Anxiety Misdiagnosed as Dementia? A Complex Case Successfully Treated Using a Multimodal Biofeedback Approach

A sixty-three year old woman with a recent diagnosis of dementia sought biofeedback treatment for depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) revealed brainwave patterns that could be associated with anxiety as well as possible dementia. The context of her forgetfulness and disorientation was explored and discovered to coincide with anxiety-related hyperarousal. Following a combination of heart rate variability (HRV) and neurofeedback (EEG biofeedback), she reported significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment.