What is NeuroFeedBack?
Neuorfeedback is Biofeedback to specifically target optimal brain health. It is a non-pharmaceutical method used to learn optimal brain activity. The feedback measured from your brain is Electroencephalogram (EEG) which is a compilation of electrical neural oscillations (brainwave activity) of the cortex (outer layers of the brain closest to the scalp). Electrodes (small detectors) are placed on the scalp to acquire EEG. Just as an Electrocardiogram (EKG) is non-invasive and measures heart rate activity, EEG is noninvasive and measures brainwave activity. Delta, theta, alpha and beta are brainwave frequency types that relate to varying facets of brain function. Feedback is provided by visual and audio cues when the brain produces effective levels. The brain is able to learn and adapt brainwave activity to improve optimal function in many areas including attention, focus, stress and anxiety reduction.
The Z lab is a private practice with two locations providing neurofeedback in Miami and San Francisco. We are committed to providing guidance to improve your focus and attention for athletic skills in professional sports and executive roles, as well as stress and anxiety reduction, memory, cognitive function and your overall quality of life. We ensure an individualized learning platform for gaining personalized optimal levels with the use of EEG Neurofeedback to learn techniques to self-regulate your brain function.
About the Z Lab
How does Neurofeedback work?
Electrodes (small microphones) are placed on the head’s surface corresponding to underlying brain regions involved in behavior-specific areas of interest (i.e., focus, attention or anxiety). Your brainwaves are measured with the use of an EEG computer program. The information provided about various brainwave frequencies allows for an individualized baseline to be established.
A neurosoftware program then alerts you when your brainwave frequencies improve your target-focused behavior or cognitive function. Your real-time brain signals will be visualized on a computer screen, as well as the presentation of an audio cue as feedback when your brain reaches desired frequencies. Your brain adapts to the feedback signals and self-regulates your brainwave frequencies. This method is known as operant conditioning for which you are positively rewarded with visual graphics and audio presentations for making healthy brainwave patterns.
Over a series of sessions, your brain adopts these new patterns intuitively just as your brain did when you learned to ride a bike. At first, you likely thought lean left or lean right, but your brain did all the work on its own to find and maintain balance. Neurofeedback works in the same respect. Known as neuroplasticity, the brain has the innate ability to learn a new skill or change brainwave patterns with practice. Over time, notable changes in mental clarity, stress, anxiety and focus will occur.
Benefits of Neurofeedback
Gain Better Control of
Brain Function
- Once learned, it’s learned and remains just like riding a bike!
- Your brain can innately adapt to frequencies with the help of neurofeedback to perform at your peak.
- Changes your brain states to enhance memory, optimize performance, cognitive function and increase focus and attention.
- Ideal for everyday people, executives, students, parents, and athletes.
Reduce Stress and Anxiety
- Acquire your innate ability to respond in stressful situations conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
- Alternative treatment to medication or supplements.
- A holistic approach to wellness or those that desire to find a method to decrease the amount of medications or supplements consumed.
- We guide you towards peak performance and wellness in a non-invasive, prescription-free, and pain-free way.
Acquire Optimal Sports Performance
- For professional and high level athletes to decrease or cease the use of performance enhancing supplements, as well as acquire techniques to perform under pressure and/or stress.
Improve other
Facets of your Life
- Positively affects sleep, self-esteem, stress, anxiety, focus, attention, memory and mental clarity (reduces brain fog), as well as overall quality of life.
Positively Enrich your Brain Health and Overall Quality of Life
- Learned techniques help you self-regulate your brain to optimize your current outcomes or achieve new, healthier, and more positive outcomes.
FAQs
Our patients are children and adults who are able to sit relatively still for periods of 10 minutes at a time. Before scheduling any sessions, our staff will assure that a prospective patient may complete a session.
At the start of your sessions, we will discuss your protocol to target a personal condition or challenge to target. Sensors will then be placed on your head to measure your brainwaves. On a screen there will be a video for which you will try to accomplish a task. When your brain produces an ideal rhythm, you will hear a sound indicating you have accomplished the task. You will also have visual cues to indicate your progress. With repeated intervals your brain will learn to adjust it’s waveforms to attain your ideal rhythm for optimal function.
The number of sessions needed varies for individuals and conditions or challenges. Patients report improvement after 5-10 sessions, although after 20 sessions patients typically report increased gains. Just as any learning process there are individual differences in the amount of time, reinforcement with a varying number of sessions, and subjective accomplishment of your goal.
Studies indicate that improvement made through Neurofeedback are generally long-term, and our clinical experience supports this finding. However, individual differences occur and some patients return for additional sessions to reinforce gains. In general, once the brain learns new patterns they remain.
To date long-term negative effects have not been identified. There are times that an individual may experience an initial short-term increase in symptoms while the brain adjusts waveform patterns. These symptoms are fleeting and normally decrease after individualized treatment protocol adjustments.
Our rates are comparable to other local clinics. Patients interested in learning more about our rates and services may fill out a form to receive more information.
Insurance coverage and plans vary. We are not on an insurance panel, therefore services would be out of network with your provider. It is recommend to contact your insurance company to inquire if Neurofeedback may be reimbursed for you. Payment is required at time of treatment.
Yes, all patients whom are currently working with other healthcare professionals are welcome and we can share results of your Neurofeedback therapy with them to better enhance your treatment plan.
It is ok to be on medication, although some medications may slow down the process of learning to self-regulate your brain with Neurofeedback. Neurofeedback is a learning technique. Drugs such as Xanax, Valium or Ativan (benzodiazepines) may interfere with learning.
All neurological medications should always be monitored with your Doctor.
There are occurrences when Neurofeedback may not work for you. Some issues that may impede the affects of Neurofeedback include:
- Alcohol, recreational drug use and other lifestyle factors
- Sporadic sessions rather than consistent sessions
- Diet and nutrition
- Improper Neurofeedback protocol for your specific target condition or challenge
- Medications such as benzodiazepines or too many medications
We are committed to offering you personal and individualized treatment.
Dr. Zamora will personally create and monitor your personalized treatment. Neurofeedback modalities will be personally designed that suit the condition or challenge you would like to target. Our practice provides a safe and private environment for your comfort.