Novel EEG-Based Neurofeedback System Targeting Frontal Gamma Activity of Schizophrenia Patients to Improve Working Memory

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2022 Jul:2022:4031-4035. doi: 10.1109/EMBC48229.2022.9870878.

Abstract

Patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) exhibit working memory (WM) deficits that are associated with deficient dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortical activity, including decreased frontal gamma power. We thus hypothesized that training SCZ patients to increase frontal gamma activity would improve their WM performance. We administered electroencephalographic (EEG) neurofeedback (NFB) to 31 participants with SCZ for 12 weeks (24 sessions), which provides real-time visual and auditory feedback related to frontal gamma activity. The EEG-NFB training significantly improved EEG markers of optimal working memory, e.g., frontal P3 amplitude and gamma power. Based on these promising results, we developed a novel, EEGLAB/MATLAB-based brain-computer interface (BCI) that delivers F3-F4 gamma coherence NFB with a dynamic threshold to SCZ patients randomized in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The BCI significantly increased F3-F4 gamma coherence after 12 weeks (24 sessions) of training, according to data from the first 12 subjects ( n=6 /group) who completed gamma- or placebo-NFB training.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03260257.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Cognition
  • Electroencephalography / methods
  • Humans
  • Memory Disorders
  • Memory, Short-Term
  • Neurofeedback* / methods
  • Schizophrenia* / therapy

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03260257