Neurofeedback is not a single method. This guide maps the main families of EEG neurofeedback — from frequency-band training to z-score and LORETA approaches — and what the evidence says about each.
In a prospective randomised study of 100 outpatients with affective disorders, alpha/theta neurofeedback appeared to function as a useful adjunctive intervention when layered onto antidepressant treatment.
Simply believing you are doing neurofeedback strongly engages a broad cognitive control network, even when the feedback is sham.
A satirical 2011 study used stuffed animals as “participants” to test whether NeurOptimal’s divergence index reflects real brain activity or just a clever algorithm.
EEG-based neurofeedback combined with intensive motor rehabilitation led to measurable cognitive and functional recovery in post-surgical brain tumor patients.
The study by Maaz et al. (2025) fundamentally misrepresents alpha neurofeedback by using an inappropriate visual, eyes-open paradigm to test what is inherently an eyes-closed process.
EEG-based emotion recognition (ER) provides a direct, real-time window into the brain’s emotional processes, surpassing traditional behavioural and physiological cues.
Real-time inter-brain neurofeedback can enhance neural synchrony between individuals. Increased brainwave coupling at 21–23 Hz (beta range) leads to greater feelings of social connectedness.
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