EEG Neurofeedback Training in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Cognitive and Behavioral Outcome Study

Abstract

Background. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent childhood disorder with symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. EEG neurofeedback training (NFT) is a new intervention modality based on operant conditioning of brain activity, which helps reduce symptoms of ADHD in children. Methods and Procedures. To examine the efficacy of NFT in children with ADHD, an experimental longitudinal design with pre-post comparison was adopted. A total of 30 children in the age range of 6 to 12 years diagnosed as ADHD with or without comorbid conditions were assigned to treatment group (TG; n = 15) and treatment as usual group (TAU; n = 15). TG received EEG-NFT along with routine clinical management and TAU received routine clinical management alone. Forty sessions of theta/beta NFT at the C3 scalp location, 3 to 4 sessions in a week for a period of 3.5 to 5 months were given to children in TG. Children were screened using sociodemographic data and Binet-Kamat test of intelligence. Pre-and postassessment tools were neuropsychological tests and behavioral scales. Follow-up was carried out on 8 children in TG using parent-rated behavioral measures. Results. Improvement was reported in TG on cognitive functions (sustained attention, verbal working memory, and response inhibition), parent- and teacher-rated behavior problems and on academic performance rated by teachers. Follow-up of children who received NFT showed sustained improvement in ADHD symptoms when assessed 6 months after receiving NFT. Conclusion. The present study suggests that NFT is an effective method to enhance cognitive deficits and helps reduce ADHD symptoms and behavior problems. Consequently, academic performance was found to be improved in children with ADHD. Improvement in ADHD symptoms induced by NFT were maintained at 6-month follow-up in children with ADHD.

Nonpharmacological Interventions for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in India: A Comprehensive and Comparative Research Update

“…One Indian study has shown positive effects of NF. [ 57 ] The resource (space in hospitals, money, and trained manpower) crunch may be the major reason for less number of studies in cognitive/neurocognitive interventions in India.…”

[Retracted] Comparative Efficacy and Acceptability of Nonpharmacotherapy in the Treatment of Inattention for ADHD: A Network Meta‐Analysis

“…A recent meta-analysis also showed that [17], under the intervention of multiple combinations of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, ADHD patients' attention deficit can not only be alleviated in the short term but also obtain long-term enhancement effect. However, compared with sport intervention, other nonpharmacological therapies have different mechanisms of action, but their efficacy in practice is also worthy of affirming [18][19][20][21][22][23]. For a long time, there are still differences in the ranking of the advantages and disadvantages of various nonpharmacological therapies in improving ADHD symptoms [24][25][26][27].…”

Improvement of Attention in Elementary School Students through Fixation Focus Training Activity

“…As shown in Figure 1 , there are two major attention training models: external stimulation using interesting games [ 12 , 14 , 16 , 17 ], and the use of biofeedback to enhance the effectiveness of concentration exercises [ 13 , 14 ]. On the other hand, the most relevant research for this focused training is mindfulness meditation training [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 19 ].…”

“…The field of vision should only contain the item focused on [ 11 ]. Training methods to improve students’ attention include computer games [ 12 ], neurofeedback [ 13 , 14 , 15 ], virtual and augmented reality [ 16 , 17 ], music [ 18 ], and meditation [ 19 ]. Table 1 provides details of these methods.…”