As a tournament golfer, Ryan Lenahan needs to keep his eye on the prize, but in 2008, the University of Nebraska alum found his game wasn’t up to par, so to speak. He says he couldn’t quite stay in the zone.

Golfer Ryan Lenahan sought the advantage of neurofeedback, a practice combining psychology, science and technology to improve mental focus and concentration.

“I needed to seek out an advantage,” Lenahan said via telephone from Grosse Pointe, Mich., where he spends summers. “It wasn’t as if I thought I needed help with my mind, or I had focus issues. I just wanted to seek something that would bring my game to a higher level.”

After doing a little research, Lenahan sought help from Dr. Sanford Silverman at the Center for Peak Performance, located in Scottsdale. A licensed psychologist, Silverman is also a certified neurofeedback provider, a practice combining psychology, science and technology to improve mental focus and concentration, while also alleviating stress and anxiety. Silverman uses a variety of techniques, including “brain mapping” and videogames, to get patients in the zone.

“He had these programs that were on his computer and they really helped with kind of quieting my mind when I compete,” Lenahan said. “It helped with focusing.

“He had a Pac-Man game on the computer and hooked me up with a couple sensors on my head in different locations. When I thought of anything other than the Pac-Man going through this maze, the Pac-Man would stop. It really kind of made you focus on what was happening.”

Lenahan says there were noticeable differences after just a few sessions. He hit the greens and found, much to his delight, that his vision had narrowed, and that his mind was more focused.

“My focus was so narrow at that point, I just got on the hole and all I could see was the target,” he recalls. “Everything outside of that was no longer a distraction to me. There are a lot of different things he did for me. I was truly amazed.”

Developed in the 1960s, neurofeedback is not a licensed specialty, although, Silverman said, it should be done by psychologists who are well trained both in Quantitative EEG (brain mapping) and neurofeedback as well as in the mental-health field. A former school psychologist, Silverman was specializing in the treatment of ADD for children, adolescents and adults several years ago when he attended a conference at which a medical doctor discussed keeping children off medication for ADD by training their brains through the use of neurofeedback.

“I was intrigued by it,” Silverman said. “I knew ADD was a biochemical, neurological issue, so I pursued it.

Neurofeedback is biofeedback in which patients can exercise and train their brain to perform well and more efficiently. They can receive feedback on how their brain is performing and even learn to control brainwaves, resulting in long-term changes in performance, including attention and focus, reasoning and learning abilities and mood regulation.

Dr. Sanford Silverman uses a variety of videogames to get his patients in the zone. Photo Credit: Ross Mason

Silverman charges $120 per 45-minute session and says some insurance companies cover his services. He says it takes one to three sessions to see noticeable changes. Besides athletes and professionals, he also sees clients with psychological and clinical conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, concussions, stress, ADD/ADHD, autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and learning disorders.

There are several steps in the neurofeedback process, beginning with the creation of a brain map. Patients wear caps that measure the electrical activity in their brains, the results from which are compared to that of other individuals close in age and of the same gender.

Lenahan says he didn’t mind the treatments and in fact, actually enjoyed them. The computer and videogames offered real-time feedback, revealing whether his brainwaves were moving too slow or too fast – the goal being to obtain a focused state of consciousness.

Silverman operates from a quiet and comfortable office and willingly demonstrates a handful of games used in the neurofeedback process. “Space Race” forces patients to think clearly and focus on the task at hand. Another program, called S.M.A.R.T., was developed by NASA to improve a pilot’s concentration.

“It’s funny because I can train people who aren’t necessarily here for sports,” Silverman says. “When I ask them how they’re doing, one of the first things they often say is, ‘My God, my golf game is better.’ It enhances your motor coordination.”

One of those clients was 42-year-old John Pearson. An owner of multiple companies, Pearson was having problems balancing his career and home life.

“I have kids and they’re pretty active around here anyway – especially when you have to deal with one crisis after another with the household and work,” Pearson said.

His hectic lifestyle also calls for multi-tasking. He sought Silverman’s help to “get more out of what I was doing.” After a few sessions, Pearson says he achieved clarity. It was easier to make decisions and focus on what he needed to accomplish and prioritize.

“Anecdotally, I remember playing a golf game, and maybe after a half a dozen sessions or something like that, I had a really remarkable game. I hadn’t played since (beginning the sessions). I felt like I was able to get more done, focus a little bit more clearly, get a little better grasp on multi-tasking and prioritizing.”

Pearson is generally interested in self-improvement and now is a champion of Silverman’s. He had been referred to Silverman by one of his clients.

: Patients wear caps that measure the electrical activity in their brains. Photo Credit: Ross Mason

“The thing I liked about it was that it was a pretty simple commitment,” Pearson said. “There wasn’t a whole lot that I really had to work hard at. You go in. You have a set period of time. It was efficient and easy. It didn’t require a whole lot. The clapping exercise, it gives immediate feedback and you can see it week after week.

“The videogames were interesting but weren’t quite for me. Working with relaxation was really helpful.”

Having provided neurofeedback treatments for more than 17 years, Silverman says he has seen the field grow tremendously and credits the procedure to allowing him to reach patients in ways he never could with traditional therapies and medication.

“I’ve helped many, many people with ADD over the years,” Silverman says. “I didn’t prescribe (medication) because I’m a psychologist, and the nice thing about it is (the learned processes) will stay with you and maintain themselves once you do enough training. You typically see enhanced motor control, motor performance, enhanced moods, lots of things, sleep.”

Lenahan, who recently attended Qualifying School for the PGA Tour, is pleased with the insight he has gained from Silverman.

“Prior to working with him, I had no professional wins,” said Lenahan. “I really felt it made a difference. If you win once, that’s OK. I feel like I’ve proven myself by winning four times and not just once and having it as a fluke. I really attribute some of the stuff I worked with Dr. Silverman to getting me over the edge.”