Answers: Neurofeedback Myths

Many myths regarding neurofeedback exist and have relegated the field into relative obscurity.

Myth 1: Sensor placement or moving sensors can cause different outcomes,> e.g. specific placement can cause excitability, anxiety, etc. Our colleagues at NASA and MIT find this myth amusing. It seems that using a three sensor system as is most commonly used in the field for attention training doesn't produce different outcomes unless the clinician expects them. Educators define this as a "self fulfilling prophecy". It would imply that the brain can fire a discrete column of energy to the sensor above it and that that particular area of the brain can be operantly conditioned in isolation from other parts of the brain. No science or physics are known to support this.

Myth 2: Fix brainwave patterns and the person is fixed! This is quite similar to claims that drug makers often imply. It simply is not so. While both neurofeedback and medication may help improve concentration, skills like behavioral shaping, organization, assignment completion, memory, and many others must still be learned.

Myth 3: One method of neurofeedback training is better than another. Typically, neurofeedback clinicians use a variety of training techniques involving different brainwaves based on their field and clinical experiences. Much research has been performed regarding ADHD and brainwaves. Most of the research demonstrates that this training can help attention. Much of this research used differing methods of brainwave training, but all still reported good results. While many clinicians claim to utilize the best methods and that there is only one correct way to train, research data do not support this.

Myth 4: Neurofeedback cures ADHD. There is no cure for ADHD. As a matter of fact, we don't know what causes ADHD nor is there any known pathology (place in the brain where it is located) associated with it. We also don't know if it is a matter of a condition like being pregnant or not being pregnant or a matter of degree as ADHD is diagnosed subjectively by a medical practitioner and is one of the few diagnoses that can be made over the telephone!


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