Many people ask us what’s the difference between neurofeedback vs biofeedback. Even though they are quite similar, these therapies are not the same and have different purposes. It helps to think of “bio” as the body and “neuro” like the brain. Still, biofeedback and neurofeedback are commonly mistaken for each other.
You may be wondering which one is better for your needs and what exactly is the difference between the two. The truth is one is not better than the other, but the purposes they are frequently used for are quite different.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback involves connecting individuals to sensors that help monitor their physiological processes such as breathing and heart rate. Biofeedback allows people to get real-time feedback about how their bodies are functioning, so they can make iterative changes to improve health and well-being.
Neurofeedback does not involve sensors to take measurements of breathing, heart rate, and other bodily efficiencies. Biofeedback is limited to mostly physiological sensations such as pain, physical performance, anxiety, and stress.
People who suffer from these conditions can find relief using biofeedback:
- Migraines or headaches
- Urinary incontinence
- High blood pressure
- Breathing regulation
- Asthma
- (IBS) Irritable bowel syndrome
Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback, which can be referred to as EEG biofeedback, measures the brain’s activity in real-time. Neurofeedback therapy commonly involves the presentation of a visual stimulus on a screen and the use of operant conditioning, whereas biofeedback does so without using operant conditioning.
Neurofeedback relies on the principle of operant conditioning to teach your brain to function more efficiently than before. Neurofeedback training involves the use of a computer program that allows the user to receive visual or auditory feedback when they successfully concentrate on a task.
By localizing deviance from the normal brain function and training specific areas of the brain to become more similar to normal brain function, behavioral symptoms and inefficient brainwave activity are often improved or relieved.
People who suffer from the following conditions or any learning disability can benefit from neurofeedback:
- ADHD
- Depression
- Epilepsy
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Drug addiction
- Schizophrenia
The Breakdown of Neurofeedback vs Biofeedback
Biofeedback does not involve training the brain. During biofeedback therapy, your clinician will not read quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) electrical activity and provide feedback to you.
Neurofeedback is often used to treat forms of psychopathology, mental illness, and performance enhancement. However, biofeedback may help improve physiological functioning, distressing pain, and body arousal. This signals a person to alter what they are doing at the moment.
The real difference between neurofeedback vs biofeedback is that, even though all forms of neurofeedback are technically forms of biofeedback, it’s not true the other way around. Neurofeedback is just a useful type of biofeedback that focuses more on the function of the brain rather than the body.
Are You Ready to Learn More about Biofeedback vs Neurofeedback?
Schedule a consultation with Braincode Centers today to discover which is a better option for you: neurofeedback vs biofeedback therapy.
