Heart rate variability (HRV) training and EEG Biofeedback are techniques used to improve neurological disorders in both clinical and optimal performance populations. HRV training uses combined respiration and heart rate biofeedback to achieve synchrony between the changes in breathing and heart rate. This specific signature of synchronization of breathing and heart rate changes appears to correlate with a relaxed state and cognitive clarity. HRV may provide a promising index for both physical and emotional stress. Improvements in mental processing (Thayer, Hansen, Saus-Rose, & Johnson, 2009) and emotional stability (Applehans & Lueken, 2006) have been demonstrated as a result of HRV training. A similar mental state is the target of EEG biofeedback training when parameters are set to increase sensorimotor rhythm (SMR). SMR is usually trained using the frequency band 12–15 Hz. These frequencies are called SMR only when they are produced across the sensorimotor strip (C3, Cz, C4). In other locations, 12–15 Hz is simply called beta. SMR production has been closely linked to a state of calm, relaxed focus (Sterman, 1996). This article proposes that HRV training may be associated with increased levels of SMR. Preliminary data have been collected for 40 clients. Twenty clients were athletes training to improve performance, and 20 clients were from a clinical population aiming to increase SMR as a part of their program. A 3-min sample of EEG baseline data was compared to a 3-min sample of EEG data collected during HRV training. Mean microvolt values were collected for SMR during both the baseline recording and during the HRV training. T-test results show that there was a statistically significant increase in SMR during HRV training as compared to baseline (p<.001). This suggests that increased HRV leads to increases in production of SMR.
This study examined the relationship between audio environment and attention. Although background noise has generally been assumed to be distracting, recent research has suggested that the opposite may be true. Attention was assessed in 27 participants using a continuous performance test under three different noise conditions: exposure to ambient noise (the control), pink noise, and a television audio track. Participants’ attention was significantly improved in pink noise as compared to the ambient noise, whereas no differences were found between the ambient and television conditions. These findings suggest that not all noise is created equal when it comes to paying attention.
In this article, differences in alpha power between multichannel EEG signals of artists and nonartists were investigated.The two groups were compared during visual perception, mental imagery, and at-rest conditions.We found no significant differences between the two groups in absolute alpha power at rest.Both absolute and relative alpha power were found to be significantly lower in artists during the visual perception and the mental imagery tasks for some of the channels, suggesting that the cerebral efforts of artists were higher during these conditions.These results indicate that artists considered more features of a painting compared to nonartists.The two groups differed in relative alpha power during the visual perception task compared to the at-rest condition.Relative alpha power values decreased during the visual perception for both groups; however, their variation patterns were different.More significant decreases in relative upper alpha power (10-12Hz) during the visual perception task for nonartists were observed, whereas more significant decreases in relative lower alpha power (8-10Hz) for artists during the visual perception task.These differences may be employed to measure progress in novice artists.In addition, it was found that upper phasic alpha power values were higher in artists compared to nonartists during the visual perception task.In the mental imagery task, lower phasic alpha power values were found to be higher in nonartists.However, the differences between the two groups were not significant in all of the channels indicating that EEG signals do not need to recorded in all channels when determining artistic expertise by absolute, relative, or phasic alpha power.
Z-score LORETA neurofeedback (NFB) has been found in case reports to be an effective and promising form of neuromodulation, relieving many neuropsychiatric symptoms. LORETA imaging that identifies dysregulation in the structures of the brain that are involved in pain regulation has made it possible to design a targeted NFB therapy. This article describes the effective delivery of targeted LORETA NFB to treat chronic pain in four selected patients.
This study was designed to assess a neuroflexibility model of sleep onset insomnia among college students. Neuroflexibility refers to the ability to adjust cortical activation consistent with environmental demands. It was anticipated that good sleepers would demonstrate better feedback contingent alpha control, defined as the ability to both enhance alpha and suppress alpha, than poor sleepers. Ten good and 10 poor sleepers participated in two sessions of bidirectional alpha feedback. As predicted, good sleepers demonstrated better alpha control compared to poor sleepers, although this pattern was only partially replicated in a second session. This study provides a degree of empirical support for interventions designed to enhance neuroflexibility in the treatment of some people with sleep onset insomnia.
