Brain frequency therapy shows great promise as a noninvasive solution to anxiety. By modulating brain wave frequencies associated with worry, it reduces racing thoughts and feelings of unease.
Tsai and her team have discovered that light flickering at 40 hertz or sound pitched at 40 hertz can elicit gamma oscillations in mice, leading to cognitive enhancement and creating a sense of clarity.
Enhances Cognitive Function
One study on people with mild cognitive impairment showed that neurofeedback training improved their performance on tasks designed to measure memory and attention span, as well as decreasing anxiety, depression and sleep problems. Brain frequency therapy uses non-invasive EEG technology to identify an individual’s peak brain wave frequency and reset any dysfunctional patterns using operant conditioning; through targeted sessions of brain frequency therapy the client learns to control and improve these patterns through targeted sessions of training.
This new approach to mental health could revolutionise how we treat psychiatric conditions. Its foundation lies in the understanding that every individual has a “natural” brainwave frequency that corresponds with their performance in certain life situations.
Key to effective treatment plans is identifying these frequencies using quantitative EEG brain mapping (qEEG) tools, in order to tailor an individual plan specifically tailored towards each patient. We then utilize this data to target those areas of their brain which need the most work and provide superior outcomes for our clients.
qEEG has been used successfully to treat patients suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder by identifying dysregulated brainwave patterns and targeting specific frequencies associated with these disorders, leading to improved cognitive function and reduced symptoms such as depression, anxiety and sleep problems associated with this illness.
Researchers discovered that stimulating gamma oscillations in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models stimulated by stimulating gamma oscillations reduced beta amyloid plaques and pathogenic proteins such as phosphorylated tau, while also increasing microglial activity for debris clearance. This indicates that the benefits of restoring gamma oscillations go far beyond Alzheimer’s, offering hope to other neurological conditions as well.
Brainwave-entrainment therapies have been proposed as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, including sensory stimulation (such as light flickering at 40 hertz) and auditory stimulation. Such strategies have been shown to improve behavioral and cognitive functions in AD mouse models while stimulating microglial activation and ab uptake within dementia patient networks46,47.
These findings are very encouraging, yet more research needs to be conducted in order to ascertain if this type of treatment truly improves memory and cognitive function in both AD patients as well as those without. If it proves effective, it could revolutionize how we treat neurological conditions like depression, anxiety and PTSD.
Enhances Mood
Though brain wave entrainment may not be an exact cure for depression, it can significantly enhance both mood and mental wellbeing. Neurofeedback sessions involve placing electrodes on your scalp for instantaneous feedback on which brain activity you’re controlling; then you learn how to inhibit certain frequencies while increasing others resulting in positive physical and emotional state changes.
As one example, increasing alpha waves helps promote a calm, relaxed state. Entraining with alpha waves also has been found to enhance creativity and memory; one study even found that listening to isochronic tones at alpha wave frequencies induced a more creative thinking state, as participants became better at recalling specific details.
Similar to how increasing beta waves enhance alertness and activity, while suppressing theta and lower brainwave activity decreases depression and anxiety. Furthermore, increasing gamma waves has been shown to reduce amyloid plaques in the brain while protecting against Alzheimer’s disease.
Sound, music and meditation can help stimulate your brainwaves and encourage the production of neurotransmitters that enhance creativity, memory, relaxation, stress relief and learning. For example, listening to nature sounds or classical music can stimulate serotonin production as a natural antidepressant.
Studies have demonstrated that brainwave entrainment therapy such as neurofeedback can aid with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). NFT has proven its ability to alleviate core symptoms associated with PTSD such as fear and anxiety.
An antidepressant medication doesn’t come without side effects, while this noninvasive solution does not cause side effects as much as antidepressant medicines do. The device that delivers magnetic pulses resembles a wand that delivers brief magnetic pulses directly into the head, stimulating nerve cells and altering brainwaves to treat various conditions, including depression and PTSD. It is effective and noninvasive treatment option without creating unnecessary risks to health such as antidepressant medications would do.
Reduces Anxiety
Anxiety can wreak havoc on both body and mind, keeping you from living your best life. Provoked by real or perceived threats, anxiety’s constant feelings of fear and apprehension can interfere with work performance, relationships and your overall well-being; manifesting itself physically through heart palpitations and sleep disturbance. But taking steps to combat anxiety using techniques that balance brainwave activity and promote calm can be helpful: neurofeedback, mindfulness training, CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) or making healthy lifestyle changes will all help manage anxiety better and achieve an overall balance mental state.
Your brain produces multiple types of brainwaves throughout the day, including delta waves associated with deep sleep and healing; delta, theta, alpha, alertness-enhancing alpha waves as well as beta waves that promote focus and cognitive processing. When these frequencies are in harmony with one another, your mental state remains stable while stress management becomes easier; but too many high beta or low theta waves could increase anxiety levels quickly.
Neurofeedback, also known as EEG biofeedback, teaches you to manage your brainwave patterns through guided exercises. Sessions utilize sensors that detect your brainwave activity and give real-time feedback; eventually you learn to increase alpha waves while decreasing beta waves for greater relaxation and peace.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS, is another noninvasive tool for alleviating anxiety. A team led by Nicholas Balderston, Ph.D. – one of three 2018 BBRF Young Investigators – found that it reduced excitation in the parietal lobe associated with fear and anxiety; supporting previous studies showing it can decrease such emotions by modulating excitability in certain brain regions involved with emotional processing.
Some therapists have employed soundwave treatments known as binaural beats to ease anxiety. Sessions involve listening to audio clips of soothing nature sounds such as waterfalls and birds chirping; research suggests this type of treatment can reduce anxiety symptoms as measured by the STAI-S.
Enhances Memory
Brain frequency therapy is an effective, noninvasive alternative to medication that may have negative side effects and doesn’t address the source of problems in memory loss, according to researchers. Targeting specific areas in the brain instead of treating symptoms has proven successful at improving memory problems and is becoming a popular therapy approach among medical practitioners and students alike.
The beta brain wave frequency typically ranges between 12-20Hz, and is associated with mental activity such as learning, planning, organizing and memory storage. A low level of beta waves has been linked with poor memory performance as well as attention deficit disorder (ADD).
Gamma brain wave frequencies range between 36 and 44 Hz and are associated with memory and cognitive control, as gamma activity helps consolidate simultaneous information from various parts of the brain. A lack of gamma activity has been linked with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Studies published in 2016 demonstrated that exposure to light flickering at 40 hertz or sounds with pitch pitch of 40 hertz could stimulate gamma oscillations and thus help decrease amyloid beta plaque formation among mice genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease, as well as increase activity among debris-clearing immune cells.
Researchers led by Robert Reinhart from Boston University conducted an NIH-funded study that revealed elderly participants treated with low gamma brain wave frequencies in front of the prefrontal cortex improved on word recall tests while those given high gamma frequency treatments improved working memory recall capabilities; on average those with the highest initial performance remembered four or six extra words from their list after four-day treatment.
Brain frequency therapy works similarly, by training to increase theta brain wave frequencies. This has been scientifically demonstrated to improve memory as well as decrease anxiety levels, improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure levels, help quit smoking habits or enhance sports performance.
