Future of Neurofeedback?

Question

I've been reading about neurofeedback and am intrigued by its potential. By being able to train the brain to function better resulting it healthier brain waves and a natural ability to produce normal neurotransmitter levels, it could possibly replace many pharmaceutical drugs that have been essentially solving many mental problems through artificial means instead. My question is, does anyone see this technology eventually making its way into homes so that people can use it to exercise their brains just like any other part of their body, or is it destined to be provided solely by psychologists and neurologists in a outpatient format?

The potential to create a positive change by using this at home, especially with youth that already like to play video games and are in a state of developing their brains still, could be tremendous including with improving grades and social skills.

Answer 1

While it's nice to envision the widespread use of neurofeedback in people's homes, it's unlikely to ever occur.  This is primarily due to the potential for abuse.  Just as neurofeedback can be used to treat some disorders, it can be used to create abnormal EEG patterns.  This can result in harm to the individual.  Without properly trained clinicians guiding the neurofeedback, it would be potentially dangerous.

Also, remember that there are limits to what neurofeedback can do.  While it may adjust electrical activity in the brain, it is not necessarily treating the underlying causes of a behavior.  A lot of current research in EEG technologies is more focused on using QEEG profiles as predictors for medication and therapy effectiveness rather than neurofeedback, which still lacks sufficient empirical support.