Sensorimotor Rhythm Neurofeedback Research Articles

Impact of sensorimotor rhythm neurofeedback on quality of life in patients with medically-refractory seizures

Introduction: Published studies suggest that augmentation of the sensorimotor rhythm (SMR), a commonly used neurofeedback protocol for patients with epilepsy, changes thalamocortical regulatory systems and increases cortical excitation thresholds. Recent meta-analyses showed that at least 50% of patients with medically refractory epilepsy had a post-therapy reduction in seizure frequency after neurofeedback training. However, data on neurofeedback outcomes outside of seizure frequency are limited. Methods: The records for all consecutive patients trained using SMR neurofeedback in the University of Colorado Neurofeedback Clinic prior to March 2015 (n = 9) were retrospectively reviewed, abstracted, and analyzed. Patients completed the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 (QOLIE-31) survey as a part of their clinic intake interview and at intervals throughout their training. Results: 214 total training sessions were reviewed. The average total QOLIE-31 baseline score in our patients was 49.3 ± 8.8. Seven patients completed follow-up QOLIE-31 surveys with an average score of 54.9 ± 6.5. Seventy-eight percent of the patients had improvement in their QOLIE-31 scores with training. The largest absolute improvements were in the seizure worry and cognitive subscores of the QOLIE-31. Conclusion: In this small case series, SMR neurofeedback training modestly improved short-term follow-up QOLIE-31 scores in patients with epilepsy.

Sensorimotor Rhythm Neurofeedback Enhances Golf Putting Performance.

Sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) activity has been related to automaticity during skilled action execution. However, few studies have bridged the causal link between SMR activity and sports performance. This study investigated the effect of SMR neurofeedback training (SMR NFT) on golf putting performance. We hypothesized that preelite golfers would exhibit enhanced putting performance after SMR NFT. Sixteen preelite golfers were recruited and randomly assigned into either an SMR or a control group. Participants were asked to perform putting while electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded, both before and after intervention. Our results showed that the SMR group performed more accurately when putting and exhibited greater SMR power than the control group after 8 intervention sessions. This study concludes that SMR NFT is effective for increasing SMR during action preparation and for enhancing golf putting performance. Moreover, greater SMR activity might be an EEG signature of improved attention processing, which induces superior putting performance.

Differential effects of theta/beta and SMR neurofeedback in ADHD on sleep onset latency.

Recent studies suggest a role for sleep and sleep problems in the etiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a recent model about the working mechanism of sensori-motor rhythm (SMR) neurofeedback, proposed that this intervention normalizes sleep and thus improves ADHD symptoms such as inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. In this study we compared adult ADHD patients (N = 19) to a control group (N = 28) and investigated if differences existed in sleep parameters such as Sleep Onset Latency (SOL), Sleep Duration (DUR) and overall reported sleep problems (PSQI) and if there is an association between sleep-parameters and ADHD symptoms. Secondly, in 37 ADHD patients we investigated the effects of SMR and Theta/Beta (TBR) neurofeedback on ADHD symptoms and sleep parameters and if these sleep parameters may mediate treatment outcome to SMR and TBR neurofeedback. In this study we found a clear continuous relationship between self-reported sleep problems (PSQI) and inattention in adults with- and without-ADHD. TBR neurofeedback resulted in a small reduction of SOL, this change in SOL did not correlate with the change in ADHD symptoms and the reduction in SOL only happened in the last half of treatment, suggesting this is an effect of symptom improvement not specifically related to TBR neurofeedback. SMR neurofeedback specifically reduced the SOL and PSQI score, and the change in SOL and change in PSQI correlated strongly with the change in inattention, and the reduction in SOL was achieved in the first half of treatment, suggesting the reduction in SOL mediated treatment response to SMR neurofeedback. Clinically, TBR and SMR neurofeedback had similar effects on symptom reduction in ADHD (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity). These results suggest differential effects and different working mechanisms for TBR and SMR neurofeedback in the treatment of ADHD.

Non-pharmacological treatment of primary insomnia using sensorimotor-rhythm neurofeedback