The subject in this case study was a 21-year-old man who had to leave college at the beginning of his senior year after being diagnosed with adult onset schizophrenia, undifferentiated type.For 18 months, the only interventions the subject utilized were varying doses of aripiprazole and intensive neurofeedback training.Data derived from five serial quantitative EEGs identified statistically significant coherence abnormalities that appeared as the schizophrenia progressed.Neurofeedback training to enhance cortical stability and normalize neural connectivity was directed by the convergence of data from each quantitative EEG and clinical assessment.Results showed a dramatic increase in functional abilities and a decreased need for medication.The subject resumed his challenging college curriculum and graduated.However, he then stopped neurofeedback and, in spite of increased medication, became floridly psychotic.This study supports other research showing neurofeedback training may be a useful treatment in the management of schizophrenia.
Differences between the multichannel EEG signals of artists and nonartists were investigated using wavelet coefficients during visual perception and mental imagery tasks and at rest. The wavelet coefficients were calculated using wavelet functions such as Daubechies (order 1–10), Coiflets (order 1–5), and biorthogonal (order 2.4). Each of the calculated approximation and detail coefficients and their averages, standard deviations, and their energies were separately used for discriminating the two groups. The Davies-Bouldin Index was used for evaluation of the feature space quality. We found that the two groups are discriminable using the wavelet coefficients calculated by all of the studied wavelet functions. It was also observed that level of decomposition does not contribute significantly to discriminability. In addition, we observed no considerable difference between approximation and detail coefficients for discriminating the two groups. It was also found that a distinguishing coefficient may exist am...
Previous observations suggested that chronic anger may be associated with persistent excessive high-frequency beta activity in one or more cortical areas and that poor anger control may be associated with excessive slowing of the EEG. We hypothesized that downtraining of elevated high-frequency beta activity would reduce anger and that downtraining of excessive cortical slow wave activity would improve anger control. Forty-six individuals underwent neurofeedback training to downtrain excess beta and slow wave activity. This protocol resulted in significantly improved anger control and a reduction in the frequency of outbursts.
This study investigated the effects of neurofeedback and cranial electrotherapy on a group of subjects (n = 40) with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) over a 16-week period. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four groups: neurofeedback only (n = 10), cranial electrotherapy only (n = 10), combined neurofeedback and cranial electrotherapy (n = 10), and a waitlist control group (n = 10). After 16-weeks, CD4 counts were significantly greater than controls for the neurofeedback group and combined group. There was no significant change in CD4 count for the cranial electrotherapy group. Results of this pilot study suggest that neurofeedback may improve immune function and warrants further investigation.
Z-Score neurofeedback has expanded to include 19-channel models (19ZNF) such that clinicians now have the option to use from 1 to 19 electrodes in a z-score neurofeedback protocol. Benefits and limitations of this new model are discussed from the clinical perspective of an early adopter of 19ZNF who has more than 4 years of experience with this modality after having several years of experience with QEEG-guided NF (QNF). Comparisons between QNF and 19ZNF are discussed. It has been suggested that 19ZNF can bring about positive clinical outcomes in fewer sessions than traditional NF, which matches the author's experience (average of 38 with QNF vs. an average of 11 with 19ZNF). Unique implications of 19ZNF that have not yet been discussed in the literature, such as the advantage of once-per-week sessions, or questions about whether there could be times when change can occur too fast, are introduced. Directions for future research to further evaluate 19ZNF are suggested.
Although Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) affects millions of females worldwide, our understanding of AD/HD continues to be based heavily on male-dominated research.Significant sex differences reported in the presentation and diagnosis of AD/HD can no longer be ignored; females with AD/HD are different from males with the disorder.Electroencephalography (EEG) is a valuable tool for measuring electro-cortical activity and has been found useful in AD/HD research.Preliminary studies have shown that females with AD/HD have EEG abnormalities different from those found in males with AD/HD.This article reviews the current literature on EEG activity of females with AD/HD and concludes that the lack of comprehensive research draws attention to the necessity for sex-specific EEG research within AD/HD populations.
Blunted alpha response at locations O1 and Cz has been found to be associated with exposure to severe emotional stressors. Subjects exposed to an emotionally negative photograph had alpha blunting, whereas controls shown a pastoral scene with similar color tones and those not shown any pictures did not have alpha blunting. Braindriving neurotherapeutic treatment procedures found effective for restoring the alpha response and correlated trauma “release” are discussed.
