Improvement/Rehabilitation of Memory Functioning with Neurotherapy/QEEG Biofeedback

Abstract

This article presents a new approach to the remediation of memory deficits by studying the electrophysiological functioning involved in memory and applying biofeedback techniques. A Quantitative EEG (QEEG) activation database was obtained with 59 right-handed subjects during two auditory memory tasks (prose passages and word lists). Memory performance was correlated with the QEEG variables. Clinical cases were administered the same QEEG activation study to determine their deviations from the values that predicted success for the reference group. EEG biofeedback interventions were designed to increase the value (to normal levels) of the specific electrophysiological variable that was related to successful memory function and deviant in the subject. Case examples are presented that indicate the successful use of this intervention style in normal subjects and in subjects with brain injury; improvement cannot be fully explained by spontaneous recovery, given the time postinjury. Five cases (two normal, two subjects with brain injury, and one subject who had stereotactic surgery of the hippocampus for seizure control) are presented. Improvements ranged from 68% to 181% in the group of patients with brain injury, as a result of the interventions.

Effects of neurofeedback therapy in healthy young subjects

“…Neurofeedback therapy can be used for a wide range of neurologic and psychiatric problems [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. The results of this study suggest that neurofeedback can be used to restore the sympathovagal imbalances, for which wet cupping and reflexological therapies have also been used [11,12].…”

“…Positive effects of neurofeedback in adults, for example, have been found for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [3], traumatic brain injury [4], epilepsy [5], depression [6], migraine [7], addiction [8], anxiety disorders [9] and general cognitive performance [10]. Neurofeedback protocols that aim at inhibiting theta activity while rewarding beta activity have led to successful alleviation of symptoms associated with ADHD, such as deficits in sustained attention, impulsivity and control over hyperactive behaviors (reviews in Butnik, 2005; Fox, Tharp, & Fox, 2005).…”

Neurofeedback as a Treatment for ADHD: A Methodological Review with Implications for Future Research

“…We are unaware of any research directly addressing whether it is possible for everyone to learn to alter their EEG via neurofeedback. However, research has shown that healthy individuals (Egner & Gruzelier, 2001;Vernon et al, 2003), those suffering brain injury (Thornton, 2000;Tinius & Tinius, 2000), epileptics (Sterman & Macdonald, 1978;Sterman, Macdonald, & Stone, 1974;Uhlmann & Froscher, 2001) and schizophrenics (Gruzelier, Hardman, Wild, & Zaman, 1999) have been able to exhibit changes in their cortical activity following neurofeedback training. (For a comprehensive bibliography see Hammond, 2001b, available in an updated version at www.isnr.org).…”

Impact of qEEG-Guided Coherence Training for Patients with a Mild Closed Head Injury

“…In previous studies using NFT, the focus has been on changes in relative power, and the training electrode placement has usually been set at Cz, C3, or C4. The only publication in which the coherence approach has been reported is that of Thornton (2000). In this study, two brain injured subjects improved by 85% and 168% on an auditory recall task after training to normalize coherence.…”