A Systematic Review of Neurofeedback for the Management of Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease

Effects of home-based EEG neurofeedback training as a non-pharmacological intervention for Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVES

Aberrant movement-related cortical activity has been linked to impaired motor function in Parkinson's disease (PD). Dopaminergic drug treatment can restore these, but dosages and long-term treatment are limited by adverse side-effects. Effective non-pharmacological treatments could help reduce reliance on drugs. This experiment reports the first study of home-based electroencephalographic (EEG) neurofeedback training as a non-pharmacological candidate treatment for PD. Our primary aim was to test the feasibility of our EEG neurofeedback intervention in a home setting.

METHODS

Sixteen people with PD received six home visits comprising symptomology self-reports, a standardised motor assessment, and a precision handgrip force production task while EEG was recorded (visits 1, 2 and 6); and 3 × 1-hr EEG neurofeedback training sessions to supress the EEG mu rhythm before initiating handgrip movements (visits 3 to 5).

RESULTS

Participants successfully learned to self-regulate mu activity, and this appeared to expedite the initiation of precision movements (i.e., time to reach target handgrip force off-medication pre-intervention = 628 ms, off-medication post-intervention = 564 ms). There was no evidence of wider symptomology reduction (e.g., Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III Motor Examination, off-medication pre-intervention = 29.00, off-medication post intervention = 30.07). Interviews indicated that the intervention was well-received.

CONCLUSION

Based on the significant effect of neurofeedback on movement-related cortical activity, positive qualitative reports from participants, and a suggestive benefit to movement initiation, we conclude that home-based neurofeedback for people with PD is a feasible and promising non-pharmacological treatment that warrants further research.

Neurofeedback-enabled beta power control with a fully implanted DBS system in patients with Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVE

Parkinsonian motor symptoms are linked to pathologically increased beta oscillations in the basal ganglia. Studies with externalised deep brain stimulation electrodes showed that Parkinson patients were able to rapidly gain control over these pathological basal ganglia signals through neurofeedback. Studies with fully implanted deep brain stimulation systems duplicating these promising results are required to grant transferability to daily application.

METHODS

In this study, seven patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and one with familial Parkinson's disease were included. In a postoperative setting, beta oscillations from the subthalamic nucleus were recorded with a fully implanted deep brain stimulation system and converted to a real-time visual feedback signal. Participants were instructed to perform bidirectional neurofeedback tasks with the aim to modulate these oscillations.

RESULTS

While receiving regular medication and deep brain stimulation, participants were able to significantly improve their neurofeedback ability and achieved a significant decrease of subthalamic beta power (median reduction of 31% in the final neurofeedback block).

CONCLUSION

We could demonstrate that a fully implanted deep brain stimulation system can provide visual neurofeedback enabling patients with Parkinson's disease to rapidly control pathological subthalamic beta oscillations.

SIGNIFICANCE

Fully-implanted DBS electrode-guided neurofeedback is feasible and can now be explored over extended timespans.

Towards therapeutic electrophysiological neurofeedback in Parkinson's disease

Neurofeedback (NF) techniques support individuals to self-regulate specific features of brain activity, which has been shown to impact behavior and potentially ameliorate clinical symptoms. Electrophysiological NF (epNF) may be particularly impactful for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), as evidence mounts to suggest a central role of pathological neural oscillations underlying symptoms in PD. Exaggerated beta oscillations (12-30 Hz) in the basal ganglia-cortical network are linked to motor symptoms (e.g., bradykinesia, rigidity), and beta is reduced by successful therapy with dopaminergic medication and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). PD patients also experience non-motor symptoms related to sleep, mood, motivation, and cognitive control. Although less is known about the mechanisms of non-motor symptoms in PD and how to successfully treat them, low frequency neural oscillations (1-12 Hz) in the basal ganglia-cortical network are particularly implicated in non-motor symptoms. Here, we review how cortical and subcortical epNF could be used to target motor and non-motor specific oscillations, and potentially serve as an adjunct therapy that enables PD patients to endogenously control their own pathological neural activities. Recent studies have demonstrated that epNF protocols can successfully support volitional control of cortical and subcortical beta rhythms. Importantly, this endogenous control of beta has been linked to changes in motor behavior. epNF for PD, as a casual intervention on neural signals, has the potential to increase understanding of the neurophysiology of movement, mood, and cognition and to identify new therapeutic approaches for motor and non-motor symptoms.

Virtual Reality and Neurofeedback for Management of Cancer Symptoms: A Feasibility Pilot

Background: Evidence suggests the usefulness of complementary and alternative medicine approaches, like neurofeedback and virtual reality, for the management of cancer-related pain and mood. It is not well-understood whether neurofeedback delivered through virtual reality is feasible and acceptable to patients actively undergoing cancer treatment. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a nature-based virtual reality combined with neurofeedback as a non-pharmacologic strategy for managing cancer-related pain and anxiety. Methods: This study utilized a mixed-methods approach. Participants included 15 cancer patients undergoing treatment. Patients engaged in a 22-minute nature-based virtual reality experience, wearing a virtual reality headset with a Brainlink headband measuring EEG activity. Participants were asked to complete the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System revised version (ESAS-r) before (T1) and after (T3) the experience to measure pain and anxiety. They were asked their level of pain midway through the experience (T2) and completed a follow-up interview afterward. Results: This study revealed feasible delivery of a virtual reality intervention combined with neurofeedback for patients seeking cancer treatment. All participants (100%) completed the intervention experience. Patients report this is an acceptable approach to managing cancer-related pain and anxiety. Comparisons between patients' pain scores at T1, T2, and T3 reveal statistically significant reductions in pain (p .001). Patients also report decreased depression and anxiety. Conclusion: This is the first study examining virtual reality combined with neurofeedback as a non-pharmacologic intervention for managing cancer symptoms during treatment. The study reveals it is a promising for managing cancer-symptoms.

Frontostriatal circuitry as a target for fMRI-based neurofeedback interventions: A systematic review

Dysregulated frontostriatal circuitries are viewed as a common target for the treatment of aberrant behaviors in various psychiatric and neurological disorders. Accordingly, experimental neurofeedback paradigms have been applied to modify the frontostriatal circuitry. The human frontostriatal circuitry is topographically and functionally organized into the “limbic,” the “associative,” and the “motor” subsystems underlying a variety of affective, cognitive, and motor functions. We conducted a systematic review of the literature regarding functional magnetic resonance imaging-based neurofeedback studies that targeted brain activations within the frontostriatal circuitry. Seventy-nine published studies were included in our survey. We assessed the efficacy of these studies in terms of imaging findings of neurofeedback intervention as well as behavioral and clinical outcomes. Furthermore, we evaluated whether the neurofeedback targets of the studies could be assigned to the identifiable frontostriatal subsystems. The majority of studies that targeted frontostriatal circuitry functions focused on the anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the supplementary motor area. Only a few studies (n = 14) targeted the connectivity of the frontostriatal regions. However, post-hoc analyses of connectivity changes were reported in more cases (n = 32). Neurofeedback has been frequently used to modify brain activations within the frontostriatal circuitry. Given the regulatory mechanisms within the closed loop of the frontostriatal circuitry, the connectivity-based neurofeedback paradigms should be primarily considered for modifications of this system. The anatomical and functional organization of the frontostriatal system needs to be considered in decisions pertaining to the neurofeedback targets.