Alpha Waves, Anxiety & Addiction: Neurofeedback Insights from Dr. Andrew Hill
Dr. Andrew Hill returned to explore alpha waves in greater depth, addressing viewer questions about anxiety, addiction, and how these 8-12 Hz oscillations get dysregulated. Unlike his previous comprehensive alpha overview, this session focused on the clinical nuances—why some people can't "idle" their brains and what that feels like subjectively.
Alpha as the Brain's Neutral Gear
Hill reinforced alpha's role as the cortical idling mechanism—your brain's neutral gear between conscious processing (beta) and automatic functions (theta/delta). But control matters more than amplitude.
"You want to be able to have control over your alpha more than having a lot of it or a little of it," Hill explained. "Generally, one wants healthy alpha that modulates as needed."
The pathology isn't too much or too little alpha—it's alpha that won't turn on when you need to relax, or won't turn off when you need to focus. Hill described specific circuit dysfunction: anterior cingulate without alpha creates obsessiveness, posterior cingulate without alpha drives threat sensitivity, and persistent alpha in the left precentral gyrus causes inattention.
The GABA-Glutamate Balance Problem
Question: Do you recommend neurofeedback alongside GABA or glutamate supplements?
Hill's answer revealed why addiction creates lasting vulnerability. He strongly discouraged glutamate modulation but supported targeted GABA support through L-theanine combinations, noting research showing six-fold improvements in sleep onset when GABA and L-theanine are combined.
The addiction mechanism he described was sobering: chronic alcohol floods the system with GABA, forcing compensatory glutamate elevation. When drinking stops, GABA drops faster than glutamate can normalize, creating the seizure-prone state of withdrawal. This imbalance can persist long-term, explaining why people in recovery remain vulnerable to overstimulation.
Slow vs. Fast Alpha: Different Functions
Hill clarified a crucial distinction often missed in basic alpha training:
- Slow alpha (8-10 Hz): True idling rhythm, tonic background state
- Fast alpha (10-12 Hz): Preparatory rhythm, should be phasic only
Excessive fast alpha, particularly with hypercoherence between anterior and posterior cingulate, creates a specific pattern: "inattentive obsessiveness" with powerful inertia and stuck mood states. This isn't classic OCD—it's more like anxious mental spinning without the ability to shift gears.
Indirect Alpha Training Approach
Rather than directly training alpha, Hill demonstrated an "indirect" approach—inhibiting theta and fast beta while leaving the alpha range open. His protocol (FZ minus PZ) targets the tissues that interfere with natural alpha expression.
"If you inhibit thetas and faster betas and leave a gap in the alpha range, my brain can decide to bring up whatever alpha naturally wants to be there," he explained.
Hill reported lasting benefits from his previous session: clarity, calmness, and productivity resembling "the best aspects of a stimulant without any stimulant effect."
Clinical Applications for Elevated Glutamate
Question: How do you adjust protocols for chronically elevated glutamate to prevent overstimulation?
Hill recommended starting with SMR (sensorimotor rhythm) at C4 to regulate sleep and reduce impulsivity before attempting alpha work. For people with glutamate elevation—common in addiction recovery—SMR provides a more stable foundation than direct alpha training.
The mechanism: SMR strengthens thalamocortical regulation, improving sleep spindles and reducing the hypervigilance that makes these individuals training-resistant.
Key Takeaways
- Alpha control beats alpha amplitude: Train the ability to modulate alpha up and down as needed
- Distinguish alpha subtypes: Slow alpha (8-10 Hz) for idling, fast alpha (10-12 Hz) only when preparing for action
- Address GABA/glutamate carefully: Support GABA with L-theanine combinations, but avoid glutamate manipulation
- Use indirect training: Sometimes inhibiting what interferes with alpha works better than directly training alpha
- Start with SMR for addiction recovery: Stabilize sleep and impulse control before advancing to alpha protocols
The session highlighted how alpha dysregulation underlies many anxiety and addiction patterns—not as a simple "low alpha" problem, but as a loss of neural flexibility in one of the brain's most fundamental control mechanisms.
For more on SMR protocols mentioned in this session, see: SMR Neurofeedback: The Calm-Alert Brainwave