Neurofeedback Research Articles

PET Imaging of Dopamine Neurotransmission During EEG Neurofeedback.

Neurofeedback (NFB) is a brain-based training method that enables users to control their own cortical oscillations using real-time feedback from the electroencephalogram (EEG). Importantly, no investigations to date have directly explored the potential impact of NFB on the brain’s key neuromodulatory systems. Our study’s objective was to assess the capacity of NFB to induce dopamine release as revealed by positron emission tomography (PET). Thirty-two healthy volunteers were randomized to either EEG-neurofeedback (NFB) or EEG-electromyography (EMG), and scanned while performing self-regulation during a single session of dynamic PET brain imaging using the high affinity D2/3 receptor radiotracer, [18F]Fallypride. NFB and EMG groups down-regulated cortical alpha power and facial muscle tone, respectively. Task-induced effects on endogenous dopamine release were estimated in the frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and thalamus, using the linearized simplified reference region model (LSRRM), which accounts for time-dependent changes in radiotracer binding following task initiation. Contrary to our hypothesis of a differential effect for NFB vs. EMG training, significant dopamine release was observed in both training groups in the frontal and anterior cingulate cortex, but not in thalamus. Interestingly, a significant negative correlation was observed between dopamine release in frontal cortex and pre-to-post NFB change in spontaneous alpha power, suggesting that intra-individual changes in brain state (i.e., alpha power) could partly result from changes in neuromodulatory tone. Overall, our findings constitute the first direct investigation of neurofeedback’s effect on the endogenous release of a key neuromodulator, demonstrating its feasibility and paving the way for future studies using this methodology.

Effect of Neurofeedback Training on Aggression and Impulsivity in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction:Aggression and impulsivity are some of the behavioral symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Neurofeedback (NF) training has been suggested as a promising treatment in these children. This study aimed to investigate the effect of NF training on aggression and impulsivity in schoolchildren with ADHD.Methods:A total of 40 male elementary school children with ADHD (aged 11.17±0.97 years) were randomized into the NF and sham groups. The NF group received 12 NF training sessions, each taking about 60 minutes for six consecutive weeks (twice a week), based on the Hammond protocol. The subjects’ parents were questioned to evaluate the outcomes, including aggression and impulsivity, using the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS).Results:After the intervention, in the NF group, the BPAQ score changed from 87.60±9.33 to 81±7.23 and the BIS score from 94.7±7.25 to 88.05±5.4, which were significant (P=0.001). The results indicated the large effect size of NF on aggression and impulsivity in ADHD.Conclusion:Our findings suggest NF training as a clinically applicable method for decreasing aggression and impulsivity, also support concurrent use of medication and NF training in children with ADHD.

Neurofeedback therapy for the management of multiple sclerosis symptoms: current knowledge and future perspectives.

Fatigue is a frequent and debilitating symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Affective manifestations are also of high prevalence in this population and can drastically impact the patients' functioning. A considerable proportion of patients with MS suffer from cognitive deficits affecting general and social cognitive domains. In addition, pain in MS is commonly observed in neurology wards, could be of different types, and may result from or be exacerbated by other MS comorbidities. These complaints tend to cluster together in some patients and seem to have a complex pathophysiology and a challenging management. Exploring the effects of new interventions could improve these outcomes and ameliorate the patients' quality of life. Neurofeedback (NFB) might have its place in this context by enhancing or reducing the activity of some regions in specific electroencephalographic bands (i.e., theta, alpha, beta, sensorimotor rhythm). This work briefly revisits the principles of NFB and its application. The published data are scarce and heterogeneous yet suggest preliminary evidence on the potential utility of NFB in patients with MS (i.e., depression, fatigue, cognitive deficits and pain). NFB is simple to adapt and easy to coach, and its place in the management of MS symptoms merits further investigations. Comparing different NFB protocols (i.e., cortical target, specific rhythm, session duration and number) and performing a comprehensive evaluation could help developing and optimizing interventions targeting specific symptoms. These aspects could also open the way for the association of this technique with other approaches (i.e., brain stimulation, cognitive rehabilitation, exercise training, psychotherapies) that have proved their worth in some MS domains.

Application of Latent Growth Curve modeling to predict individual trajectories during neurofeedback treatment for tinnitus.

