To put it simply, neurofeedback is a highly personalized way to train the brain and improve performance.
Unlike regular brain training apps or games you might be familiar with, such as memory tests or puzzles, neurofeedback is a two-way street: It uses sensors to receive input from your brain and modifies the output of the games accordingly. Put simply, it intercepts and offers you direct feedback on your brain activity.
For example, imagine playing a video game while your brain activity is being measured. In this game, you drive a car and must maintain your focus and concentration in order to remain on track.
As you focus and concentrate, sensors measure your brain activity and the game reflects the activity by responding in real time. The better you concentrate, the faster the car goes.
Conversely, if your concentration or focus starts to slip, the car will slow down. In this way, the game rewards focus and concentration, helping to train the brain to stay alert and attentive.
This bidirectional approach means that neurofeedback can teach you to better regulate your brain function and hopefully improve performance in different areas as a result.
What does a neurofeedback session look like?
In old sci-fi movies, neurofeedback was often depicted as a mysterious futuristic technology. The characters would be strapped into a chair and enter a trance-like state while their brains would be hooked up to machines with blinking lights and wires. And that depiction hasn’t improved much with time. Even present-day showsdon't get it right when it comes to showing how exactly neurofeedback technology works.
In reality, a neurofeedback session is a much simpler and more comfortable experience. Even back in the day, when neurofeedback required heavy equipment and visits to the clinic, you would simply sit on a chair and gaze at the computer screen while your brain activity was being measured.
Nowadays, you can do neurofeedback while cozying up on your couch with a minimalistic and comfortable head device and “playing” a game on your phone or tablet.
Or even in your car, just like Kirk Cousins, the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. In the fourth episode of the Netflix series Quarterback, you can see Kirk Cousins in his car streaming a show on his phone while the video reacts solely based on the activity coming from his brain.
But what’s being measured?
The sensors that measure your brain activity are used in a method called EEG (electroencephalography). EEG was developed back in 1924 when the German psychiatrist Hans Berger connected electrodes to a patient's scalp and used a galvanometer to detect a small current.
Since then, we've been recording the rhythmic patterns of electrical signals that are emitted when neurons are firing in our brains.
These patterns of electrical activity occurring in the brain are called brainwaves and are the basis for EEG neurofeedback training. There are five of them (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma), they are associated with different states of consciousness, including alertness, relaxation, as well as sleep, and they can provide insights about your current mental state.
For example, they can indicate when you feel tired, focused, or relaxed. So, for instance, when you're calm, your brain activity measurements will likely show increased alpha brainwave activity. On the other hand, if you're tired and drifting off to sleep, it's more likely that theta will be your dominant brainwave frequency.
How do brainwaves impact training?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.
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.
Written By: Dubravaka Rebic
Checked By: Kaija Sander, Ph.D
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