Attention deficit disorder (ADD) can present a variety of symptoms such as distraction, impulsivity, or inattention. However, attention deficit is not laziness, but a result of an imbalance in the brain. Neurofeedback trains the brain by teaching the person how to change brain waves, resulting in significant improvement in ADD symptoms. According to health professionals who use neurofeedback in their practices, many clients with symptoms of ADD learn to increase focus, reduce impulsivity, and manage their behavior when they train with neurofeedback on a consistent basis.

There are many profiles of ADD/ADHD. Some of them are real while others are a symptom of another root cause. The most typical profile is an alpha slowing profile, where the brain’s processing rate is slower than others of similar age.

Another profile is seen in individuals who are energetic and highly distractible. This one involves an excessive amount of the fast brainwave called beta.

Central slowing is another common profile presenting a high theta/beta ratio. The slowing does not always indicate head injury but is part of the normal presentation of attention deficit disorder.

Early life and birth complications can result in excess slow frequencies, such as delta and theta.

Another variant of ADHD presents as Mu rhythm in the EEG. Mu is present when mirror neurons are not engaged creating a disengagement from the frontal lobe.

Another profile is a fast alpha peak frequency. Alpha is the processing speed of the brain. A child with a fast alpha peak frequency may seem easily distracted, however this is due to taking in information quickly and becoming bored. This is not actual ADD/ADHD, although it is often mislabeled.

A brain map can identify which profile is contributing to the individuals ADHD symptoms and what will be needed to train the brain into a more regulated state.