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Focusing On Ritalin
Understanding the Method Behind the Medicine
Part Two
By Donna Smith
Didier Combatalade, Research Manager at Thought Technology Ltd., believes that EEG biofeedback, sometimes called neurofeedback, is a viable alternative to Ritalin. "EEG biofeedback, by monitoring and feeding back brainwave activity, offers the child a controllable handle over his/her ability to pay attention," says Combatalade.
The child is treated in a series of "training sessions." During these sessions the child is taught to produce a specific type of brainwave frequency -- the frequency that is associated with paying attention. "There is actually no clinical intervention, per se," says Combatalade. "The child is simply placed in an environment where his/her own system can teach itself how to produce the proper behavior. Audio o visual feedback provides an immediate indication of success and learning occurs naturally."
Combatalade compares EEG biofeedback to riding a bike. "Once you know, it's difficult to forget! Actually there might be a need for an occasional remedial session after the treatment period is over, but a lot of kids just get it the first time and keep on going!"
Biofeedback has no known adverse side effects. In a worst-case scenario, the treatment is simply not effective. "Occasionally, there are cases where biofeedback does not work. Since biofeedback is a tool for teaching self-regulation, some people just never manage to get control over the handle, so they never learn."
Before the treatment, parents are given an idea of how many sessions will be required for improvement to be noticed. The parent should then decide whether it is financially viable for them to continue with this type of treatment. "The clinician will know when to stop from the fact that there is not improvement," says Combatalade.
In the article Understanding Attention Deficit Disorder