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To evaluate the evidences related to the effectiveness of neurofeedback treatment for people with OCD. A literature review and meta-analysis of current controlled trials for patients with OCD symptoms was conducted across different databases. So, the primary outcome measure was OCD symptoms in subjects based on DSM IV. Y-BOCS was considered as prim...
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Context 1
... elements such as symptom reduction, type of pharmacotherapy and outcomes measured were not considered as target of analysis. Figure 1 provides all information related to the number of initial trials and the complementary process of inclusion and exclusion. Included trials were double checked by authors at each phase and any disagreement was resolved by referring to documentary studies. ...
Citations
... It may be particularly appealing for some individuals as it does not require individuals to re-live their trauma experience as part of therapy. Neurofeedback is currently used in clinical and healthy populations to treat a range of psychological conditions (Niv, 2013), including obsessive-compulsive disorder (Zafarmand et al., 2022), PTSD, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, addiction, and cognitive deficits associated with ADHD and autism (Loriette et al., 2021). Neurofeedback is also used in performance enhancement, such as improved cognitive functions, sleep quality (Loriette et al., 2021), affect, creativity , and executive function (Viviani and Vallesi, 2021). ...
Improved neural understanding of posttraumatic growth (PTG) is required for effective trauma care. PTG is the advantageous psychological change some individuals derive from their struggle to overcome trauma. This comprehensive review critically examined the limited neural PTG research, to identify electrophysiological training targets for future research examining neurofeedback to enhance PTG, and provides novel insights into the emerging neural theory of PTG. PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) informed the process. Findings from the studies N=8 (participants N=765) revealed PTG was correlated with left-lateralised alpha frequency power patterns. Specifically, PTG was associated with lower left frontal alpha power, higher left central alpha power, and lower parietal alpha power. Differences between studies may identify different components of PTG-related neural circuitry, or represent variations in PTG and sub-factor strength, mechanistic differences between studies, or the potential confounding presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While lower alpha power has been associated with higher PTSD in existing literature, higher left central alpha power was associated with lower PTSD. Therefore, alpha upregulation neurofeedback delivered over the sensorimotor cortices of the brain, around left central EEG electrode C3, presented the most promising neurofeedback target.
... Vernon et al. (2003) asserted that prior research suggests neurofeedback may be effective in treating a variety of early childhood disorders. Including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Asperger's disorder, learning disability, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (McVoy et al., 2019;Naeimian et al., 2020;Direito et al., 2021;Riesco-Matías et al., 2021;Zafarmand et al., 2022). Several randomized clinical studies on the use of neurofeedback techniques for ADHD have demonstrated the efficacy of neurofeedback (Gevensleben et al., 2009;Sonuga-Barke et al., 2013;Micoulaud-Franchi et al., 2014;Cortese et al., 2016;Young et al., 2017). ...
Introduction
This study conducts a bibliometric analysis on neurofeedback research to assess its current state and potential future developments.
Methods
It examined 3,626 journal articles from the Web of Science (WoS) using co-citation and co-word methods.
Results
The co-citation analysis identified three major clusters: “Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback and Self-Regulation of Brain Activity,” “EEG Neurofeedback and Cognitive Performance Enhancement,” and “Treatment of ADHD Using Neurofeedback.” The co-word analysis highlighted four key clusters: “Neurofeedback in Mental Health Research,” “Brain-Computer Interfaces for Stroke Rehabilitation,” “Neurofeedback for ADHD in Youth,” and “Neural Mechanisms of Emotion and Self-Regulation with Advanced Neuroimaging.
Discussion
This in-depth bibliometric study significantly enhances our understanding of the dynamic field of neurofeedback, indicating its potential in treating ADHD and improving performance. It offers non-invasive, ethical alternatives to conventional psychopharmacology and aligns with the trend toward personalized medicine, suggesting specialized solutions for mental health and rehabilitation as a growing focus in medical practice.
... Previous research has examined the potential of neurofeedback as a treatment for OCD and related disorders, indicating it as a safe alternative with similar e cacy to behavioural and pharmaceutical interventions (Ferreira et al., 2019;Hammond, 2003;Zafarmand et al., 2022). As these studies outline, neurofeedback seems to facilitate a reduction in OCD symptomatology by modulating speci c brain wave frequencies which might be associated with rumination and cognitive avoidance as vital contributors to the disorder's persistence, explaining the improvement observed in the current study, which can be attributed to neurofeedback's effect enhancing self-regulation capacities, enabling patients to manage intrusive thoughts and maladaptive avoidance strategies better, associated with rumination and The ndings of this study can be translated into practical implications for mental health practitioners. ...
Introduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric condition characterised by persistent, intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviours. This study assesses the impact of qEEG-assisted neurofeedback on two critical components of OCD: rumination, a maladaptive focus on problem causes and consequences, and cognitive avoidance (CA), the tendency to evade distressing thoughts aiming to evaluate neurofeedback’s effectiveness in reducing rumination and CA severity in patients with OCD.
Methods: This controlled prospective clinical trial with parallel design included patients diagnosed with OCD, with Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YB-OCS) scores ≥ 16. Subjects were alternately assigned to either the neurofeedback or control groups maintaining a 1:1 ratio. The neurofeedback group underwent 25 sessions over six weeks, with outcomes measured through the Rumination Response Scale (RRS) and the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ) pre- and post-intervention.