Tinnitus is a heterogeneous phenomenon indexed by various EEG oscillatory profiles. Applying neurofeedback (NFB) with the aim of changing these oscillatory patterns not only provides help for those who suffer from the phantom percept, but a promising foundation from which to probe influential factors. The reliable attribution of influential factors that potentially predict oscillatory changes during the course of NFB training may lead to the identification of subgroups of individuals that are more or less responsive to NFB training. The present study investigated oscillatory trajectories of delta (3-4Hz) and individual alpha (8.5-12Hz) during 15 NFB training sessions, based on a Latent Growth Curve framework. First, we found the desired enhancement of alpha, while delta was stable throughout the NFB training. Individual differences in tinnitus-specific variables and general-, as well as health-related quality of life predictors were largely unrelated to oscillatory change prior to and across the training. Only the predictors age and sex at baseline were clearly related to slow-wave delta, particularly so for older female individuals who showed higher delta power values from the start. Second, we confirmed a hierarchical cross-frequency association between the two frequency bands; however, in opposing directions to those anticipated in tinnitus. The establishment of individually tailored NFB protocols would boost this therapy's effectiveness in the treatment of tinnitus. In our analysis, we propose a conceptual groundwork toward this goal of developing more targeted treatment.

МЕТОДЫ КОРРЕКЦИИ РАЗВИТИЯ ДЕТЕЙ С АУТИЗМОМ НА ОСНОВЕ БИОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ ОБРАТНОЙ СВЯЗИ ПО ЭЭГ

The article provides an overview of scientific works devoted to methods of correcting the development of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) based on EEG biofeedback (neurofeedback). According to the World Health Organization, one in 160 children are currently diagnosed with ASD. In 2018, about 0.1 % of the child population in Russia suffered from autism. Moreover, the incidence of the disease is increasing every year. Genetic disorders are the most likely cause of ASD. Dysfunctions of 69 genes are highly likely to cause ASD. Most of these genes are pleiotropic. They affect the proliferation, differentiation and migration of nerve cells, the growth of axons and synaptogenesis, the synthesis of neurotransmitters and the development of receptors for them. Several genes involved in the development of ASD undergo epigenetic modifications under the influence of the environment and pathogens. The key in the onset of ASD is probably a violation of the synaptic pruning process. Pruning is necessary to reduce redundant connections and improve the efficiency of the central nervous system. Based on this, the researchers put forward a hypothesis explaining the symptoms of ASD as a result of a violation of structural and functional brain connectivity. Such disturbances are likely to cause abnormalities in the functioning of the brain mirror system (BMS). Disorders of the synaptic organization of the brain correlate with indicators of cognitive, emotional and behavioral tests, EEG characteristics. The study of phase coherence in several EEG frequency ranges demonstrated the presence of global hypo- and local hyper-connectivity in patients with ASD. The absence of suppression or desynchronization of the mu rhythm may indicate a malfunction of the BMS. The child’s brain is highly plastic. Therefore, early corrective intervention can improve the developmental outcomes of a child with ASD. Modern research demonstrates the possibility of effective application of neurofeedback for the correction of the disease. One of the strategies is the use of neurofeedback trainings to reduce anxiety in children with ASD. Another strategy is aimed at regulating the coherence of EEG signals. Researchers consider the most promising strategy for learning mu rhythm modulation using neurofeedback. This neurofeedback protocol affects the functioning of the BMS. According to the research results, after the neurofeedback trainings, the normalization of the functional cerebral connectivity according to the mu rhythm was established. Further research in this direction can become the basis for the most effective methods of treating ASD.

ВОЗРАСТНЫЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ БЕТА-РИТМОВ ЭЭГ У ДЕТЕЙ 4-15 ЛЕТ В СОСТОЯНИИ УСТОЙЧИВОГО ЗРИТЕЛЬНОГО ВНИМАНИЯ

One of the reliable parameters for assessing the bioelectrical activity of the brain in children is the relative power (RP) of the EEG. Previous results have shown that EEG RP systematically changes not only depending on age, but also with various developmental disorders. The beta rhythm RP is of particular interest when performing tasks requiring the involvement of cognitive functions. In connection with the above, the purpose of the present study was to identify and analyze the RP of beta1 and beta2 EEG rhythms in a state of stable visual attention (SVА) in children 4–15 years old. The study involved 159 children (82 girls and 77 boys) aged 4–15 years with a normal level of physical and mental development. In the present study, children were required to observe and reproduce the movements of a computer mouse. At the same time, at certain moments, an image of a stationary computer mouse was presented, which was accompanied by a request to look at the computer screen, in connection with which both voluntary and involuntary attention of the subjects was activated. The use of the SVА situation makes it possible to analyze the nature of differences in the EEG pattern of children, taking into account the data on the neurophysiological mechanisms of attention. The greatest increase in the RP of the EEG beta1 rhythm found in the age range of 7–12. For the beta2 rhythm, the greatest increase discovered in the period of 10–15 years. The obtained values of the RP of the beta1 and beta2 rhythms of the EEG, recorded in the state of stable visual attention, in children of different ages can be used as reference data in the relevant research areas, as well as in the development of correction protocols for the cognitive functions and psychoemotional state using EEG biofeedback. The age-related dynamics of the beta rhythm RP can serve as an indicator of the maturation of cortical inhibition processes in children, which underlie the formation of voluntary cognitive functions and conscious purposeful behavior.

The Effect of Quantitative Electroencephalography-Based Neurofeedback Therapy on Anxiety, Depression, and Emotion Regulation in People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Introduction:Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most common anxiety disorders that has significant adverse effects on social functioning, occupational/academic performance, and daily living. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG)-based Neurofeedback (NFB) therapy on anxiety, depression, and emotion regulation of people with GAD.Methods:This research is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test/follow-up design and a control group. The study participants were 29 college students with GAD living in Zanjan City, Iran, who were selected using a convenience sampling method. Then, they were randomly divided into two groups of intervention (n=15) and control (n=14). The protocol of NFB therapy was designed based on the QEEG method. The intervention group received QEEG-based NFB therapy for 8 weeks (20 sessions, 2 sessions per week, each session for 45 min), while the control group received no intervention. The samples were surveyed and measured by using a 7-item GAD scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS), and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID) before and after the intervention and then at a 3-month follow-up. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software V. 22 using univariate ANCOVA and repeated measures ANOVA.Results:The within-subjects effect of time (pre-test, post-test, and follow-up) was statistically significant (P=0.031). The intervention group showed significant changes in the post-test and follow-up phases in comparison with the control group. The anxiety and depression levels of patients reduced significantly (P=0.001), and their emotion regulation improved (P=0.001) after the intervention, and they remained unchanged in the follow-up period.Conclusion:QEEG-based NFB therapy can reduce anxiety and depression and improve emotion regulation in patients with GAD.

Upregulation of Supplementary Motor Area Activation with fMRI Neurofeedback during Motor Imagery.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback (NF) is a promising tool to study the relationship between behavior and brain activity. It enables people to self-regulate their brain signal. Here, we applied fMRI NF to train healthy participants to increase activity in their supplementary motor area (SMA) during a motor imagery (MI) task of complex body movements while they received a continuous visual feedback signal. This signal represented the activity of participants’ localized SMA regions in the NF group and a prerecorded signal in the control group (sham feedback). In the NF group only, results showed a gradual increase in SMA-related activity across runs. This upregulation was largely restricted to the SMA, while other regions of the motor network showed no, or only marginal NF effects. In addition, we found behavioral changes, i.e., shorter reaction times in a Go/No-go task after the NF training only. These results suggest that NF can assist participants to develop greater control over a specifically targeted motor region involved in motor skill learning. The results contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of SMA NF based on MI with a direct implication for rehabilitation of motor dysfunctions.

Z-score neurofeedback, heart rate variability biofeedback, and brain coaching for older adults with memory concerns.

