[A prospective randomized controlled study of neurofeedback combined with learning style profile intervention...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• High-functioning autism (HFA) presents challenges in social interaction and behavior.
• Effective interventions are crucial for improving the quality of life for children with HFA.
• Combining neurofeedback (NFB) with learning style profile (LSP) intervention is an emerging therapeutic strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of NFB combined with LSP intervention in children with HFA.
• To assess the impact of this combined therapy on clinical symptoms and social abilities.
• To evaluate changes in the quality of life among participants.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, double-blind study involving 86 children with HFA.
• Participants were randomly assigned to a control group (LSP only) or an observation group (NFB + LSP).
• Intervention lasted 6 months, with assessments using Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL).

Main Results:

• The NFB + LSP group showed significantly lower ABC, ATEC, and SRS scores compared to the control group (P<0.05).
• The observation group exhibited a significantly higher PedsQL score post-intervention (P<0.05).
• PedsQL scores were negatively correlated with ABC, ATEC, and SRS scores (r=-0.238, -0.381, -0.219; P<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Combined NFB and LSP intervention effectively improves clinical symptoms in children with HFA.
• This therapeutic approach enhances social abilities and controls disease progression.
• The intervention leads to a significant improvement in the quality of life for children with HFA.