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulty activating the Default Mode Network (DMN) in a resting or quiet state.The DMN function assists in processing and understanding a person's internal, reflective world and the world of self and others.Neurofeedback (NFB), a type of EEG operant conditioning, trains self-regulation skills using a brain-computer interface.The hardware and software have audio/video capabilities to correct irregular brainwave patterns and regional cerebral blood flow associated with mental health and cognitive concerns.Individual treatment sessions usually last approximately 20 min; to gain the largest overall treatment effect, NFB users need to experience about 30 to 40 sessions.This study randomly assigned 12 children diagnosed with ADHD and currently on a stimulant medication to a treatment or control group.Subjects in the treatment group completed 40 NFB sessions.Pre-and posttest fMRIs were administered on the treatment and control groups.Evidence showed that the forty 20-min sessions of Sensory Motor Rhythm NFB consolidated the DMN allowing for appropriate activation in the posterior cingulate, precuneus, the temporoparietal junction and the cerebellar tonsils.In addition to regulating and increasing SMR at 12-15 Hz, our research results showed activation of the DMN in a resting state after 40 NFB sessions.Assisting children with ADHD to appropriately activate the DMN may help them be more adaptive and reflective and to better understand their own internal world and the world of others.
It is important to understand the relation between changes in the quantitative EEG (QEEG) variables and memory changes as a result of the EEG biofeedback treatment.With this goal in mind, the senior author reviewed his clinical files from the last 5 years and examined the QEEG data addressing relative power and coherence changes and memory (auditory and reading) improvements.The groups involved included (a) normal individuals wanting to improve their cognitive functioning, (b) traumatic brain injured (TBI) subjects, and (c) þ (d) subjects who can best be classified as having a specific learning disability (SLD).The SLD group was divided between those who are (c) older than 14 (adults) and those who are (d) younger than 14 (children) in order to reference the appropriate age-related normative group values.The analysis revealed significant improvements in auditory and reading memory across all groups as well as changes on the QEEG variables.All of the groups were performing above the normative reference group on measures of auditory and reading memory in terms of percentage differences (24-97%) and standard deviations (þ1.28-1.85).The average auditory memory SD improvement was þ1.52, whereas the average percentage change was 82%.For the reading task the average memory standard deviation improvement was 1.38, whereas the percentage improvement was 154%.The experimental group was performing 1.66 SD (68%) above the control group on auditory memory and .90SD (52%) above the control group on reading memory measures.For the QEEG variables, the average raw value of the Spectral Correlation Coefficient (SCC) change for alpha was 6.1 points (2.09 SD), for SCC beta1 (13-32 Hz) 6.53 points (1.81 SD), and for beta2 (32-64 Hz) 7.5 points (1.77 SD).The changes on the relative power measures were less dramatic, albeit significant.These results underlie the importance of addressing the SCC values in EEG biofeedback treatment protocols.
This report describes results obtained when a localization technique (sLORETA) is used with less than the full amount of scalp data normally required. It is concluded that it is possible to use partial surface data in reconstructing brain activity using sLORETA, under certain conditions. In particular, when a prominent frontal asymmetry was evident, it was possible to reliably detect the asymmetry, using only four frontal channels. This approach has potential value when working clinically, as it indicates that useful frontal asymmetry data can be obtained by combining 4-channels of frontal EEG with the sLORETA technique.
Advances in neuroscience are applied to the clinical applications of EEG neurofeedback by linking symptoms to functional networks in the brain.This is achieved by reviews of the last 20 years of functional neuroimaging studies of brain networks related to clinical disorders based on positron emission tomography, functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, and EEG/MEG inverse solutions.Considerable consistency exists between different imaging modalities because of the property of functional localization and the existence of large clusters of connections in the brain representing network modules and hubs.Reviewed here is new method of EEG neurofeedback called Z-Score Neurofeedback, and it is demonstrated how real-time comparison to an age-matched population of healthy subjects simplifies protocol generation and allows clinicians to target modules and hubs that indicate dysregulation and instability in networks related to symptoms.Z-score neurofeedback, by measuring the distance from the center of the healthy age-matched population, increases specificity in operant conditioning and provides a guide by which extreme Z-score outliers are linked to symptoms and then reinforced toward states of greater homeostasis and stability.The goal is increased efficiency of information processing in brain networks related to the patient's symptoms.The unique advantage of EEG over other neuroimaging methods is high temporal resolution in which the fine temporal details of phase lock and phase shift between large masses of neurons is quantified and can be modified by Z-score neurofeedback to address the patient's symptoms.The latest developments in Z-score neurofeedback are a harbinger of a bright future for clinicians and, most important, patients that suffer from a variety of brain dysfunctions.