Results: Of the initial cohort, 30 participants finished the study. Significant reductions in Rumination and CA were observed in the neurofeedback group with multivariate ANCOVA showing a significant impact on CAQ and RRS scores (Lambda Wilks p = 0.001) and univariate ANCOVA indicating marked decreases in CA (p = 0.001, Eta² = 0.687) and Rumination (p = 0.001, Eta Squared = 0.636) compared to controls.
Discussion: The findings substantiate qEEG-assisted neurofeedback’s role in significantly reducing rumination and cognitive avoidance in OCD, indicating neurofeedback’s potential to modulate brain regions implicated in OCD pathology, such as orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulate, thus enhancing self-regulation and reducing symptoms.
Limitations: Limitations include no long-term follow-up, reliance on self-report measures, a small, single-centred sample, and convenience sampling, all of which affect the generalizability of the results.
INTRODUCTION
... In crude terms, power-increasing protocols are more attributed to causing side effects rather than power-decreasing ones (9,21,32). In the case of having training sessions extended more than standard, side effects could also occur (33, 34). ...
Context: This study aimed to investigate the pieces of evidence related to the possible side effects of neurofeedback (NFB) for individuals suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy. In this systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for individuals suffering from these two conditions, several databases were investigated. Evidence Acquisition: To achieve this goal, the table of the first outcomes was to rate the symptoms of epilepsy based on the evaluation of patients. CANTAB (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children II (WISC II), and attention span test. Additionally, side effects were assessed by ADHD and epilepsy side effect checklists. Among the documents, 17 of them had the criteria to be included. Results: It was a randomized effect model that was used to evaluate the pooled prevalence of side effects with confidence intervals (CI) of 95%. Moreover, in Stata software (version 14), a Metaprop command was deployed. The approximate pooled prevalence of the side effects was 0.05 (95% CI: 0.03 - 0.08). To measure heterogeneity among studies, I2 statistics and the Galbraith diagram were applied. I2 statistics were estimated as 2.34%, and the Galbraith diagram did not indicate any heterogeneity. The univariate meta-regression (UMR) model showed despite a decreasing trend, the results were not statistically significant. Conclusions: It could be inferred from the results that preliminary evidence is that NFB is a non-invasive treatment and a more beneficial clinical method. It is proposed that to compare standard treatments, such as medication, neurological, and behavioral interventions, further RTCs are required.
... In the past, EEG-NFB has been used as a tool of selfregulation with attention being relevant for learning and performance whereas motivation and mood could be shown to be moderate predictors of training success. 1 It has been also applied for the suppression of epileptic seizures, 2 for the improvement of cognitive performance in healthy participants, 3 for the training of cognitive function in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 4 and treatment of depressive disorders. 5 Several studies have been conducted so far on the benefits of EEG-NFB for a wide range of mental disorders as shown by some more recent reviews (regarding obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): 6 ; ADHD in children: 4,7 ; anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders: 8 ; alcohol use disorder: 9 ; depression: 5,10 ). ...
EEG neurofeedback (EEG-NFB) is a promising tool for the treatment of depressive disorders. However, many methods for the presentation of neurobiological reactions are available and it is widely unknown which of these feedback options are preferrable. Moreover, the influence of motivation on NFB training success is insufficiently studied. This study analyzed the efficacy of a novel EEG protocol (FC3/Pz) based on findings for NFB in depression. The role of four feedback options (Rumination, Anxiety, Meditation Master, Moving Art) from the NFB software “Brain Assistant” and motivation in EEG-based NFB performance was studied. Regarding “Anxiety” and “Rumination” visual feedback was used to evoke emotions; reinforcement (both negative and positive operant conditioning) was continuous. Regarding “Meditation Master” visual feedback was combined with continuous positive reinforcement. Regarding “Moving Art” 20-min calm nature films with neutral character were used; both visual and auditive feedback were applied. The reinforcement was positive and continuous. 13 healthy participants completed 15 EEG sessions over four months combining simultaneous frontal (aims: reduction of theta-, alpha- and high beta-activity, increase of low and mid beta-activity) and parietal training (aims: reduction of theta-, alpha 1-, mid and high beta-activity, increase of alpha 2- and low beta-activity). We observed significantly more pronounced percentage change in the expected direction for Anxiety than Moving Art (mean difference = 3.32; p = 0.003). The association between motivation and performance was non-significant. Based on these results we conclude that feedback with both negative and positive operant conditioning and emotion evoking effects should be preferred.
Neurofeedback, a non-invasive intervention, has been increasingly used as a potential treatment for major depressive disorders. However, the effectiveness of neurofeedback in alleviating depressive symptoms remains uncertain. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of neurofeedback as a treatment for major depressive disorders. We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 22 studies investigating the effects of neurofeedback interventions on depression symptoms, neurophysiological outcomes, and neuropsychological function. Our analysis included the calculation of Hedges’ g effect sizes and explored various moderators like intervention settings, study designs, and demographics. Our findings revealed that neurofeedback intervention had a significant impact on depression symptoms (Hedges’ g = −0.600) and neurophysiological outcomes (Hedges’ g = −0.726). We also observed a moderate effect size for neurofeedback intervention on neuropsychological function (Hedges’ g = −0.418). As expected, we observed that longer intervention length was associated with better outcomes for depressive symptoms (β = −4.36, P < 0.001) and neuropsychological function (β = −2.89, P = 0.003). Surprisingly, we found that shorter neurofeedback sessions were associated with improvements in neurophysiological outcomes (β = 3.34, P < 0.001). Our meta-analysis provides compelling evidence that neurofeedback holds promising potential as a non-pharmacological intervention option for effectively improving depressive symptoms, neurophysiological outcomes, and neuropsychological function in individuals with major depressive disorders.