Background:The three-month, multi-domain Memory Boot Camp program incorporates z-score neurofeedback (NFB), heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback, and one-on-one coaching to teach memory skills and encourage behavior change in diet, sleep, physical fitness, and stress reduction.Objective:This prospective trial evaluates the Memory Boot Camp program for adults ages 55 to 85 with symptoms of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and subjective memory complaints.Methods:Participants were evaluated via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), NeuroTrax Global Cognitive Score, measures of anxiety, depression, sleep, quality of life, quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG), and HRV parameters at four timepoints: baseline, pre-program, post-program, and follow-up. The trial included a three-month waiting period between baseline and pre-program, such that each participant acted as their own control, and follow-up took place six months after completion of the program.Results:Participants’ MoCA scores and self-reported measures of anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and quality of life improved after treatment, and these changes were maintained at follow-up. Physiological changes in HRV parameters after treatment were not significant, however, breathing rate and QEEG parameters were improved at post-program and maintained at follow-up. Finally, participants’ improvement in MoCA score over the treatment period was correlated with their improvement in two brain oscillation parameters targeted by the z-score NFB protocol: relative power of delta and relative power of theta.Conclusions:Trial results suggest that the Memory Boot Camp program is a promising treatment strategy for older adults with symptoms of MCI and subjective memory complaints.

Prefrontal Asymmetry BCI Neurofeedback Datasets.

Prefrontal cortex (PFC) asymmetry is an important marker in affective neuroscience and has attracted significant interest, having been associated with studies of motivation, eating behavior, empathy, risk propensity, and clinical depression. The data presented in this paper are the result of three different experiments using PFC asymmetry neurofeedback (NF) as a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) paradigm, rather than a therapeutic mechanism aiming at long-term effects, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) which is known to be particularly well-suited to the study of PFC asymmetry and is less sensitive to artifacts. From an experimental perspective the BCI context brings more emphasis on individual subjects' baselines, successful and sustained activation during epochs, and minimal training. The subject pool is also drawn from the general population, with less bias toward specific behavioral patterns, and no inclusion of any patient data. We accompany our datasets with a detailed description of data formats, experiment and protocol designs, as well as analysis of the individualized metrics for definitions of success scores based on baseline thresholds as well as reference tasks. The work presented in this paper is the result of several experiments in the domain of BCI where participants are interacting with continuous visual feedback following a real-time NF paradigm, arising from our long-standing research in the field of affective computing. We offer the community access to our fNIRS datasets from these experiments. We specifically provide data drawn from our empirical studies in the field of affective interactions with computer-generated narratives as well as interfacing with algorithms, such as heuristic search, which all provide a mechanism to improve the ability of the participants to engage in active BCI due to their realistic visual feedback. Beyond providing details of the methodologies used where participants received real-time NF of left-asymmetric increase in activation in their dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), we re-establish the need for carefully designing protocols to ensure the benefits of NF paradigm in BCI are enhanced by the ability of the real-time visual feedback to adapt to the individual responses of the participants. Individualized feedback is paramount to the success of NF in BCIs.

Improving Cognitive Workload in Radiation Therapists: A Pilot EEG Neurofeedback Study.

Radiation therapy therapists (RTTs) face challenging daily tasks that leave them prone to high attrition and burnout and subsequent deficits in performance. Here, we employed an accelerated alpha-theta neurofeedback (NF) protocol that is implementable in a busy medical workplace to test if 12 RTTs could learn the protocol and exhibit behavior and brain performance-related benefits. Following the 3-week protocol, participants showed a decrease in subjective cognitive workload and a decrease in response time during a performance task, as well as a decrease in desynchrony of the alpha electroencephalogram (EEG) band. Additionally, novel microstate analysis for neurofeedback showed a significant decrease in global field power (GFP) following neurofeedback. These results suggest that the RTTs successfully learned the protocol and improved in perceived cognitive workload following 3 weeks of neurofeedback. In sum, this study presents promising behavioral improvements as well as brain performance-related evidence of neurophysiological changes following neurofeedback, supporting the feasibility of implementing neurofeedback in a busy workplace and encouraging the further study of neurofeedback as a tool to mitigate burnout.

Neurofeedback reduced medication for ADHD but not inattention

Many parents are opposed to the idea of stimulant medication for their child's moderate to severe attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), even though it is the first‐line recommended treatment. A recent study has found that neurofeedback (NF), even though it had no effect at either the end of treatment or at the 13‐month follow‐up based on inattention only, did result in the need for less medication.

