Is there enough research?
Over 1,000 studies have been published related to this field. The early animal research, which has been validated in many peer-reviewed journals since the 1970s, showed: 1.) the EEG can be changed through operant conditioning (based on Skinner’s work), and 2.) that seizures are reduced with EEG training.
These were done with cats with no chance of placebo effects. That research has been verified in human studies. There will always be a need for more, and the basis for this field is extremely solid. There are a number of good outcome studies. No one has published any significant studies suggesting neurofeedback doesn’t work.
Research Guide
Click below for a select subset of studies and research articles. We’ve selected studies to help you gain a solid understanding of what’s been done in the field, and it’s a lot easier to digest than the big list. This is the same list provided to the attendees of the Neurofeedback Workshop at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting.
A well-recognized medical journal in child and adolescent psychiatry devoted much of a special issue to research in neurofeedback in January 2005. It’s well worth reviewing. It was edited by an associate professor from Brown Medical School, a psychiatrist from Harvard Medical School and a psychiatrist from University of California, Davis. Click here to learn more about this journal, how to order it, or how to get links to a couple of the chapters.
The majority of outcome studies are in three areas: epilepsy, ADD, and substance abuse, in addition to basic research. Even though neurofeedback is widely used for other issues, there are currently a limited number of outcome studies. There are some smaller studies listed for OCD, for autism, depression, anxiety, and learning disabilities. More are in progress.
Though more studies are needed, the literature that exists is substantial. As in most fields, much of the research is published in specialized journals. To understand the research and science requires reading multiple studies and articles about neurofeedback. That must be combined with a good understanding of the neurophysiology of cognitive behavioral function and the EEG (see Integrative Neuroscience). Add to this a good understanding of arousal, the thalamus, and the brainstem. Once you’ve studied these, you have a solid scientific underpinning for this field. We know of a introductory course that does a good job of synthesizing this information and making it understandable. Please contact us for more details.
Frank Duffy, a noted Harvard Neurologist, reviewed the literature in 2000. He wrote an editorial that identified some unresolved research issues. Then he added:
The literature, which lacks any negative study of substance, suggests that EBT (EEG Biofeedback Therapy) should play a major therapeutic role in many difficult areas. In my opinion, if any medication had demonstrated such a wide spectrum of efficacy, it would be universally accepted and widely used.From the medical journal Clinical EEG and Neuroscience
Is neurofeedback considered experimental?
No, unless your criteria is that any off-label use is experimental. In medicine, off-label use is commonly practiced.
The first changes most people experience when brain training is sleep. Every clinician learns that quickly. Neurofeedback helps insomnia and a number of other sleep problems, but there is no real research on neurofeedback and sleep. Remarkable, but there’s just not funding for it and no academics are pursuing the research. Most experienced clinicians in the field know if you add neurofeedback training to any psychiatric, psychological, or neurological treatment, the chances of improvement is extremely high. When the brain works better, it’s easier to treat problems. That being said, health professionals long for more outcome studies to help convince other health professionals and insurance companies of neurofeedback’s efficacy.
Thousands of licensed health professionals use neurofeedback. Continued growth over has occurred with psychologists, psychiatrists, and professors. All are subject to licensing boards, and many are highly credentialed. Neurofeedback can be expensive and time-consuming for patients and requires significant effort by clinicians to learn it well and bring it to a clinical setting. It would have unlikely grown so much without clear clinical success.
