Identifying Improvement

So far, I have described in detail how to use brainmaps to find and solve neurological problems through neurofeedback therapy. But how does the patient or the therapist know that their efforts are not in vain? Surprisingly, the developing field of neurofeedback has developed a fairly accurate method of assessing improvement.

When patients are tested and brainmapped, they are also given numerous other assisting documents. As a rule of neurofeedback therapists, the brainmap cannot be used to diagnose neurological diseases by itself. While it is extremely accurate, its major shortcoming is that it cannot measure where (3 dimensionally) the brainwave abnormalities are coming from. So therapists use many patient surveys, rating scales, and any medical history to diagnose accurately. Below are a few of such forms.

Patients are also given specific rating forms to identify ADHD, Depression, etc. Using the responses as supplements to the brainmap, therapists can diagnose diseases fairly accurately.

So how do they show improvement? These surveys are not the only preliminary task given to the clients. They also take a variety of standardized tests both before and after the therapy. An improvement in the test scores shows an improvement with the therapy.

The Connors Test for ADHD: This test uses ADHD rating scales to identify attention problems. While rating scales tend to be very subjective, the Connors assigns values to each option marked. When the total is calculated, each total value corresponds to a different degree of attention problems. Below are the rating scales and their corresponding diagnoses.

Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA): The T.O.V.A. is an objective measure of attention, not a subjective rating of behavior. It is a 21.6 minute long, very simple "computer game" that measures your responses to either visual or auditory stimuli. These are compared to the TOVA norms for all age group, which come up with an objective, normed ADHD score. If the score is < -1.80 cutoff score, then ADHD is very likely. When the test is administered again after many neurofeedback sessions, a more positive ADHD score is indicative of improvement. In addition, a change from a "very likely ADHD" score to a "not clinically likely" score indicates improvement.

The Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA): The IVA uses a variety of exercises to test reaction time, attention level, and responses to visual/auditory stimuli. This test is EEG supported, meaning that simply through recording the patient's brainwaves during certain exercises, a neurofeedback clinician can obtain the test results. The scoring is based on EEG backed data, meaning they are based on normalized databases for that patient's age/sex, An increase in  percentage score would be indicative of a normalization of the brain. For patient's with severe attention problems or abnormal behavior, this is improvement.

http://www.tovatest.com/
http://www.braintrain.com/iva-plus/

In the next posts I will use my anonymous patients' test scores to assess whether improvement was occurring or not. This is the data for my Senior Research Project.