Irvine, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/25/2013 --During the past 33 years of the Drake Institute, periodically there have been landmark breakthroughs in technology that significantly advanced clinical outcome for our patients.

For the past 18 months the Drake Institute has been integrating new breakthrough neurofeedback technology whereby as many as all 19 areas of the brain can be trained simultaneously in improving brain functioning. Previously, only 1 or 2 areas of the brain could be trained simultaneously to improve brain functioning, though patients still experienced noticeable improvements.

But by treating as many as all 19 regions simultaneously, the patient is benefiting from processing more global information so more rapid and comprehensive improvement is seen. In ADHD we see greater improvements in inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in patients with the most severe symptoms. In Autism Spectrum Disorders, there can be greater improvements in social communication, language, and emotional stability. Clinically, this more powerful technology has enabled us to help even the most severe patients who previously may have been treatment resistant.

Individualized neurofeedback protocols are developed from an analysis of the patient's brainmap as it links to the patients' specific symptoms. For example, in ADHD or ADD, if the frontal regions are generating abnormal brainwave patterns or functional disconnections, then the child can have difficulty sustaining concentration on no preferred, mundane activities such as homework.

The neurofeedback protocols only treat the abnormal brainwave patterns linked to the symptoms, leaving the remainder of the brain, that is functioning within normal range, alone. Unlike brainmap guided neurofeedback, drugs cannot do that nor can drugs produce long lasting improvement. No two patients have the same neurofeedback treatment protocols.

Whether it is ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorders, there can be multiple areas or functional networks of the brain that have abnormal levels of brain activity and functional disconnections between the different regions of the brain. Either scenario can result in symptoms. By treating all the abnormal regions simultaneously with the new technology, it only follows that there can be faster, more comprehensive improvement as more functional connections are developed. The need for drugs is reduced or eliminated.