Academic Peak

  • You are reading this because you already have a good teacher (3) & some study skills (2).  As a psychologist involved in study skills 1991, University of Victoria, Canada,  study skills is a must have.  ISF  neurofeedback (1) enables and boost students ability to focus, comprehend and recall lessons taught.  Teachers & parents will realise kids can understand the target material easier and retention of materials last longer with better memory.  Nature must combine with nurture.
  • All brains are created differently.  Some are blessed with well syncronized brain waves that makes understanding concepts easy while others cannot. 
  • Neuroplasticity exist in all of us and all it needs is a boost via photobiomodulation and synchronised by neurofeedback. 
  • Brain training increases neuro networks for the whole brain.  This is why you NEED TO TRAIN the whole brain.  (Training the frontal or parietal lobe alone is the weakness any therapy, because its is not syncronised with the other parts).
  • Good brain training will see electrodes being shifted to different locations, and with different protocols being applied onto the scalp to achieve syncronicity.  In practice we combine a 2-19 electrodes onto the scalp to “CONNECT”, increase neuro connections taking into consideration the brain’s amplitude, asymmetry, phase, coherence levels.
  • FLUENCY = SPEED + ACCURACY  I was very lucky to be part of the team having Dr. Joseph Parsons & Dr David Polson as my mentors.

Eight ways neurofeedback improves academic performances. 

1.Attention – Being a good student requires one to sit, listen and focus during lectures and classes. Neurofeedback improves the brain’s ability to maintain attention for longer periods of time which directly impacts how much information is absorbed in any given class session. Neurofeedback is particularly necessary for students who struggle with ADD or ADHD, as it minimizes distractions.  Consider a qeeg to know the status of the brains’s status.   

 2.Focus – Students often face heavy workloads and long study hours during the day.  Brain fog, mental blocks, anxiety occurs and can develop into depression over time for many.   Neurofeedback trains students to reduce anxiety and increase focus.  This improves their ability to focus, making it easier to comprehend & complete work with speed and accuracy.  This is called fluency or mastery .

3.Memory – Studying for certain subjects often requires a substantial amount of memorization for exams. Neurofeedback increases the ability to absorb and hold information for easier recall in times of need by increasing neuro networks and by synchronising them.

4. Test Performance – If a student struggles with test taking in general, neurofeedback helps students to reduce anxiety so student’s are able to focus better while during exams to achieve better results. 

Sleep Quality– The success of students is heavily determined by the amount and quality of sleep a person gets. The brain does not function at its optimal level if the brain is tired. This is especially important for a math exam.  Neurofeedback specifically improves overall sleep quality.   If the brain is filled with hyper activity, good sleep will not be possible.

6. Anxiety Reduction –  ISF Neurofeedback effectively trains the autonomic nervous system, the ‘fight or flight mechanism to manage anxiety. When it comes to school performance, anxiety can be crippling, as stress builds up during the exam season. Training the brain to function calmly and effectively will reduce anxiety levels, setting a student up for success.  Focus cannot be achieved is anxiety is high.  This is similar for high performance athletes & people in management positions.

7. Mood Improvement – The spillover effect of stresses of life outside of school does not disappear.  Students who struggle with depression impacts directly on school performances. When brainwaves are calm, synchronised and trained to buffer stress, when an incident triggers the student, he or she will be more resilient towards depression.

8. Learning Disability Improvement – If your child or you struggle with a learning disability, school can be much more difficult with which to keep up. Certain tasks may take longer and may not register as easily. Neurofeedback works to reduce the symptoms of learning disabilities to ensure for better success. Each person has different, unique needs, which is why neurofeedback sessions begin with taking a quantitative EEQ brain map to pinpoint where in the brain these issues are initiating. The protocol for the neurofeedback sessions is then determined based on these individual needs.

 

 Research Articles:

  • EMG and EEG biofeedback training in the treatment of a 10-year-old boy. Tansey, M. A. (1991) Australian Journal of Psychology, 43(3), 147-153. Average 20 point improvement in IQ for 24 children.
  • Neurofeedback Combined with Metacognitive Strategies. Thompson & Thompson (1999) Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedbck, Dec; 23(4)243-63). Average 12 point improvement in IQ for 111 adults and children.

Neurofeedback for sports:

  • Albert, A.O, Andrasik, F, Moore, J.L & Dunn, B.R. (1998). Theta/beta training for attention, concentration and memory improvement in the geriatric population. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback,23(2), 109. Abstract.
  • Arns, M., Kleinnijenhuis, M., Fallahpour, K., & Bretler, R. (2007).  Golf performance enhancement and real-life neurofeedback training using personalized event-locked EEG profiles.  Journal of Neurotherapy, 11(4), 11-18.
  • Bazanova, O.M., Aftanas, L.I. (2010).Individual EEG alpha activity analysis for enhancement neurofeedback efficiency: Two case studies.  Journal of Neurotherapy 14(3), 244 – 253.
  • Boyd, W.D & Campbell, S.E. (1998) EEG biofeedback in schools: The use of EEG biofeedback to treat ADHD in a school setting. Journal of Neurotherapy, 2(4), 65-71.
  • Budzynski, T.H. (1996). Braining brightening: Can neurofeedback improve cognitive process?Biofeedback, 24(2), 14-17.

