Why Neurofeedback should be first choice for treatment with ADHD

Imagine a treatment for ADHD that doesn't require daily medication, doesn't cause side effects, and actually creates lasting change. Neurofeedback might sound too good to be true, but the science tells a different story.

This deep dive explores why our current approach to ADHD treatment often falls short. The landmark MTA study—the most extensive ADHD research ever conducted—revealed troubling limitations of both medication and behavioral therapy. Despite costing $21 million and following 579 children, researchers found that behavioral therapy failed to outperform standard community care, while medication benefits completely disappeared in long-term follow-ups. More concerning still, children who stayed on medication often showed worse symptoms over time.

Neurofeedback offers a compelling alternative based on fifty years of science. By monitoring brainwave activity in real-time and providing immediate feedback through interactive media, neurofeedback helps the brain learn to self-regulate more effectively—like learning to ride a bike, but for your brain. The evidence is impressive: over 60 published studies demonstrate significant improvements in core ADHD symptoms that persist long after treatment ends. In direct comparisons, neurofeedback produces results equal to medication but with longer-lasting benefits and no side effects.

So why isn't neurofeedback more widely recommended? Medical system inertia plays a role, but awareness is growing. The American Academy of Pediatrics rated neurofeedback a "Level 1 Best Support" treatment for ADHD back in 2012—the same category as medication. In clinical practice, customized neurofeedback protocols help children who couldn't sit still become focused, teens struggling with impulsivity make better choices, and families find relief from overwhelming stress. If you've been battling ADHD with limited success, this research-backed alternative might be the game-changer you've been seeking. Your child's brain—and your family's well-being—deserve a closer look at neurofeedback.

Also posted here: https://medium.com/@capitaldistrictneurofeedback/why-neurofeedback-should-be-first-choice-for-treatment-with-adhd-15813855493f

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:32):
Why neurofeedback should be the first-line
treatment for ADHD.
If you're a parent of a childwith ADHD or you've struggled
with ADHD yourself, you'reprobably all too familiar with
the typical path a diagnosis, aprescription for stimulant
medication, maybe a referral tobehavioral therapy and a sincere

(00:53):
hope that something willfinally click.
Neurofeedback, a non-invasive,drug-free treatment that uses
real-time monitoring ofbrainwave activity to teach
self-regulation, is a promisingalternative to these traditional
approaches.
For many families, this hopefuljourney often turns into a
frustrating one.

(01:13):
Medications work until theydon't.
Therapy helps, but it doesn'tlast and the challenges at
school, at home and inrelationships continue, leaving
you feeling like you're back atsquare one.
So the question becomes whatactually works Long-term?
Let's talk about that and let'stalk about neurofeedback.

(01:35):
The problem with first-linetreatments yes, even the gold
standard ones.
The most extensive ADHD studyever funded by the National
Institute of Mental Health,called the MTA study, set out to
compare the most common ADHDtreatments stimulant medication,

(01:55):
behavior therapy, a combinationof both, and standard community
care.
This wasn't a small study.
It cost $21 million andfollowed 579 children with ADHD.
The researchers went all in toensure that the medication was
perfectly managed and thebehavioral therapy was delivered

(02:15):
at an elite level, daily summercamps, school aides, teacher
consultations and more.
What they found was surprisingand, for some, deeply
disappointing.
Behavior therapy BT failed tooutperform community care, a
result that was not onlysurprising but, for some, deeply

(02:36):
disappointing.
The kids who received weeks ofintensive behavior training
didn't fare any better thanthose who were simply referred
to usual care in their community, leaving many feeling let down
by the system.
Medication showed short-termimprovements, mostly on
unblinded parent and teacherratings.
However, there were nomeaningful differences in the

(02:58):
blinded, objective measures, theones less likely to be biased.
Long-term benefits disappearedAt follow-ups, 10 months, 2
years and even 6 years later,the initial benefits from
medication or combined treatmentvanished.
Even more troubling, thechildren who remained on
medication often did worse thanthose who didn't.

