Theta/beta neurofeedback in children with ADHD: Feasibility of a short-term setting and plasticity effects.
Neurofeedback (NF) is increasingly used as a therapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), however behavioral improvements require 20 plus training sessions. More economic evaluation strategies are needed to test methodological optimizations and mechanisms of action. In healthy adults, neuroplastic effects have been demonstrated directly after a single session of NF training. The aim of our study was to test the feasibility of short-term theta/beta NF in children with ADHD and to learn more about the mechanisms underlying this protocol. Children with ADHD conducted two theta/beta NF sessions. In the first half of the sessions, three NF trials (puzzles as feedback animations) were run with pre- and post-reading and picture search tasks. A significant decrease of the theta/beta ratio (TBR), driven by a decrease of theta activity, was found in the NF trials of the second session demonstrating rapid and successful neuroregulation by children with ADHD. For pre-post comparisons, children were split into good vs. poor regulator groups based on the slope of their TBR over the NF trials. For the reading task, significant EEG changes were seen for the theta band from pre- to post-NF depending on individual neuroregulation ability. This neuroplastic effect was not restricted to the feedback electrode Cz, but appeared as a generalized pattern, maximal over midline and right-hemisphere electrodes. Our findings indicate that short-term NF may be a valuable and economical tool to study the neuroplastic mechanisms of targeted NF protocols in clinical disorders, such as theta/beta training in children with ADHD.
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. Electronic address: jessica.van-doren@uk-erlangen.de.
Jessica
J
Van Doren
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; kbo-Heckscher-Klinikum, Deisenhofener Straße 28, 81052 Munich, Germany.
Hartmut
H
Heinrich
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Mareile
M
Bezold
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Nina
N
Reuter
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Oliver
O
Kratz
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Stefanie
S
Horndasch
Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Nägelsbachstr. 25a, 91052 Erlangen, Germany.
Matthias
M
Berking
Laboratory for Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Chemin des Mines 9, CH 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
Tomas
T
Ros
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Göttingen,Von-Siebold-Str.5, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
Holger
H
Gevensleben
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Gunther H
GH
Moll
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Petra
P
Studer
D000293:Adolescent; D001611:Beta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058765:Neurofeedback / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*
ADHD; Beta; Neurofeedback; Theta