Video games have long been thought to worsen ADHD, but current research seems to be turning the tables on popular opinion. L. Eugene Arnold, M.D. of Ohio State University is working to develop a video game system that improves ADHD through neurofeedback.

How Neurofeedback Video Games Might Help with ADHD

According to Dr. Arnold, it’s all about the child’s brain waves. Studies have reported that children with ADHD tend to have slower brain waves than others. Their minds tend to linger at the theta frequency, which is associated with the tuning out of stimuli. As a result, ADHD kids tend to be unable to focus on certain tasks at hand.

What neurofeedback gaming hopes to achieve is stimulating the brain to operate at the beta frequency, which is associated with calm, focused states. Dr. Arnold, with the cooperation of Smartbrain Technologies in California, is developing a video game system that attaches painless electrodes to the gamer’s scalp, allowing the machine to read the frequency of the player’s brain waves. If the waves operate at the beta level, the game plays smoothly. If they drop to the theta frequency, however, the player loses control over the game and cannot progress.

What this hopes to achieve is to develop a method of training ADHD children to work more at the beta brain wave frequency, improving their ability to focus. Dr. Arnold notes that although his current findings seem promising, there is much more research to be done before he can determine whether or not his system is effective in improving ADHD.

Criticisms

Not all experts are convinced by Dr. Arnold’s research, however. Numerous studies have identified video games as a major distraction for children; a study conducted in Iowa State University found that children and adults had more attention problems the more often they played video games. Although many supporters of video games argue that modern games actually require a lot of focus and reward the player for performing structured tasks, video games continue to distract children from their real-life responsibilities.

In addition, video games tend to deprive children of two important developmental activities: physical outdoor play and interaction with peers. While some video game developers have taken steps forward by encouraging cooperative play and incorporating motion controls in their games, these continue to be inadequate replacements for real play and real communication.

Video Games and Your ADHD Child

So what does this all mean for your child? Should she be allowed to play video games, or should she be kept away from them? The answer, according to experts, is balance. Video games can be used as a reward for responsibility fulfillment, or as a small treat during the weekends. Some kids show an amazing degree of focus and concentration when they play video games, and studies have found that the right types of games can be very mentally-stimulating. The key is to limit playtime so that kids can prioritize more important behavior; the American Academy of Pediatrics, for example, recommends limiting television and video game time to a maximum to two hours a day.

Photo credit

The most popular ADHD natural treatments involve changing the way kids with ADHD think. After all, a child’s brain is still very malleable and can form new neural pathways to alter the way it thinks and responds to certain situations.  Wouldn’t it be better to just teach a child’s brain how to focus instead of using strong stimulants that cause serious side effects? Neurofeedback and Cogmed Working Memory Training are just some examples of brain therapies that help ADHD kids control their impulses.  Another option is the cognitive training programs from the Brain Potential Institute, which can now be done through the Internet.

The Brain Potential Institute is a Texas-based brain training center that serves hundreds of students with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other related neurological disorders.  Each student receives an individualized, one-on-one training program design to improve their ability to accept, process, and retain information.  The center also provides sensory and motor therapies to those suffering from sensory processing disorders.

They just made their training programs available to the rest of the world through VOLT – their Online One-on-One Treatment, which is done through Skype. The VOLT program is designed for children and adults who live far from Brain Potential Institutes or whose school and work hours get in the way of training.  VOLT makes use of the many modules of their Genius in Training program, which focuses on different centers of the brain that control auditory processing, memory, language, and speech.

The VOLT program begins with a free screening test designed to measure the child’s ability to handle information in six neurological areas – attention and concentration, central auditory processing, processing speed, verbal fluency, active working memory, visual perception/processing, logic and reasoning, and word attack.   Should you wish to continue with the program, the child will also be given one-on-one tests administered by a certified diagnostician. The results of these tests will determine which brain exercises and techniques are most suited to your child’s needs and strengths.

Learn more about this wonderful training program at http://www.brainpotentialinstitute.com.

Although it’s not the most affordable of therapies available, neurofeedback is one of the most promising and interesting natural treatments for ADHD.  Basically, the goal of neurofeedback is to “train” a child to change the way his brain works, so that he can function as if he doesn’t have ADHD. In other words, neurofeedback teaches a brain how to not have ADHD.  Sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? Neurofeedback treatments are non-invasive and safe for children to take, especially if they have problems maintaining their focus and ignoring irrelevant stimuli. We have an article in the Article Library that explains how this mechanism works.

Neurofeedback is also one of the most well-studied alternative treatments for ADHD.  A German study published in the Journal of Child Psychology was able to address some limitations in previous research of neurofeedback and ADHD. The study authors discovered that children who received neurofeedback treatments had fewer inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms than those in the control group.

More recently, a paper published in the Journal of Neuropathy found evidence of neurofeedback as a “safe and efficacious treatment in the intervention for ADHD.” The paper reviewed over 40 studies that used various neurofeedback techniques for ADHD and compared to control groups, including placebo treatments and stimulant medications.  Most of the research evaluated attention span, impulse control, and hyperactivity symptoms.  According to the review, neurofeedback is most effective at treating poor attention span and impulse control issues.

Current research is evaluating the effectiveness of neurofeedback for related disorders like anxiety, autism, insomnia, and substance abuse. So far, the results seem promising.

So if your child is afflicted by predominantly inattentive ADHD, he or she might have a good chance of overcoming the symptoms with the help of neurofeedback. To find a neurofeedback provider in your area, visit eeginfo.com.

