By Martin Brink, Board-Certified in Neurotherapy and QEEG:
Many of our adult ADHD clients arrive after decades of masking the chaos—looking “fine” on the outside while a “clown” runs the show inside. They feel defeated by the mismatch of knowing what they should be doing and their inability to make their Brain start or finish.
They want to know: ‘What is a better therapy for Adult ADHD?’ Beyond the evening crash of stimulants or yet another list of productivity hacks, is there a way to calm the internal noise at its source?
In order to look for a reasonable answer, it’s a good idea to examine the function of the affected organ: The Brain.
Based in Neuroscience, QEEG Brain Mapping can identify the dysfunctional patterns of ADHD in Brain activity.
Neurotherapy offers a drug-free pathway to real and lasting change; because Adult ADHD is—without a doubt—a Functional Brain Disorder.
But what exactly does that mean?
Real client’s LoRETA loop: Red = faulty, excessive activity
All our Abilities, Behaviours and Experiences arise from the electrical activity in our Brains.
Electroencephalography (EEG) records electrical Brain activity from the scalp with very little fuss:
Quantitative EEG (QEEG) analyses the Brain’s electrical activity: Green = normal levels.
If our Brain’s electrical activity is out of order, it affects our Abilities, Behaviours and Experiences.
When Brain activity isn’t normal, it shows up in the EEG. See for yourself (psychiatric client):
QEEG maps: Yellow = a bit too much, Orange = clearly too much, Red = crazy too much activity.
Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not a character flaw or laziness. Instead, research with EEG and QEEG has identified multiple distinctive patterns of abnormal Brain activity in adults suffering from ADHD.
Understanding these electro-physiological signatures is crucial for targeted Neurotherapy with Neurofeedback to help restore normal Brain function by addressing the physiological root cause of the persistent symptoms.
Below you’ll see some of the abnormal patterns that are commonly found in Adult ADHD Brains, according to research and clinical experience.
Underactive Executive Control
In many ADHD Brains, the front is too slow. The well-established Neuromarker for this is an elevated Theta level or Theta/Beta Ratio. Clients experience this as difficulty concentrating, poor working memory, forgetfulness, trouble organising and being easily distracted. This is one of the core dysfunctions in ADHD — the “Brain’s CEO” doesn’t show up for work. Excessive frontal Theta is also common in Anger Issues and Post-Concussion Syndrome.
Impulse Control Issues
The right front of the Brain normally helps us pause and think before we act. Here, underactivation — seen as dark in thermal images — indicates a “faulty brake pedal”, often found in ADHD. As a result, clients may blurt things out, interrupt others, take risks or make snap decisions they later regret.
Brain Fog and Mind-Wandering
ADHD clients often feel like their mind wanders off when they’re trying to focus: The Executive Network in the front of the Brain fails to shut off the “Daydreaming Network” (DMN) in the back of the Brain during active tasks. Excessive Alpha levels at the back are an indicator for that. Clients experience frequent mind-wandering, zoning out and difficulty staying engaged.
Motivation System Offline
In ADHD Brains, the front may also produce more Alpha Power than normal and even more in the right hemisphere (right Alpha Asymmetry). As a consequence, clients struggle to start tasks, don’t feel motivated by the rewarding feeling of getting things done, and blame themselves for their apparent “laziness”.
This pattern, more frequent in females, fluctuates with the hormonal cycle and is consistent with Anxiety, Depression and strong emotional reactions to criticism (Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria).
Adult ADHD Treatment Neurofeedback - Selected Scientific References
