Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback in Depression: Three case studies

Authors

  • Vera A. Grin-Yatsenko Laboratory of Neurobiology of Action Programming, N.P. Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg
  • Siegfried Othmer The EEG Institute, Woodland Hills, California
  • Valery A. Ponomarev Laboratory of Neurobiology of Action Programming, N.P. Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg
  • Sergey A. Evdokimov Laboratory of Neurobiology of Action Programming, N.P. Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg
  • Yuri Y. Konoplev Saint-Petersburg State University, Biology Faculty, Department of Higher Nervous Activity and Psychophysiology, St. Petersburg
  • Juri D. Kropotov Laboratory of Neurobiology of Action Programming, N.P. Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.5.1.30

Keywords:

Neurophysiology, Neurofeedback, Depression, qEEG

Abstract

Electroencephalographic (EEG) findings on depressive patients indicate theta and alpha activity higher than in normal controls. Extensive literature reports on the effectiveness of neurofeedback techniques in the treatment of cognitive and behavioral disorders by training the patients to modulate their brain activities, as reflected in their electroencephalogram.  Three unmedicated depressed individuals participated in this study of Infra Low Frequency Neurofeedback (ILF NF) training. Along with the pre- and post-treatment Depression Rating Scales assessment, quantitative EEGs (qEEG) were recorded in Eyes open and Eyes closed resting states and during the visual cued GO/NOGO task before and after 20 sessions of training. Along with remission of the clinical symptoms of depression, significant decrease of theta power over frontal and central areas was observed in all three patients under all test conditions. These qEEG dynamics might be a correlate of ILF NF related recovery of the appropriate level of frontal cortical activation.

Author Biographies

Vera A. Grin-Yatsenko, Laboratory of Neurobiology of Action Programming, N.P. Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg

Research scientist, PhD

Siegfried Othmer, The EEG Institute, Woodland Hills, California

Chief Scientist, PhD

Valery A. Ponomarev, Laboratory of Neurobiology of Action Programming, N.P. Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg

Leading Researcher, PhD

Sergey A. Evdokimov, Laboratory of Neurobiology of Action Programming, N.P. Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg

Senior Assistant

Yuri Y. Konoplev, Saint-Petersburg State University, Biology Faculty, Department of Higher Nervous Activity and Psychophysiology, St. Petersburg

Graduate student

Juri D. Kropotov, Laboratory of Neurobiology of Action Programming, N.P. Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg

Head of the Laboratory, Prof.

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Published

2018-03-30

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2018)

Section

Research Papers

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