Effectiveness of Neurofeedback Training on QEEG Baseline and Sustained Attention in Children with ADHD

Studies in various areas have emphasized the neuropsychological basis of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study aims to evaluate the effect of neurofeedback training (NFT) on quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) baseline and sustained attention in children with ADHD. For this purpose, a quasi-experimental study with the pretest-posttest control group design was conducted on 30 ADHD children selected by convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two experimental groups, namely a Neurofeedback Group and a Sham-controlled Neurofeedback Group (Placebo conditions). The Neurofeedback Group received 30 training sessions for 15 weeks (two sessions per week). The groups were evaluated before, immediately after, and two months after the intervention in terms of the q-EEG baseline and continuous performance. The multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed that the Neurofeedback Training Group had a significant improvement in terms of the q-EEG baseline and continuous performance compared to the control group, and these improvements were maintained later. In the Neurofeedback Training Group, the theta wave activity and the theta/beta ratio (TBR) decreased in the posttest scores, and the beta wave activity and the sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) increased significantly in the posttest scores compared to the pre-test ones. In addition, the reaction time, omission error and commission error of the children were significantly lower in the Neurofeedback Training Group in the posttest and follow-up test compared to those of the Sham-controlled Neurofeedback Group. Neurofeedback training seems to improve abnormal q-EEG and is effective in improving the sustained attention of children with ADHD.