Psychological disorders are usually diagnosed by trained psychiatrists that watch for certain behavior characteristics that are telltale signs of underlying conditions. Experience and a keen eye are often all that a doctor has to work with, often making diseases like ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) be inconsistently diagnosed from doctor to doctor.

Now a new test from NEBA Health of Augusta, Ga has been approved by the FDA that may help bring a new level of objectivity to the diagnosis of ADHD. Called EEG-Based Assessment Aid (NEBA), the system calculates the ratio between the brain’s theta and beta waves. Children with ADHD are known to have high theta/beta ratios compared with less hyperactive kids. While the new system can help identify those with such brain wave ratios, the diagnosis of ADHD still needs a combination of objective and subjective findings for an accurate conclusion. The test requires about 15-20 minutes of cooperation from the child while wearing an EEG cap, but is otherwise non-invasive and pretty much pain free, save for the discomfort of wearing the cap.