A Comparision of the Effect Neurofeedback on the Improvement of the Executive Functions of Individuals with ADHD and Epilepsy

Nowadays, neurofeedback is used as a new method to improve the symptoms of ADHD and epilepsy. The effectiveness of this new therapeutic approach in various disorders has been investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of this treatment in patients with hyperactivity and epilepsy.

This study was quasi-experimental with pretest and post test and the control group. The study population comprised all the children with ADHD and epilepsy in Karaj. The sample consisted of 60 infected children (15 indivuduals suffering from ADHD, 15 people with epilepsy and 30 controls) who were selected by the random sampling method. In the pre-test, the behavioral behavior (executive summary) for children was completed. This tool reflects the teacher's view of student behaviors in the field of executive functions. In fact, it provides a tool for screening the performance problems. Executable executive functions in this log include inhibition, flexibility, emotional control, initiation, work memory, planning / organizing, inventory management and monitoring. To conduct the research, the beta / theta program was used for all the subjects. The aim was to increase theta waves and decrease beta waves. After completing 10 sessions (5 weeks and 2 sessions per week), the neurofeedback was run and the log was re-entered. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to analyze the data and the one-variable covariance method was used to infer the data. Spss version 18 was used to analyze the data.

The findings of the research indicated that the performance scores in the pre-test and post-test of the studied groups were significantly different )P<0.001(. Moreover, the effect of neurofeedback treatment on the improvement of executive functions in the ADHD group was higher than the epileptic and control groups )P<0.001(.

Based on the findings, neurofeedback is efficient but its effect is different in patients with ADHD and epilepsy. Hence, the use of neurofeedback is more effective in improving the performance of ADHD patients. These results can be useful in the field of overactive treatment using novel methods.