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AIMS Neuroscience

2024, Volume 11, Issue 3: 341-351. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2024021
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Research article

Cognitive effects of brief and intensive neurofeedback treatment in schizophrenia: a single center pilot study

  • 1.
    Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
  • 2.
    Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, Messina, Italy
  • 3.
    Department “Scienze della Salute”, University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
  • 4.
    Department of Mental Health and Addictions, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
  • Received: 22 April 2024 Revised: 21 August 2024 Accepted: 02 September 2024 Published: 09 September 2024

  • Background 

    Schizophrenia is characterized by significant cognitive impairments and affects up to 98% of patients. Neurofeedback (NF) offers a means to modulate neural network function through cognitive processes such as learning and memorization, with documented structural changes in the brain, most notably an increase in grey matter volume in targeted regions.

    Methods 

    The present 2-week, open-label, preliminary study aims to evaluate the efficacy on cognition of an adjunctive short and intensive (8 daily sessions lasting 30 minutes) alpha/theta NF training in a sample of subjects affected by schizophrenia on stabilized treatment with atypical antipsychotic drugs. The efficacy was measured at baseline and at the end of the study by the Brief Neuropsychological Examination 2 (ENB 2), the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Stroop color-word interference test; the clinical symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

    Results 

    A final sample of nine patients completed the study. Regarding the cognitive performance, at the final assessment (week 2), the NF treatment significantly improved the performance in the “Story Recall Immediate” (p = 0.024), “Story Recall Delayed” (p = 0.007), “Interference Memory 30 s” (p = 0.024), “Clock Test” (p = 0.014) sub-tests, and the ENB2 Total Score (p = 0.007). Concerning the clinical symptoms, no significant changes were observed in the PANSS subscales and the PANSS Total score.

    Conclusions 

    NF could represent an adjunctive treatment strategy in the therapeutic toolbox for schizophrenia cognitive symptoms.

    Citation: Fabrizio Turiaco, Fiammetta Iannuzzo, Giovanni Genovese, Clara Lombardo, Maria Catena Silvestri, Laura Celebre, Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello, Antonio Bruno. Cognitive effects of brief and intensive neurofeedback treatment in schizophrenia: a single center pilot study[J]. AIMS Neuroscience, 2024, 11(3): 341-351. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2024021

    Related Papers:

  • Background 

    Schizophrenia is characterized by significant cognitive impairments and affects up to 98% of patients. Neurofeedback (NF) offers a means to modulate neural network function through cognitive processes such as learning and memorization, with documented structural changes in the brain, most notably an increase in grey matter volume in targeted regions.

    Methods 

    The present 2-week, open-label, preliminary study aims to evaluate the efficacy on cognition of an adjunctive short and intensive (8 daily sessions lasting 30 minutes) alpha/theta NF training in a sample of subjects affected by schizophrenia on stabilized treatment with atypical antipsychotic drugs. The efficacy was measured at baseline and at the end of the study by the Brief Neuropsychological Examination 2 (ENB 2), the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Stroop color-word interference test; the clinical symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

    Results 

    A final sample of nine patients completed the study. Regarding the cognitive performance, at the final assessment (week 2), the NF treatment significantly improved the performance in the “Story Recall Immediate” (p = 0.024), “Story Recall Delayed” (p = 0.007), “Interference Memory 30 s” (p = 0.024), “Clock Test” (p = 0.014) sub-tests, and the ENB2 Total Score (p = 0.007). Concerning the clinical symptoms, no significant changes were observed in the PANSS subscales and the PANSS Total score.

    Conclusions 

    NF could represent an adjunctive treatment strategy in the therapeutic toolbox for schizophrenia cognitive symptoms.



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    Acknowledgments


    The authors thank Massimo Cacciola - Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, Messina, Italy – and Federica Rapisarda - University of Messina, Italy - for assistance with recruitment and data collection.

    Conflict of interest


    None.

    Funding source


    This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

    Author contributions


    F.T.: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. F. I.: Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology. G. G.: Methodology, Writing – review & editing. C. L.: Methodology, Writing – review & editing. M.C.S.: Methodology, Writing – review & editing. L.C.: Data curation, Writing – review & editing. M.R.A. M.: Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. A.B.: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

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