The clinical utility and ecological validity of neurofeedback training as a treatment modality for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Neurofeedback training is a form of treatment that works on the principles of operant conditioning to assist clients in regulating activity in the brain. During the past 40 years, neurofeedback training has been gaining momentum as a viable treatment modality for the symptoms of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as those utilising the treatment learn to decrease impulsivity and enhance their capacity for sustained attention. The present study utilised the archival data of fourteen participants held by a local clinician and investigated the clinical utility and ecological validity of neurofeedback training as a treatment modality for ADHD in a clinical setting. In addition the viability of utilising the current data in a follow up study was examined. This study found improvements in the capacity for sustained attention and impulse control at a statistically and clinically significant level, and improvements in accuracy at a clinically significant level following 6 to 11 sessions of neurofeedback training. Thus, the clinical utility and ecological validity of neurofeedback training for the treatment of ADHD was supported.