Northwest Biofeedback Center-Comparing Biofeedback and Medication

Comparison Study

We are not in the business of drug bashing or mudslinging, but of healing. To foster better relations between MD's and the Neurofeedback community, a fair and balanced comparison is presented here for your consideration.

We can't say that medication doesn't work because it does, however, this approach is not without its drawbacks. Parents, teachers, and school administrators who are often under pressure to get quick results choose the option most readily available to them, usually medication. While this works in the short term, the long-term outlook is not quite as clear. Our aim is to educate you about your choices so you can make the most informed decision possible, and ultimately, the one you are most comfortable with.

"Recently, neurofeedback has also begun to look effective for treating attentional disorders; of major clinical importance is the fact that it appears that its results persist well after treatment. Unfortunately, the medication and neurofeedback treatments are sometimes considered mutually exclusive; cooperation between the proponents of the two treatment modalities has not flourished."
Andrew Abarbanel, Ph.D., M.D.

For the definitive head to head study, we suggest the informative report by Rossiter and La Vaque at:

http://www.snr-jnt.org/journalnt/jnt(1-1 ) 7.html

BIOFEEDBACK	OR	MEDICATION
Yes	Proven Effective	Yes
None, thousands of sessions administered without incident	Side Effects	Sleep problems, headaches, loss of appetite, jitters
Longer, may take several sessions before seeing results	Time Frame for Results	Shorter, but varies depending on individual
None, you can't have too many sessions	Potential for Abuse	Yes, any medication use runs the risk of abuse with alcohol, overdose, or dispensing to friends
Yes, requires commitment by individual	Compliance Issues	Yes, requires daily monitoring of dosage
Very good, long lasting effects for those who complete the program	Post Treatment Outlook	Unclear, may require indefinite treatment, symptoms usually reappear once medication is stopped
Not as good, but getting better. Varies widely depending on provider	Insurance Coverage	Usually covers Rx, co-payments vary depending on provider
Initially higher, but less later. Costs range from $90 to $150 per session. Overall cost depends on how fast the individual responds to treatment, and how many sessions are needed.	Cost	The monthly cost of Rx multiplied by the number of month's medication is required. Initial cost is lower, but could be substantial if problems persist into adulthood.