Neurofeedback for Non-Motor Symptoms in Early Parkinson’s Disease: Cognitive and Emotional Outcomes from an SMR Training Protocol
Neurofeedback for Non-Motor Symptoms in Early Parkinson’s Disease: Cognitive and Emotional Outcomes from an SMR Training Protocol
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Original abstract
This chapter reports cognitive and emotional outcomes from a feasible trial of sensorimotor rhythm (SMR-12–15 Hz) neurofeedback (NFB) in patients with early Parkinson’s disease (PD). Eight participants (mean age 65.25 ± 5.75) were distributed into three groups: NFB, sham-NFB (S-NFB), or waitlist (Non-NFB). They completed pre- and post-training assessments, including the Parkinson Disease Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Ten NFB sessions targeted SMR at Cz using a respiration-guided protocol. Cognitive outcomes demonstrated that the NFB group showed significant improvement in cognition (PD-CRS total; <0.05) and in the subcomponents, that is, frontal–subcortical ( = 0.009) and cortical–posterior ( = 0.035). The S-NFB group showed a significant change in PD-CRS total but not in component subscores. Emotional outcomes demonstrated that the NFB group had significant reductions in anxiety (BAI; <0.05) and depression (BDI; <0.05), while controls did not. Consequently, these results indicate that SMR neurofeedback can yield clinically relevant cognitive and affective benefits in early PD.