Neural Noise

Neurofeedback training for executive function in ADHD children

3 min read

  • A systematic review and meta-analysis (Nature) evaluates EEG-based neurofeedback training for executive function in children with ADHD.1
  • The evidence informs BCI and neurofeedback product and trial design.1 1

Gardner updates

  • A systematic review with meta-analysis provides evidence on EEG-based neurofeedback training for executive function in ADHD children, informing BCI and neurofeedback product and trial design . 1

  • Combined tDCS and neurofeedback was investigated as a treatment pathway for ADHD, with relevance to EEG-based neurofeedback and clinical deployment. 2

Weekly enrichment (2026-07-20)

  • The primary study (Zhong, Yuan, Dai et al., Scientific Reports 15, 28148, 2025; DOI 10.1038/s41598-025-94242-4) is a systematic review and meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials totaling 939 participants, with study quality graded on the PEDro scale.3
  • Neurofeedback training (NFT) produced significant improvements in inhibitory control (p < 0.0001) and working memory (p < 0.05), with global executive function at borderline significance (p < 0.055).3
  • The pooled effect on inhibitory control was a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.36 (95% CI 0.18–0.53, Z = 4.04, p < 0.0001); the working-memory analysis pooled 7 studies (370 participants) with SMD = 0.37 (95% CI 0.01–0.74, Z = 2.01, p < 0.05) but high heterogeneity.3
  • Dose mattered: NFT exceeding 1,260 minutes was more effective for both inhibitory control (p < 0.01) and working memory (p < 0.01), and the benefits were enduring for inhibitory control (p = 0.05) and working memory (p < 0.01).3
  • The authors flagged possible publication bias in the short-term neurofeedback subgroup via Egger’s regression test (p = 0.012 and p = 0.027), a caution relevant to product and trial-design claims.3
  • Broader ADHD-NFT evidence is more mixed: a double-blind sham-controlled multicenter RCT (ICAN study, 142 children with high theta/beta ratio) found that theta/beta ratio neurofeedback did not significantly reduce aberrant resting-state theta, underscoring the need for more targeted protocols.4
  • A widely cited meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (520 participants) reported significant effects for the least-blinded (proximal) raters — total ADHD symptoms SMD = 0.35 (95% CI 0.11–0.59), inattention SMD = 0.36, hyperactivity/impulsivity SMD = 0.26 — but effects were not significant with probably-blinded ratings or in active/sham-controlled trials.5
  • An earlier meta-analysis of 5 RCTs (263 patients, 146 trained with EEG neurofeedback) using standard theta/beta-ratio or slow-cortical-potential protocols found parent-rated improvements (overall SMD = -0.49, inattention -0.46, hyperactivity/impulsivity -0.34) but only inattention reached significance on blinded teacher ratings (SMD = -0.30), highlighting assessment-blinding effects for BCI/neurofeedback deployment.6

Footnotes

  1. https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiX0FVX3lxTFBuVEQ5Yk83NWZpVnhXTGpZaGVTck1ZQTM1M2tuenF0UVVjRllMck90ZHVtaGQwYV8tb3JDMnhwUUVGS3VPWGZPY0ZuT1FWZnItSm5tZTJsRU5VdDBqZjdV?oc=5 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNTTY5VlAzSXMwYWlvUW15WTdfZmttS2lzeXlkZXJUeVFwdGI5T0lIM1FGRUU2ZXZCd09qWVdtU1R6U0dmekFQZFJQZGViZEl2czU3WGxlZ1VyUzY5dDhtU0hNaF9TNHFLaTdGSmY3YmVzREhpTk9pbHRqdTN0WFBVa09hUXp1UmNFU1ZKZHROYmYtdnhyR0lyR1pVMGtIYjQ?oc=5 ↩

  3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-94242-4 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-024-09675-w ↩

  5. https://lirias.kuleuven.be/retrieve/450346 ↩

  6. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00906/full ↩

Graph View