It is widely acknowledged that United States military veterans are subjected to traumatic events given the nature of their missions. One in five veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have been identified as experiencing symptoms of PTSD.
PTSD symptoms can include agitation, irritability, hostility, hypervigilance, self-destructive behavior, social isolation, flashbacks, fear, severe anxiety, mistrust, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, guilt, loneliness, insomnia and nightmares. Impairments in attention and memory may also be present.
Cal State San Bernardino recently did a study on veterans suffering from PTSD, using neurofeedback exclusively. Initially 80 percent of the veterans were experiencing severe to moderate levels of distress. Their findings support many previously published studies: That neurofeedback significantly improved both auditory and visual attention after 20 treatment sessions in four out of five veterans. Even more significant improvements in well-being were achieved after 40 sessions. Following neurofeedback treatment, 78 percent of them reported positive levels of well-being.
The findings support neurofeedback as a clinically-effective intervention that helps improve some of the impairments associated with PTSD. It further shows that specific improvements in auditory attention and processing speed can contribute to greater well-being. This study gives strong evidence to the validity of neurofeedback being the key factor in the veterans’ improvements in well-being.
Neurofeedback works by training the brain to function at its maximum potential, which is similar to the way the body is exercised, toned and maintained. The technology is safe and effective for children and adults ages 5 to 95. Neurofeedback is a powerful brain-based technique that has been successfully helping patients around the world for more than 30 years. It is a non-invasive process with positive results for a multitude of conditions including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and chronic pain.
