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01-05-2018 | Original Contribution

A 6-month follow-up of an RCT on behavioral and neurocognitive effects of neurofeedback in children with ADHD

Authors: Katleen Geladé, Tieme W. P. Janssen, Marleen Bink, Jos W. R. Twisk, Rosa van Mourik, Athanasios Maras, Jaap Oosterlaan

Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | Issue 5/2018

Abstract

To assess the long-term effects of neurofeedback (NFB) in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we compared behavioral and neurocognitive outcomes at a 6-month naturalistic follow-up of a randomized controlled trial on NFB, methylphenidate (MPH), and physical activity (PA). Ninety-two children with a DSM-IV-TR ADHD diagnosis, aged 7–13, receiving NFB (n = 33), MPH (n = 28), or PA (n = 31), were re-assessed 6-months after the interventions. NFB comprised theta/beta training on the vertex (cortical zero). PA comprised moderate to vigorous intensity exercises. Outcome measures included parent and teacher behavioral reports, and neurocognitive measures (auditory oddball, stop-signal, and visual spatial working memory tasks). At follow-up, longitudinal hierarchical multilevel model analyses revealed no significant group differences for parent reports and neurocognitive measures (p = .058–.997), except for improved inhibition in MPH compared to NFB (p = .040) and faster response speed in NFB compared to PA (p = .012) during the stop-signal task. These effects, however, disappeared after controlling for medication use at follow-up. Interestingly, teacher reports showed less inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity at follow-up for NFB than PA (p = .004–.010), even after controlling for medication use (p = .013–.036). Our findings indicate that the superior results previously found for parent reports and neurocognitive outcome measures obtained with MPH compared to NFB and PA post intervention became smaller or non-significant at follow-up. Teacher reports suggested superior effects of NFB over PA; however, some children had different teachers at follow-up. Therefore, this finding should be interpreted with caution.

Clinical trial registration Train your brain and exercise your heart? Advancing the treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Ref. no. NCT01363544, https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01363544.

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Title: A 6-month follow-up of an RCT on behavioral and neurocognitive effects of neurofeedback in children with ADHD
Authors: Katleen Geladé
Tieme W. P. Janssen
Marleen Bink
Jos W. R. Twisk
Rosa van Mourik
Athanasios Maras
Jaap Oosterlaan
Publication date: 01-05-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry / Issue 5/2018
Print ISSN: 1018-8827
Electronic ISSN: 1435-165X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-1072-1

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

A 6-month follow-up of an RCT on behavioral and neurocognitive effects of neurofeedback in children with ADHD

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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