Neurofeedback games: The future of mental training?

Saturday, July 8th, is Video Game Day . Fittingly, today we're telling you about our neurofeedback games , which we developed ALL in-house. In recent years, interest in mental training has increased significantly. Many people are looking for innovative ways to improve their concentration, relaxation, and mental performance. One popular method for this is neurofeedback training , which we offer in our practice .

Neurofeedback games are special video games or applications based on the principle of operant conditioning that make unconscious processes visible. Here's a brief explanation of what neurofeedback is: Neurofeedback is a procedure that measures and analyzes brain activity. Electrodes are placed on the scalp to record the brain's electrical activity.

Training goals such as concentration, relaxation, focus, etc. can then be set. The difficulty is then individually adjusted for each trainee.

Based on this, specific thresholds are set, after which the trainee receives immediate feedback in the form of the neurofeedback game (e.g., a louder or quieter tone).

In a neurofeedback game, the player receives real-time feedback on their brain activity. Depending on whether the preset thresholds of the respective frequency bands are exceeded or not, the game speed changes, for example, or special rewards are unlocked. This is intended to help the player learn to consciously control their brain activity and train certain patterns.

Therapy method for ADHD / ADD

Neurofeedback games are often used as a therapeutic method to help with conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or anxiety. They can also be used in the area of ​​peak performance to enhance performance or promote relaxation.

An example of such a game is a flight simulator , in which the player controls a virtual airplane using their brain. When the participant reaches a relaxed, focused state, the airplane flies, whereas when stressed or distracted, it remains stationary. Through this direct feedback, the brain implicitly learns to regulate its own brain activity and, for example, to maintain concentration for longer.

Neurofeedback games offer many benefits:

Training sessions of this kind are extremely motivating . Playing a game is an enjoyable activity for most people, and the prospect of improving their mental performance increases motivation even further. This is particularly interesting when training children and adolescents, who often have difficulty engaging with conventional training methods.

Another advantage is the adaptability of the games. Every player has different strengths and weaknesses in terms of their brain activity. This can be compared to weights in the gym – not everyone can manage the same weight, and not everyone is suitable for the same exercise.Neurofeedback games can be individually tailored to the player's needs and goals. Whether it's improving concentration, promoting relaxation, or training memory, we've developed a total of 15 neuro-responsive games , so there's sure to be something for everyone. Our patients are also welcome to give us feedback on the gaming experience, which we try to implement wherever possible. 

Several studies have already demonstrated the effectiveness of neurofeedback games. An analysis of the available data has shown that neurofeedback training can lead to significant improvements in attention, concentration, and cognitive abilities. These results are promising and give hope that the acceptance and application of neurofeedback games in the field of mental training will continue to increase in the future. 

Please feel free to visit our BrainAssistant website and get an overview of all our diverse games and the software in general.