Neurofeedback & Chill: Training the Brain's Social and Sensory Systems
Dr. Andrew Hill explored how sensory and social processing share neural real estate and similar training approaches in this week's livestream. The core insight: these seemingly different abilities rely on overlapping brain networks, particularly in posterior regions that handle "the outside world."
The Front-Back Brain Division
Hill opened with a key organizing principle: the front of the brain handles the "inside self" while the back handles the "outside world." Frontal regions process abstract, conceptual, self-driven phenomena. Posterior regions behind the central sulcus drink in information and extract meaning from the environment.
This division explains why sensory and social processing difficulties often cluster together—they're using shared neural infrastructure in posterior brain regions.
SMR Training for Supervisory Control
Hill demonstrated a C4-Pz SMR protocol during the session. C4 (right motor cortex) acts as the brain's "supervisory system"—like a passenger reading the map and telling you when to slow down. This region provides inhibitory tone and helps filter incoming information.
The protocol targets both the posterior cingulate (Pz) and right precentral gyrus (C4), creating what Hill calls "toning" in circuits involved with attention regulation and behavioral inhibition. Since electrode placement picks up about half its signal from directly underneath and half from surrounding areas, this setup influences the broader right temporoparietal region.
Shared Neural Infrastructure
Question: Why group sensory and social processing together?
Hill explained that both systems face the same fundamental challenge: filtering overwhelming external information to extract what's relevant. Whether processing environmental sounds or reading facial expressions, the brain uses similar posterior networks for selective attention while inhibiting irrelevant input.
The superior temporal sulcus (STS) and temporoparietal junction (TPJ) serve as critical hubs, integrating biological motion, gaze, voice, and other socially relevant sensory cues. These regions transform raw sensory data into socially meaningful information.
Right Hemisphere Dominance
Both sensory and social processing rely heavily on right-hemisphere networks. This explains why right-sided training locations like C4 often help with both types of difficulties. The right hemisphere specializes in:
- Contextual processing and "big picture" integration
- Nonverbal communication and emotional tone
- Spatial and temporal pattern recognition
- Inhibitory control over attention
Clinical Patterns and Training Approaches
Question: How do you know when someone needs sensory versus social training?
Hill noted that sensory and social difficulties often co-occur because they share neural substrates. Someone with auditory processing issues might also struggle with reading vocal tone or social timing. The training approach remains similar—strengthen posterior attention networks and right-hemisphere supervisory control.
Common signs of shared sensory-social dysfunction include:
- Difficulty filtering background noise while following conversation
- Overwhelm in busy social environments
- Trouble reading nonverbal cues
- Sensory sensitivity combined with social anxiety
Mechanisms of SMR Training
SMR training works by strengthening thalamocortical circuits that generate both daytime focus and nighttime sleep spindles. When you produce robust SMR during waking states, you're training the same neural communication patterns that maintain sleep stability.
This dual effect explains why SMR protocols often improve both attention regulation and sleep quality—both states require optimal thalamocortical inhibition to function properly.
Q&A Highlights
Question: Can you train social skills directly with neurofeedback?
Hill clarified that neurofeedback trains the neural foundations that support social skills rather than teaching specific behaviors. You can't train someone to make eye contact with EEG, but you can strengthen the attention networks that make social information processing less overwhelming.
Question: Why does right-sided training help with left-brain language processing?
The right hemisphere provides crucial contextual processing for language—prosody, humor, sarcasm, and social meaning. Left-hemisphere language regions handle grammar and vocabulary, but right-hemisphere networks integrate this with social context and emotional tone.
Key Takeaways
- Sensory and social processing share posterior brain networks that handle "outside world" information
- SMR training at C4-Pz strengthens supervisory control and attention filtering
- Right-hemisphere training often addresses both sensory sensitivity and social difficulties
- The same thalamocortical circuits support both daytime focus and sleep quality
- Training builds neural foundations for better information processing rather than specific skills
The livestream reinforced that effective neurofeedback often targets shared neural systems rather than isolated symptoms. By strengthening the brain's fundamental filtering and supervisory mechanisms, multiple abilities can improve simultaneously.