What is QEEG Brain Mapping & Why it's Important
In more ways than one, the brain lies at the center of a person's life. It not only regulates homeostasis and maintains vital organ functions, but also dictates how we think and feel.
Simply put, the brain is the lens through which we process the world around us. When it's functioning optimally, we feel content and motivated - we're able to concentrate on our goals and live life to the fullest.
When it's not, however, we may feel sluggish, unhappy, or unable to focus. A slew of conditions are connected to poor brain function, including (but by no means limited to) ADHD, OCD, generalized anxiety, and depression.
We can say this definitively thanks to decades of EEG testing. EEG - electroencephalography - allows us to view irregular brain function in real time on a monitor.
In this way, we can determine exactly which types of brainwaves, in which areas of the cerebral cortex, are contributing to a person's reported symptoms. Specific EEG patterns have been linked to depression, information processing problems in people diagnosed with autism, and OCD.
But what's the practical application of this information? How can clinicians use the knowledge that gamma waves are more active in those with OCD to help their patients? The answer, as you may have guessed, is QEEG.
What is QEEG?
QEEG - qualitative electroencephalography - is a method built on the groundwork laid by EEG.
QEEG (also known as brain mapping) works on the evidence-based premise that, with the proper tools, a person experiencing one or more mental afflictions can alter their own brainwaves, which results in a reduction in symptoms.
With EEG we see the problems, and with QEEG we solve them.
The main technique through which QEEG is mediated is neurofeedback. You may have heard of biofeedback - this is an approach that utilizes technology to teach people to regulate autonomic functions such as breathing, heart rate, or muscle tension. In this way they can alleviate conditions such as chronic pain, asthma, and many others.
Neurofeedback is similar - in fact, it is also known as "eeg biofeedback". Instead of focusing on the body as a whole, however, neurofeedback focuses on brain function. Using electrodes in order to monitor brain activity, a patient will view images or a film, play a video game, or listen to music.
The program they're viewing or hearing uses positive reinforcement, like certain sounds or lightening or darkening of the screen, to teach the person to move away from symptomatic behavior and towards a healthier, desired state. It actually alters their brainwaves, helping them learn to control their own brain, rather than the other way around.
For example, say a patient has ADHD. We start with a QEEG, in which we'll most likely see an excess of theta waves - a type of brainwave associated with a tired, relaxed state - towards the front of the brain.
A QEEG program tailored towards this person would focus on lowering these theta waves and, through the film, music, or video game, decrease the waves and provide a "reward" when this occurs.
While out in a "real life" situation, this learning would take effect, and the individual with ADHD would have an easier time concentrating.
QEEG is based entirely on the principle of neuroplasticity - the ability of the brain and mind to learn and change, to habituate to stimuli and forge a new outlook.
Why is QEEG Important?
Taylor Capozziello Ph.D., BCB, BCN, CMT with Elite Physiology
QEEG represents a revolutionary - but ultimately common sense - method of treating mental conditions. It's been shown to help symptoms of ADHD, autism, anxiety, and even epilepsy.
More than just treating these conditions, however, it can also help identify them. While QEEG is not itself a diagnostic tool, it can work as an aid to diagnosis.
For instance, certain conditions such as ADHD or Asperger's can have symptoms in common: for example, impulsivity. This can lead to improper diagnosis and wrong treatment. Looking at brain waves can help distinguish different conditions and make sure this doesn't happen.
Another benefit of QEEG is that it can be used to predict responses to certain medications, which is great news for those who are tired of trying one medication after the other without much relief.
For those who don't want to take medications, QEEG is an easy sell as it offers a healthy, all-natural alternative: More the point, whereas medications often only help mask the problem, QEEG gets to the root by altering the brain function that is causing the problem.
It offers an opportunity for those experiencing these conditions to dramatically improve their quality of life over the course of a few months. This makes it by far the most practical application of the exciting computational neuroscience research that's been occurring in many countries around the world.