Home / Short and long-term effects of sham-controlled prefrontal EEG-neurofeedback training in healthy subjects

Research archive

Short and long-term effects of sham-controlled prefrontal EEG-neurofeedback training in healthy subjects

H. J. Engelbregt, D. Keeser, L. van Eijk, E. M. Suiker, D. Eichhorn, S. Karch, J. B. Deijen, O. Pogarell

Journal articleClinical Neurophysiology1 April 2016

Study abstract

Objective

In this study we evaluated long-term effects of frontal beta EEG-neurofeedback training (E-NFT) on healthy subjects. We hypothesized that E-NFT can change frontal beta activity in the long-term and that changes in frontal beta EEG activity are accompanied by altered cognitive performance.

Methods

25 healthy subjects were included and randomly assigned to active or sham E-NFT. On average the subjects underwent 15 E-NFT training sessions with a training duration of 45min. Resting-state EEG was recorded prior to E-NFT training (t1) and in a 3-year follow-up (t3).

Results

Compared to sham E-NFT, which was used for the control group, real E-NFT increased beta activity in a predictable way. This increase was maintained over a period of three years post training. However, E-NFT did not result in significantly improved cognitive performance.

Conclusion

Based on our results, we conclude that EEG-NFT can selectively modify EEG beta activity both in short and long-term.

Significance

This is a sham controlled EEG neurofeedback study demonstrating long-term effects in resting state EEG.