A randomised control investigation of combined cognitive and neurofeedback training for children with AD/HD
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1
University of Wollongong, School of Psychology, Australia
Objectives: There is increasing evidence that working memory and inhibitory control training can lead to behavioural improvement in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). State-regulation theories of AD/HD suggest that an inability to adjust energetic state level, and consequent executive functioning issues, are at the core of the disorder. Accordingly, the present study examined the efficacy of a combined cognitive and neurofeedback training program for children with AD/HD using a randomised control design.
Methods: The final sample consisted of 80 children aged 7-12 years, 40 in the training and 40 in the waitlist (WL) condition. Training consisted of cognitive and neurofeedback tasks and took place in the childrens' home, with participants required to complete between 20 and 25 sessions over a 6-8 week period. Outcomes examined included questionnaires assessing AD/HD symptom severity and frequency, performance on a digit span and counting span task, and EEG topography and power during several basic EEG tasks including resting eyes-open and eyes-closed.
Results: Compared to the WL condition, children in the training condition showed significant reductions in AD/HD symptoms overall and specifically for the hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom of AD/HD. EEG power showed typical AD/HD topographical differences at Time 1, while post-training there was evidence of a directional trend towards EEG normalisation for children in the training condition.
Conclusions: Overall the results provide support for the efficacy of a combined cognitive and neurofeedback training program for children with AD/HD.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the parents and children who participated in this study.
Keywords:
ADHD,
Neurofeedback Training,
EEG,
Inhibition (Psychology),
working memory training
Conference:
ASP2015 - 25th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Psychophysiology, Sydney, Australia, 2 Dec - 4 Dec, 2015.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Psychophysiology
Citation:
Johnstone
SJ,
Roodenrys
S,
Johnson
K and
Bonfield
R
(2015). A randomised control investigation of combined cognitive and neurofeedback training for children with AD/HD.
Conference Abstract:
ASP2015 - 25th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Psychophysiology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2015.219.00022
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Received:
11 Oct 2015;
Published Online:
30 Nov 2015.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Stuart J Johnstone, University of Wollongong, School of Psychology, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia, sjohnsto@uow.edu.au