Supporting Mindfulness Practices with Brain-Sensing Devices. Cognitive and Electrophysiological Evidences

Neurocognitive Enhancement: Applications and Ethical Issues

“…Further, those benefits are demonstrated by several studies, which have reported no relevant side effects and evidence for better regulation of attention and cognitive control mechanisms following the completion of a combined mindfulnessneurofeedback program within different laboratory and applied contexts (Balconi et al, 2017Crivelli et al, 2019). These results confirm that training self-awareness and self-regulation skills through the use of a wearable neurofeedback device might help athletes, through implicit learning, to improve their ability to focus, to intentionally redirect their attention resources, and to optimize body performance.…”

“…Advances in neuroscience suggest that sports performance can be enhanced by using methods and techniques that modify brain activity, thus leading to the improvement of athletes' mental state and focus, as well as encouraging motor learning (Vargo et al, 2014). Recently, the potential and effectiveness of noninvasive brain stimulation techniques (i.e., neuroscientific intervention techniques, able to safely induce neuromodulation or neurostimulation effects on cortical structures and networks)-and of combined neurofeedback and mental training programs for pursuing such goals and for optimizing athletes' cognitive and behavioral performances-have been more and more explicitly explored (Balconi, Fronda, Venturella, & Crivelli, 2017;Balconi, Pala, Crivelli, & Milone, 2019;Borducchi et al, 2016;Colzato, Nitsche, & Kibele, 2017;Crivelli, Fronda, Venturella, & Balconi, 2019;Davis, 2013;Lewthwaite & Wulf, 2017). While the attention given to potential applications of noninvasive stimulation and neuromodulation techniques likely followed the need for novel models and methods for intervention and the will to try and overcome limitations and ethical issues raised by first tentative neuroenhancement approaches based on chemicals and psychoactive drugs, it has to be acknowledged that such potential and its practicalethical implications in the field of sports practice is still a matter of debate.…”

“…Specifically, the efficacy of an intensive 14-day treatment supported by the use of a highly usable and portable neurofeedback device was measured during two assessment phases (T0, T1), during which cognitive, electrophysiological (EEG), autonomic (biofeedback), and neuropsychological outcome measures were collected. Empirical observations added to the limited pieces of evidence suggesting that neurofeedback, through the modulation of electrophysiological central activity (Balconi et al, 2017;Mirifar, Beckmann, & Ehrlenspiel, 2017), could be an effective method for strengthening attention and emotional regulation, coping with stress, adaptive orientation of mental resources, focusing, and sensorimotor efficiency Crivelli et al, 2019). Again, those observations are also in line with other studies that, in different applied contexts, have observed the effectiveness of different neurofeedback-based training programs as valid enhancement tools able to provide a real-time performance feedback that leads to improved behavioral and physiological markers of neurocognitive efficiency Crivelli et al, 2019;Enriquez-Geppert, Huster, & Herrmann, 2013;Koberda, Moses, Koberda, & Koberda, 2012).…”

Neuro-Empowerment of Executive Functions in the Workplace: The Reason Why

“…This innovative protocol specifically combined mindfulness practice and EF potentiation with the use of a wearable neurofeedback (NF) system managed via smartphone, and it has been validated by previous research in both experimental and applied contexts (Balconi et al, 2017a , 2019a , b ; Crivelli et al, 2019a , c ). NF devices collect electroencephalographic (EEG) brain waves signal and effectively provide real-time feedback on the person's mind–body state activity (Gruzelier, 2014 ).…”

Wearable devices as adjuncts in the treatment of anxiety‐related symptoms: A narrative review of five device modalities and implications for clinical practice.

“…The results of this early research suggest that compared to controls, regular use of Muse could lead to significant improvements in outcomes such as somatic symptoms, perceived stress, state anxiety, and mood modulation in healthy or moderately stressed adults. Crivelli et al () also reported significant changes in objective measures such as a reaction time task, N2 event‐related potentials, and associated EEG measures. Preliminary results of another trial involving people with a mild‐to‐moderate traumatic brain injury suggest improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as measures of self‐efficacy and mindfulness, although full analyses from this study are yet to be reported (Gray, ).…”