Neurofeedback: An ADHD Treatment That Retrains the Brain?

While many practitioners envision neurofeedback as a drug-free solution, others see it as a complement to drug therapy. Eugene Arnold, a professor emeritus of psychiatry at the Ohio State University, is conducting a study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, of how the neurofeedback sessions are spaced and how many are used. He says neurofeedback alone does not produce the immediate and dramatic results of medication. Anne Hollows of Sudbury, Mass., mother of 9-year-old Nicholas, feels that while medication has been vital in easing her son's symptoms, his 57 sessions of neurofeedback have helped, making him calmer and better able to control his actions.
The catch with drugs is that many children stop taking them. In one large study, more than 60 percent of the children on stimulants discontinued them within eight years. Parental concern may be a factor—side effects are not uncommon, and lately some of the drugs have been linked to stunted growth and, in rare cases, an increased risk of heart attack. By contrast, says Arnold, neurofeedback "by and large doesn't appear to be a risky treatment. Undoubtedly, it has less side effects than medicine."
That's why Kim Sanders of Aubrey, Texas, decided to try neurofeedback a few years ago with Macy, now 15, and Trent, 14. The stimulants they were taking for their attention disorders, says Sanders, inhibited their growth. She has seen a "night and day" difference in Trent's behavior and a "remarkable" improvement in Macy's performance in school. They no longer take medicine.