Hi everyone.

I've been researching neurofeedback and oxygen therapy and find them very interesting concepts.

Does anyone have any experience/info on them?

Pros and cons?

There are many different kinds of neurofeedback. Some are worth considering. Others have bad track records. None are regulated by the FDA so adverse events tend to get hidden.

qtsipq did HBOT. I don't think he benefited. It takes 40 sessions to start to see if there is a benefit.

What symptoms are you hoping to treat ?

I've tried both, HBOT about a year ago, and EEG neurofeedback over the past few months. Their aims are entirely different, HBOT seeking to restore generally neuronal health by increasing oxygen and blood flow, and neurofeedback seeking to change the brains actual functioning by promoting "positive" brain wave activity and inhibiting "negative" activity (random spikes, etc,).

I did 40 sessions of HBOT, and while I did feel somewhat better by the end, I honestly think this had more to do becoming involved in coaching my old high school cross country team, which did a lot to lift my spirits. In hindsight, I regret spending the money on HBOT, but that's just my experience. The facility was very close to where I was living, and I thought I'd give it a try. Perhaps I would've seen further benefits had I done more than 40 sessions.

I've done 25ish sessions of neurofeedback, starting this past March. I wasn't seeing much of a change by late April, but the practitioner tried a different program (something called synchrony, which actually tries to promote certain brainwaves, rather than simply showing your brain through feedback what it's doing. After a couple sessions i really was feeling better than I had in a while, but then had a head bump on a water balloon that seemed to affect me, and the same program failed to elicit the previously positive results.

I stopped going at the practitioner's suggestions, but resumed just this week because she recieved an updated program that allows here to pick up lower brain wave frequencies, something the clinical director of the neurofeedback "camp" she's in thinks would be helpful. I've only had one session, and had that "close-call" head bump I posted about earlier muck things up a bit, so I don't have much to report.

So, all in all, neither has been extremely helpful for me, but I'm still glad I tried. Something has to help eventually!

If it makes you feel any better, I scoured a neurofeedback provider's website, and it said that most people require 60 sessions, some 90 or 100.

DD, That neurofeedback provider is after money. There is no way any therapist can predict the time to improvements. Many neurofeedback practitioners can see improvement in less than 10 or so sessions, if the neurofeedback is truly helpful. Most is not helpful with PCS.

It would help if you explained the neurofeedback type you are considering.

Plus, What symptoms are you trying to treat ?

I have done 80 hbot dives. It helped with my energy and cognition.. my neuropsych tests had a 50 point increase. I had unrealistic expectations of becoming back to who I was plus I wss super depressed so I doubt that helped with the therapy. I would say adress psychological issues first. As for neurofeedback I am thinking about buying the Versus neurofeedback training ssystem. You can use it at home on your ipad. Its way cheaper and its clinical grade.

qtipsq,

I'd like to hear more about your HBOT experience. What atmosphere and oxygen concentration was used ? What duration of each dive ?

Did you go to a clinic or rent a system for home use ?

What kind of HBOT system did you use ? solid or flexible/fabric ?

What kind of neuropsych tests showed a 50 point increase ?

There are 3 clinics offering HBOT near where I live but they are sketchy about their programs other than wanting to sell multi-dive packages.

The Versus system looks interesting. The stress/anxiety moderating module looks like it can be helpful.

My best to you.

I did 80 dives at 1.5 ata at rocky mountain hyperbaric in colorado. 40 dives first then month rest and 40 dives after. At the place they had a neuropsych assesment after each 40 dives.

It was a 45 min test so nothing too comprehensive but it showed a huge increase after each 40 dive session. I was hoping to get rid of tinnitus but that didnt happen. The place is being operated by two stroke survivors.and its free for veterans. For non vets they can be negotiable but its about $100 a dive. Yes I am hearing great things about the versus neurofeedback helmet.

But, a 50 point increase is meaningless unless the scale is known. Is this 50 points on a 100 point scale ? Did you go from something like 20 to 70 ?
Or 10 points increase on 5 different 100 point scale tests ?

Was it a computerized testing system ?

Regarding Versus. It sounds like the anxiety protocol can be good. I question whether the others are as much value to people with brain injuries although they may help. Their studies are not using injured brains. They are using healthy brains trying to increase performance. Even ADD/ADHD brains are basically healthy, just needing some tweaks.

They are selling the devise and service as a performance enhancement device, not a medical treatment devise. Many such systems are allowed for relaxation, anti-stress and performance enhancing devises. Any marketing suggesting its use to resolve symptoms of a medical condition is very questionable at this time. Hopefully, they can show some studies to support its value to the brain injured.

It would be interesting for the HBOT clinic to study the Versus system, taking before during and after waveforms.