Short-delay neurofeedback facilitates training of the parietal alpha rhythm

Objective. Feedback latency was shown to be a critical parameter in a range of applications that imply learning. The therapeutic effects of neurofeedback (NFB) remain controversial. We hypothesized that often encountered unreliable results of NFB intervention could be associated with large feedback latency values that are often uncontrolled and may preclude the efficient learning. Approach. We engaged our subjects into a parietal alpha power unpregulating paradigm facilitated by visual NFB based on the individually extracted envelope of the alpha-rhythm at P4 electrode. NFB was displayed either as soon as electroencephalographic (EEG) envelope was processed, or with an extra 250 or 500 ms delay. The feedback training consisted of 15 two-minute long blocks interleaved with 15 s pauses. We have also recorded 2 min long baselines immediately before and after the training. Main results. The time course of NFB-induced changes in the alpha rhythm power clearly depended on NFB latency, as shown with the adaptive Neyman test. NFB had a strong effect on the alpha-spindle incidence rate, but not on their duration or amplitude. The sustained changes in alpha activity measured after the completion of NFB training were negatively correlated to latency, with the maximum change for the shortest tested latency and no change for the longest. Significance. Here we for the first time show that visual NFB of parietal EEG alpha-activity is efficient only when delivered to human subjects at short latency, which guarantees that NFB arrives when an alpha spindle is still ongoing. Such a considerable effect of NFB latency on the alpha-activity temporal structure could explain some of the previous inconsistent results, where latency was neither controlled nor documented. Clinical practitioners and manufacturers of NFB equipment should add latency to their specifications while enabling latency monitoring and supporting short-latency operations.

The Effects of Theta EEG Neurofeedback on the Consolidation of Spatial Memory.

How can the stability of a recently acquired memory be improved? Recent findings regarding the importance of theta frequency EEG activity in the hippocampus suggest that entraining neural activity in that frequency band might increase post-encoding waking replay, reinforcing learning-related plasticity. Our previous studies revealed that upregulating postlearning theta power using EEG neurofeedback (NFB) significantly benefitted procedural and episodic memory performance (both immediate and delayed), and may provide optimal conditions for stabilization of new memories. We have now explored whether memory benefits of theta NFB generalize to delayed spatial memory, an additional hippocampus-dependent process. Participants learned to associate object images with locations on a computer screen. NFB was used to enable participants to selectively increase scalp EEG theta power for 30 minutes. Visuo-spatial memory was tested one week later, with the theta NFB participants compared with 2 control groups (beta-augmentation NFB as an active control group, and an additional passive control group that did not engage in NFB). Theta upregulation was found to improve visuo-spatial memory, as reflected in reduced error distances in location marking and faster reaction time for correct answers by the theta group. This supports the contention that theta upregulation immediately after learning strengthens early consolidation of visuo-spatial memory. This intervention could potentially benefit various memory-challenged populations, as well as healthy individuals.

Изменение полной мощности бета- и тета-диапазонов при использовании ЭЭГ-биоуправления у младших школьников с трудностями произвольной регуляции

This article presents the results of the study on spectral electroencephalogram (EEG) characteristics in 7–10-year-old children (8 girls and 22 boys) having difficulties with voluntary regulation of activity after 10 and 20 neurofeedback sessions using beta-activating training. Brain bioelectric activity was recorded in 16 standard leads using the Neuron-Spectrum-4/VPM complex. The dynamics was assessed by EEG beta and theta bands during neurofeedback. An increase in the total power of beta band oscillations was established both after 10 and after 20 sessions of EEG biofeedback in the frontal (p ≤ 0.001), left parietal (p ≤ 0.036), and temporal (p ≤ 0.003) areas of the brain. A decrease in the spectral characteristics of theta band oscillations was detected: after 10 neurofeedback sessions in the frontal (p ≤ 0.008) and temporal (p ≤ 0.006) areas of both hemispheres, as well as in the parietal area of the left hemisphere (p ≤ 0.005); after 20 sessions, in the central (p ≤ 0.004), frontal (p ≤ 0.001) and temporal (p ≤ 0.001) areas of both hemispheres, as well as in the occipital (p ≤ 0.047) and parietal (p ≤ 0.001) areas of the left hemisphere. The study into the dynamics of bioelectric activity during biofeedback using EEG parameters in 7–10-year-old children with impaired voluntary regulation of higher mental functions allowed us to prove the advisability of 20 sessions, as the increase in high-frequency activity and decrease in low-frequency activity do not stop with the 10th session. Changes in these parameters after 10 EEG biofeedback sessions are expressed mainly in the frontotemporal areas of both hemispheres, while after a course of 20 sessions, in both the frontotemporal and central parietal areas of the brain.