News source and image source

For many kids with ADHD, the biggest challenge they confront everyday is the inability to pay attention – in the classroom, while doing their homework, sometimes while watching a movie. Of all the human faculties, attention used to be one of the least understood. It’s neither a skill nor a talent; it seems to be an inborn ability that cannot be taught or acquired. However, the latest developments in neuro-imaging and genetics provide us with a wider and more sophisticated understanding of how attention works. Studies show that attention is critical to more practical life skills, like the ability to organize things, make deep connections with others, even developing a conscience. More importantly, researchers have discovered that people can be taught how to pay attention, even if they suffer from ADHD.

Brain retraining programs are designed to correct old habits of thinking that lend itself to distractibility, inattention, and lack of focus. Using imaging technology and foundations in neuroscience, brain retraining programs are an alternative treatment that can target the same deficits ADHD medications seek to correct. Although these technologies have not been around long enough to determine if their benefits will last, kids and adults who have tried them found that brain retraining helps in the here and now. The following brain retraining programs are particularly helpful for children with ADHD, but they come with their own drawbacks and limitations.

Neurofeedback

What it does: Neurofeedback is based on the principle that individuals with ADHD have abnormal brain wave pattern that are either over-stimulated or under-stimulated. Beta waves should appear in tasks that require concentration and focus, but individuals with ADHD usually have large theta wave patterns, which indicate a state of daydream. Neurofeedback can retrain the brain until they emit beta waves, thus eliminating symptoms of inattention and distractibility.

How it works: The practitioner will take the medical history of the child and identify the symptoms that need to be treated. Then electrodes will be strapped on to the child’s head while he or she performs a cognitive task like reading out loud. The brain wave activity will be mapped out so the practitioner can figure out the abnormalities in the pattern – which is the theoretical source of the child’s ADHD symptoms. Through a computer game, the child’s brain will then be retrained. The computer game will only work if the child concentrates and emits beta waves. If there are too many theta waves, the game stops working and will only resume when the child concentrates once more. The positive benefits of neurofeedback training remain for months and years after the last session. After a year of therapy, patients tend to reduce their medication dose by 50% or stop taking them altogether.

Costs and drawbacks: The sessions are only 30 minutes long and completely painless. However, the average cost of a treatment course can range anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000. Neurofeedback practitioners are also only available in certain areas. Finally, neurofeedback can only address the inattention issues of the ADHD spectrum and should be used in combination with other treatments.

Bottom line: If you can afford to pay for the neurofeedback treatments, it seems to be worth a shot, especially if your child cannot concentrate on schoolwork.

Working Memory Training

What it does: Working memory is the region of the brain that retains information long enough to accomplish a task. For instance, a child taking a test holds the instruction in the mind as he or she writes the answers. This program can help improve working memory, thus improving the child’s ability to finish tasks, solve problems, and adapt to new situations.

How it works: Of all the brain retraining programs, Cogmed Working Memory Training is the only one that provides convenience and flexibility. A computer program called Robomemo is downloading on to a home computer like an ordinary software. For five weeks and five days in a week, the child will then spend one hour performing several exercises that are designed to improve working memory. As the days go by, the exercises become more and more challenging. Purchasing the program also entitles the child and parent to sessions with a trainer, who can keep track of progress, troubleshoot the program, encourage the patient, and provide feedback.
At least 75% of children who complete the program have improved attention and reduced hyperactivity. Parents also report that they become more “mature” – they accomplish chores without being reminded, and they no longer lose schoolbooks and other materials. Follow-up studies show that 80% of children retained or improved upon their working memory gains a year after their last session.

Costs and drawbacks: The Cogmed Working Memory Training is a rigorous program designed for older children and for children who have better control of their ADHD symptoms. Kids aged 7 and below may be too young to understand or accomplish the exercises. The program is also expensive and costs at least $1,500.

Bottom line: The convenience provided by the Cogmed Working Memory Training is attractive to parents who live too far away from clinics that offer other non-medical ADHD treatments. Like other treatments for ADHD, the Working Memory Training program should be a component of a more holistic solution.

LearningRx

What it does: LearningRx is a series of tutorial centers in the United States that offer one-on-one training to improve cognitive skills. Kids with ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities can benefit from LearningRx’s specialized programs based on their problem areas.

How it works: The child will be asked to take an evaluation exam that will reveal his or her unique learning style and cognitive skills. The exam is an important first step because this will determine which of the LearningRx programs is best suited for him or her.
There are four programs offered by LearningRx. The first is ThinkRx, which provides the foundation of the whole learning program. ReadRx is designed to improve the reading abilities and correct dyslexia. MathRx teaches the child how to use mathematical concepts and logical reasoning. Liftoff provides the cognitive training needed by pre-school children so they can prepare to enter elementary school. Unlike most tutorial centers, LearningRx does not teach academic subjects. Rather, this program teaches children how to use their basic cognitive skills, control their attention span, and overcome their weaknesses with the help of a trainer. The program lasts 12-18 weeks, depending on the child’s needs.

Costs and drawbacks: The first drawback to LearningRx is the expense – the evaluation test costs $100, and every hour spent on the program costs around $90. This means that a whole course of treatment can range anywhere between $2,000 and $5,000. Unlike the first two brain retraining programs covered by this article, there are no published studies evaluating the efficacy of LearningRx’s approach. A small, yet unpublished study, suggest that a 24-weeks program might have a beneficial effect on various cognitive functions.

Bottom line: The evidence for this program is mainly anecdotal and through testimonials. If money is no problem then LearningRx might be worth trying.