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Research Papers

The use of EEG neurofeedback in the rehabilitation of childhood epilepsy

Kopańska, Marta, Ochojska, Danuta (2022) · Neuropsychiatria i Neuropsychologia

Epilepsy is one of the most common serious neurological disorders. Epilepsy is characterized by a long-term risk of recurring seizures. The most common are seizures. These seizures can be of different types, depending on which part of the brain is involved and the age of the person affected. People suffering from epilepsy have an increased risk of death. Various treatments are used, but the results are not always effective. Neurofeedback is used in the treatment of many diseases, thanks to this therapy the patient learns to consciously control the functions of the body. The aim of this study is to determine the state of the literature on the effectiveness of EEGv (electroencephalography) biofeedback on patients with childhood epilepsy. Epilepsy is a chronic, incurable disease involving disruptions of electrical discharges in the brain. Neurofeedback therapy, based on brain wave training, is fully justified in this matter. The English-language literature from 2014-2021 was reviewed to illustrate the state of knowledge on the above-mentioned topic. 51 papers focused on various aspects of the science of the brain and its disorders, especially epilepsy, were qualified for further analysis. It was found that the state of the literature is satisfactory to conduct independent research on its basis and it was assumed that the development of this form of therapy is an expected issue.

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Acute and chronic management of posttraumatic headache in children: A systematic review

Patterson Gentile, Carlyn, Shah, Ryan, Irwin, Samantha L., Greene, Kaitlin, Szperka, Christina L. (2021) · Headache

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this paper is to provide a compilation of the evidence for the treatment of posttraumatic headache (PTH) in the pediatric population. Headache features and timing of therapy were considered. BACKGROUND: Headache is the most common symptom following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), affecting more than 80% of children and adolescents. It is unclear whether treatment for PTH should be tailored based on headache characteristics, particularly the presence of migraine features, and/or chronicity of the headache. METHODS: Systematic literature searches of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane databases (1985-2021, limited to English) were performed, and key characteristics of included studies were entered into RedCAP® (Prospero ID CRD42020198703). Articles and conference abstracts that described randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, retrospective analyses, and case series were included. Participants included youth under 18 years of age with acute (<3 months) and persistent (≥3 months) PTH. Studies that commented on headache improvement in response to therapy were included. RESULTS: Twenty-seven unique studies met criteria for inclusion describing abortive pharmacologic therapies (9), preventative pharmacotherapies (5), neuromodulation (1), procedures (5), physical therapy and exercise (6), and behavioral therapy (2). Five RCTs were identified. Studies that focused on abortive pharmacotherapies were completed in the first 2 weeks post-mTBI, whereas other treatment modalities focused on outcomes 1 month to over 1-year post-injury. Few studies reported on migrainous features (7), personal history of migraine (7), or family history of migraine (3). CONCLUSIONS: There is limited evidence on the timing and types of therapies that are effective for treating PTH in the pediatric population. Prospective studies that account for headache characteristics and thoughtfully address the timing of therapies and outcome measurement are needed.

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The Efficacy of Neurofeedback for Pediatric Epilepsy

Nigro, Sarah E. (2019) · Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback

Approximately 470,000 children (birth to 18 years old) are afected by Epilepsy (CDC in Epilepsy. https://www.cdc.gov/epile psy/index.html, 2018). Since the initial fndings in the 1970s, Sensorimotor Rhythm (SMR) has been continuously utilized for the treatment of seizures. Studies have consistently demonstrated that SMR reduces the frequency and severity of seizure activity. Although a mix of pediatric cases, adolescents and adults have been sampled in previous studies, no age efects have been reported. There continues to be a lack of research in the area of neurofeedback for the treatment of epilepsy in the pediatric population. To date, no randomized control trial specifc to pediatric epilepsy has been published. The existing research regarding the use of neurofeedback in the treatment of epilepsy provides strong evidence that neurofeedback training might be an efective treatment for pediatric epilepsy. However, existing studies are not specifc to the pediatric population. Moreover, there is a lack of rigor in the studies in which the efects of neurofeedback in children and adolescents with epilepsy are documented. Therefore, based on the current literature, there is not enough evidence to state that neurofeedback is efcacious for the treatment of pediatric epilepsy. However, the APBB criteria for evidence-based practices indicate that neurofeedback for pediatric epilepsy is Possibly Efcacious (Level 2). Future research in which a randomized controlled trial approach is utilized will greatly help to increase support for the use of neurofeedback as an efcacious treatment for epilepsy.

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