New Computer-Based Technology to Treat Attention Deficit
Disorders
By Bob
Gottfried PhD
Background
It is
estimated that over 5% of all children in North America
are experiencing at least one form of attention deficit
disorder. Both ADD and ADHD are characterized by one or
more of the following: inattention, hyperactivity, and
impulsivity. Learning disabilities are characterized by
one or more difficulties associated with attention,
reading, writing, oral language, reasoning, memorizing,
and problem solving. Further difficulties may include
compromised organizational skills and social
interaction.
The
question of whether or not attention deficit disorders
can be remedied has received significant attention from
many researchers. Treating children and adolescents with
stimulants (for instance Ritalin), has proven to be
helpful but is limited by side effects and tolerance.
The introduction of Neurofeedback (also known as EEG
Biofeedback), has offered new hope for parents wanting
to help resolve the attention related problems of their
children without the use of medication. Neurofeedback
research has shown that training brain wave patterns can
remedy cognitive impairment associated with attention
deficit related to ADD, ADHD, LD.
Brain wave activity and Attentional Shifting
The
brain produces different frequencies for different
levels of attention. They include the following:
Delta –
sleep state
Theta –
between sleep and awake, also a meditative state
Alpha –
relaxed state
Beta1 –
focused concentration
Beta2 –
alert state
Beta3 –
very alert, vigilant
Beta4 –
Hyper vigilant
The
ability to produce the right states, especially those
associated with focus and attention is paramount to be
able to perform a variety of cognitive tasks such as
listening, learning and processing information, in
general. In addition, the ability to shift from one
state to another when required, offers tremendous mental
flexibility, which results in enhanced mental
performance in every area of life.
The
Use of Neurofeedback in Treating Attentional
Difficulties
Neurofeedback, which is a form of biofeedback, has been
used for over 20 years to treat concentration related
difficulties associated with ADD/ADHD and LD. In
general, Neurofeedback is a modality which uses an EEG
recording system along with training software to enhance
brain wave activity that is instrumental for improving
concentration.
The
premise behind Neurofeedback is related to earlier
findings which established that individuals with poor
concentration lack sufficient levels of Beta1 (This band
is also called SMR - short for sensory motor rhythms)
brain waves to sustain attention. The findings also
showed that individuals with attention deficits exhibit
excessive amounts of slow brain wave activity,
especially Theta waves. Joel Lubar, a pioneer in this
field, demonstrated that treatment modalities focusing
on enhancing the Beta1/Theta ratio have been very
effective in treating children with attention deficits
and learning disabilities, which usually resulted in
improved school performance and better behavior control.
During Neurofeedback sessions, the person wishing to
enhance concentration and improve attention and focus,
uses feedback coming through an EEG machine to enhance
Beta1 and decrease Theta. After a certain amount of
training, typically between 40 and 60 sessions, the
individual is able to produce more Beta1 at will. Lubar
also proved that all children experiencing any form of
learning disabilities demonstrated low amounts of Beta1
waves and that many of the symptoms diminished after a
process of brain wave training.
Neurofeedback treatment can also result in significant
improvement of intellectual functioning, as measured by
increases in IQ scores (Linden, Habib & Radojevic,
1996). Such improvement is most likely the result of the
treatment's positive impact on the person's ability to
concentrate. More recently, Monastra (2002) found that
Neurofeedback has proven to be successful in long term
improvement of ADD/ADHD symptoms. In this study, 100
children, aged six to nineteen years, diagnosed with
ADD/ADHD were monitored for one year. All children
received parental counseling, academic support, and
Ritalin. Half of the children also received
Neurofeedback training. After 12 months, all children
showed improvement in their attention. However, children
who stopped taking Ritalin and did not train with
Neurofeedback, lost the gains they had achieved, whereas
those who also received brain wave training kept their
gains even after they stopped using Ritalin.
Computer Assisted Programs
The use
of computer-assisted programs in the treatment of
cognitive deficits is not new.
Previous studies have shown the benefits of such
cognitive training for treating attention deficits and
learning disabilities. The National Institutes of Health
(NIH) Consensus Development Conference Statement
confirmed that “Computer-assisted strategies have been
used to improve specific neuro-psychological processes,
predominantly attention, memory, and executive skills.
Both randomized controlled studies and case reports have
documented the success of these interventions using
intermediate outcome measures.”
New
Generation Software
Lately,
a new generation of programs makes it much easier and
faster to treat attention deficits. The most notable
innovation related to these programs is that they can
provide effective training without clinical supervision.
One such program: SharperBrain has gain substantial
recognition in the area of improving cognitive
performance for individuals with cognitive deficits.
This is a language independent program, which makes it
easier for the brain to generalize the results.
SharperBrain directly trains the brain to enhance all
levels of attention in addition to a long list of
cognitive skills. SharperBrain was developed based on
research done with EEG based technology. The goal was to
develop a program that can avoid the costly aspect of
EEG instrumentation and to make it easy to use and more
economical.
The
program works in two ways. First, improve brain wave
activity by enhancing the following three attentional
levels:
1.
Calm: Allows the mind to relax and get ready for
different mental tasks. It is also a state important for
contemplation and planning. In terms of brain activity,
this is equivalent to Alpha state.
2.
Focused: Allows paying attention to a specific task,
while offsetting distractions. This is equivalent to
Beta1 state.
3.
Alert: Allows fast response when the need to react
quickly is required. This is equivalent to Beta2 state.
In
addition, SharperBrain trains the brain to develop a
variety of cognitive abilities such as divided
attention, multitasking, speed of processing, working
memory, visual/auditory processing and coordination as
well as higher executive skills such as decision making,
organizing and prioritizing. It also trains the brain to
offset distractions. Such skills are not part of the
traditional Neurofeedback protocols. Another advantage
of such program is that unlike Neurofeedback, which can
be only administered by a clinician, it can be practiced
at home after a very brief training. In addition, it
does not require specialized equipment such as EEG,
making it a very cost effective alternative.
With
the latest research and news about side effects of
attention deficit-related medication, the interest in
this innovative technology has significantly risen in
the past year and is expected to continue to draw
individuals interested in utilizing a drug free approach
to attention deficit disorders. Dr. Frank H. Duffy a
Professor and Pediatric Neurologist at Harvard Medical
School and an
Associate
Editor for Neurology, Clinical EEG Journal noted
recently the following:
"In my
opinion, if any medication had demonstrated such a wide
spectrum of efficacy it would be universally accepted
and widely used. It is a field to be taken seriously by
all."
A lot
has been written on the connection between nutrition and
ADHD. The fact remains that ADHD is a neurological
deficiency. Proper nutrition and supplementation may be
helpful in better controlling this and many other health
related problems, but it cannot fix the neurological
aspect of the problem. Supplements and herbal remedies
can have some calming effect on hyperactive kids, but
they cannot teach a child with attention deficit
disorder how to neutralized distractions around them and
how to consistently pay full attention to the teacher
while learning material that is not so exciting for the
student.
With
the new technology, Sharper Brain is offering children
and adults an effective option to be able to make the
necessary neurological changes so that they can, perhaps
for the first time in their lives, focus and concentrate
when they need it and for as long as it’s needed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob
Gottfried PhD specializes in is a Neuro-cognitive
therapy. He is the clinical director of Advanced
Cognitive Enhancement clinics in Toronto, Canada. More
information about SharperBrain can be found on the
official website: www.SharperPrograms.com
Order Securely with Confidence!
|