A non-pharmacological intervention, namely instrumental conditioning of 12–15 Hz oscillations (ISC), for improving sleep quality and memory is introduced. EEG recordings over the sensorimotor cortex show a prominent oscillatory pattern in a frequency range between 12 and 15 Hz (sensorimotor rhythm, SMR) under quiet but alert wakefulness. This frequency range is also known to be abundant during light non-rapid eye movement sleep, and is overlapping with the sleep spindle frequency band. Some early findings indicated that ISC of SMR during wakefulness can influence subsequent sleep. In the present study we intend to clarify the nature of these effects and apply neurofeedback (NFT) to insomnia patients. Twenty-four subjects (Mean = 34.83; SD = 10.60) with clinical symptoms of primary insomnia were tested. A counterbalanced within-subjects design (19 lab visits over the course of 3–6 weeks) was adopted. Each patient participated in an ISC–NFT as well as a sham-NFT training block. Polysomnographic sleep recordings were scheduled before and after training blocks. Data confirm a significant increase of 12–15 Hz activity over the course of the ten SMR training sessions which was also positiviely related to overnight memory consolidation changes.Number of awakenings were reduced and slow-wave sleep was increased following ISC but not following sham-NFT. In addition, subjective sleep quality was enhanced over the course of the trainings. Last but not least sleep spindles in slow-wave sleep were found to be exclusively enhanced after SMR training. Current results indicate that besides healthy individuals also people suffering from primary insomnia can experience subjective as well as objective benefits from ISC–NFT. Replication studies are yet awaited. Research was supported by a FWF research ( P-21154-B18 ) fund from the Austrian Science Foundation. We would like to thank Barry Sterman, Alexander Kunz, Wiebke Böning, Katharina Engl, Martina Feichtinger, Cornelia von Gamm, Daniela Tschann, Gabriela Werner, and Michaela Wittek for their support with the study.

Sensorimotor-rhythm neurofeedback and its effect on EEG and sleep quality

Event Abstract Back to Event Sensorimotor-rhythm neurofeedback and its effect on EEG and sleep quality Manuel Schabus1*, Hermann Griessenberger1, Kerstin Hoedlmoser1, Dominik Heib1, Julia Lechinger1, Nicole Chwala-Schlegel1 and Wolfgang Klimesch2 1 Lab for Sleep & Consciousness, Univ. of Salzburg, Austria 2 Oscillations, Brain & Thinking Laboratory, Univ. of Salzburg, Germany A non-pharmacological intervention, namely instrumental conditioning of 12-15 Hz oscillations (ISC), for improving sleep quality and memory is introduced. EEG recordings over the sensorimotor cortex show a prominent oscillatory pattern in a frequency range between 12-15 Hz (i.e., sensorimotor rhythm, SMR) under quiet but alert wakefulness. This frequency range is also known to be abundant during light non-rapid eye movement sleep, and is overlapping with the sleep spindle frequency band. Some early findings indicated that ISC during wakefulness can influence subsequent sleep. In the present study we intend to clarify the nature of these effects and apply neurofeedback (NFT) to insomnia patients. Twenty-four subjects (M = 34.83; SD = 10.60) with clinical symptoms of primary insomnia were tested. A counterbalanced within-subjects design (19 lab visits over the course of 3-6 weeks) was adopted. Each patient participated in an ISC-NFT as well as a sham-NFT training block. Polysomnographic sleep recordings were scheduled before and after training blocks. First analysis confirms a significant increase of 12-15Hz activity over the course of the ten SMR training sessions (t= -2.24, p <. 05). In addition, subjective sleep quality was enhanced over the course of the trainings (t= 6.32, p < .001). Furthermore sleep onset latency was tendentiously reduced after ISC (t= 2.05, p = .052) but not after sham-NFT, and more so for “SMR training responders”. Last but not least slow sleep spindles in slow-wave-sleep were found to be exclusively enhanced after SMR trainings. Current results indicate that besides healthy individuals also people suffering from primary insomnia can experience subjective as well as objective benefits from ISC-NFT. Funding: Supported by Austrian Science Fund (FWF) - P21154. Keywords: EEG, Neuropsychiatry Conference: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI), Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 25 Sep - 29 Sep, 2011. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster Sessions: Neuropsychiatric Applications Citation: Schabus M, Griessenberger H, Hoedlmoser K, Heib D, Lechinger J, Chwala-Schlegel N and Klimesch W (2011). Sensorimotor-rhythm neurofeedback and its effect on EEG and sleep quality. Conference Abstract: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2011.207.00235 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 21 Nov 2011; Published Online: 28 Nov 2011. * Correspondence: Prof. Manuel Schabus, Lab for Sleep & Consciousness, Univ. of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria, manuel.schabus@sbg.ac.at Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Manuel Schabus Hermann Griessenberger Kerstin Hoedlmoser Dominik Heib Julia Lechinger Nicole Chwala-Schlegel Wolfgang Klimesch Google Manuel Schabus Hermann Griessenberger Kerstin Hoedlmoser Dominik Heib Julia Lechinger Nicole Chwala-Schlegel Wolfgang Klimesch Google Scholar Manuel Schabus Hermann Griessenberger Kerstin Hoedlmoser Dominik Heib Julia Lechinger Nicole Chwala-Schlegel Wolfgang Klimesch PubMed Manuel Schabus Hermann Griessenberger Kerstin Hoedlmoser Dominik Heib Julia Lechinger Nicole Chwala-Schlegel Wolfgang Klimesch Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.