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Applicability of brain wave biofeedback to substance use disorder in adolescents By: David L. Trudeau, MD

Attempting a review paper on the use of neurofeedback in adolescent addictions is difficult. There is practically no literature on the use of neurofeedback in adolescent addictions, and the only information available comes from studies published on adult addiction treatment. Brain wave biofeedback (sometimes called neurofeedback or neurotherapy) has been studied as a method for treatment of addictive disorders in adults over the past 15 years or so, with a slowly accumulating body of evidence supporting its use in different circumstances. Several recent reviews [1,2] have detailed the literature regarding its use and development of neurotherapy for addictive disorders and are not repeated here, except in a general way to introduce the reader to the technique and specifically discuss its applicability to child and adolescent psychiatry. Although neurofeedback is an attractive technique for treating addictive disorders because it is medication free and compatible with other therapies, it also appeals to persons interested in alternative treatments. It has applicability in difficult-to-treat groups, such as stimulant abusers [3–5], incarcerated felons [6], and chronic treatment-resistant alcoholics [7,8]. Neurotherapy for addictions has several disadvantages in that it is labor intensive (20 to 30 half-hour sessions), requires special equipment ($2,000–$5,000 cost) and training, and lacks large randomized clinical trials for validation. Most authors describe enduring effects, and in the case of addictions treatment, long-term follow-ups have been done. Read More