Neurofeedback for CFS/ME -any advice, comments appreciated

[MeSci]

Wikipedia and some other sites say that neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback. Biofeedback has definitely been around for a very long time - I think I included reference to it in an essay for my Bachelor's degree around 2000, and it certainly wasn't new then. (It was an essay about free will for a psychology course!).

 

[Nielk]

Neuro feedback is training for the brain. To really do it properly, they should take a Qeeg brain mapping which will show where the problems lie.

These are the sites that they will work on to improve outcomes.

 

[acer2000]

Do you know what type of neurofeedback they are proposing to do? Neurofeedback is kind of a blanket term for protocols designed to encourage or discourage various amounts of brain wave states. If what is encouraged moves you towards something more balanced it could be helpful, if not it could make things worse by creating new symptoms/imbalances.

 

[Insomniac]

I don't know what type of Neurofeedback they are proposing to do.

I asked them what type they will do and they said that it was a newer type and would involve playing two computer games and training the brain through that.

I asked them if Neurofeedback was like biofeedback.
He answered that biofeedback trains by measuring heart rate whereas Neurofeedback trains using brainwaves. He then talked about brain hertz patterns which I do not understand. Anyone understand that and can explain it in idiot level language for me?

I think Biofeedback is completely useless for this physical illness and it's serious sleep problems.
It worries me when @MeSci says biofeedback is similar to neurofeedback.

The fact that the head of it Dr Ablin is a fibromyalgia expert that believes in exercise, shouldn't be something to put me off. Some *primary* fibromyalgia patients do improve with exercise.
That is the big difference FMS and ME.
Fibromyalgia is his speciality, not CFS. It's just that some Israeli CFS+FMS patients are piggybacking into this trial.

Many with ME/CFS do improve symptoms after a better nights sleep. If Neurofeedback improves M.E symptoms by say 10% via sleep improvement, who cares what the doctor managing it believes.

At least the person running this trial, Dr Jacob Ablin, rejects the psychological model for FMS and CFS. He believes FMS is neurological.

Thank You all who have answered. I am really learning something here.

 

[perchance dreamer]

Hey, @redrachel76, here's a good high-level discussion of brainwaves:

http://www.transparentcorp.com/products/np/brainwaves.php

 

[Insomniac]

Thank you @perchance dreamer That is brilliant

 

[joyce.swing]

I am struggling with this part... I don't have major sleep issues, so maybe someone who does could give me some insight? We can all agree that bad sleep isn't good for anyone. But isn't bad sleep in FM/ME a consequence of the underlying disease process? I find it hard to believe that good sleep would make FM symptoms improve more than marginally...

Another way to think of it is as circular - poor quality sleep, little deep sleep means that the restorative benefits that should accrue from sleep aren't or aren't as much. Improve sleep, the person wakes feeling refreshed - less brain fog etc. I dont think we know enough about the disease process to talk about what is a consequence of what. I do think there is something more fundamental that is causing the sleep to be off, and perhaps a lot of other things to be 'off'.