The effect of Neurofeedback training on healthy individuals as measured by objective and self report measures of attention and impulsivity, when compared to a sham control condition.

Abstract

Current medical treatment of patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not entirely satisfactory. An alternative, but not yet fully understood, way to improve attention and impulsivity is neurofeedback training. This procedure is aimed at learning to regulate brain wave activity. Previous studies reported significant benefits of neurofeedback training, using active and passive control groups, but double-blind sham controlled studies are lacking so far. This study attempts to address this problem. Participants in this study were randomly assigned to either a treatment group, or a sham group and eventually received 16 20-minute sessions of neurofeedback. The results indicate several (trends towards) main effects, but no group x time interactions for neurofeedback treatment are found. From these results it can be concluded that 16 sessions of neurofeedback have no effect above placebo on measures of attention and impulsivity