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Updated: Mar 24, 2026
A Protocol for the Administration of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training
Published on: August 24, 2017
Short and long-term effects of sham-controlled prefrontal EEG-neurofeedback training in healthy subjects
H J Engelbregt1, D Keeser2, L van Eijk3
1Hersencentrum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
Objective:
In this study we evaluated long-term effects of frontal beta EEG-neurofeedback training (E-NFT) on healthy subjects. We hypothesized that E-NFT can change frontal beta activity in the long-term and that changes in frontal beta EEG activity are accompanied by altered cognitive performance.
Methods:
25 healthy subjects were included and randomly assigned to active or sham E-NFT. On average the subjects underwent 15 E-NFT training sessions with a training duration of 45 min. Resting-state EEG was recorded prior to E-NFT training (t1) and in a 3-year follow-up (t3).
Results:
Compared to sham E-NFT, which was used for the control group, real E-NFT increased beta activity in a predictable way. This increase was maintained over a period of three years post training. However, E-NFT did not result in significantly improved cognitive performance.
Conclusion:
Based on our results, we conclude that EEG-NFT can selectively modify EEG beta activity both in short and long-term.
Significance:
This is a sham controlled EEG neurofeedback study demonstrating long-term effects in resting state EEG.
