Since the late 1970's, neurofeedback has been researched, refined, and tested with ADD/ADHD and learning disabilities. Research elaborated by Dr. Joel Lubar and his colleagues in 1995 at Tennessee University and many other, have demonstrated repeatedly that it is possible to retrain the brain. A sophisticated recent study (Levesque, Beauregard, & Mensour, 2006), documented with functional MRI neuroimaging, showed the positive changes in brain function in ADHD children after neurofeedback treatment. This research and many others, quoted below, brought an undeniable proof regarding the efficacy of neurofeedback treatment for ADD/ADHD patients. In 1995, Dr. Lubar has published 10 year follow-ups on cases and has found that in up to 80% of cases neurofeedback can substantially improve the symptoms of ADD and ADHD, and these improvements remain in time.

          Rossiter and LaVaque (1995) showed that 20 sessions of neurofeedback can produce improvements in attention and focus, improvements versus taking Ritalin.

          Fuchs et all (2003) and Rossiter (2005) likewise found that neurofeedback produces comparable improvements to ritalin.

          In a one year follow-up, Monastra et all (2002), found that neurofeedback produces superior improvements to ritalin, even though the medication has not been administered on a daily basis.

          In comparison with neurofeedback studies, a randomized-controlled studies meta-analysis regarding medication treatment for ADHD/ADD has concluded that the studies were poorly qualitative. It was also stated that studies that could not prove the drugs’ efficiency and studies that have encountered adverse effects have not been published. Also, there has not been any testimony of the medication’s effect on a period longer than four week. A recent revision (Drug effective Revue Project, 2005) of the medication treatment for ADHD/ADD has concluded that there are no long term effects known regarding the medication’s safety. What is more, there was no evidence of academic performance improvement or behavior improvement on a long term basis in adults and teenagers.

          The last research, (El-Zein, Abdel-Rahman, Hay, Lopez, Bondi, Morris, Legator, 2005), emphasized the drug’s risks: “the lack of long term research (methylephenidate) on humans is a reason to worry”. Scientists have discovered that after only a three month period of ritalin use, 100% of the children developed chromosomal aberrations that could increase the risk of cancer, and in adults the genetic lesion had a totally different meaning (Li, Hu, Khen, Lin, 2003).

          In light of these discoveries, neurofeedback represents an important alternative treatment for ADHD/ADD, noninvasive, and almost without adverse effects.

          Regarding learning disabilities, Fernandez (2003) demonstrated in a placebo-controlled study the effectiveness of neurofeedback with learning disabilities. Other papers have also been published on the value of neurofeedback with learning disabilities (Orlando, Rivera, 2004; Tansey 1991; Thornton & Carmody, 2005).

          Neurofeedback training for ADD/ADHD is commonly found to be associated with decreased impulsiveness/hyperactivity, increased mood stability, improved sleep patterns, increased attention span and concentration, improved academic performance, and increased retention and memory. Fascinatingly, every ADD/ADHD or learning disability study that has evaluated IQ pre- and post-treatment has found IQ increases following neurofeedback training. These improvements have ranged from an average of 9 IQ points improvement in Linden’s study (1996), to an average 12 IQ point improvement in Thompson & Thompson’s study (1998), to a mean of 19 IQ points in Tansey’s study (1990), and even up to an average increase of 23 IQ points in still another study by Othmer & Othmer & Kaiser (1999).

           Neurofeedback & ADHD/ADD

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