All About Neurofeedback Depression And Why It Is
Neurofeedback depression is monitoring depression in an individual using a type of biofeedback. The goal here is to control central neural activity, most specifically that referring to depression. The way it works is by using electroencephalography, which monitors the firing of neurons in the brain through receptors against the scalp.
This will allow the user to learn in real time what is going on within the brain, which gives a better chance of being able to allay a problem. There are many receptors used, giving an overview of different parts of the brain as well as different kinds of brainwaves. After this, the average frequency is shown for each spot on the brain map that is produced showing the results.
This brain map is then measured and compared with entries from a database that match the sex and age of the individual. It is thought that there is a neurophysiological basis in many depressive cases. For those who have a family history, this is thought to be true in particular.
There is also considered to be a particular brain-wave pattern that can be found in those who do have this genetic history that may be found even in those who do not show signs of suffering from the condition. This has even found to be the case in very small children. This pattern is noticeable by observing activity in different parts of the brain that are associated with different things.
The right frontal lobe is associated with fear and depression, and the left frontal lobe is that which is associated with social needs and positive emotions. The urges that the right frontal lobe triggers are the opposite to the left side, which means a need to withdraw and to be anxious both around others and alone.
Slow activity in one side of the brain indicates that the other side is more dominant, and in many cases this means that the left side is slower than the right, meaning that the right frontal lobe shows a higher amount of activity. Because of this, the individual will be more predisposed to depression or anxiety. Many people might find that anti-depressants only have something of a placebo effect, offering some relief but not enough to allay the condition.
The underlying brainwaves can be altered by the use of neurofeedback, in this case the slow activity in the left frontal lobe, which will hopefully mean that the brainwaves can be made to even out a little more. For many, this might work to bring more relief to depression.