International Society for Neurofeedback & Research.
If you are interested in dramatically improving your brain activity, please call us for a FREE consultation at (312) 285-7095 or click here to reach us via email