Neurofeedback Mechanism of Action

Introduction to Neurofeedback

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback that teaches individuals self-control of brain functions through measurement of brain waves and provision of a feedback signal, generally in audiovisual format, allowing them to learn to modulate their physiological brain processes in real-time to optimize symptoms, cognition, or behavior 1
The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that neurofeedback is based on the premise that alterations in physiological state are accompanied by corresponding changes in mental-emotional state and vice versa, and that training allows individuals to learn to control voluntary physiological processes such as peripheral temperature, muscle activity, respiration, brain electrical activity, and even aspects of immune function 2
The American Academy of Pediatrics indicates that neurofeedback operates through the principle of neural entrainment, a mechanism that allows rhythmic brain activity to adjust due to interactions with external rhythmic events, involving synchronization or frequency change, and that repeated training leads to synaptic plasticity, reflecting lasting effects through long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) 3

The neuroscience community suggests that the neurofeedback process involves the synchronization (increase in oscillatory synchrony) or change of frequency (alteration of oscillatory frequency to a faster or slower rhythm) of brain activity, with the reset phase of brain oscillations occurring during training, allowing the brain to synchronize with external stimuli 4
Research in neuroscience indicates that the phase of reset of brain oscillations occurs during training, allowing the brain to synchronize with external stimuli, and that repeated training leads to synaptic plasticity, reflecting lasting effects through long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) 5
Studies in neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews show that neurofeedback modulates different types of brain waves, including alpha (8-12 Hz), associated with relaxation and passive attention, beta (13-30 Hz), related to concentration, cognition, and alertness, and gamma (>30 Hz), linked to sensory processing and perceptual binding 7

The pediatrics community notes that portable systems allow for training at home and in school, facilitating the generalization of skills to real-world environments 3
The molecular psychiatry field suggests that the effectiveness of neurofeedback depends on the correct identification of brain patterns to be modified, and that many symptoms or behaviors cannot be localized to a single brain region but depend on the orchestrated activity of multiple regions 1
Research in neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews indicates that personalization of training parameters based on EEG biomarkers that best describe the individual's intrinsic oscillator is crucial for optimal results 5