Abstract
Background: Difficulty in modulating multisensory input, specifically the sensory over-responsive (SOR) type, is linked to pain hypersensitivity and anxiety, impacting daily function and quality of life in children and adults. Reduced cortical activity recorded under resting state has been reported, suggestive of neuromodulation as a potential therapeutic modality. This feasibility study aimed to explore neurofeedback intervention in SOR. Methods: Healthy women with SOR (n = 10) underwent an experimental feasibility study comprising four measurement time points (T1—baseline; T2—preintervention; T3—postintervention; T4—follow-up). Outcome measures included resting-state EEG recording, in addition to behavioral assessments of life satisfaction, attaining functional goals, pain sensitivity, and anxiety. Intervention targeted the upregulation of alpha oscillatory power over ten sessions. Results: No changes were detected in all measures between T1 and T2. Exploring the changes in brain activity between T2 and T4 revealed power enhancement in delta, theta, beta, and gamma oscillatory bands, detected in the frontal region (p = 0.03–<0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.637–1.126) but not in alpha oscillations. Furthermore, a large effect was found in enhancing life satisfaction and goal attainment (Cohen’s d = 1.18; 1.04, respectively), and reduced pain sensitivity and anxiety trait (Cohen’s d = 0.70). Conclusion: This is the first study demonstrating the feasibility of neurofeedback intervention in SOR.
Highlights
Sensory over-responsiveness (SOR), a sensory processing neurodevelopmental alteration, affects the ability to regulate adaptive responses to sensory stimulation, in single or multiple sensory modalities [1–4]
Examining the behavioral measures revealed improved scores at follow-up, and since no differences were detected between T1 and T2, as well as between T3 and T4, we believe that our findings may indicate that neurofeedback-related changes and their stability last one month post-treatment
Along the significantly increased power in frontal electrodes mentioned above, testing the clinical meaningfulness of change, we revealed moderate to very large effect size achieved via this treatment approach in otherwise healthy individuals with sensory overresponsive (SOR)
Summary
Sensory over-responsiveness (SOR), a sensory processing neurodevelopmental alteration, affects the ability to regulate adaptive responses to sensory stimulation, in single or multiple sensory modalities [1–4]. Utilizing experimental pain via psychophysical testing indicated hyperalgesia (amplified pain intensity) and lingering pain sensation [7–10], as well as altered physiological reactivity [11,12], which may suggest compromised endogenous pain modulation in otherwise healthy children and adults with. Difficulty in modulating multisensory input, the sensory overresponsive (SOR) type, is linked to pain hypersensitivity and anxiety, impacting daily function and quality of life in children and adults. Reduced cortical activity recorded under resting state has been reported, suggestive of neuromodulation as a potential therapeutic modality. This feasibility study aimed to explore neurofeedback intervention in SOR. Exploring the changes in brain activity between T2 and T4 revealed power enhancement in delta, theta, beta, and gamma oscillatory bands, detected in the frontal region (p = 0.03–
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