Affiliations: [a] Department of Clinical Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India | [b] Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India | [c] Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Dr. Jamuna Rajeswaran, Additional Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
Tel.: +91 080 2699 5181; Mobile: +91 9880092042; E-mail: drjamunarajan@gmail.com
Abstract: Background:Electroencephalogram Neurofeedback therapy (EEG-NFT) has several potential beneficial effects in terms of improving cognition and electrophysiological regulation among patients with brain injury. However, in vivo structural and functional changes remain less explored. Objective:The aim of the present study is to explore EEG-NFT induced in vivo changes in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Method:Two patients with mean age of 15 years with moderate head injury who had more than seven post concussion symptoms and poor cognitive performances (<5 percentile) were subjected to 20 sessions of EEG-NFT. The neuropsychological test scores, post concussion symptoms and MRI scan of the brain were recorded pre-post to EEG-NFT. Results:During EEG-NFT the cognitive scores and concussion symptoms improved significantly (p < 0.05). The EEG-NFT has shown significant increase in cortical grey matter (GM) volumes (p < 0.0001) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of cortical white matter (WM) tracts (p < 0.0001, voxel max 60 and above). There was a significant decrease in global, local efficiency, cost and clustering coefficient of functional connectivity (Wilcoxon Sign Rank Test p < 0.05). Interestingly there was a significant increase in thalamo-cortical connection (increase FA value) after EEG-NFT. Conclusion:The EEG-NFT therapy has shown significant changes in structural and functional connectivity among young moderately injured TBI patients.
Keywords: EEG-NFT, TBI, MRI scan, neuropsychological scores, in vivo changes
