Testing the Benefits of Neurofeedback on Selective Attention Measured Through Dichotic Listening.

The electrophysiological changes after a single session of neurofeedback training (↑SMR/↓Theta) and its effects on executive attention during a dichotic listening test with forced attentional procedures were measured in a sample of 20 healthy women. A pre-post moment test double blind design, with the inclusion of a group receiving sham neurofeedback, allowed for minimization of alien influences. The interaction of Moment × Group was significant, indicating an enhancement of SMR band after the real neurofeedback. The dichotic listening scores were correlated with the amplitude of Beta band in baseline conditions. The performance on the forced left attentional condition in dichotic listening was significantly improved and correlated positively with the post-training enhancement of the SMR band. The sham neurofeedback group also improved DL scores, so a clear affirmation about the benefits of neurofeedback training over cognitive performance could not be unambiguously established. It is concluded that the protocol showed a good independence and acceptable trainability in modifying the EEG results, but there was limited interpretability regarding cognitive outcomes.

Effects of assisted training with neurofeedback on EEG measures, executive function and mood in a healthy sample / Efectos del entrenamiento asistido con neurofeedback sobre el EEG, los procesos de función ejecutiva y el estado de ánimo en una muestra de población normal

The training in neurofeedback (NF) consists of teaching individuals to modify, adjust and enhance their brain activity pattern. The aim of our research was to evaluate the effect of training on cognitive processes, specifically executive function, and mood in a non-clinical sample. A sample of30 female college students were assigned to three groups: HD: right hemisphere(n = 10), HI: left hemisphere (n = 10) and control (n = 10). The dominance pattern of beta and the inhibition of the theta pattern were trained in a single session. Measures of executive function (Iowa GamblingTest) and questionnaires of mood were taken pre and post training. We found that NF training produced significant positive changes in executive performance in the HD group. In the EEG a tendency to improve beta rhythm after the training emerged too. Additionally, significant correlations were found between executive performance and negative mood in relation to theta frequency band. We conclude that the protocol seems effective to enhance some aspects of executive function as well as to decrease theta power improves the negative mood

El entrenamiento en neurofeedback (NF) consiste en enseñar a los individuos a modificar, regular y potenciar su patrón de actividad cerebral. El objetivo de nuestra investigación fue evaluar el efecto del entrenamiento sobre los procesos cognitivos de función ejecutiva y sobre el afecto en una muestra de población normal. Se seleccionó una muestra de 30 mujeres estudiantes universitarias, asignadas a tres grupos: HD: hemisferio derecho (n=10), HI: hemisferio izquierdo (n=10) y control (n=10). Se entrenó durante una sola sesión el predominio del patrón beta y la inhibición del patrón theta y se realizó una evaluación pre y post-entrenamiento de la función ejecutiva (Iowa Gambling Test) y del afecto (cuestionarios PANAS y POMS). Se encontró que el entrenamiento en NF produjo cambios positivos significativos en el rendimiento ejecutivo en el grupo HD. En relación con el EEG, se encontró una tendencia al cambio tras el entrenamiento de ondas beta. Se encontraron correlaciones entre el rendimiento ejecutivo y el afecto negativo, y la banda de frecuencia theta. Se concluye que el protocolo resulta efectivo para potenciar aspectos de la función ejecutiva y que la disminución de ondas theta favorece la disminución del afecto negativo