Overview: Neurofeedback has the potential to alleviate symptoms of “brain fog” and cognitive impairment associated with chemotherapy.
sauce: UCLA
Restoring normal brain function in cancer patients through neurofeedback may reduce the mental fog many report after treatment, according to a new pilot study by UCLA researchers.
This study demonstrates how neurofeedback, or electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback, addresses cognitive deficits in cancer patients experiencing the ‘chemobrain’, a myriad of symptoms including memory, concentration, and organization problems. This is one of the first studies to show that it can help as other symptoms such as sleep disturbances and emotional difficulties.
Previous research has shown that neurofeedback, in which brain waves are trained to operate in optimal frequency patterns, can help improve cognitive function in patients with cognitive deficits such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, stroke, and seizures. It has also been found to help regulate activity. Patients with drug use and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“The history of neurofeedback shows that it can help with all disorders and conditions. said Stephen Sideroff, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA who has used neurofeedback training with patients for more than 20 years.
The study will be published this month Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine.
A study by Sideroff and UCLA colleagues David Wellisch and Valerie Yarema included nine women with breast cancer aged 21 to 65 who had completed chemotherapy at least He complained of brain debilitating symptoms and seriously disrupted research. and private life.
A clinical nurse practitioner conducted a brief mental status interview with each patient and identified persistent difficulties with concentration, memory, organization, and confusion.
Patients selected for the study had no current diagnosis of breast cancer, no current or recent diagnosis of major depressive disorder or other psychiatric illness, which could confound the study results. He was not using any cognitive-altering drugs.
Before the neurofeedback training session began, study participants underwent neurocognitive and psychological tests and a quantitative EEG to measure EEG frequencies that could be compared with standard data. Pre-training quantitative EEGs show that each study participant had abnormal brain abandonment activity compared to healthy adult brains.
Study participants underwent a series of 18 neurofeedback sessions of 30 minutes each over a period of 6 weeks. During these sessions, sensors were placed on the scalp and earlobes to monitor EEG frequencies.
Patients were shown a monitor displaying these frequencies in bar graphs and told that the goal was to increase or decrease the amplitude of a particular frequency range to turn each bar green. We received audio and visual feedback when we successfully shifted these amplitudes.
A quantitative EEG taken after the completion of 18 neurofeedback sessions found significant normalization of EEG frequencies in 7 of the 9 study participants and significant improvement in the other 2. did.
Neurocognitive tests performed after the neurofeedback session showed significant improvements in information processing, executive set shifting, and sustained visual attention in study participants. Each had improved daily functioning and overall psychological improvement.
Study limitations include the small sample size and lack of a control group. Another limitation was the extended window it took for most study participants to receive all 18 neurofeedback sessions, three of whom completed the training in the six-week window that was planned. , most took him 7-9 weeks. Previous studies on neurofeedback have found that treatment is more effective when the sessions are closer together.
“Our results are more impressive given that we were unable to fit the subjects into their schedules,” Sideroff said.
Siderov said the findings support further research into whether neurofeedback is an effective approach to addressing the chemical brain and determining the ideal protocol for conducting neurofeedback training sessions. said to be powerful enough to
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About this neurotech and cancer research news
author: press office
sauce: UCLA
contact: Press Office – UCLA
image: image is public domain
Original research: closed access.
“A Neurotherapy Protocol for Repairing Cognitive Impairment After Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Pilot Study” by Steven Sideroff et al. Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine
Overview
A Neurotherapy Protocol for Repairing Cognitive Impairment After Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Pilot Study
Adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer is undeniably effective in improving survival, but many breast cancer survivors (BCS) exhibit side effects such as nausea, fatigue, stress, and neurocognitive impairment known as ‘chemobrain’. .
Purpose
This pilot study investigated how neurotherapy, or a non-pharmacological approach, EEG biofeedback, improved neurocognitive, behavioral, and neurophysiological deficits associated with chemotherapy-treated BCS. did.
method
Subjects underwent 18 sessions of EEG biofeedback training. In this training, successful shifts in EEG patterns resulted in audio and visual feedback.
result
Quantitative EEG and assessment tests showed neurophysiological, cognitive, and behavioral deficits in all nine subjects before training. EEG biofeedback significantly improved neurophysiological, neurocognitive, and psychological function in all of her nine subjects after training.
Conclusion
We propose that this intervention and related forms of EEG biofeedback may significantly reduce the common side effects of chemotherapy in BCS and therefore deserve additional research attention.
