Significant controlled and uncontrolled research in epilepsy has shown that EEG neurofeedback provides a significant reduction of seizure activity. Over fifty studies by individuals such as Allison, Ayers, Findley, Gibbs, Kaplan, Kuhlmann, Lubar, Mostofsky, Sternman, Whitsett, Wyler, and Wyrwicka confirm the reduction of seizure activity. More exciting was a double-blind investigation of the relationship between seizure activity and the sleep EEG, improved after EEG neurofeedback. So we know the sleep and wake improvements indicate that EEG neurofeedback is not a placebo.

However, to date, no one has published on the long-term effect of EEG neurofeedback. Does the seizure reduction hold? Does the EEG remain improved over time? One of the problems in approaching this problem has been that most brain researchers are not clini-cians, and are unable to do long-term clinical follow-up.

This study is a post two-year follow-up on thirty-five indivi-duals to see if they were still seizure-free after EEG neurofeedback training. All thirty-five were trained by EEG neurofeedback, on both T3C3 and T4C4, and recorded on a Beckman EEG. Twenty indivi-duals became drug and seizure-free, while fifteen were seizure-free with a reduction in their medication. All thirty-five were seizure-free.

The three types of seizure disorders studied were fifteen ab-sence seizures or petit mal, ten complex partial, and ten myoclonic seizure individuals.

A brief description of the seizure disorders in this study:

1. Absence Seizures or Petit Mal - Seizures are characterized by irregular spike and slow wave complexes. An individual may have only impairment of consciousness, or automatisms, have myoclonic jerks, and tonic or atonic components.


2. Complex Partial Seizures - Seizures are characterized usually by loss of consciousness. The epileptic discharge begins in the temporal or frontotemporal areas.


3. Myoclonic Seizures - Seizures are characterized by myoclonic jerks and clonic seizures that occur either at night or during the day.

Each individual has surface gold-plated cup electrodes placed over their central cortex using an international electrode placement system. The resulting bipolar signal, either T3C3 or T4C4, is fed into a portable neurofeedback unit and a Beckman EEG. The output or the feedback unit is recorded on paper. The individual is in-structed to turn off two lights which represent the 4 to 7 hertz frequency, and then to turn on another light, the 15 to 18 hertz. A tone and a number are displayed whenever a person successfully learns the new frequency pattern. The basis of this study was to first inhibit the frequency of 4 to 7 hertz associated with the epileptic activity.

Often, individuals can help in the prevention and reduction of their own seizures, by getting adequate sleep, exercising, avoiding sugar, increasing protein, reducing caffeine, and avoiding drugs and alcohol. Women who have seizures during menstruation can benefit by taking a PMS vitamin supplement. Individuals in this study did all of the above.

Now, an alternative to invasive therapeutic modalities is available. There is no risk of brain damage as with brain surgery. EEG neurofeedback's efficacy holds in sleep, wake, and after a two-year period of time.

EPILEPSY SUPPORT PROGRAM NEWSLETTER, by Margaret Ayers Volume 3, No. 2, Pages 8-9, 1988

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Kaplan, B.J., "Biofeedback in Epileptics: Equivocal Relationship of Reinforced EEG Frequency in Seizure Reduction". Epilepsia, 16:477-485, 1975.

Kuhlmann, W.N. and Allison, T., "EEG Feedback Training in The Treat-ment of Epilepsy: Some Questions and Some Answers". Pavlov Journal of Biological Science, 12:112-122, 1977.

Lubar, J.F., Shabsin, H.; Natelson, S.E.; Holder, G.; Whitsett, S.F.; Pamplin, W.E.; and Krulidowski, D., "EEG Operant Conditioning in Intractable Epileptics". Archives of Neurology, 38:700-704, 1981.

Mostofsky, D.J. and Balaschak, B.A., "Psychobiological Control of Seizures". Psychological Bulletin, 84:723-750, 1977.

Sterman, M.B. and MacDonald, L.R., "Effects of Central Cortical EEG Feedback Training on Incidence of Poorly Controlled Seizures." Epilepsia, 19:207-222, 1978.

Whitsett, S.F.; Lubar, J.F.; Holder, G.S.; Pamplin, W.E.; and Shabsin, H.S., "A Double-Blind Investigation of The Relationship Between Seizure Activity and The Sleep EEG Following EEG Biofeedback Training". Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, Volume 7, No. 2, 193-209, June of 1982.

Wyler, A.R.; Robbins, C.A.; and Dodrill, C.B., "EEG Operant Condi-tioning For Control of Epilepsy". Epilepsia, 20:279-286, 1979.