Improve Dementia and Alzheimer’s Symptoms with Neurofeedback

When a loved one has a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or a form of dementia, there are relatively few treatments available to slow the progression of these complex neurodegenerative diagnoses. Neurofeedback, however, is being used to help better manage symptoms even if it cannot cure structural changes inside the brain. Neurofeedback is able to stimulate areas of the brain that are working well by encouraging new neural connections that can improve overall functioning.

Types of Dementia

While dementia is commonly found in older adults, there are many types of dementia and some can be diagnosed earlier in life. The most common dementias include Alzheimer’s, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, and even the later stages of Parkinson’s Disease. One of the hallmarks of dementia and cognitive impairment is memory loss, confusion, and irritability, insomnia, depression, anxiety, agitation, and more.

Fortunately, neurofeedback therapy can help improve cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and memory naturally using an individual’s innate ability to learn.

What Do Brains with Memory Issues Lack?

When we evaluate patients with memory problems or who have a dementia diagnosis, we often see imbalances involving Theta brainwaves. Theta brainwaves are associated with both short-term and working memory. As we age and contend with life changes, these brainwave functions can become less efficient.

When memory issues and emotional dysregulation is severe, attempts are made to treat these severe symptoms with a wide range of drugs that have been proven to be ineffective in helping with Alzheimer’s, dementia and cognitive decline. Neurofeedback, on the other hand, can non-invasively treat these types of symptoms to improve brain wave imbalances, stimulate areas of the brain that are working well, and bring brain waves into a better state of regulation. This often means better sleep, fewer outbursts, and better overall memory and cognition.

Clinical Research Study Shows Neurofeedback’s Effectiveness

One such study published in the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology was performed at The Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, and revealed that neurofeedback training significantly improved orienting memory scores. Orienting memory refers to the ability to remember details about your environment and spatial orientation within a specific timeframe.

Both younger and older people remembered past events in a similar fashion more consistently after neurofeedback training. The study demonstrated that neurofeedback training improved attention and working memory performance and theta activity in the resting state for normal aging adults. Younger participants also benefited from the present protocol in terms of improving their executive function.

How Can Neurofeedback Training Help?

First, we measure your or a loved one’s brain activity to see how it matches up to reported symptoms. At Neurofeedback Health His Way, we use an advanced technology, called a qEEG or brain map to measure and analyze the electrical flow in each lobe of your brain. This evaluation is completely non-invasive and easy to do. If your memory issues are the result of an imbalance in Theta waves or another area, we can pinpoint what is going on and create a custom training protocol to help you with your memory and focus.

Each neurofeedback training session lasts about 30-minutes. You relax while your brain practices new skills. You will be watching a video you find interesting, and we’ll monitor your brain activity with sensors placed on your scalp in specific locations as you enjoy the video. If your attention wanders, the movie’s picture and sound will dim to bring your attention back to the video. This biofeedback is painless and teaches your brain how to focus so you can improve your memory and functioning over time. It doesn’t really matter how old you are – neurofeedback helps build new neural pathways to improve memory, sleep, emotional regulation, and attention.

Find Out How Neurofeedback Can Improve Cognitive Impairments

Neurofeedback Health His Way, located in Wheaton, Illinois, specializes in helping patients of many ages with brain-based conditions, including many forms of dementia. While neurofeedback is not a cure, it can provide symptom relief to improve quality of life. Contact us or call us at 630-254-0766 for a free consultation and to get your questions answers. Learn more about us and see the promise neurofeedback has for those with dementia, memory loss, and other cognitive impairments.