PTRCTJournal of physical therapy science2016

Effects of neurofeedback training on the brain wave of adults with forward head posture.

Hyun-Ju Oh, Gui-Bin Song

PMID 27821966

WHAT IT FOUND

Four weeks of neurofeedback increased frontal beta and sensory motor rhythm in adults with forward head posture, compared with control.

Attention and posture outcomes were not reported.

Key findings

01The neurofeedback group had changes in frontal delta, theta, alpha, beta, and sensory motor rhythm; the control group did not.

02Between groups, delta, beta, and sensory motor rhythm changed more in the neurofeedback group than in the control group.

03The authors did not directly measure attention, although they discuss the brain-wave changes as if attention improved.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs

Read the rest of this summary

You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.

Already have one?

What it does not show

The sample was small: 20 neurofeedback and 19 control participants, all university students. The study excluded people taking pain drugs or with neurological problems, so it may not apply to typical patients with neck pain or neurological conditions. The paper did not directly measure attention, despite interpreting brain-wave changes as attention-related. The Discussion says delta and theta increased, but the table shows lower post-test values for those waves. The supplied text does not describe the control group's intervention, blinding, or dropouts. Radiographic posture measures were planned, but no posture results are reported.

Declared interests

The supplied text does not state funding or conflicts of interest. It says the neurofeedback system was associated with Braintech Corp., Korea, and developed by the Korean Research Institute of Jungshin Science.

The easy way to misread this

Do not read the brain-wave changes as proof that neurofeedback improves attention or posture in adults with forward head posture. The study reports brain-wave changes only, and the authors state direct effects on attention were not measured.

Read it on PubMed →