Neurofeedback in patients with frontal brain lesions: A randomized, controlled double-blind trial
BackgroundFrontal brain dysfunction is a major challenge in neurorehabilitation. Neurofeedback (NF), as an EEG-based brain training method, is currently applied in a wide spectrum of mental health conditions, including traumatic brain injury.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the capacity of Infra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.979723/full |
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| author | Christine Annaheim Kerstin Hug Caroline Stumm Maya Messerli Yves Simon Margret Hund-Georgiadis |
| author_facet | Christine Annaheim Kerstin Hug Caroline Stumm Maya Messerli Yves Simon Margret Hund-Georgiadis |
| author_sort | Christine Annaheim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundFrontal brain dysfunction is a major challenge in neurorehabilitation. Neurofeedback (NF), as an EEG-based brain training method, is currently applied in a wide spectrum of mental health conditions, including traumatic brain injury.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the capacity of Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback (ILF-NF) to promote the recovery of brain function in patients with frontal brain injury.Materials and methodsTwenty patients hospitalized at a neurorehabilitation clinic in Switzerland with recently acquired, frontal and optionally other brain lesions were randomized to either receive NF or sham-NF. Cognitive improvement was assessed using the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the Test of Attentional Performance (TAP) tasks regarding intrinsic alertness, phasic alertness and impulse control.ResultsWith respect to cognitive improvements, there was no significant difference between the two groups after 20 sessions of either NF or sham-NF. However, in a subgroup of patients with predominantly frontal brain lesions, the improvements measured by the FAB and intrinsic alertness were significantly higher in the NF-group.ConclusionThis is the first double-blind controlled study using NF in recovery from brain injury, and thus also the first such study of ILF NF. Although the result of the subgroup has limited significance because of the small number of participants, it accentuates the trend seen in the whole group regarding the FAB and intrinsic alertness (p = 0.068, p = 0.079, respectively). We therefore conclude that NF could be a promising candidate promoting the recoveryfrom frontal brain lesions. Further studies with larger numbers of patients and less lesion heterogeneity are needed to verify the usefulness of NF in the neurorehabilitation of patients with frontal brain injury (NCT02957695 ClinicalTrials.gov). |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T09:57:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-01a4c6e2ec1b40e29b0802e7d17ffbfe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T09:57:55Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-01a4c6e2ec1b40e29b0802e7d17ffbfe2022-12-22T04:30:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612022-09-011610.3389/fnhum.2022.979723979723Neurofeedback in patients with frontal brain lesions: A randomized, controlled double-blind trialChristine AnnaheimKerstin HugCaroline StummMaya MesserliYves SimonMargret Hund-GeorgiadisBackgroundFrontal brain dysfunction is a major challenge in neurorehabilitation. Neurofeedback (NF), as an EEG-based brain training method, is currently applied in a wide spectrum of mental health conditions, including traumatic brain injury.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the capacity of Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback (ILF-NF) to promote the recovery of brain function in patients with frontal brain injury.Materials and methodsTwenty patients hospitalized at a neurorehabilitation clinic in Switzerland with recently acquired, frontal and optionally other brain lesions were randomized to either receive NF or sham-NF. Cognitive improvement was assessed using the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the Test of Attentional Performance (TAP) tasks regarding intrinsic alertness, phasic alertness and impulse control.ResultsWith respect to cognitive improvements, there was no significant difference between the two groups after 20 sessions of either NF or sham-NF. However, in a subgroup of patients with predominantly frontal brain lesions, the improvements measured by the FAB and intrinsic alertness were significantly higher in the NF-group.ConclusionThis is the first double-blind controlled study using NF in recovery from brain injury, and thus also the first such study of ILF NF. Although the result of the subgroup has limited significance because of the small number of participants, it accentuates the trend seen in the whole group regarding the FAB and intrinsic alertness (p = 0.068, p = 0.079, respectively). We therefore conclude that NF could be a promising candidate promoting the recoveryfrom frontal brain lesions. Further studies with larger numbers of patients and less lesion heterogeneity are needed to verify the usefulness of NF in the neurorehabilitation of patients with frontal brain injury (NCT02957695 ClinicalTrials.gov).https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.979723/fullneurorehabilitationneurofeedback (NFB)brain recoveryfrontal brain injurycognitive dysfunctionbrain computer interface |
| spellingShingle | Christine Annaheim Kerstin Hug Caroline Stumm Maya Messerli Yves Simon Margret Hund-Georgiadis Neurofeedback in patients with frontal brain lesions: A randomized, controlled double-blind trial Frontiers in Human Neuroscience neurorehabilitation neurofeedback (NFB) brain recovery frontal brain injury cognitive dysfunction brain computer interface |
| title | Neurofeedback in patients with frontal brain lesions: A randomized, controlled double-blind trial |
| title_full | Neurofeedback in patients with frontal brain lesions: A randomized, controlled double-blind trial |
| title_fullStr | Neurofeedback in patients with frontal brain lesions: A randomized, controlled double-blind trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neurofeedback in patients with frontal brain lesions: A randomized, controlled double-blind trial |
| title_short | Neurofeedback in patients with frontal brain lesions: A randomized, controlled double-blind trial |
| title_sort | neurofeedback in patients with frontal brain lesions a randomized controlled double blind trial |
| topic | neurorehabilitation neurofeedback (NFB) brain recovery frontal brain injury cognitive dysfunction brain computer interface |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.979723/full |
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