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Neurofeedback, self-regulation and brain imaging: clinical science and fad in the service of mental disorders
Open accessAbstract
Neurofeedback draws on multiple techniques that propel both healthy and patient populations to self-regulate neural activity. Since the 1970s, numerous accounts have promoted electroencephalography-neurofeedback as a viable treatment for a host of mental disorders. Today, while the number of health care providers referring patients to neurofeedback practitioners increases steadily, substantial methodological and conceptual caveats continue to pervade empirical reports. And yet, nascent imaging technologies (e.g., real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging) and increasingly rigorous protocols are paving the road towards more effective applications and a better scientific understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Here, we outline common neurofeedback methods, illuminate the tenuous state of the evidence, and sketch out future directions to further unravel the potential merits of this contentious therapeutic prospect.
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“In other psychiatric and neurological disorders rtfMRI-NF has shown some clinical potential (Thibault et al., 2015, 2016), showing generalization to NF-free transfer runs and longer-term beneficial effects on cognitive and behavior symptoms of up to several months (Zilverstand et al., 2015).”
From Cognitive Neuroscience of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Its Clinical Translation (2018) · cites this paper as Thibault et al., 2015
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Jensen, M., Hüttenrauch, E., Schmidt, J., Andersson, G., Chavanon, M.-L., & Weise, C. (2020) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.12257978
Jensen, M., Hüttenrauch, E., Schmidt, J., Andersson, G., Chavanon, M.-L., & Weise, C. (2020) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.12257963
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Delineating implicit and explicit processes in neurofeedback learningPreprint
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Non-specific increase in alpha power during a neurofeedback session targeting its downregulation
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Metadata
- Authors
- Thibault, R. T., Lifshitz, M., Birbaumer, N., & Raz, A.
- Affiliations
- McGill University (CA)
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital (IT)
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (CA)
- Venue
- Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
- Publisher
- S. Karger AG
- Published
- 2015
- Volume
- 84
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 193-207
- ISSN
- 0033-3190 (ISSN-L)
- 1423-0348
- OpenAlex
- W1491964194
- Cited by
- 112
- References
- 126
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 1.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Locations
- Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship@McGill (McGill) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Mind and Life Institute
- Volkswagen Foundation
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Keywords
- neurofeedback, self-regulation, EEG, mental illness, evidence base, treatment efficacy, methodological limitations
- MeSH terms
- Self-Control, Clinical Studies as Topic, Mental Disorders, Brain, Brain Mapping, Electroencephalography, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Neurofeedback
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