Janet, not her real name, an adult woman from Levittown, came to treatment seeking relief from constant anxiety, body pain, sleep difficulties, irritability, and grief issues.
Her self-report indicated ADHD, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. These included being easily distracted, forgetful, having low energy, being easily bored, difficulty concentrating, poor task completion, and irritability. Symptoms of anxiety included being fearful, engaging in repetitive behaviors, muscle tension, panic attacks, being easily upset, excessive worry, and always being on edge.
During the intake, she indicated that she had also experienced multiple head injuries from several falls, a skiing accident, and a bicycle accident—all significant factors.
Janet agreed to a Quantitative Electroencephalogram (qEEG) in order to determine the nature of her cognitive and emotional difficulties and to develop an appropriate treatment plan. The qEEG results provided a great deal of useful information. By comparing her brain activity with that of a normal population in her age group across several areas, a specialized treatment plan could be developed specifically to help regulate her brain.
It’s important to understand that the brain is responsible for many cognitive, behavioral, and emotional problems. By determining the problem brain areas and brainwave frequencies, the brain can then be trained to produce more positive and balanced brainwave patterns.
Using the results of the qEEG with neurofeedback training, Janet has begun to feel calmer, less anxious, and her sleep is improving. She is also reporting less body pain, reduced anxiety, and improved motivation. She is making positive changes in other parts of her life as well. Over time, her brain will continue to normalize for more lasting results.
Head injuries and concussions are extremely damaging to the brain because, upon impact, the brain—a very soft, gel-like tissue—can slam into the skull, which has the consistency of rock, causing significant damage. Head injuries are also recognized as one of the contributing factors to cognitive decline and dementia.