Neurofeedback no better than sham for ADHD inattention, but did reduce medication

Neurofeedback (NF) for moderate to severe attention‐deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children had no effect at either the end of treatment or at the 13‐month follow‐up, according to a recent study.

An EEG channel selection method for motor imagery based brain–computer interface and neurofeedback using Granger causality

Motor imagery (MI) brain–computer interface (BCI) and neurofeedback (NF) with electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are commonly used for motor function improvement in healthy subjects and to restore neurological functions in stroke patients. Generally, in order to decrease noisy and redundant information in unrelated EEG channels, channel selection methods are used which provide feasible BCI and NF implementations with better performances. Our assumption is that there are causal interactions between the channels of EEG signal in MI tasks that are repeated in different trials of a BCI and NF experiment. Therefore, a novel method for EEG channel selection is proposed which is based on Granger causality (GC) analysis. Additionally, the machine-learning approach is used to cluster independent component analysis (ICA) components of the EEG signal into artifact and normal EEG clusters. After channel selection, using the common spatial pattern (CSP) and regularized CSP (RCSP), features are extracted and with the k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), support vector machine (SVM) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifiers, MI tasks are classified into left and right hand MI. The goal of this study is to achieve a method resulting in lower EEG channels with higher classification performance in MI-based BCI and NF by causal constraint. The proposed method based on GC, with only eight selected channels, results in 93.03% accuracy, 92.93% sensitivity, and 93.12% specificity, with RCSP feature extractor and best classifier for each subject, after being applied on Physionet MI dataset, which is increased by 3.95%, 3.73%, and 4.13%, in comparison with correlation-based channel selection method.

The effectiveness of Neurofeedback as computerbased programs for children with Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder

تهدف الى أثبات فعالية النيروفيدباک ( البرامج المستندة إلى الکمبيوتر ) کعلاج مساعد للأطفال ذوى اضطراب فرط الحرکة ونقص الأنتباة . ويعد اضطراب فرط الحرکة ونقص الأنتباة ، حالة تطورية من عدم الأنتباة والتشتت ، مع أو بدون فرط النشاط المصاحب،وهناک ثلاث أشکال أساسية من اضطراب فرط الحرکة ونقص الأنتباة الموصوفة فى الدليل التشخيصى والأحصائى (DSM-5) للجمعية الأمريکية للطب النفسى وهى إما عدم الأنتباة ، أو فرط الحرکة / الأندفاعية ، وإما يجمع ما بين فرط الحرکة ونقص الأنتباة. إن مسببات اضطراب فرط الحرکة ونقص الأنتباة غير معروفة ولکن يمکن تفسيرها إلى حد کبير على العوامل الوراثية ، والبيئية الوراثية ،کما إن الأباء والأمهات والأشقاء من الأطفال الذين يعانون فرط الحرکة ونقص الأنتباة هم اکثر عرضة للأصابة بالأضطراب بمعدل مرتين إلى ثمان اضعاف عن غيرهم، مما يشير إلى المساهمات الوراثية ، کما توجد فرضيات اخرى ترجع هذا الأضطراب إلى تعرض الرحم للمواد السامة ، أو المواد الصناعية ، أو التعرض للحساسية، ولکن النظام الغذائى والسکر ليس سببا من اسباب النشاط الزائد وتشتت الأنتباة. الدراسة الحالية عبارة عن دراسة تجريبية أجريت على 10 أطفال بمرکز رايت واي الطبى لذوى الأحتياجات الخاصة فى محافظة الأسکندرية بجمهورية مصر العربية ، ومن خلال التقييم النفسى الموحد تم تشخيصهم على أنهم ADHD وفقا DSM – V وتم تقسيم العينة النى شملتهم الدراسة إلى مجموعتين رئيسيتين : 5 أطفال ADHD يخضعون لجلسات النيروفيدباک کمجموعة تجريبية ، و5 أطفال يخضعون لجلسات العلاج السلوکى کمجموعة ضابطة . وأکدت النتائج أنه تم أعطاء أطفال المجموعة التجريبية (5) أطفال من ذوى فرط الحرکة ونقص الأنتباة (12) جلسة من جلسات النيروفيدباک وتم تطبيق أختبار کونرز - قبل / وبعد الجلسات حيث أظهرت قيمة p = 0.98مع عدم وجود دلالة أحصائية. وتم أعطاء أطفال المجموعة الضابطة (5) أطفال من ذوى فرط الحرکة و نقص الأنتباة (12) جلسة من جلسات العلاج السلوکى حيث کانت قيمة p = 0.98 مع عدم وجود دلالة أحصائية. وتم قياس موجات ثيتا / بيتا لأطفال المجموعة التجريبية (5) أطفال قبل / بعد تطبيق جلسات النيروفيدباک بواقع (12) جلسة حيث کانت قيمة p =0.97 مع عدم وجود دلالة أحصائية.

