Anxiety Research - EEG and Neurofeedback studies

Functional brain abnormalities are evidence in individuals suffering anxiety and panic disorders as well as post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many brain disorders are accompanied by abnormal patterns of cortical activity (EEG or brain wave patterns).

Psychiatric treatments often rely on the use of medication for the treatment of anxiety; however evidence suggests that meds are not especially effective in treating this condition. Researchers estimate improvement in OCD from treatment with drugs to only be 30% to 35% only, for instance.

    Full-text Papers

  1. Neurofeedback with Anxiety and Affective Disorders by Hammond DC
    Functional abnormalities in quantitative EEG suggests at least two OCD subtypes.

  2. Treatment of Chronic Anxiety Disorder with Neurotherapy: A Case Study by Thomas JE and Sattlberger EBA
    After 15 sessions of slow wave inhibit/fast wave increase EEG training, the patient reported a significant reduction in anxiety-related symptoms.

    Summaries/Abstracts only

  3. A Review of EEG Biofeedback Treatment of Anxiety Disorders by Moore NC
    Alpha, theta and alpha-theta enhancements are effective treatments of the anxiety disorders. Alpha suppression is also effective, but less so.

  4. Anxiety Change Through Electroencephalographic Alpha Feedback Seen Only in High Anxiety Subjects by Hardt JV and Kamiya J
    Alpha feedback changes were linked to anxiety changes in high anxiety subjects

  5. Biofeedback Treatments of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Preliminary Results by Rice KM, Blanchard EB, Purcell M
    Forty-five individuals with generalized anxiety (38 with GAD as defined by DSM-III) were randomized to 4 treatment conditions or a waiting list control. Patients received 8 sessions of either frontal EMG biofeedback, biofeedback to increase EEG alpha, biofeedback to decrease EEG alpha, or a pseudomeditation control condition.

  6. Interoceptive sensitivity in anxiety and anxiety disorders: an overview and integration of neurobiological findings.
    Domschke K, Stevens S, Pfleiderer B, Gerlach AL. Clinical psychology review. 2010 Feb;30(1):1-11. Epub . Review.

  7. An open label study of the use of EEG biofeedback using beta training to reduce anxiety for patients with cardiac events.
    Michael AJ, Krishnaswamy S, Mohamed J. Neuropsychiatric Disease Treatment. 2005 Dec;1(4):357-63.

  8. Brain-computer interface: a reciprocal self-regulated neuromodulation.
    Angelakis E, Hatzis A, Panourias IG, Sakas DE. Acta neurochirurgica. Supplement 2007;97(Pt 2):555-9. Review.

  9. Annotation: neurofeedback - train your brain to train behaviour.
    Heinrich H, Gevensleben H, Strehl U.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines. 2007 Jan;48(1):3-16.

  10. The significance of sigma neurofeedback training on sleep spindles and aspects of declarative memory.
    Berner I, Schabus M, Wienerroither T, Klimesch W.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback. 2006 Jun;31(2):97-114. Epub 2006 Jul 15.

  11. How psychotherapy changes the brain--the contribution of functional neuroimaging.
    Linden DE.Molecular psychiatry. 2006 Jun;11(6):528-38. Review.

  12. Neurofeedback with anxiety and affective disorders.
    Hammond DC. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America. 2005 Jan;14(1):105-23, vii. Review.

  13. Emerging brain-based interventions for children and adolescents: overview and clinical perspective.
    Hirshberg LM, Chiu S, Frazier JA. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America. 2005 Jan;14(1):1-19, v. Review.

  14. The effects of neurofeedback training on the spectral topography of the electroencephalogram.
    Egner T, Zech TF, Gruzelier JH. Clinical neurophysiology. 2004 Nov;115(11):2452-60.

  15. Stress reduction by technology? An experimental study into the effects of brain machines on burnout and state anxiety.
    Ossebaard HC.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback. 2000 Jun;25(2):93-101.

  16. A review of EEG biofeedback treatment of anxiety disorders.
    Moore NC.Clinical EEG. 2000 Jan;31(1):1-6. Review.

  17. How does biofeedback reduce clinical symptoms and do memories and beliefs have biological consequences? Toward a model of mind-body healing.
    Wickramasekera I. Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback. 1999 Jun;24(2):91-105. Review.

  18. Alpha-theta brainwave neurofeedback training: an effective treatment for male and female alcoholics with depressive symptoms.
    Saxby E, Peniston EG.Journal of clinical psychology. 1995 Sep;51(5):685-93.

  19. Biofeedback treatments of generalized anxiety disorder: preliminary results.
    Rice KM, Blanchard EB, Purcell M.Biofeedback and self-regulation. 1993 Jun;18(2):93-105.

  20. Wenck, Leu, and DAmato (1996) trained 150 seventh- and eighth-graders with thermal and EMG feedback and found significant reduction in state and trait anxiety.

  21. Rice, Blanchard, and Purcell (1993) studied reduction in generalized anxiety by comparing EMG frontal feedback, EEG alpha-increase feedback, and EEG alpha-decrease feedback. All treatment groups had comparable decreases in the STAI and Psychosomatic Symptom Checklist.

  22. Sarkar, Rathee, and Neera (1999) determined that the response to pharmacotherapy and to biofeedback was similar for GAD (generalized anxiety disorder).

  23. Vanathy, Sharma, and Kumar (1998), applying EEG biofeedback to generalized anxiety disorder, compared increased alpha with increased theta. The two procedures were both effective in decreasing symptoms.

  24. Hammond (2003) reported improvements on two cases using EEG biofeedback for OCD.

  25. Gordon, Staples, Blyta, and Bytyqi (2004) trained 139 PTSD postwar high school students during a six-week program of biofeedback, meditation, drawings, autogenics, guided imagery, genograms, and breathing techniques, and they reported a significant reduction immediately after treatment and at follow up.

  26. Coy, Cardenas, Cabrera, Zirot, and Claros (2005) found the biofeedback group plus imipramine (n=18) was significantly improved compared to the medication-only group (n=14).

  27. Shanghai, Dong and Bao (2005) reported a significant improvement in anxiety, somatization, and depression in a biofeedback treatment group (n=35) compared to controls.