title: Validation of a neurofeedback paradigm: manipulating frontal EEG alpha-activity and its impact on mood.
abstract: It is claimed that neurofeedback (NF) is an effective treatment for a variety of psychiatric disorders. NF, within an operant conditioning framework, helps individuals to regulate cortical electroencephalographic (EEG) activity while receiving feedback from a visual or acoustic signal. For example, changing asymmetry between left and right frontal brain alpha activity by NF, is claimed to be an efficacious treatment for major depressive disorder. However, the specificity of this intervention in occasioning electrophysiological changes at target locations and target wave-frequencies, and its relation to changes in mood, has not been established. During a single session of NF, it was tested if the balance between left and right frontal alpha-activity could be changed, regardless of direction, in 40 healthy females. Furthermore, we investigated whether this intervention was electrophysiologically specific and if it was associated with changes in mood. Participants were able to decrease or increase frontal alpha-asymmetry during the intervention. However, no changes in mood were observed. Changes in EEG activity were specific in terms of location and wave-frequency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: f.peeters@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Frenk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.affiliation: Department of Instrumentation, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jacco
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ronner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lonneke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bodar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; King's College London, King's Health Partners, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Os
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Richel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lousberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D058765:Neurofeedback / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EEG; Emotion; Frontal alpha-activity; Neurofeedback