What is Brain Mapping?

A brain map provides insight into how your brain functions and whether each area is operating at appropriate speeds. Brain maps are not diagnostic —a brain map alone isn’t enough to diagnose a condition or disorder.

However, by correlating your symptoms with abnormal brain map patterns , we can determine whether an irregularity in your brain waves is related to your symptoms or connected to cortical brain function.

This information helps guide how to approach your symptoms. If you are a good candidate for neurofeedback, your brain map will also be used to tailor specific training protocols designed for you.

Your brain cells (neurons) communicate through electrical signals. These signals produce waves, and these waves can be fast or slow. Slow waves are what you would think: relaxed, drowsy, or sleeping. Fast waves are for alertness, quick thinking, and problem solving. In-between waves are for easy tasks and creative thinking.

Your brain needs a healthy mix of all of those speeds in order to function at its best. If you have too much of one speed, that speed will take over, and if you don’t have enough, it won’t be able to do its job.

There are four major regions (lobes) of the brain, each with a left and right half. Put simply, each of those lobes is responsible for different tasks. The temporal lobes (around your ears) are mainly responsible for hearing, language, memory, and smell. They’re also very close to the emotional control area. The occipital lobes (on the back of your head) are almost exclusively responsible for vision and visual processing.

Our brain maps use 12 sensors (called electrodes) placed around each of the lobes. These sensors detect the electricity produced by your brain, and the computer determines the speeds of the electrical waves. Using that data, our program creates images showing the amount of each speed produced in each of those 12 areas. That’s how we determine if those areas are functioning as they should, or if something’s going wrong.

It’s a fairly short and easy process. It usually takes about 45 minutes, but we allot an hour just in case. First, we’ll stretch a cap over your head. It’s like a fabric swimming cap. On the cap are a bunch of white circles, which are the electrodes. Next, using a syringe, we’ll fill each of those electrodes with some gel. We’ll also attach clips to each of your ears. After we check the connections, we’re good to start.

For the first 10 minutes of the test, you’ll sit with your eyes closed. You don’t have to do anything but relax and be as still as you can. For the next 10 minutes, you’ll stare at a stationary object. Again, all you have to do is keep your eyes on the object and remain still. And that’s it! You’ve completed the brain map.

Naturally, we’ll help clean the majority of the gel out of your hair with a paper towel and water . There will be some salty residue left, but it will all come out with a quick shower. Please don’t plan a first date or job interview right after the test!

At Brain Body Science, we add in a few extra, very quick tests in the remaining time. These mostly check the heart-brain connection, among other things. These tests take about 5 minutes and are non-invasive (ear clips, finger clips, and a hand scanner). These tests come at no additional cost and are considered part of the brain map.

After your brain map, we’ll schedule a follow-up appointment. During this appointment, we will go over all of your results and explain in detail what they mean . We’ll show you the power of each speed in every area of your brain, the balance between hemispheres (the left and right sides), the dominant speeds, and the connection between hemispheres.

Don’t worry if that doesn’t make sense right now, we’ll explain it all! We’ll also tell you what patterns on your brain map match up with your symptoms. That will tell you if those symptoms are related to brain dysregulation, and if neurofeedback may be able to help you with your symptoms. If your symptoms match your map, then you’re a good candidate for neurofeedback training!

We’ll also go over the results of the other tests, explaining what they mean and what you can do to improve them if they aren’t looking the way you’d like them to.

Brain maps are completely non-invasive and do not do anything to you. (No electricity is going into your brain, there are no magnets, and there is no radiation.) The cap may be a little uncomfortable since it has to be tight. We use a blunt-tipped needle to put the gel into the electrodes, so there is a chance that we might poke your scalp with it. (Being blunt-tipped, it doesn’t break through the skin.)

Some people who have sensitive skin experience mild irritation (itchiness or redness) from the gel because it is salt-based. The biggest thing to be concerned about is your hair looking a little wacky when you leave.

Try to get a good, restful night of sleep. Make sure your hair is clean and dry. Don’t put thick product in your hair or heavy makeup around your forehead. Take your medications as usual. (Please tell us which medications you take. Some medications, such as antidepressants or antiseizure meds, can affect the qEEG and need to be noted for correct interpretation.) You can leave glasses and hearing aids on during the test. You must be able to remove wigs and hairpieces.