Thanks for the post JeanA. I will definitely update the group on my progress. My first session is next Tuesday. I will also ask them what their record is with PCS clients.

Valleybob,

I did Neurofeedback about a dozen sessions 2 month after my mTBI. I have similar symptoms like yours dizziness, pressure headaches etc., still. One thing I felt immediately after the session is my symptoms went down significantly and my smell also improved. So it worked but unfortunately the effect didn't last longer.

Then I found by accident Xanax brings down the symptoms but as any benzo ,I needed more dosage so I quit and now I take only a very small dosage when I need. Like if I feel dizzy, pain and I have to drive for 20 mins. It immediately brings down my symptoms and I can do things for the rest of the day. Now I am doing Cranio sacral, myofascial which also helps and my symptoms are not that bad but still too many ups and downs on a daily basis.

So Neurofeedback is worth trying. Have you done any EEG to monitor seizure activities? I did EEG before Neurofeedback bcuz that is one thing they like to know.

The Psychologist/therapist who did treatment has lots of TBI/PCS patients and has very good understanding of my symptoms and suffering.
Following is the link:
http://www.brainwellnessandbiofeedba...ofeedback.html


I plan to go to a different place in a month or two bcuz I need a permanent relief rather than all this temporary reliefs. Following is the link where I am planning to try and also a good thing is very close to where I live.

http://www.neurofeedbackcenterva.com/

Cheers!

I had my first session today. They take a baseline of all areas of your head once with eyes open and again with eyes closed. After that on the screen it said EEG1 and EEG2 (i think this was both brain hemisphere's). Basically I just sat there and looked at the screen and the more calm I was the more the screen flowed and sound was uninterrupted. But if I moved or was anxious then it stopped. Once I was still and calm the screen flowed again.

So we looked at my baseline and she said my anxiety was low and most areas were "normal" except the "Theta slow wave" had elevated activity in the frontal area. So we're going to work on it.

Mark by my description what type of neurofeedback is this?

I'm somewhat relieved because this give me a little bit of proof that my symptoms are not just in "my head" because of anxiety but they are the symptoms of my head injury.

Hi pcslife, thanks for your reply.

I will try what you said the xanax or other benzo. I have ativan but someone suggested clenazopam as it's less addictive. Either way I only plan to take it when symptoms are really bad. Mostly it's the chronic dizziness (feeling of body moving to the right and the sometime the floor moving up) that really impacts me. Although i am doing vestibular rehab, I still want to get to the bottom of it. I'm reading a book on dizziness and vertigo and the specialist in the book says that anyone who goes in his office is automatically sent for a hearing test as Step 1. Nobody has told me to do this but it makes a lot of sense since I have hyperacusis and I'm dizzy all the time. Of course these are also main symtpoms of PCS but who know maybe I did some damage to the inner ear when I fell.

Vb,

Your neurofeedback is true volitional neurofeedback. You have control of the changes in waveforms. This is the least risky form of neurotherapy.

Getting tested at the hearing center sounds good. Most hearing centers also have expertise with balance issue.

I hoped you find a solution so you can stop taking the benzo.

My best to you.

Thanks Mark, I will continue with sessions 1 once a week for a while to see if there is any improvement. After the first session I've noticed nothing at all.

Hearing test next week with audiologist, see how it goes. How do you post "thanks for this" at the bottom of a reply?

There should be a little button that says "Thanks" on the right bottom side of the post. Just click that!

Good luck with your neurofeedback!

Good afternoon, I can't attest to the effect of neurofeedback on TBI however, I have had an amazing experience with my 19 year old daughter who has had frequent, disabling migraines for over 10 years. I heard about neurofeedback and did some research to find that there were some studies demonstrating its effectiveness. After a few weeks of treatment her migraines stopped completely and she has now been migraine-free for over 4 months. It is a miracle to see her happy and painfree. She used the NeurOptimal type of neurofeedback and there were no adverse effects.

The NeuroOptimal web site has more information now. It appears the NO is sort of like a training for the brain to "Stop and Think" when the processing gets erroneous. Training the brain to do this at a sub-conscious level sounds interesting. It is sort of like volitional neurofeedback except rather that eliciting an action, the NO system removes the stimulation allowing the brain to stop processing the stimulation and get back to basics.

I am not saying that stopping to think is the same as NO but as I have learned to Stop and Think at an almost involuntary level, my ability to function has increased. A common problem with PCS is the brain's over-reaction or attempt to over-process a set of stimuli. This system appears to try to train against this.

MarianLF,

How much did it cost per session and how many sessions did it take ?

Does the therapist think she may needed 'tune-ups' from time to time ?

Hi Mark, the sessions were $40 each as she is a student (charge was $50 for adults). Unfortunately our insurance wouldn't cover it but it was worth it. No more drugs. The therapist did suggest that some people require tune-ups but so far so good.