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Effects of Neurofeedback Training on Performing Bimanual Coordination In-phase and Anti-phase Patterns in Children with ADHD

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Abstract

It is generally accepted that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have poor motor control, especially in bimanual coordination tasks. Such children characteristically have impaired fine motor ability, problems with force control, and poor motor coordination. They are at particular risk of loss of motor control and reduced bimanual coordination. We tested whether, compared to a control condition, neurofeedback training (NFT) could improve bimanual coordination among children with ADHD. 20 Children with ADHD (mean age 7.9 years; SD 2.11) were randomly assigned either to NFT or to a control condition. All participants completed a bimanual coordination test at the following time points: baseline, assessment 1, assessment 2, assessment 3, and again 12 session later at posttest. NFT consisted of Sensory Motor Rhythm (SMR) training to achieve increased SMR in C3 and C4, while participants in the control condition were under mock NFT conditions. Bimanual coordination accuracy and consistency improved from baseline to completion of the intervention (significant Time effect), but in the NFT condition (significant time × group interaction). Compared to the control condition, the NFT group had fewer errors in both patterns of bimanual coordination (significant Group effect). Among children with ADHD, SMR neurofeedback training (NFT) led to significant improvements in a bimanual coordination task. The SMR NFT thus appears to have the potential to improve and enhance the motor control of ADHD patients.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Motor Behavior, Faculty of Physical Education & Sport, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

    Ebrahim Norouzi & Fatemehsadat Hossieni

  2. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Azerbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran

    Mehran Solymani

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  1. Ebrahim Norouzi
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  2. Fatemehsadat Hossieni
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  3. Mehran Solymani
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Correspondence to Ebrahim Norouzi.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Norouzi, E., Hossieni, F. & Solymani, M. Effects of Neurofeedback Training on Performing Bimanual Coordination In-phase and Anti-phase Patterns in Children with ADHD. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 43, 283–292 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-018-9408-2

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