Neurofeedback is a cutting-edge, non-invasive neurotechnology that helps your brain learn to function at its best. Think of it as a workout for your brain—just like exercising strengthens your body, neurofeedback trains your brain to work more efficiently. By monitoring your brain activity and providing feedback in real-time, it helps your brain recognise and maintain healthy patterns. This can lead to better focus, reduced stress, improved sleep, and overall emotional well-being.

Neurofeedback is a type of brain training that teaches people to control their brain activity. It works by measuring brainwaves through sensors placed on the scalp, then providing real-time feedback, often in the form of visual or auditory signals, to show the person whether their brain activity is in the desired range. The goal is to help individuals learn to regulate their brainwaves to improve mental functioning, emotional regulation, and behaviour.

Neurofeedback originated from research aimed at treating seizures. In the 1960s, scientists discovered that by training people with epilepsy to increase certain brainwave patterns, they could reduce the frequency of seizures. This method of using brainwave training to improve brain function was later expanded to help with various conditions, including ADHD, anxiety, and autism.

ILF (Infra-Low Frequency) neurofeedback is a specific type of neurofeedback that focuses on training brainwave patterns in the infra-low frequency range, typically below 0.5 Hz. This form of neurofeedback is used to promote deep self-regulation of the brain, targeting areas involved in emotional and physiological regulation. ILF neurofeedback is particularly effective for conditions where traditional neurofeedback may be less successful, such as chronic stress, trauma, sleep disorders, and certain neurodevelopmental conditions like autism. By training the brain to stabilise and balance these low-frequency brainwaves, ILF neurofeedback helps individuals achieve a calmer, more regulated state of mind, improving attention, mood, and overall functioning. Additionally, ILF neurofeedback is thought to help with the deeper, more foundational regulation of brain activity, making it effective for addressing persistent or complex symptoms that may not respond well to other treatments.

Neurofeedback has been shown to help with a variety of conditions, including:

• ADHD: Improves attention, reduces impulsivity, and enhances focus.
• Anxiety and Stress: Calms overactive brain patterns, promoting relaxation and resilience.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder: Helps to regulate brain activity, improving areas such as attention, emotional regulation, and social behaviours, which can alleviate core symptoms that interrupt daily functioning
• Sleep Issues: Helps regulate brain activity for deeper, more restorative sleep.
• Depression: Encourages balanced brain function to stabilise mood.
• Functional Neurological Disorders: Helps improve symptoms of conditions like functional seizures and movement disorders.
• Non-Epileptic and Epileptic Seizures: Reduces seizure frequency and severity by stabilising brainwave activity.
• Arthritis and Inflammation: Supports the regulation of pain and inflammation by influencing neural pathways associated with pain perception.
• Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia: Eases pain perception and improves quality of life by promoting better neural communication and regulation of sensory processing.
• Peak Performance: Boosts focus, creativity, and mental endurance for professionals, athletes, and creatives.

Yes, neurofeedback is completely safe. It does not involve medications, electrical stimulation, or invasive procedures. The system simply reads your brain’s natural activity and provides feedback to help it function better. Most people find neurofeedback relaxing and even enjoyable. Some may feel slightly tired after a session, but these effects are temporary.

In most cases, neurofeedback has been shown to effectively reduce symptoms. Numerous studies have shown that neurofeedback is an effective tool for improving brain function and addressing various conditions. For example:

• ADHD: Research shows that neurofeedback can significantly reduce symptoms of ADHD. A meta-analysis by Arns et al. (2014) demonstrated that neurofeedback was as effective as stimulant medication in managing attention and impulse control.
• Brain Imaging Evidence: Studies using brain scans, such as EEG and fMRI, have confirmed measurable changes in brain activity after neurofeedback training. Leins et al. (2007) found that children with ADHD showed significant improvements in brainwave patterns, aligning with enhanced focus and reduced hyperactivity.
• Anxiety and Stress: Hammond (2005) reported that neurofeedback led to reductions in overactive brainwave patterns associated with anxiety, confirmed by changes in EEG activity.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder: Hirstein et al. (2001) found that neurofeedback training mitigated some of the core symptoms of autism, such as reduced hyperactivity, improved social responsiveness, and decreased repetitive behaviours.

These measurable outcomes indicate that neurofeedback doesn’t just feel helpful but creates observable and lasting improvements in brain function.

Results vary depending on your goals and individual needs. Many people start to notice positive changes after 6-10 sessions, such as feeling calmer or more focused. For long-lasting improvements, most individuals complete 20-40 sessions, as neurofeedback works gradually to retrain the brain for sustained benefits. At Encephalon, we develop a personalised plan to help you achieve the best outcomes.

Our neurofeedback clinic is based in Edinburgh, at 98 Commercial Street, EH6 6LX.