This was released to the national media this week as part of BrainTrainUK’s strategy to raise the profile of Neurofeedback for ADHD in the lead up to the NICE review in September 2014. Watch the media for developments !
PRESS RELEASE
CHILDREN WITH ADHD HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE TO DRUGS
And it will cost the NHS less to adopt
10 December 2013 – In a ten year period there has been an increase of 140% in the use of controlled drugs to treat ADHD patients, including children. The figures show the increased volume of this medication prescribed in the treatment of ADHD rose from 315,000 to 765,000 between 2003-2012, a trend that is perpetuating year-on-year.
However according to Stuart Black, founder and managing director of BrainTrainUK, there is a viable alternative to using drugs that avoids the potential side affects of medication.
Black comments, “Neurofeedback is an evidence-based technology which is recognised in the US as a highly effective alternative to medication for ADHD and which is gaining recognition and reputation here in the UK. We are working with an increasing number of pediatricians throughout London, Hertfordshire and Surrey who are seeing very positive effects with their patients.”
Mark Schwartz, Director at the independent Biofeedback Federation of Europe (BFE), a non-profit making organisation pursuing research into brain activity for healthier function, adds “Besides the findings from recent research,* independent evaluations of Neurofeedback’s evidence-base are increasingly validating its effectiveness in treating the core symptoms of ADHD”
Neurofeedback works by providing feedback on how well your brain is working, sending this back to the brain through video and audio. It has been demonstrated that the treatment not only provides a natural solution but that the results also last longer, with evidence that the effects last for as long as 10 years after training ends.
Furthermore, as well as the obvious benefits to patients, use of Neurofeedback to treat ADHD is significantly more cost effective and it is estimated that the NHS could save up to £150m over a five year period by adopting the method to treat ADHD patients. This saving equates to the cost of employing an additional 1000 new nurses in NHS hospitals.
Stuart concludes, “We are currently engaging with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) with the objective of establishing Neurofeedback as a recognised pathway for the treatment of ADHD. Once this happens we hope that Neurofeedback will become a mainstream treatment for children with ADHD, reducing the intervention of drugs and the resulting side affects.
– Ends –
* The Evidence-Base for Neurofeedback as a Reimbursable Healthcare Service to Treat Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder by H. Edmund Pigott, Ph.D.,and Lindsay De Biase, Ph.D.,b and Eugenia Bodenhamer-Davis, Ph.D.c & Richard E. Davis, M.S.d
https://www.isnr.org/uploads/nfb-adhd.pdf
Notes to Editors:
For more information, or to speak directly to Stuart Black, please contact him on one of the following:
Stuart Black
0208 144 7821
07796 266 377
This YouTube link provides a 60 second summary of Neurofeedback – https://youtu.be/hDBuOdWHeww
For a longer explanation see this 23 minute YouTube video – https://youtu.be/vK31_B59fpI
About Stuart Black
Stuart Black is the founder and Managing Director of BrainTrain UK, He obtained a BSc degree in Electronic Engineering from King’s College London and his Master’s in Coaching & Development from Portsmouth Business School. Stuart has worked in various roles and industries, management consultancy, and worked with the executive team at the Cromwell Hospital from 2009 to 2012.
His interest in the intersection of technology and healthcare led him to find out more about Neurofeedback and how it could be used for therapy and peak performance, and he credits previous Neurofeedback training with Jim Hardt in San Jose as key to his own personal transformation.
About Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback is not new. As early as 1958 it was first shown that the brain could respond to brainwave feedback. But for many years the equipment was highly complex, large and located in university research laboratories. This made it inconvenient for patients and cost millions to own and operate. And video game technology was non-existent, or very basic, and so the feedback experience was not stimulating for the patient.
However digital technology has changed the game. Now portable equipment is available that costs thousands, not millions, and can run on standard PCs (which have become more powerful themselves).
About BrainTrainUK
BrainTrainUK, established in 2013, brings the latest neurofeedback technology to the UK and aims to transform the treatment of symptoms such as ADHD. With practices already in Harley Street, Battersea, Surrey and Hertfordshire, the company has plans to expand throughout the UK.
About the Biofeedback Federation of Europe
The Biofeedback Federation of Europe is a non-profit community interest company located in the UK. Our mission is to promote a greater awareness of the field among professionals and to educate and train them in the use of the latest biofeedback techniques and
technology.
The federation’s advisory board comprises leading clinicians and researchers from multiple disciplines who share a common interest in the dissemination of information about this rapidly growing field.