Training negative connectivity patterns between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and amygdala through fMRI-based neurofeedback to target adolescent socially-avoidant behaviour

Social anxiety is prevalent in adolescence. Given its role in maintaining fears, reducing social avoidance through cognitive reappraisal may help attenuate social anxiety. We used fMRI-based neurofeedback (NF) to increase ‘adaptive’ patterns of negative connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the amygdala to change reappraisal ability, and alter social avoidance and approach behaviours in adolescents. Twenty-seven female participants aged 13–17 years with varying social anxiety levels completed a fMRI-based NF training task where they practiced cognitive reappraisal strategies, whilst receiving real-time feedback of DLPFC-amygdala connectivity. All participants completed measures of cognitive reappraisal and social approach-avoidance behaviour before and after NF training. Avoidance of happy faces was associated with greater social anxiety pre-training. Participants who were unable to acquire a more negative pattern of connectivity through NF training displayed significantly greater avoidance of happy faces at post-training compared to pre-training. These ‘maladaptive’ participants also reported significant decreases in re-appraisal ability from pre to post-training. In contrast, those who were able to acquire a more ‘adaptive’ connectivity pattern did not show these changes in social avoidance and re-appraisal. Future research could consider using strategies to improve the capacity of NF training to boost youth social-approach behaviour.

A portable neurofeedback device for treating chronic subjective tinnitus: Feasibility and results of a pilot study.

Several clinical studies have shown that neurofeedback (NFB) has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of patients complaining of chronic subjective tinnitus. Yet the clinical applicability of such a therapeutic approach in the everyday practice has not been tested so far. This study aims at investigating the feasibility and efficacy of a semi-automated NFB intervention by means of a portable device that eventually could be used by the patients at home on an everyday basis. The duration of setup procedures is minimized through the use of a dry electrodes electroencephalography (EEG) headset and an automated user-interface. We conducted a pilot clinical study (non-controlled, single arm, NCT03773926). According to a predetermined power calculation, a homogeneous population of 33 subjects with strict inclusion criteria was enrolled. After inclusion, all patients underwent 10 NFB sessions lasting 50min each, over a period of 5 weeks and a 3-month follow-up period. According to previous studies, the NFB training aimed at increasing the alpha-band power (8-12Hz) in the EEG power spectrum on the averaged signal of leads FC1, FC2, F3 and F4. Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) was used as a primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures were the visual analog scales (VAS) and the change of the alpha-band power within sessions and across training. Time points of assessment were before intervention (T1), after intervention (T2) and at the 3-month follow-up (T3). Patient exhibited a clinically significant decrease of the THI score, with a 23% decrease (N=28) on average between T1 and T2 and a 31% decrease (N=25) between T1 and T3. A significant increase of the alpha-band power within sessions was observed. No significant increase of the alpha-band power across sessions was observed. For the 19 subjects where sufficient data were exploitable, a significant correlation was found between the evolution of the alpha-band training across sessions and the evolution of the THI between T1 and T2. The sessions were well tolerated and no adverse effect was reported. This study suggests that neurofeedback has potential to suit everyday clinical practice with the goal to significantly reduce tinnitus intrusiveness. The merits and limitations of this NFB procedure are discussed, especially with respect to the choice of EEG electrodes to ensure a good signal quality.