State Anxiety
State Anxiety affects brain function in measurable ways that QEEG brain mapping can identify. At Peak Brain Institute, we use quantitative EEG to assess individual patterns related to state anxiety, then design personalized neurofeedback protocols targeting those specific signatures. Explore our 2 research papers covering this topic.
Research Papers
Plastic modulation of PTSD resting‐state networks and subjective wellbeing by EEG neurofeedback
Objective Electroencephalographic ( EEG ) neurofeedback training has been shown to produce plastic modulations in salience network and default mode network functional connectivity in healthy individuals. In this study, we investigated whether a single session of neurofeedback training aimed at the voluntary reduction of alpha rhythm (8–12 Hz) amplitude would be related to differences in EEG network oscillations, functional MRI ( fMRI ) connectivity, and subjective measures of state anxiety and arousal in a group of individuals with post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method Twenty‐one individuals with PTSD related to childhood abuse underwent 30 min of EEG neurofeedback training preceded and followed by a resting‐state fMRI scan. Results Alpha desynchronizing neurofeedback was associated with decreased alpha amplitude during training, followed by a significant increase (‘rebound’) in resting‐state alpha synchronization. This rebound was linked to increased calmness, greater salience network connectivity with the right insula, and enhanced default mode network connectivity with bilateral posterior cingulate, right middle frontal gyrus, and left medial prefrontal cortex. Conclusion Our study represents a first step in elucidating the potential neurobehavioural mechanisms mediating the effects of neurofeedback treatment on regulatory systems in PTSD . Moreover, it documents for the first time a spontaneous EEG ‘rebound’ after neurofeedback, pointing to homeostatic/compensatory mechanisms operating in the brain.
View Full Paper →Biofeedback as a placebo: Anxiety reduction facilitated by training in either suppression or enhancement of alpha brainwaves
Assessed the differential effects (on experiential reports of anxiety) of actual performance and perceived success at an EEG biofeedback task. 10 college students who were high in trait anxiety (MMPI, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) underwent training in either the suppression of enhancement of EEG alpha activity with the expectation that success at their biofeedback task would result in reductions of chronic anxiety levels. Both groups experienced significant reductions in both trait and state anxiety. Anxiety reductions were highly correlated with the trainees' ratings of perceived success at the feedback task but were unrelated to either the direction or magnitude of the changes in their alpha activity. (27 ref)
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