Neurofeedback Treatment of Depression and Anxiety
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Study at a glance
- Area
- Depression & Mood
- Study type
- Review & meta-analysis
- Authors
- Hammond DC
- Journal
- Journal of Adult Development
- Year
- 2005
- Protocol
- review of alpha, theta and asymmetry neurofeedback
Key findings
- Greater left frontal alpha (less left frontal activation) is described as a marker of vulnerability to depression
- In an earlier review of eight generalized anxiety studies, seven reported positive clinical change
- Controlled test-anxiety studies led the author to rate neurofeedback for phobic anxiety as possibly efficacious
- Anxiety studies averaged only about 3.2 hours of training; the author typically uses 7-12 hours
A review of neurofeedback for depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The author outlines evidence that these conditions often have biological roots, including the frontal alpha asymmetry linked to depression, and argues that neurofeedback could offer an alternative to medication and other invasive treatments. He finds the research support strongest for anxiety disorders, while noting that many early anxiety studies used very short training. The paper also presents new findings on neurofeedback for depression.