Neurofeedback is a form of neurotherapy that trains your brainwaves to achieve a healthier state - kind of like exercise, but for your brain!

Neurofeedback uses EEG technology to measure your brainwave activity and offer you feedback on your performance in real time, trough visual and/or auditory cues from video or games.
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Absolutely! Neurofeedback is a safe evidence-based therapy which has been used for decades and poses little or no side effects.

Neurofeedback is non-invasive neurotherapy. During your training sessions, electrodes will be placed on your head and scalp to measure your brain activity.

During a neurofeedback session, your brain activity is recorded and feedback is provided in real-time, as fast as 4-6 times a second. So, let’s say you’re using neurofeedback to improve your attention.
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In this case, your goal is to enhance alpha brainwaves. You place the brain-sensing sensors on your head and look at the screen with a video game, as presented in the image above.

The video game shows you a race between two cars. Once your alpha brainwave activity is enhanced, one of the cars moves faster, which is interpreted by your brain as a reward, especially if the video game shows you’ve received points for moving more quickly
What’s happening behind the scenes is the following:

The sensors measure your brain signals in real time
The software behind the videogame receives the signals
The software swiftly interprets if your brainwaves are within the target range
If your brain activity is within the right range, your car in the game moves faster. Otherwise, it moves slower.

Over time, with practice and consistency, you will learn to associate the target brain activity with the reward and eventually improve your ability to focus – otherwise known as operant conditioning.
Furthermore, neurofeedback training can be complemented with brain mapping. This allows you to see which specific areas of the brain may benefit from training and to track progress over time.

Neurofeedback may help with a variety of mental health struggles, including anxiety, depression, and ADHD symptoms, sleep disorders, addiction, and chronic pain. But it could also help improve cognitive functioning, as well as promote relaxation, reduce stress, and boost overall wellbeing.

These are the most common uses for neurofeedback that are supported by evidence:

Peak performance: Neurofeedback could promote stress recovery and improve sleep quality, essential elements for brain performance and resilience.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):  It may be used with other forms of therapy, such as medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy to help manage inattention and impulsivity symptoms.
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Anxiety: Neurofeedback training that reduces arousal may be applied to reduce anxiety and create a generally relaxed state of wellbeing.
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Depression: A biological predisposition for depression exists when there is a certain asymmetry in brainwave activity. Brain training could help improve this dysregulation.

Sleep disorders: Neurofeedback can help increase total sleep time, REM sleep, and decrease periods of waking after sleep onset.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Through brain training, memories of the trauma (whether consciously remembered or not) may no longer be associated with negative emotions.

Decreasing cravings in substance use disorders: Brain training can positively impact addiction severity.

Chronic pain: ​​Neurofeedback can help individuals with chronic pain reduce physical pain, stress, and anxiety by promoting brainwave patterns associated with calmness and relaxation.

*Please note that neurofeedback should not be used as a substitute for medical treatment or therapy and, while it may be beneficial for certain medical conditions, it is not a guaranteed cure or treatment. Consultation with a licensed medical professional is necessary for proper diagnosis and treatment, and the information provided in this article is for informational purposes only, not medical advice.