Neurofeedback training leads to very rapid improvements in areas such as attention, concentration, learning, relaxation, and visualization.

Athletes, coaches, and sports psychologists can use this training for themselves and achieve their dreams by learning to use their brains effectively. There are documented results showing that NF improves cognition and memory (Boulay, Sarnacki, Wolpaw, & McFarland, 2011; Zoefel, Huster, & Herrmann, 2010; Angelakis et al., 2007). Neurofeedback is also used in peak performance training (Vernon, 2005).

College Students:

Egner & Gruzelier, 2004, found frequency-specific cognitive effects of neurofeedback.

Increasing SMR in college students improved their perceptual sensitivity and reduced negligence errors and variability in reaction times.

In other students, beta enhancement (15-18) increased reaction times and the amplitude of P300 event-related potentials.

Two subsequent studies included control waiting list groups that showed no effect.

MEDICAL STUDENTS:

Vernon et al. (2003) either increased SMR (12-15) activity or theta (4-7 Hz) activity in 32 medical students while decreasing near frequencies.

Only the group that increased SMR changed their EEG and improved semantic working memory and focused attention.

However, the group that increased theta showed neither changes in EEG nor improvement in cognitive performance.

Ophthalmic Microsurgery Residents:

In a very interesting controlled study, Ophthalmic Microsurgery residents who received SMR or alpha and beta brainwave frequency training were compared to a waiting list group (untreated).

After only 8 sessions of SMR training, surgical trainees showed significant improvement in:

Surgical skills

Anxiety

And a 26% reduction in surgical times.

(Ros, T., Mosely, M. J., Bloom, P. A., Benjamin, L., Parkinson, L. A., & Gruzelier, J. H. (2009). Optimizing microsurgical skills with EEG neurofeedback. BMC Neuroscience, 10, 10–87).

When left hemisphere slow cortical potentials (SCP; < 1 Hz) were trained with neurofeedback to produce changes in negative and positive slow cortical potentials, semantic acceleration and deceleration in DECISION MAKING were observed (Pulvermueller, Mohr, Schleicert, & Veit, 2000). Rasey et al. (1996) and Vernon et al. According to (2003), no cognitive changes were observed in those who could not change their NPVs.

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NF in Normal Aging Individuals:

Researchers at Brown University demonstrated the positive effect of Neurofeedback treatment in 26 normally aging individuals through a randomized controlled trial. They presented their initial findings at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting Program in 2009.

(Festa, E.K., Heindel, W.C., Connors, N.C., Hirschberg, L., & Ott, B.R. (2009). Neurofeedback training enhances the efficiency of cortical processing in normal aging. Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting Program, A11, p. 41. Supplement of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience). http://stresstherapysolutions.com/kb/entry/41/

Researchers from Mexico and Cuba demonstrated the positive effects of neurofeedback treatment in 14 normally aging individuals in a randomized placebo-controlled study.

( Becerra J., Fern´andez T., Roca-Stappung M, D´ıaz-Comas L, Gal´an L., Bosch J, Espino M, MorenoA.J., Harmonya T. (2011). Neurofeedback in Healthy Elderly Human Subjects with Electroencephalographic Risk for Cognitive Disorder. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 28, 1–11).

Increasing cognitive functions in the elderly has been shown in a randomized controlled study.

( Angelakis, E., Stathopoulou, S., Frymiare, J. L., Green, D. L., Lubar, J. F., & Kounios, J. (2007). EEG neurofeedback: A brief overview and an example of peak alpha frequency training for cognitive enhancement in the elderly. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 21, 110–129.