Learning disabilities (LD) affect the way information is taken in, processed, stored and recalled. There are many forms of LD which affect people with varying levels of severity. It is possible and quite common to have a number of different forms of LD which make it very challenging to learn. Consequently, some sufferers struggle with friendships and low self esteem. Dyslexia is the most common LD, and involves difficulty with the written word, namely letters, phonological memory and reading. Problems with the physical act and production of handwriting is termed Dysgraphia, and often accompanies Dyslexia. Dyscalculia refers to an inadequate understanding of numbers and Mathematics and is seen in around 5% of the population. Other learning disabilities are less specific and can affect executive functioning, problem solving, impulse control, information processing, emotional regulation, planning and organization. Unlike language related problems originating from the left hemisphere in the brain, non-verbal learning disorder is usually right hemisphere driven. Global processing, visuo spatial and fine motor skills are frequently compromised in non-verbal LD.

A QEEG of a patient with a learning disability typically has an excess of slow wave activity and irregular coherence in the brain, but the location and extent may vary. Another measure of sub-standard brain performance is a low Alpha peak frequency (APF) in the posterior electrodes. Learning disorders do not have a simple cure, and many people live day to day with compromised function and performance. Some try to conceal their disorder and avoid tasks requiring certain skills, due to their disability. Others have explored a number of Pharmacological and non-Pharmacological interventions and strategies with little success. For those individuals, Neurofeedback treatment is a suitable, long lasting and medication-free solution.

A wide body of literature suggests that QEEG and Neurofeedback (NF) treatment can be a very effective treatment modality for learning disorders, and it is therefore used all over the world. Studies by Thornton and Carmody (2005) displayed vast improvements in reading and comprehension after 20 to 40 sessions. In 2007, and then again in 2015, Fernandez et al. showed that NF decreased theta/beta ratios and slow wave, to enhance learning. Research specifically into Dyslexia by Breteler et al (2010) saw a positive effect on reading and spelling. Nazari et al. (2012) reported better reading performance through increased coherence in the brain. There are fewer studies of Dyscalculia, but Menon et al. (2000) and Schmithorst and Brown (2004), both highlighted deficits in the prefrontal and parietal lobes, and difference was seen structurally in the left parieto-temporal area in a 1999 study by Levy et al. The Intra parietal Sulcus (IPS) in particular, has been pin-pointed as the brain region responsible for number processing (Dehaene et al, 2003).

How QEEG and Neurofeedback can help

A QEEG examination provides personalized results that identify the activity most likely to be contributing to a specific or number of learning disorders. The brain maps display the frequencies which may be lacking, as well as those that are elevated. These areas can then be targeted in the NF program to improve brain function and performance. The training software discourages the dysfunctional brain pattern, both intensity/power and speed/frequency, and over an undefined number of sessions, reduction in the deviant electrical activity usually occurs.

Learning disorders generally feature elevated slow wave activity, especially Theta 4-8 Hertz. When this is moderated and fast wave Beta is promoted, processing speed and ability to learn increases. Each learning disorder may display a variety of EEG signatures. Brain Mapz utilizes Z-score swLORETA Neurofeedback, which features specific disability protocols. For example, Dyscalculia protocols may train metrics of power, frequency and coherence in the left parietal lobe and Intra parietal Sulcus (IPS). The training program would aim to match the EEG profile of a person without Dyscalculia, considered normal. Dyslexia protocols target areas and circuitry involved in auditory and verbal processes and reading. The Dysgraphia protocol has training metrics associated with several brain regions including the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and Exners area, named the handwriting hub of the brain. As with reading, an elaborate network of circuitry in the cerebellum and parietal lobe, and prefrontal, motor, premotor and sensory cortices, is recruited for writing tasks (Potgieser et al, 2015). Depending on the QEEG assessment, optimum results are often obtained by trialing a number of different neurofeedback protocols.