Effect of EEG Biofeedback on Cognitive Flexibility in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder With and Without Epilepsy

Research shows abnormal function of the pre-frontal cortex in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This cortex is involved in the control of executive functions related to planning and execution of goal-oriented strategies, working memory, inhibitions, cognitive flexibility, and selective attention. Selective attention involves focus on the target stimulus, ignoring competing distractions. The Stroop Test (Stroop, 1935) is usually used to evaluate selective attention. This study investigated whether children with ADHD could exhibit modified performance in the Stroop Test. Using a computerized version of this test (Capovilla, Montiel, Macedo, & Charin, 2005), the study compared the reaction times (RTs) of 62 Brazilian children, between 8 and 12 years of age, 31 of whom were diagnosed with ADHD and sent to psychiatric clinics, and 31 without ADHD studying in regular schools. All children with ADHD satisfied the criteria of the DSM-IV-TR and were evaluated with the Conners Abbreviated Questionnaire (Goyette, Conners, & Ulrich, 1978), completed by parents and teachers. The results revealed that children with ADHD exhibit greater interference in RT than children without ADHD. This corroborated the hypothesis that children with ADHD exhibit a deficit in selective attention, consisting in augmented RTs, as measured by the Computerized Stroop Test.

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Event Related Potentials of Subgroups of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and the Implications for EEG Biofeedback

Journal of Neurotherapy ◽

10.1300/j184v01n03_06 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 40-49 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Michael Linden ◽

Richard Gevitz ◽

Robert Isenhart ◽

Todd Fisher

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Event Related Potentials ◽

Eeg Biofeedback ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Related Potentials

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Multimodal intervention improves core symptoms in preschool children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.10532 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (11) ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Yan Qin

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Eeg Biofeedback ◽

Multimodal Intervention ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Concentration Time ◽

Group I ◽

Core Symptoms

I tested the effect of a psychobehavioral intervention combined with electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback on the core symptoms of preschool children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants were 42 preschool children with attention-deficit, hyperactive-impulsive, or compound-type ADHD. They were randomly divided into the control group, a psychobehavioral intervention group, an EEG biofeedback intervention group, or a psychobehavioral + EEG biofeedback intervention group (i. e., comprehensive). After 4 months of intervention, I assessed (a) attention concentration time and (b) impulsivity and hyperactivity scores using Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire. Results show that the multimodal intervention significantly improved participants' concentration time and behavioral hyperactive-impulsive symptoms. The multimodal (vs. single-modal) intervention was more effective in improving core symptoms. My results provide a reference for related research and practical application.

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Can the Brain be Trained? Comparing the Literature on the Use of EEG Biofeedback/Neurofeedback as an Alternative or Complementary Therapy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian ◽

10.1080/01639260802031556 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 20-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tony Stankus

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Complementary Therapy ◽

Eeg Biofeedback ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

The Brain

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Disorder-specific Right Inferior Prefrontal Dysfunction During Two Tasks of Inhibitory Control in Pediatric Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder Compared to Pediatric Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(09)70625-x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (S1) ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

K. Rubia ◽

A. Cubillo ◽

J. Woolley ◽

R. Halari ◽

A. Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Response Inhibition ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Stop Task

Inhibitory dysfunction is the key behavioural and cognitive phenotype of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and of obsessive-compulsive-disorder (OCD). Both disorders show deficits in tasks of response inhibition and cognitive flexibility as well as fronto-striatal brain dysfunctions during task performance. The goal of this research was to investigate differences and commonalities in functional neural networks mediating inhibitory control between adolescents with ADHD and those with OCD to identify disorder-specific neurofunctional biomarkers.Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to compare brain activation of 18/12 boys (Stop/Switch task) with clinical ADHD, 10 boys with clinical OCD and 20 healthy comparison boys during a tracking Stop task measuring motor response inhibition and its failure and a switching task measuring cognitive flexibility. Non-parametric permutation analyses were used for fMRI analysis (XBAM). Functional connectivity analyses investigating group differences in fronto-striatal connections will be presented at the conference.Both patient groups shared brain dysfunction compared to controls in right orbitofrontal, left dorsolateral (Stop task) and left inferior prefrontal cortices (Switch task). Right inferior prefrontal under-activation, however, was specific to ADHD during both tasks. Under-activation in left caudate and anterior cingulate was also specific to ADHD during the Switch task.Patients with ADHD appear to have both common and distinct dysfunctions during inhibitory control compared to OCD patients. The most consistent fMRI finding in ADHD of a dysfunction in right inferior prefrontal cortex during inhibitory control appears to be disorder-specific when compared to OCD, and may be a specific neurofunctional biomarker of ADHD.

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