QEEG. This word may sound odd, but it's heard often around Roseann Capanna-Hodge's Ridgefield practice and has played a large role in helping her clients get their lives back.

Clients come to Capanna-Hodge, an educational psychologist and neurofeedback practitioner, for help with stress and anxiety, as well as learning and attention issues, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Capanna-Hodge has recently begun using QEEG (pronounced KEEG) to treat patients and help them better understand their conditions.

In a recent talk at Capanna-Hodge's 12-year-old practice, she spoke about QEEG at length, as well as the benefits of neurofeedback.

Q: Roseann, first, what is neurofeedback and how does it work?

A: Neurofeedback is a safe, nonmedication treatment for common childhood and adult issues and disorders including ADHD, anxiety, learning issues and head injuries.

With neurofeedback, you're relearning and retraining your brainwaves for the purpose of alleviating a symptom or multiple symptoms.

For example, when people have a head injury, their brain waves get stuck in a loop. That's why they feel so tired and fatigued. These symptoms are a form of protection of their brain. Neurofeedback breaks that cycle by returning brainwaves to their normal function. People can then feel better and resume their normal activities.

Q: What is QEEG and how does it help people?

A: QEEG, which was developed in the late 1970s, is a type of brain map or database that provides a more visual way to look at the formation of brain waves. QEEG allows my clients to see more clearly what's going on with their brain functioning. It enables me to see how their brain is communicating.

Getting a QEEG involves having patients put on a cap that measures 19 sites on their brain. The sites show functions such as focus, worry, decision making, and obsessive thinking.

Prior to getting a QEEG, I could only see how the brain was functioning at specific sites. With the QEEG, I can now see the relationships between different areas of the brain at the same time.

As a result, I have a much clearer picture of what's going on in patients' brains, so their treatment is much more effective. QEEG is really a wonderful tool that works hand in hand with neurofeedback.

Q: But how does it actually work?

A: The QEEG is done on a computer. The information in your brain is compared to a database. The QEEG shows you the formation of your brain waves.

Neurofeedback is brainwave retraining. It's a way to correct the brain when it isn't functioning at its best. For example, when you have ADHD, you have slow brain waves in your frontal lobe. In treatment, you have a sensor on and you are watching a movie on a screen. The screen is small. For the screen to get large enough to view, the patient actually has to change his or her brainwaves.

The brain will push down the slow waves and increase the fast waves. The brain wants that reinforcement and changes itself. It wants to be able to see the movie.

Q: In general, why would you recommend neurofeedback over more traditional treatments?

A: Traditional treatments, such as those used for conditions such as sports-related concussions and ADHD, usually involve medication. Side effects of medication can include mood changes, reduced appetite and increased irritability. With neurofeedback, there are no long-term side effects.

In fact, in January, the American Academy of Pediatrics rated neurofeedback a Level 1 best intervention for ADHD.

What I'm seeing over and over are people who are just feeling trapped in worry and negative thinking and turn too quickly to medication. Particularly with children who have developing brains, medication shouldn't be your first option.

Roseann Capanna-Hodge

She's 42 and lives in Brookfield with her husband Christopher Hodge, 46, a software engineer; and their children, Maxwell, 8, and John Carlo, 3.

She has a doctorate and two master's in educational psychology from American International College in Mass.; and a bachelor's from Central Connecticut State University in New Britain.

She's an educational psychologist and board certified neurofeedback practitioner, at 898 Ethan Allen Highway, suite 6, in Ridgefield.

At 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 19, Capanna-Hodge will give a free talk on "Rewiring the Brain: What is Neurofeedback?" Those who attend will learn about QEEG brain mapping, as well as how neurofeedback can benefit them. For more details, call 203-438-4848 or visit www.drroseann.com.

Sandra Diamond Fox is a freelance writer in Connecticut and can be reached at Sandraifox@aol.com.