feedback system

Case Report: Impaired Memory and Disorientation Induced by Delta Band Down-Training Over the Temporal Brain Regions by Neurofeedback Treatment

Rhythms of Healing: A Case Study

Imagine for a moment living with a brain that cannot remember a simple tune or even a few words to a song, a brain that does not recall that there is music to life.

Applicability of brain wave biofeedback to substance use disorder in adolescents

Neurofeedback treatment for addictions in adults is probably efficacious, and several reported approaches are described with their indications. Neurofeedback is promising as a treatment modality for adolescents, especially those with stimulant abuse and attention and conduct problems. It is attractive as a medication-free, neurophysiologic, and self-actualizing treatment for a substance-based, brain-impaired and self-defeating disorder. More research, beginning with case reporting, is needed to assess use and efficacy in adolescents.

Neurofeedback with anxiety and affective disorders

A robust body of neurophysiologic research is reviewed on functional brain abnormalities associated with depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. A review of more recent research finds that pharmacologic treatment may not be as effective as previously believed. A more recent neuroscience technology, electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback (neurofeedback), seems to hold promise as a methodology for retraining abnormal brain wave patterns. It has been associated with minimal side effects and is less invasive than other methods for addressing biologic brain disorders. Literature is reviewed on the use of neurofeedback with anxiety disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and with depression. Case examples are provided.

Temporal Lobes and Their Importance in Neurofeedback

A review is presented on temporal lobe function and various conditions that are associated with the temporal lobes that have implications for both careful assessment and neurofeedback.

EEG biofeedback vs. placebo treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A pilot study

Method: Seven children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were trained using a standard EEG biofeedback treatment protocol designed to alter SMR/theta ratios and reduce behavioral symptomatology diagnostic of ADHD. During alternate periods they were also trained using a placebo protocol that was identical to the treatment protocol, save that the association between EEG patterns and feedback to the participants was random. Single-case design elements were used to control for the effects of internal validity threats such as maturation, history, and treatment order. Two participants failed to complete all training sessions, and the effects of training on behavior were analyzed both including and excluding these non-completers. Results: When all participants were included in analyses that controlled for overall trend, EEG biofeedback was found to be no more effective than the placebo control condition involving non-contingent feedback, and neither procedure resulted in improvements relative to baseline levels. When overall behavioral trends unrelated to training were not controlled for and noncompleters were excluded from the analysis, it could be mistakenly concluded that EEG biofeedback is significantly more effective than placebo and that the effect sizes involved are moderate to large. These results indicate that many previous reports of the efficacy of EEG biofeedback for ADHD, particularly those presenting series of single cases, might well have been based on spurious findings.