beta waves
Research Papers
A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Neurofeedback and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Patients: Pilot Study
Insomnia is a common disease that negatively affects patients both mentally and physically. While insomnia disorder is mainly characterized by hyperarousal, a few studies that have directly intervened with cortical arousal. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of a neurofeedback protocol for reducing cortical arousal on insomnia compared to cognitive-behavioral treatment for insomnia (CBT-I). Seventeen adults with insomnia, free of other psychiatric illnesses, were randomly assigned to neurofeedback or CBT-I. All participants completed questionnaires on insomnia [Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)], sleep quality [Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)], and dysfunctional cognition [Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale (DBAS-16)]. The neurofeedback group showed decreases in beta waves and increases in theta and alpha waves in various areas of the electroencephalogram (EEG), indicating lowered cortical arousal. The ISI and PSQI scores were significantly decreased, and sleep efficiency and sleep satisfaction were increased compared to the pre-treatment scores in both groups. DBAS scores decreased only in the CBT-I group (NF p = 0.173; CBT-I p = 0.012). This study confirmed that neurofeedback training could alleviate the symptoms of insomnia by reducing cortical hyperarousal in patients, despite the limited effect in reducing cognitive dysfunction compared to CBT-I.
View Full Paper →Attempted brain wave modelling in participants under severe chronic stress using quantitative electroencephalogram
The paper primarily focuses on differences in electroencephalogram (EEG) brain wave frequencies in the presence of symptoms of severe, chronic stress. In the case of a constant increase of stress triggers, it is important to quickly diagnose people who reveal difficulties coping with difficult situations in order to prevent the occurrence of mental disorders. One way to do this is to diagnose brainwave patterns. The study aimed to identify differences in the brainwave levels of participants reporting intense stress compared to the control group. Differences in brainwave frequency between the right and left hemisphere were also investigated in the study group. The study consisted of two stages. Initially, the study group was enrolled based on their level of stress intensity criterion determined by means of an interview (in which participants declared a sense of chronic stress) and high scores on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The control group consisted of subjects with a low score. In the next stage brainwave frequencies were analyzed using quantitative analysis of EEG (electroencephalography, QEEG) recordings. QEEG is a quantitative analysis of the EEG record, in which the data is digitally coded and statistically analyzed using the Fourier transform algorithm. The results demonstrated that people reporting intense, chronic stress statistically significantly more often had higher frequencies of theta, alpha, and beta 2 waves, and a lower level of SMR. Significant differences in the frequencies of the waves in both hemispheres were also noted.
View Full Paper →Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG) as an Innovative Diagnostic Tool in Mental Disorders
Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) is becoming an increasingly common method of diagnosing neurological disorders and, following the recommendations of The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS), it can be used as a complementary method in the diagnosis of epilepsy, vascular diseases, dementia, and encephalopathy. However, few studies are confirming the importance of QEEG in the diagnosis of mental disorders and changes occurring as a result of therapy; hence, there is a need for analyses in this area. The aim of the study is analysis of the usefulness of QEEG in the diagnosis of people with generalized anxiety disorders. Our research takes the form of case studies. The paper presents an in-depth analysis of the QEEG results of five recently studied people with a psychiatric diagnosis: generalized anxiety disorder. The results show specific pattern amplitudes at C3 and C4. In all of the examined patients, two dependencies are repeated: low contribution of the sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) wave amplitudes and high beta2 wave amplitudes, higher or equal to the alpha amplitudes. The QEEG study provides important information about the specificity of brain waves of people with generalized anxiety disorder; therefore, it enables the preliminary and quick diagnosis of dysfunction. It is also possible to monitor changes due to QEEG, occurring as a result of psychotherapy, pharmacological therapy and EEG-biofeedback.
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