quantitative electroencephalography
Research Papers
Electroencephalography-based cortical sources of working memory in the subjects with opioid addiction: A pilot study
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Working memory impairments in the subjects of opioid addiction may stem from an aberrant cortical activity in the executive areas, and may help in early identification of individuals with addictive tendencies and may also be used as a neurofeedback mechanism in adjunct to the existing therapeutics. METHODS: Electrical neuroimaging via 128-channel electroencephalography (EEG) recording was done in 15 male subjects with opioid addiction (29.45±5.6 yr) during the performance of Sternberg Working Memory Task. EEG data were acquired and analyzed for cortical sources during task as compared to resting (baseline) condition. RESULTS: Working memory deficits were manifested as decrease in accuracy percentage in the subjects with opioid addiction, while no significant difference was seen in reaction time, on comparison with laboratory-acquired matched controls. Standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA)-based EEG source analysis revealed higher cortical activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, inferior, middle and superior temporal gyri, inferior frontal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, inferior parietal lobule and precuneus, whereas significant lower activity was seen in superior and middle frontal gyri, parietal lobule, cingulate cortex and pre- and postcentral gyri when the task was compared to baseline in the subjects with opioid addiction. Further, a negative correlation was seen between the accuracy of task performance and activation ratio for the significant gyri in the subjects with opioid addiction. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: EEG cortical sources revealed the failure of deactivation of default-mode network (DMN) during the task amongst the subjects with opioid addiction. In addition, there was a decrease in the executive function areas in the subjects with opioid addiction. This lack of sufficiently active executive network and persistence of DMN during the task (as compared to baseline) may potentially form the basis of functional impairments in the subjects with opioid addiction.
View Full Paper →19-Channel Neurofeedback in an Adolescent with FASD
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), resulting from gestational exposure to ethanol alcohol, can result in a wide range of lifelong and severe challenging behaviors with a concomitant lowered quality of life. This article presents the results of neurofeedback treatment (80 sessions over 14 months) with an adolescent diagnosed with FASD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and who had a significantly low social adaptive quotient (<1 percentile) and marginally low intelligence (13th percentile). Significant neural dysregulation, as measured by quantitative electroencephalography, resolved almost entirely. This occurred with a parallel improvement of his challenging behaviors as subjectively reported by his family and one of his workers.
View Full Paper →Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the Efficacy of qEEG-Guided Neurofeedback Treatment: A Case Series
While neurofeedback (NF) has been extensively studied in the treatment of many disorders, there have been only three published reports, by D.C. Hammond, on its clinical effects in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In this paper the efficacy of qEEG-guided NF for subjects with OCD was studied as a case series. The goal was to examine the clinical course of the OCD symptoms and assess the efficacy of qEEG guided NF training on clinical outcome measures. Thirty-six drug resistant subjects with OCD were assigned to 9–84 sessions of QEEG-guided NF treatment. Daily sessions lasted 60 minutes where 2 sessions with half-hour applications with a 30 minute rest given between sessions were conducted per day. Thirty-three out of 36 subjects who received NF training showed clinical improvement according to the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale (Y-BOCS). The Minnesota multiphasic inventory (MMPI) was administered before and after treatment to 17 of the subjects. The MMPI results showed significant improvements not only in OCD measures, but all of the MMPI scores showed a general decrease. Finally, according to the physicians' evaluation of the subjects using the clinical global impression scale (CGI), 33 of the 36 subjects were rated as improved. Thirty-six of the subjects were followed for an average of 26 months after completing the study. According to follow-up interviews conducted with them and/or their family members 19 of the subjects maintained the improvements in their OCD symptoms. This study provides good evidence for the efficacy of NF treatment in OCD. The results of this study encourage further controlled research in this area.
View Full Paper →Power Spectral Frequency and Coherence Abnormalities in Patients with Intractable Epilepsy and Their Usefulness in Long-Term Remediation of Seizures Using Neurofeedback
Medically intractable seizures appear to be highly correlated with focal slow activity (delta or theta). They also correlate highly with decreases in the coherence of theta. Normalization of focal slowing and of decreased theta coherence will probably be the neurofeedback approaches most likely to decrease or eliminate seizures in future cases. Neurofeedback has been used for over 35 years to reduce the incidence and severity of seizures. With power training to decrease theta and increase the sensorimotor rhythm (12–15 Hz), an average of 82% of patients experienced a significant reduction in seizure frequency, and occasional remissions were seen. Recent improvements using QEEG to guide neurofeedback training have made it possible to eliminate seizures in most patients, even those with intractable seizures. Following our previous study in 2005, we report an additional 25 patients so treated. We also report an analysis of the frequency of QEEG abnormalities in this patient group. All of the intractable epileptic patients had one or more slow foci (excessive theta or delta compared with the normal database). One third had a relative deficiency of beta power. One fourth had a deficiency of absolute delta. Eighteen percent had excessive absolute alpha power, 18% had deficient absolute alpha power, 18% percent had excessive absolute beta power, and 18% percent had deficient absolute beta power. Hypocoherence of theta was found in 75%, and decreases in alpha coherence were noted in 42%. Hypocoherence of beta was found in 50%, and hypocoherence of delta was found in 25%. Increases in alpha coherence were noted in 33%. Seventeen percent had no coherence abnormalities. When most of the power and coherence abnormalities were normalized with neurofeedback training, all the patients became seizure-free; 76% no longer required an anticonvulsant for seizure control.
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