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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Mar;11(3):e02024.
doi: 10.1002/brb3.2024. Epub 2021 Jan 27.

Neurofeedback training improves anxiety trait and depressive symptom in GAD

Yue Hou  1   2 , Shuqin Zhang  1 , Ning Li  1 , Zhaoyang Huang  1   2 , Li Wang  1   2 , Yuping Wang  1   2   3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Neurofeedback training improves anxiety trait and depressive symptom in GAD

Yue Hou et al. Brain Behav. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of alpha activity neurofeedback training over the parietal lobe in GAD patients.

Methods: Twenty-six female patients who had been diagnosed as GAD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition, DSM-V) criteria were included in this study. Patients were randomized into two groups: the left parietal lobe training group (LPL group, n = 13) and the right parietal lobe training group (RPL group, n = 13), and then received ten 40-minute alpha training sessions in the relevant area. Evaluations included severity of anxiety (by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI) and depression (by Beck Depression Inventory, BDI-II) after the fifth training session and the last training session.

Results: The scores of STAI-S decreased significantly two weeks after the fifth training session in both groups (LPL group: from 47.15 ± 10.65 to 38.69 ± 8.78, p<.05; RPL group: from 44.92 ± 12.37 to 37.31 ± 6.41, p < .05) and decreased further at the four weeks' time point after the last training session (LPL group: 35.15 ± 9.24; RPL group: 29.85 ± 6.18). Compared with baseline, the scores of STAI-T, BDI-II and ISI decrease at two weeks, no significant difference found between LPL group and RPL group. The scores of STAI-T, BDI-II and ISI decreased at four weeks when compared with two weeks, and no significant difference found between LPL group and RPL group.

Conclusion: Neurofeedback training of alpha activity over the parietal lobe is effective in GAD patients, especially the anxiety trait and depressive symptoms.

Keywords: eeg biofeedback; generalized anxiety disorder; increase of alpha brain wave amplitude; neurofeedback.

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Conflict of interest statement

There is no conflict of interest in this study.

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