Cited by 29Eating Disorders and BehaviorsEEG and Brain-Computer InterfacesNutrition, Health and Food Behavior

Coping food craving with neurofeedback. Evaluation of the usefulness of alpha/theta training in a non-clinical sample

Imperatori, Claudio, Valenti, Enrico Maria, Della Marca, Giacomo, Amoroso, Noemi, Massullo, Chiara, Carbone, Giuseppe Alessio, Maestoso, Giulia, Quintiliani, Maria Isabella +2 more·2017·International Journal of Psychophysiology

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to explore the usefulness of the alpha/theta (A/T) training in reducing Food Craving (FC) in a non-clinical sample. The modifications of electroencephalographic (EEG) power spectra associated with A/T training was also investigated. Fifty subjects were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to receive ten sessions of A/T training [neurofeedback group (NFG)=25], or to act as controls [waiting list group (WLG)=25]. All participants were administered the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. In the post training assessment, compared to the WLG, the NFG showed a significant reduction of intentions and plans to consume food (F 1; 49=4.90; p=.033; d=0.626) and of craving as a physiological state (F 1; 49=8.09; p=.007; d=803). In NFG, changes in FC persisted after 4months follow-up. Furthermore, A/T training was associated with significant a increase of resting EEG alpha power in several brain areas involved in FC (e.g., insula) and food cue reactivity (e.g., parahippocampal gyrus, inferior and superior temporal gyrus). Taken together, our results showed that ten sessions of A/T training are associated with a decrease of self-reported FC in a non-clinical sample. These findings suggest that this brain-directed intervention may be useful in the treatment of dysfunctional eating behaviors characterized by FC.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.11.010

Cites

98 of 98 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Imperatori, C., Valenti, E. M., Della Marca, G., Amoroso, N., Massullo, C., Carbone, G. A., Maestoso, G., Quintiliani, M. I., Contardi, A., & Farina, B.
Affiliations
European University of Rome (IT)
Corresponding author
Imperatori, Claudio
Venue
International Journal of Psychophysiology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-02
Volume
112
Pages
89-97
ISSN
0167-8760 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2549859522
Cited by
29
References
98
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 1
FWCI
5.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • International Journal of Psychophysiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
Keywords
food cravings, neurofeedback, EEG power spectra, resting-state EEG, food cue reactivity, dysfunctional eating behaviors, non-clinical sample, insula, parahippocampal gyrus, temporal lobe
MeSH terms
Adult, Alpha Rhythm, Female, Food, Humans, Male, Theta Rhythm, Young Adult, Neurofeedback, Craving

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review