Effects of Neurofeedback in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder : A Preliminary Study

Hye Lee Kim; Jae Won Kim; Soon Beom Hong; Jeong Hye Cho; Bung Nyun Kim; Min Sup Shin; Soo Churl Cho

doi:10.0000/jkna.2012.51.5.326

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Kim, Kim, Hong, Cho, Kim, Shin, and Cho: Effects of Neurofeedback in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder : A Preliminary Study

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association

Journal of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 2012; 51(5): 326-334.

Published online: 30 September 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.0000/jkna.2012.51.5.326

Effects of Neurofeedback in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder : A Preliminary Study

Hye Lee Kim, MD¹, Jae Won Kim, MD, PhD¹, Soon Beom Hong, MD¹, Jeong Hye Cho, MD², Bung Nyun Kim, MD, PhD¹, Min Sup Shin, PhD¹, Soo Churl Cho, MD, PhD¹

¹Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

²Chee Psychiatric Clinic, Daejeon, Korea.

Address for correspondence: Jae Won Kim, MD, PhD. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea. Tel +82-2-2072-3040, Fax +82-2-747-2471, adore412@paran.com

Received 25 April 2012 Revised 27 July 2012 Accepted 13 August 2012

Abstract

Objectives

The slow cortical potential (SCP) training is one of the methods of neurofeedback which is considered as an adjunctive treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the SCP training in children with ADHD.

Methods

Subjects were consisted of 12 children aged between 7 and 13 years and all of the subjects have completed neuropsychological tests to assess their cognitive and executive functioning, before and after their neurofeedback training. Their parents have completed the Korean-ADHD Rating Scale (ARS). Each subject was given 30 sessions of SCP training.

Results

The inattention scores and total ARS scores of the subjects have decreased (Z=-2.54, p<0.05, Z=-2.26, p<0.05, respectively) after training, but the hyperactivity/impulsivity scores did not show significant improvement. The commission error scores for both the visual and auditory ADHD diagnostic system (ADS) showed a trend toward improvement after training (p=0.053, p=0.092, respectively). The larger improvement of positive task of feedback trial, which is one of the methods of SCP training, was associated with the larger reduction of ARS total scores (p<0.05) and the larger improvement of negative task of transfer trial was associated with a larger reduction of omission error scores of auditory ADS (p<0.05).

Conclusion

This study suggests that the SCP neurofeedback program may improve ADHD symptoms and assumes that SCP training is a viable treatment option for ADHD treatment.

Keywords: Neurofeedback, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Slow cortical potentials

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

Schematic diagram of Slow Cortical Potential (SCP) neurofeedback training.

Fig. 2

Schematic diagram of procedures.

Fig. 3

Mean amplitudes in positive and negative trials with transfer during the early, the middle, and the latter sessions. ^* : p<0.05.

Fig. 4

Mean amplitudes in positive and negative trials with feedback during the early, middle, and latter sessions.

Table 1

Pre-treatment and post-treatment outcome variables by parents

Pre : Pre-training vist, Post : Post-training visit, SD : Standard deviation, ARS-i : ADHD Rating Scale, inattention subscale score, ARS-h : ADHD Rating Scale, hyperactivity/impulsivity subscale score, ARS-t : ADHD Rating Scale, total score, DBDS : Disruptive Behavior Disorder Scale

Table 2

Changes in neuropsychological outcome variables and CGI-S scores

^* : p<0.05. Pre : Pre-training vist, Post : Post-training visit, SD : Standard deviation, ADS-V : Visual ADHD diagnostic system, ADS-A : Auditory ADHD diagnostic system, CCTT : Children's Color Trails Test, CGI-S : Clinical Global Improvement-Severity

Table 3

Changes in mean SCP amplitudes during neurofeedback program

Early : Mean SCP amplitude of session 2-4, Middle : Mean SCP amplitude of session 14-16, Latter : Mean SCP amplitude of session 27-29, SCP : Slow cortical potential, Tr+ : Transfer trial positive task, Tr- : Transfer trial negative task, Fb+ : Feedback trial positive task, Fb- : Feedback trial negative task, SD : Standard deviation

Notes

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

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