Abstract
Neurofeedback treatment has been demonstrated to reduce inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity in children with attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, previous studies did not adequately control confounding variables or did not
employ a randomized reinforcer-controlled design. This study addresses those methodological shortcomings by comparing the
effects of the following two matched biofeedback training variants on the primary symptoms of ADHD: EEG neurofeedback (NF)
aiming at theta/beta ratio reduction and EMG biofeedback (BF) aiming at forehead muscle relaxation. Thirty-five children with
ADHD (26 boys, 9 girls; 6–14 years old) were randomly assigned to either the therapy group (NF; n = 18) or the control group (BF; n = 17). Treatment for both groups consisted of 30 sessions. Pre- and post-treatment assessment consisted of psychophysiological
measures, behavioural rating scales completed by parents and teachers, as well as psychometric measures. Training effectively
reduced theta/beta ratios and EMG levels in the NF and BF groups, respectively. Parents reported significant reductions in
primary ADHD symptoms, and inattention improvements in the NF group were higher compared to the control intervention (BF,
d
corr = −.94). NF training also improved attention and reaction times on the psychometric measures. The results indicate that NF
effectively reduced inattention symptoms on parent rating scales and reaction time in neuropsychological tests. However, regarding
hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms, the results imply that non-specific factors, such as behavioural contingencies, self-efficacy,
structured learning environment and feed-forward processes, may also contribute to the positive behavioural effects induced
by neurofeedback training.
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, previous studies did not adequately control confounding variables or did not
employ a randomized reinforcer-controlled design. This study addresses those methodological shortcomings by comparing the
effects of the following two matched biofeedback training variants on the primary symptoms of ADHD: EEG neurofeedback (NF)
aiming at theta/beta ratio reduction and EMG biofeedback (BF) aiming at forehead muscle relaxation. Thirty-five children with
ADHD (26 boys, 9 girls; 6–14 years old) were randomly assigned to either the therapy group (NF; n = 18) or the control group (BF; n = 17). Treatment for both groups consisted of 30 sessions. Pre- and post-treatment assessment consisted of psychophysiological
measures, behavioural rating scales completed by parents and teachers, as well as psychometric measures. Training effectively
reduced theta/beta ratios and EMG levels in the NF and BF groups, respectively. Parents reported significant reductions in
primary ADHD symptoms, and inattention improvements in the NF group were higher compared to the control intervention (BF,
d
corr = −.94). NF training also improved attention and reaction times on the psychometric measures. The results indicate that NF
effectively reduced inattention symptoms on parent rating scales and reaction time in neuropsychological tests. However, regarding
hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms, the results imply that non-specific factors, such as behavioural contingencies, self-efficacy,
structured learning environment and feed-forward processes, may also contribute to the positive behavioural effects induced
by neurofeedback training.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Contribution
- Pages 1-11
- DOI 10.1007/s00787-011-0208-y
- Authors
- Ali Reza Bakhshayesh, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
- Sylvana Hänsch, Department of Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy and Academy of Psychotherapy and Intervention Research of Potsdam University, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24/25, OT Golm, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Anne Wyschkon, Department of Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy and Academy of Psychotherapy and Intervention Research of Potsdam University, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24/25, OT Golm, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Mohammad Javad Rezai, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
- Günter Esser, Department of Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy and Academy of Psychotherapy and Intervention Research of Potsdam University, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24/25, OT Golm, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Journal European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Online ISSN 1435-165X
- Print ISSN 1018-8827