(03:19):
In fact, one of the follow-uppapers reported that medication
use was associated with worsesymptoms of hyperactivity,
impulsivity and oppositionalbehaviors, of hyperactivity,
impulsivity and oppositionalbehaviors.
By year three, many of thesekids had been prescribed
additional psychiatricmedications antipsychotics,
ssris and others, despite a lackof evidence for long-term

(03:41):
benefit.
Let me be blunt If any othertreatment had these kinds of
results, it wouldn't beconsidered a first-line option.
And yet that's exactly where weare with ADHC care
Neurofeedback a safer, moresustainable option.
Unlike medication,neurofeedback doesn't come with
side effects like insomnia,appetite suppression, mood

(04:04):
swings or increased bloodpressure.
It's a safe and sustainablealternative that can bring
lasting improvements.
Neurofeedback isn't new.
It's been around for more than50 years and it's built on two
solid scientific foundationsOperant conditioning learning
through feedback and reward,similar to how we train animals

(04:26):
or learn to ride a bike andneuroplasticity the brain's
ability to rewire itself, whichmeans it can learn and change
throughout life.
Here's how it works in simpleterms During a neurofeedback
session, sensors are placed onthe scalp to monitor brainwave
activity in real time.
The brain receives feedback,usually in the form of a video

(04:48):
game, movie or animation thatrewards it for producing
healthier patterns.
Over time, the brain learns toself-regulate more effectively,
just like learning to ride abike or play an instrument, and
the evidence it's impressive.
More than 60 published studieshave examined the effectiveness
of neurofeedback for ADHD.

(05:08):
When we look at these studies,the results are clear.
Parents reported significantimprovements in core ADHD
symptoms inattention,impulsivity, hyperactivity.
Teachers saw the sameimprovements even though they
weren't involved in thetreatment process.
Objective measures of attentionand impulse control improved,

(05:29):
including computerized testingand neuropsychological
assessments.
Brainwave patterns changed andthose changes persisted months
and even years after treatmentended.
In one long-term study, 80% ofkids who received neurofeedback
reduced or eliminated theirmedication use within three
years and still showed lastingimprovements in focus and

(05:53):
behavior.
Head-to-head neurofeedbackversus medication A number of
studies have comparedneurofeedback directly to
stimulant medication.
What they found is noteworthyneurofeedback often produced
results equal to medication inimproving attention and reducing
hyperactivity and impulsivity.

(06:13):
Academic performance improvedmore with neurofeedback than
medication in at least one study.
Most importantly, the gainslasted longer, often for months
or years after training ended,while medication effects stopped
when the pills stopped.
And unlike medication,neurofeedback doesn't come with
side effects like insomnia,appetite suppression, mood

(06:36):
swings or increased bloodpressure.
So why isn't this commonknowledge?
That's the million-dollarquestion.
Part of the reason is inertiain the medical system.
Guidelines are slow to change,insurance companies want fast
fixes and many clinicians aresimply unaware of the robust
evidence base behindneurofeedback.

(06:59):
But as the data mounts, that'sstarting to shift.
In fact, the American Academyof Pediatrics rated
neurofeedback a level one bestsupport treatment for ADHD back
in 2012, placing it in the samecategory as medication and
behavior therapy.
Real life changes what we see inour practice At Capital

(07:22):
District Neurofeedback.
We've seen firsthand howneurofeedback transforms lives.
Children who couldn't sit stillin class are now focused and
calm.
Teens who struggle withimpulsivity and anxiety begin
making thoughtful, groundedchoices.
Parents who were overwhelmedand burned out begin to breathe
again.
Violent and impulsive behaviordissipates at home and at school

(07:46):
.
The process isn't magic.
It's training, or perhapsbetter understood as retraining.
Retraining the brain is reallywhat neurofeedback is all about,
but it is a change process,working with the brain at the
source of the problem, not justtrying to suppress symptoms.
We work with each child'sunique brain patterns, often

(08:07):
combining neurofeedback withcoaching on sleep, nutrition and
home structure.
The results speak forthemselves Better behavior,
improved focus, reduced anxietyand often a much happier family
dynamic.
And why do we often almostalways get better results than
the literature suggests?

(08:27):
It's actually quite simple.
The literature is built uponretraining ADH with a single
protocol.
One protocol with a singleprotocol, one protocol.
In practice, we often have ourclients retraining the brain
with a series of six to tenproctocalls over three to six
months.
This is a game changer and wesee it over and over your

(08:48):
destiny, your child's destiny.
The future can be better thanyou ever imagined, without drugs
and without a life of endlesstherapy sessions.
Final thoughts what you deserveto know.
If you've been down the road oftherapy appointments,
medication trials and behavioralplans that don't stick, it's
not your fault.

(09:08):
You're not alone and your childisn't broken, but you do have
options.
Neurofeedback offers ascience-based, safe and
sustainable way to help yourchild's brain and your family
thrive.
It's not a quick fix, but it isa lasting one.
So, whether you've justreceived a diagnosis or you've
been battling ADHD for years, Iencourage you to explore

(09:31):
neurofeedback, Ask questions, doyour research and know that
real change is possible.
You and your child deserve that.
Please reach out to us.
I am certain we can help.