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EEG Biofeedback for Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder

Siegfried Othmer, Ph.D., and Susan F. Othmer, B.A.
October, 1992

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EEG Characteristics of ADHD and LD Children
The EEG in ADHD children tends to be of larger amplitude than that of other children. In particular, the EEG is higher at the lower frequencies. This condition is more appropriate to a sleep or day-dreaming state than an alert and focused state. In these children, the EEG shows that cortical electrical activity is disregulated. The greatest point of difference between a typical ADHD EEG and a normal adult EEG is in the low-frequency component. The low frequency activity gradually diminishes as the child ages, and as the brain learns to stabilize and regulate the cortex. Hence, the EEG of an ADHD child looks like that of a younger child. Unfortunately, it may not mature in the normal fashion by itself. The symptoms may arise, then, from a condition of a disregulated EEG, in combination with whatever the child's particular weaknesses are, given his genetic makeup and any trauma he may have suffered. The disregulated EEG shows up over a broad area of the cortex. The specific weaknesses relate to localized areas of the cortex.

An analogy which may be helpful here is to a typhoon in Bangladesh. In order to give help to the people there, we have to know where the typhoon is (where the EEG is large), and we have to know which islands are the most likely to be flooded (which functions are most susceptible to disruption in a particular child). That is, we have to know both the weather and the geography. The EEG tells us the weather in the child's brain, and the symptoms tell us the geography. A particular child with an unruly EEG may have speech or handwriting problems, another may have uncontrolled temper tantrums. Apparently totally unrelated problems have in common a disorderly EEG. Learning to control this "storm in his brain" could then lead to remediation of such diverse problems. This is what we observe.

EEG Training
In EEG training for ADHD, we present information to the child about what is happening at that moment in his cortex. He is seeing his own brain waves misbehave, and he tries to get them under control. Gradually, he is able to do so. When that happens, his sleep may improve. His bedwetting may stop. His headaches, if any, may disappear. He may no longer explode in temper tantrums. He may start reading better, and listening better, and his school behavior may become less disruptive. His math grades may improve significantly. His handwriting may improve. Speech may improve. Sometimes, of course, other specific factors are responsible for the deficit, and we cannot help. But if the particular symptom is exacerbated by the disregulated cortex, then we may very well be able to help. Once the child's brain has learned to regulate itself better, it continues to use that skill, just as other children's brains do naturally. In general, only further trauma to the brain (physical or emotional) counteracts the effects of the training.