Neurofeedback is a technique that allows ADHD patients to train their attention using instant feedback from their brain activity. Neuroscientists discovered that training had a positive impact on patients' concentration abilities. They also found that attention improvements were closely tied to an increased response from the brain, the P3 wave. This is known to reflect brain integration.About 7% of children are affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with a two-third chance of continuing to adulthood. This neurodevelopmental disorder causes concentration problems, hyperactivity, distractibility, impulsivity, and increased distractibility. ADHD is often treated with drugs that can have undesirable side effects. Researchers from the University of Geneva and University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) in Switzerland have developed a new technique called neurofeedback, which allows ADHD patients to train their attention using instant feedback from their brain activity. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) found that patients were able to concentrate better after the training. The attention improvement was also closely tied to an increased brain response, the P3 wave. This is known to indicate brain integration and higher P3 amplitudes mean that patients pay more attention to targets. These findings were published in Clinical Neurophysiology.Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is a form of ADHD, develops in childhood. It causes impulsiveness, attention and concentration problems. This disorder is genetically associated with environmental factors and is characterised in part by a deficiency in dopamine (a neurotransmitter that helps in executive functions). Marie-Pierre Deiber is a researcher at the Department of Psychiatry, UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, and the HUG Division of Psychiatric Specialties.ADHD can be treated today with medication that increases dopamine levels, which improves attention. The treatment of ADHD is usually combined with psychotherapy, as it is frequently accompanied by anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder. Roland Hasler, a researcher at the HUG Division for Psychiatric Specialties, says that pharmaceutical treatments can have significant side effects like nervousness, sleep disturbances, and an increased risk of developing other psychiatric diseases or cardiovascular disease. "This is why we sought to explore a non-pharmacological, non-invasive treatment that was based on the principle 'neurofeedback.The brain sends its own signalsNeurofeedback, a neurocognitive intervention that trains brain signals in real-time, is called neurofeedback. The scientists use an electroencephalogram with 64 sensors to capture electrical activity from cortical neurons. They then focus their analysis on the spontaneous Alpha rhythm, which has a frequency of around 10 Hertz. This is coupled with its amplitude fluctuation to create a video game that patients can control using their attention. Neurofeedback is designed to help patients recognize when they are not paying attention. Researcher Tomas Ros from the Department of Basic Neurosciences, UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, and the Centre for Biomedical Imaging, (CIBM), explains that brain networks "learn" through practice to reduce attentional lapses via neuroplasticity. The patient's EEG is connected with a computer to display the image of the spaceship. The space shuttle will move forward if the patient is attentive (low Alpha rhythm). The space-shuttle movement is stopped instantly if the patient becomes distracted or loses focus (high Alpha rhythm). The patient is able to regain focus and restart the space shuttle after realizing that the space shuttle has stopped.How can you train your brain to focus and not need medication?The Geneva team administered an attention test in order to measure the impact of neurofeedback training. It was administered to 25 ADHD adults and 22 neurotypical adults. Results showed that ADHD patients made more mistakes at baseline and had a slower reaction time, which is consistent with impaired attention. Participants took the attention test again after 30 minutes of neurofeedback training.Marie-Pierre Deiber says, "The first finding was that stimulus recognition and response variability were increased, which indicates attentional enhancement." The neurofeedback training had a significant impact on the P3 component. This has been previously shown to be lower in ADHD and is directly related to neurocognitive processing. The greater the amplitude (or P3) of the stimulus, the more effective it is processed and the more precise the response to the attention task. Tomas Ros reports that neurofeedback training led to an increase in the amplitude (or P3) and a decrease in errors.The study first shows that neurofeedback can be used to induce brain plasticity and improve attention in ADHD patients. It also supports the existence an electro-physiological indicator of ADHD's attentional processing. Nader Perroud is a professor at the Department of Psychiatry, UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, and the HUG Division of Psychiatric Specialties. He says that the P3 could be a neurological signature that would help us better understand ADHD's neurocognitive mechanisms. The scientists will also be using multiple training sessions to see if the brain's plasticity changes over time, since the effects have been evident in the short-term. Tomas Ros concludes, "The ultimate goal of the treatment is to allow patients to learn how to concentrate without medication and train their brain at home."