  • Carmody, D. P., Radvanski, D. C., Wadhwani, S., Sabo, J. J., & Vergara, L. (2001). EEG biofeedback training and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in an elementary school setting.Journal of Neurotherapy, 4(3), 5-27.

  • Carter, J. L., & Russell, H. L. (1991). Changes in verbal performance IQ discrepancy scores after left hemisphere frequency control training: A pilot report. American Journal of Clinical Biofeedback, 4(1), 66-67.
  • Cunningham, M., & Murphy, P. (1981). The effects of bilateral EEG biofeedback on verbal, visuospatial and creative skills in LD male adolescents. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 14(4), 204-208.
  • Egner, T., & Gruzelier, J. H. (2001). Learned self-regulation of EEG frequency components affects attention and event-related brain potentials in humans. NeuroReport, 12, 4155-4159.
  • Egner, T., & Gruzelier, J. H. (2004).EEG biofeedback of low beta band components: Frequency-specific effects on variables of attention and event-related brain potentials.Clinical Neurophysiology, 115(1), 131-139.
  • Fehmi, L. G. (2007).  Multichannel EEG phase synchrony training and verbally guided attention training for disorders of attention.  Chapter in J. R. Evans (Ed.), Handbook of Neurofeedback.  Binghampton, NY: Haworth Medical Press, pp. 301-319.
  • Fehmi, L. G., & Selzer, F. A. (1980). Biofeedback and attention training. Chapter in S. Boorstein (Ed.), Transpersonal Psychotherapy. Palo Alto: Science and Behavior Books.
  • Fehmi, L. G. (1978). EEG biofeedback, multichannel synchrony training, and attention. Chapter in A. A. Sugarman & R. E. Tarter (Eds.), Expanding Dimensions of Consciousness. New York: Springer.
  • Foks, M. (2005).Neurofeedback training as an educational intervention in a school setting: How the regulation of arousal states can lead to improved attention and behaviour in children with special needs. Educational & Child Psychology, 22(3), 67-77.
  • Fritson, K. K., Wadkins, T. A., Gerdes, P., & Hof, D. (2007).  The impact of neurotherapy on college students’ cognitive abilities and emotions.  Journal of Neurotherapy, 11(4), 1-9..
  • Jackson, G. M., & Eberly, D. A. (1982). Facilitation of performance on an arithmetic task as a result of the application of a biofeedback procedure to suppress alpha wave activity.Biofeedback & Self-Regulation, 7(2), 211-221.
  • Kaiser, D. A., & Othmer, S. (2000). Effect of Neurofeedback on variables of attention in a large multi-center trial. Journal of Neurotherapy, 4(1), 5-15.
  • Kwon, H., Cho, J., Lee, E. (2009). EEG asymmetry analysis of the left and right brain activities during simple versus complex arithmetic learning. Journal of Neurotherapy 13(2), 109 – 116.
  • McKnight, J. T., & Fehmi, L. G. (2001). Attention and neurofeedback synchrony training: Clinical results and their significance. Journal of Neurotherapy, 5(1-2), 45-62.
  • Norris, S. L., Lee, C-T., Burshteyn, D., & Cea-Aravena, J. (2001). The effects of performance enhancement training on hypertension, human attention, stress, and brain wave patterns: A case study. Journal of Neurotherapy, 4(3), 29-44.
  • Norris, S. L., Lee, C., Cea, J., & Burshteyn, D. (1998). Performance enhancement training effects on attention: A case study. Journal of Neurotherapy, 3(1), 19-25.
  • Pulvermuller, F., Mohr, B., Schleichert, H., & Veit, R. (2000). Operant conditioning of left-hemispheric slow cortical potentials and its effect on word processing. Biological Psychology, 53, 177-215.
  • Putnam, J. A., Othmer, S. F., Othmer, S., & Pollock, V. E. (2005). TOVA results following interhemispheric bipolar EEG training. Journal of Neurotherapy, 9(1), 37-52.
  • Rasey, H. W., Lubar, J. E., McIntyre, A., Zoffuto, A. C., & Abbott, P. L. (1996). EEG biofeedback for the enhancement of attentional processing in normal college students. Journal of Neurotherapy, 1(3), 15-21.
  • Sheer, D. E. (1975). Biofeedback training of 40-Hz EEG and behavior. Chapter in N. Burch & H. I. Altshuler (Eds.), Behavior and Brain Electrical Activity. New York: Plenum.
  • Sheer, D. E. (1977). Biofeedback training of 40-Hz EEG and behavior. Chapter in J. Kamiya et al., Biofeedback and Self-Control 1976/1977. An Annual Review. Chicago: Aldine.
  • Tansey, M. A. (1990). Righting the rhythms of reason: EEG biofeedback training as a therapeutic modality in a clinical office setting. Medical Psychotherapy, 3, 57-68.
  • Vachon-Presseau, E., Achim, A., Benoit-Lajoie, A. (2009). Direction of SMR and beta change with attention in adults. Journal of Neurotherapy 13(1),  22 – 29.
  • Valdez, M. (1985). Effects of biofeedback-assisted attention training in a college population.Biofeedback & Self-Regulation, 10(4), 315-324.
  • Vernon, D., Egner, T., Cooper, N., Compton, T., Neilands, C., Sheri, A., & Gruzelier, J.(2003). The effect of training distinct neurofeedback protocols on aspects of cognitive performance. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 47, 75-85.

Represented Royal Roads University (1999).  School Advisory Member 8 Years West Spring Secondary School.


 

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