The Psychotherapeutic Effects of Consumer-Grade EEG Neurofeedback on Mental Health and Well-being
Abstract
The current study assessed whether pairing mindfulness meditation with consumer-grade neurofeedback (using Muse) would be a feasible and satisfying (i.e., fulfillment and pleasure) intervention for mental health and well-being. This was assessed via a four-day mindfulness program where participants (N=34) were assigned to mindfulness with neurofeedback (n=17) or guided meditation (control; n=17) group. On each day of the program, participants engaged in two mindful sessions (five minutes each) in the morning and afternoon. Participants were administered a series of affective measures before and after the program, as well as throughout. Upon completion, participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with their program. A series of factorial repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to assess for differences between groups. Results confirmed the feasibility of this format of intervention. There was no significant difference in satisfaction reports between groups. Further, no significant differences were found between groups in pre- and post-measures of depressive, anxious, and trauma symptoms, as well as mindful traits. There were significant differences in scores of positive and negative moods found between neurofeedback and control groups, suggesting an added benefit to pairing neurofeedback with mindfulness practice. Overall, this initial feasibility study demonstrated that mindfulness with neurofeedback may have some enhanced psychological benefits compared to meditation alone. However, this intervention needs to be carried out on a much larger and more diverse scale, with consideration for electrophysiological changes, to strengthen its efficacy as an intervention for mental health and wellbeing.