| Summary: | Fatigue is a frequent and debilitating symptom in patients with multiple
sclerosis (MS). Affective manifestations are also of high prevalence in this
population and can drastically impact the patients’ functioning. A considerable
proportion of patients with MS suffer from cognitive deficits affecting general
and social cognitive domains. In addition, pain in MS is commonly observed in
neurology wards, could be of different types, and may result from or be
exacerbated by other MS comorbidities. These complaints tend to cluster together
in some patients and seem to have a complex pathophysiology and a challenging
management. Exploring the effects of new interventions could improve these
outcomes and ameliorate the patients’ quality of life. Neurofeedback (NFB) might
have its place in this context by enhancing or reducing the activity of some
regions in specific electroencephalographic bands (i.e., theta, alpha, beta,
sensorimotor rhythm). This work briefly revisits the principles of NFB and its
application. The published data are scarce and heterogeneous yet suggest
preliminary evidence on the potential utility of NFB in patients with MS (i.e.,
depression, fatigue, cognitive deficits and pain). NFB is simple to adapt and
easy to coach, and its place in the management of MS symptoms merits further
investigations. Comparing different NFB protocols (i.e., cortical target,
specific rhythm, session duration and number) and performing a comprehensive
evaluation could help developing and optimizing interventions targeting specific
symptoms. These aspects could also open the way for the association of this
technique with other approaches (i.e., brain stimulation, cognitive
rehabilitation, exercise training, psychotherapies) that have proved their worth
in some MS domains.
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