How to Get More from Neurofeedback
When clients ask me how to maximize results from neurofeedback, the answer is always, “Take good care of yourself. Give your brain the opportunity to learn.” But what does that mean tactically and practically? Let's break it down.
First, carry the intention to get the most of your sessions. Attention, motivation, and energy levels likely make a difference. I've had clients get meaningful results scrolling on their phones or half-asleep while doing sessions, but more and more I recommend being present and attentive.
Next, take care of your body and brain between sessions to help with learning from neurofeedback:
1) Sleep well. During sleep, your brain replays your experiences to consolidate what you’ve learned (Wei et al., 2016), so when you skimp on sleep, learning is impaired (Newbury et al., 2021).
2) Move and exercise more. All types of exercise (walking included) improve neuroplasticity (De Sousa Fernandes et al., 2020), and neuroplasticity improves learning (Cassilhas et al., 2016).
3) Eat healthy, balanced meals. Many of our brain's neurotransmitters are made from building blocks in our diets (Gasmi et al., 2022), our gut microbiome (the mixture of bacteria in our stomach) influences our thinking ability and memory (Tooley, 2020), and micronutrient deficiencies like vitamin d (Annweiler et al., 2013), or low omega 3 (Andruchow et al., 2017), negatively impact learning and memory.
Lastly, micro-stressors on your brain and body like dehydration, low blood sugar, or substance use likely make it harder for your brain to function and learn at its best.
Simply put, treat yourself like a pro athlete and treat neurofeedback like game time. Be fully present during your training sessions. Take naps, go for walks, eat well, and keep stress low between sessions. As a side benefit, all these things will make you feel better on their own.
References
Andruchow, N. D., Konishi, K., Shatenstein, B., & Bohbot, V. D. (2017). A lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids predicts better hippocampus-dependent spatial memory and cognitive status in older adults. Neuropsychology, 31(7), 724–734. https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000373
Annweiler, C., Montero-Odasso, M., Llewellyn, D. J., Richard-Devantoy, S., Duque, G., & Beauchet, O. (2013). Meta-Analysis of Memory and Executive Dysfunctions in Relation to Vitamin D. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 37(1), 147–171. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-130452
Cassilhas, R. C., Tufik, S., & De Mello, M. T. (2016). Physical exercise, neuroplasticity, spatial learning and memory. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 73(5), 975–983. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-015-2102-0
De Sousa Fernandes, M. S., Ordônio, T. F., Santos, G. C. J., Santos, L. E. R., Calazans, C. T., Gomes, D. A., & Santos, T. M. (2020). Effects of Physical Exercise on Neuroplasticity and Brain Function: A Systematic Review in Human and Animal Studies. Neural Plasticity, 2020, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8856621
Gasmi, A., Nasreen, A., Menzel, A., Gasmi Benahmed, A., Pivina, L., Noor, S., Peana, M., Chirumbolo, S., & Bjørklund, G. (2022). Neurotransmitters Regulation and Food Intake: The Role of Dietary Sources in Neurotransmission. Molecules, 28(1), 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010210
Newbury, C. R., Crowley, R., Rastle, K., & Tamminen, J. (2021). Sleep deprivation and memory: Meta-analytic reviews of studies on sleep deprivation before and after learning. Psychological Bulletin, 147(11), 1215–1240. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000348
Tooley, K. L. (2020). Effects of the Human Gut Microbiota on Cognitive Performance, Brain Structure and Function: A Narrative Review. Nutrients, 12(10), 3009. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103009
Wei, Y., Krishnan, G. P., & Bazhenov, M. (2016). Synaptic Mechanisms of Memory Consolidation during Sleep Slow Oscillations. The Journal of Neuroscience, 36(15), 4231–4247. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3648-15.2016