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Neurotherapy for Post-Concussion Syndrome

We train your Brain to fix your Brain

What is the right therapy for Post-Concussion Symptoms?

By Martin Brink, Board-Certified in Neurotherapy and QEEG:

For many of our clients, the true impact of a concussion only hits when they try to return to their normal lives. Despite apparently  “clean” CT/MRI scans, they can no longer handle the pace of their jobs or the sensory noise of a busy room.

They want to know: ‘What is a better therapy for Persistent Concussion Symptoms?’ Beyond being told to “just rest” or waiting for a recovery that has clearly stalled, is there a way to wake up a Brain that feels like it’s stuck in “low-power mode”?

In order to look for a reasonable answer, it’s a good idea to examine the function of the affected organ: The Brain.

Post Concussion treatment Gold Coast: Rugby player with apparent Persistent Concussion symptoms.

Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) is a Functional Brain Disorder

Based in Neuroscience, QEEG Brain Mapping can identify the dysfunctional patterns of Persistent Concussion Symptoms in Brain activity.

Neurotherapy offers a drug-free pathway to real and lasting change; because Post-Concussion Syndrome is—without a doubt—a Functional Brain Disorder.

But what exactly does that mean?

Real client’s LoRETA loop: Red = faulty, excessive activity

What is a Functional Brain Disorder?

Healthy Brain 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:

a sample of fairly normal eeg
Fairly normal eyes-open EEG (P3,Pz,P4; Average Reference)

Quantitative EEG (QEEG) analyses the Brain’s electrical activity: Green = normal levels.

topographic brain maps of good eeg
Fairly normal eyes-open QEEG (Z-scored; Average Reference)

Functional Brain Disorders

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):

sample of bad eeg
Pathological eyes-open EEG (P3, Pz, P4; Average Reference)

QEEG maps: Yellow = a bit too much, Orange = clearly too much, Red = crazy too much activity.

row of abnormal brainmaps
Pathological eyes-open QEEG (Z-scored; Average Reference)

Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) in the Brain

Concussion symptoms often don’t show up on medical tissue scans (CT, MRI), because they are caused by disruptions of electrical Brain networks. Distinctive patterns of abnormal Brain activity after a Concussion can be found in neuro-imaging studies with fMRI, QEEG and LoRETA.

Understanding these electro-physiological signatures is crucial for targeted Neurotherapy with Neurofeedback to help restore normal Brain function by addressing the root cause of symptoms.

Below you’ll see some of the abnormal patterns (Neuromarkers) that are commonly found in Brains with Post-Concussion Syndrome, according to research and clinical experience.

Common Patterns in Brains with Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS)

The Brain Fog Signature

Brain map showing Delta excess.Many PCS Brains show an overload of very slow brainwaves (Delta) around the vertex (midpoint); a robust marker of Chronic mTBI/PCS, reflecting chronic underarousal.

This pattern is linked to cognitive slowing, fatigue, fogginess, impaired memory and potentially post-traumatic amnesia; and a feeling like you’re always in low gear.

Frontal Focus Failure

Brain map showing elevated Theta.

Increased Theta (4–8 Hz) in frontal-central regions is another consistent trait marker in PCS, associated with prefrontal hypo-activation, also common in Intermittent Explosive Disorder.

Too much slow Theta activity in the front part of the Brain leads to poor concentration and weak control over emotions. Clients feel scattered, distractible, impulsive or emotionally sensitive. They often have poor time-management and difficulty making decisions.

Alpha Out of Sync

Brain map showing low Alpha levels.Healthy Brains hum with a smooth rhythm called Alpha. After a concussion, that rhythm gets disorganised and slower — especially towards the back of the head.

As a result, clients struggle to switch on or off, to fall asleep, to transition between tasks and to solve problems with new ideas. Sensory issues like blurry vision, dizziness and light sensitivity are also common.

Brain Hemispheres Not Talking

Brain map showing low Beta coherence.Reduced Beta-band coherence between hemispheres is the most discriminative QEEG feature for mTBI vs. controls. What does that mean?

Your Brain’s left and right sides are supposed to work as a team. But PCS/mTBI often disrupts the communication hotline (called Beta coherence).

This can make multitasking, coordination, or quick thinking unusually hard.

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Trouble at the Front

Thermal image showing underactive PFC.Even simple tasks can feel exhausting after a concussion. That’s because a key control center — the right Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) — is weak and goes offline easily. It can’t handle any mental workload the way it used to.

On the other side, if the left PFC is affected, clients have an academic explanation for Headaches and other pain problems — because the “pain-brake” (PFC) is not working well.