Neurofeedback Training for Opiate Addiction: Improvement of Mental Health and Craving

Abstract

Psychological improvements in patients with substance use disorders have been reported after neurofeedback treatment. However, neurofeedback has not been commonly accepted as a treatment for substance dependence. This study was carried out to examine the effectiveness of this therapeutic method for opiate dependence disorder. The specific aim was to investigate whether treatment leads to any changes in mental health and substance craving. In this experimental study with a pre-post test design, 20 opiate dependent patients undergoing Methadone or Buprenorphine maintenance treatment were examined and matched and randomized into two groups. While both experimental and control groups received their usual maintenance treatment, the experimental group received 30 sessions of neurofeedback treatment in addition. The neurofeedback treatment consisted of sensory motor rhythm training on Cz, followed by an alpha-theta protocol on Pz. Data from the general health questionnaire and a heroin craving questionnaire were collected before and after treatment. Multivariate analysis of covariance showed that the experimental group achieved improvement in somatic symptoms, depression, and total score in general mental health; and in anticipation of positive outcome, desire to use opioid, and relief from withdrawal of craving in comparison with the control group. The study supports the effectiveness of neurofeedback training as a therapeutic method in opiate dependence disorder, in supplement to pharmacotherapy.

Resting-state Abnormalities in Heroin-dependent Individuals

“…The existing pharmacological, behavioral and psychosocial interventions have been criticized as being of limited use (Fagan, 1994;Dehghani-Arani et al, 2013). Despite the improvement achieved by various pharmacological interventions, both the side effects and the high risk of relapse must be considered when pharmacotherapy is used as a unique treatment approach (Fagan, 1994;Gossop et al, 2002).…”

“…Neurofeedback is a brainwave biofeedback technique (Hammond, 2011) based onoperant conditioning that might be a promising treatment tool to regulate brain plasticity in a natural, non-invasive and painless way (Ros et al, 2010) but it is not widely accepted due to its limited use (Dehghani-Arani et al, 2013). Demos (2005) defined neurofeedback as a therapeutic method that is designed for mind and body optimal training resulting in cognitive, physical, emotional and behavioral improvement.…”

“…In that sense, neurofeedback is efficient because it can improve the neuropsychological and psychological state of the patient, debilitate the drug-induced compulsive behavior and lead to long-time abstinence (Peniston and Kulkosky, 1989;Masterpasqua and Healey, 2003;Scott et al, 2005;Sokhadze et al, 2008;Dehghani-Arani et al, 2013). It has already been used as a therapeutic method in various mental illnesses, such as depression (Putman, 2002), attention-deficit/hyperactivity (Fuchs et al, 2003;Rossiter, 2004;Strehl et al, 2006;Kropotov et al, 2007), obsessive compulsive disorder (Hammond, 2003), epilepsy (Kotchoubey et al, 2001), anxiety and affective disorders (Hammond, 2005).…”

The Effectiveness of Visual Short-Time Neurofeedback on Brain Activity and Clinical Characteristics in Alcohol Use Disorders

“…However, NF can be used for treating several psychological conditions and comorbidities of AUD such as hyperactivity and impulsivity, 29 depression and anxiety, 30,31 craving and an underlying reward deficiency syndrome, [32][33][34][35] as well as general mental health and personality problems. 7,8 The alpha/theta training, first described by Peniston and Kulkosky, 36 a special variant of NF focusing on the slow-wave bands alpha (8)(9)(10)(11)(12) and theta (4-7 Hz), was employed as an EEG-guided relaxation paradigm. In healthy individuals, alpha/theta NF was shown to improve cognitive functioning, 37 to normalize extreme personality profiles, 38 and to enhance artistic performance.…”

Neurofeedback as a Form of Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy Following Stroke: A Systematic Review

“…In the context of this review, the studies included herein concern the use of classical NFT only. To date, NFT has been used extensively to treat cognitive deficits associated with other neurological disorders and illnesses including: mild traumatic brain injury [23], ADD/ADHD [24], Epilepsy [25], Autism Spectrum Disorders [26,27], Dyslexia [28], Fibromyalgia [29], Depression [30], and opiate additions [31]. Despite promising NFT outcomes within these populations, NFT has not been thoroughly evaluated for use in a stroke population.…”