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Review Papers
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- Electroencephalogram Biofeedback for Reading
Disability and Traumatic Brain Injury
by Thornton KE Ph.D. and Carmody DP Ph.D.
Reading disabilities present major challenges to the educational system. The
estimated prevalence rate for learning disabilities is 15% of the student
population [1], with 6.5 million children requiring special education in 2002
[2]. Approximately 63% of these special education children have specific
learning disabilities or speech and language problems without a concomitant
physical disability. Between 28% and 43% of inmates in adult correctional
facilities require special education (versus 5% in normal population), and 82% of
prison inmates in the United States are school dropouts [3]. read full text
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Research Papers
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- Post WISC-R and TOVA improvement with QEEG guided neurofeedback training in mentally retarded: a clinical case series of behavioral problems (abstract)
by Surmeli T, Ertem A.
According to the DSM-IV, Mental Retardation is significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning accompanied by significant limitations in adaptive functioning in at least two of the following skill areas: communication, self-care, home living, social/interpersonal skills, use of community resources, self-direction, functional academic skills, work, leisure, health and safety. In pilot work, we have seen positive clinical effects of Neurofeedback (NF) applied to children with Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) and other forms of mental retardation. Given that many clinicians use NF in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Generalized Learning Disability cases, we studied the outcomes of a clinical case series using Quantitative EEG (QEEG) guided NF in the treatment of mental retardation. All 23 subjects received NF training. The QEEG data for most subjects had increased theta, alpha, and coherence abnormalities. A few showed increased delta over the cortex. Some of the subjects were very poor in reading and some had illegible handwriting, and most subjects had academic failures, impulsive behavior, and very poor attention, concentration, memory problems, and social skills. This case series shows the impact of QEEG-guided NF training on these clients' clinical outcomes. Fourteen out of 23 subjects formerly took medications without any improvement. Twenty-three subjects ranging from 7-16 years old attending private learning centers were previously diagnosed with mental retardation (severity of degree: from moderate to mild) at various university hospitals. Evaluation measures included QEEG analysis, WISC-R (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised) IQ test, TOVA (Test of Variables of Attention) test, and DPC-P (Developmental Behaviour Checklist) were filled out by the parents. NF trainings were performed by Lexicor Biolex software. NX-Link was the commercial software reference database used to target the treatment protocols, along with the clinical judgment of the first author. QEEG signals were sampled at 128 samples per second per channel and electrodes were placed according to the International 10-20 system. Between 80 and 160 NF training sessions were completed, depending on the case. None of the subjects received any special education during NF treatment. Two subjects with the etiology of epilepsy were taking medication, and the other 21 subjects were medication-free at the baseline. Twenty-two out of 23 patients who received NF training showed clinical improvement according to the DPC-P with QEEG reports. Nineteen out of 23 patients showed significant improvement on the WISC-R, and the TOVA. For the WISC-R test, 2 showed decline on total IQ due to the decline on some of the subtests, 2 showed no improvement on total IQ although improvement was seen on some of the subtests, however even these cases showed improvement on QEEG and DPC-P. This study provides the first evidence for positive effects of NF treatment in mental retardation. The results of this study encourage further research. (Clin EEG Neurosci. 2010 Jan;41(1):32-41.)
- Effect
of SMR-Beta Training on Neurocognitive Performance
by Kaiser D Ph.D.
One-hundred and two school-aged children (28 female, 74 male) with attentional problems (impulsive, inattentive, and/or hyperactive) participated in this study. Thirty-two were clearly diagnosed with ADHD/ADD. Mean age was 9.7 y, with a range from 6 to 14 years of age. Characteristically, the intake criteria were generous. Nearly half of the children exhibited learning disabilities, Conduct Disorder, or ODD comorbid conditions.
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- Neurofeedback for Elementary Students with Identified Learning Problems (abs. pg.4)
by Orlando PC Ph.D. and Rivera RO B.S.
The goal of this research was to ascertain whether basic reading, reading comprehension, the reading composite, and IQ scores could be improved using neurofeedback. Pre-test and post-test reading and cognitive assessments were administered to sixth, seventh and eighth graders identified as having learning problems. Control and experimental groups were chosen at random. read full text
- EEG and Behavioral Changes Following Neurofeedback Treatment in Learning Disabled Children (abs.)
by Fernández T, Herrera W, Harmony T, Díaz-Comas L, Santiago E, Sánchez L, Bosch J, Fernández-Bouzas A, Otero G, Ricardo-Garcell J, Barraza C, Aubert E, Galán L, Valdés R
Neurofeedback (NFB) is an operant conditioning procedure, by which the subject learns to control his/her EEG activity. On one hand, Learning Disabled (LD) children have higher values of theta EEG absolute and relative power than normal children, and on the other hand, it has been shown that minimum alpha absolute power is necessary for adequate performance. read full text
- Facilitation of Performance on an Arithmetic Task as a Result of the Application of a Biofeedback Procedure to Suppress Alpha Wave Activity (abs.)
by Jackson GM and Eberly DA
An electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback procedure was used in a pilot study to decrease the percent of time in alpha wave activity with five mentally retarded adults while engaged in an arithmetic test. read full text
- Operant Conditioning of Left-Hemispheric Slow Cortical Potentials and Its Effect on Word Processing (abs.)
by Pulvermüller F, Mohr B, Schleichert H, Veit R
This study investigated whether language-related cognitive processes can be modified by learned modulation of cortical activity. Study participants received feedback of slow cortical potentials (SCPs) recorded above left-hemispheric language cortices and were reinforced for producing negative and positive shifts upon two different discriminative stimuli. In all subjects who achieved reliable control of left-hemispheric brain responses, substantial modification of word processing was observed. read full text
- EEG Sensorimotor Rhythm Biofeedback Training: Some Effects on the Neurologic Precursors of
Learning Disabilities (abs.)
by Tansey MA
This study presents a clinical treatment regime for pathological interhemispheric dysfunction with respect to a population of learning disabled boys. The results obtained replicate and extend earlier findings with respect to operantly conditioned increases in amplitude of sensorimotor transactions and its positive effect on learning disability. read full text
- EMG and EEG Biofeedback Training in the Treatment of a 10-year-old Hyperactive Boy with a Developmental Reading Disorder (abs.)
by Tansey MA and Bruner RL
The serial application of electromyographic (EMG) and sensorimotor (SMR) biofeedback training was attempted with a 10-year-old boy presenting a triad of symptoms: an attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity, developmental reading disorder, and ocular instability. Symptom elimination was achieved, for all three aspects of the triad, following the procedure of first conditioning a decrease in EMG-monitored muscle tension and then conditioning increases in the amplitude of sensorimotor rhythm over the Rolandic cortex. read full text
- The Effect of Training Distinct Neurofeedback Protocols on Aspects of Cognitive Performance (abs.)
by Vernon D, Egner T, Cooper N, Compton T, Neilands C, Sheri A, Gruzelier J
The use of neurofeedback as an operant conditioning paradigm has disclosed that participants are able to gain some control over particular aspects of their electroencephalogram (EEG). Based on the association between theta activity (4-7 Hz) and working memory performance, and sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) activity (12-15 Hz) and attentional processing, we investigated the possibility that training healthy individuals to enhance either of these frequencies would specifically influence a particular aspect of cognitive performance, relative to a non-neurofeedback control-group. read full text
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