Expectancy effects of placebo neurofeedback in ADHD treatment seekers: A neuropsychological investigation.

Lee, Grace J.; Suhr, Julie A.

doi:10.1037/neu0000689

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…In addition, our findings also support previously published results (Foroughi et al, 2016;Lee & Suhr, 2020;Schönenberg et al, 2017), showing that the expectancy effect influences cognitive training. Participants with high expectations had better change of reaction time scores from pre-test to post-test.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…However, the prognostic expectations were not evaluated as the expectancy manipulation was achieved by providing different information to participants about what frequency band should be trained, even though participants trained the same SMR (15-18 Hz) band. Lee and Suhr (2020) implemented an approach similar to our study by operationalizing the expectancy effect (prognostic expectations) and reported statistical evidence that positive prognostic expectations about treatment outcome influenced the post-test of the self-reported ADHD symptoms questionnaire. However, the authors did not specify what protocol was used for neurofeedback training.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the results of some neurofeedback studies (Schabus et al, 2017;Schönenberg et al, 2017) that implemented a control placebo group support the hypothesis that the efficacy of neurofeedback training may be due to unspecified psychological factors rather than the training itself. The study of Lee and Suhr (2020) specifically evaluated the expectancy effect, reporting that this factor was positively associated with self-reported ADHD symptoms. This factor is considered one of the placebo mechanisms (Koshi & Short, 2007).…”

Section: Current Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prior Prognostic Expectations as a Potential Predictor in Neurofeedback Training

2021

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The present study evaluated whether subjects’ expectations and neurofeedback training performance predict neurofeedback efficacy in cognitive training by controlling both factors as statistical variables. Twenty-two psychology students underwent neurofeedback training, employing beta/theta protocol to enhance beta1 power (13–21 Hz) and suppress theta (4–7 Hz) power. Neurofeedback efficacy was evaluated by behavioral components measured on pre-tests and post-tests employing a visual continuous performance task. The results revealed a significant interaction term between change in reaction time from pre-test to post-test and expectancy effect, indicating that participants with high prognostic expectations showed better improvement in reaction time scores. The data did not reveal that actual neurofeedback performance influenced the post-test measurements of the visual continuous performance task. No significant differences were found for reaction time variability, omission, or commission errors. Possible factors contributing to the results are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Current Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prior Prognostic Expectations as a Potential Predictor in Neurofeedback Training

2021

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“…The combination of expectancy and classical conditioning can cause a significant placebo effect, creating a challenge for scientists to conclude if the medication was truly helpful or if it was the placebo effect ( Finniss et al, 2010 ). One neurofeedback study showed participants with a positive expectancy of the treatment had a decrease in symptoms while participants with a negative expectancy of the treatment had an increase in their symptoms ( Lee and Suhr, 2020 ).…”

Section: Individual Differences In Neurofeedbackmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sharpening Working Memory With Real-Time Electrophysiological Brain Signals: Which Neurofeedback Paradigms Work?

Jiang

Jessee

Hoyng

et al. 2022

Front. Aging Neurosci.

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Growing evidence supports the idea that the ultimate biofeedback is to reward sensory pleasure (e.g., enhanced visual clarity) in real-time to neural circuits that are associated with a desired performance, such as excellent memory retrieval. Neurofeedback is biofeedback that uses real-time sensory reward to brain activity associated with a certain performance (e.g., accurate and fast recall). Working memory is a key component of human intelligence. The challenges are in our current limited understanding of neurocognitive dysfunctions as well as in technical difficulties for closed-loop feedback in true real-time. Here we review recent advancements of real time neurofeedback to improve memory training in healthy young and older adults. With new advancements in neuromarkers of specific neurophysiological functions, neurofeedback training should be better targeted beyond a single frequency approach to include frequency interactions and event-related potentials. Our review confirms the positive trend that neurofeedback training mostly works to improve memory and cognition to some extent in most studies. Yet, the training typically takes multiple weeks with 2–3 sessions per week. We review various neurofeedback reward strategies and outcome measures. A well-known issue in such training is that some people simply do not respond to neurofeedback. Thus, we also review the literature of individual differences in psychological factors e.g., placebo effects and so-called “BCI illiteracy” (Brain Computer Interface illiteracy). We recommend the use of Neural modulation sensitivity or BCI insensitivity in the neurofeedback literature. Future directions include much needed research in mild cognitive impairment, in non-Alzheimer’s dementia populations, and neurofeedback using EEG features during resting and sleep for memory enhancement and as sensitive outcome measures.

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“…A study of neurofeedback for ADHD found a positive correlation between treatment expectations and reduction in self‐reported ADHD symptoms (Mayer, Blume, Wyckoff, Brokmeier & Strehl, 2016). Another study demonstrated improvements in performance in adults who received positive expectations in working memory tests (Lee & Suhr, 2020). It is therefore important to understand how patients’ expectations can influence clinical assessments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting expectancy effects with objective measures in adults with untreated ADHD during QbTest

Löhman

Domingo

Östlund

et al. 2023

Scandinavian J Psychology

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Expectancy has been associated with neuropsychological assessments and cognitive performance. However, little is known about the effects of expectations in clinical assessments during drug trials with continuous performance tests (CPTs). In a randomized, double‐blind study with cross‐over design, we examined if the participants' self‐reported expectations changed after one‐single dose immediate release methylphenidate (MPH) and after one‐single dose placebo during the QbTest. Forty adults between 19 and 64 years (72.5% women) with un treated ADHD were consecutively enrolled in the study and their assessments of expected performance, mental effort, perceived performance and help from the pill were analyzed. The study comprised two trial days with four days in between. The QbTest was performed twice on the same day, before and 80 minutes after a pill. Our study demonstrates that there were expectancy effects during CPTs. Participants reported lower mental effort and improved their performance in the coronary parameter QbInattention both after MPH and after placebo. No significant differences in expected performance were reported. The participants seemed to show some uncertainty when assessing their expected performance, however, they could evaluate their performance afterwards. In clinical practice, the focus should be on reinforcing patients’ expectations in order to increase treatment effects.

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Expectancy effects of placebo neurofeedback in ADHD treatment seekers: A neuropsychological investigation.

Cited by 4 publications

References 42 publications

Prior Prognostic Expectations as a Potential Predictor in Neurofeedback Training

Prior Prognostic Expectations as a Potential Predictor in Neurofeedback Training

Sharpening Working Memory With Real-Time Electrophysiological Brain Signals: Which Neurofeedback Paradigms Work?

Contrasting expectancy effects with objective measures in adults with untreated ADHD during QbTest

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