SynthesisPsychophysiology2021
EEG-neurofeedback and executive function enhancement in healthy adults: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Psychophysiology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 79 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Efficacy of Virtual Reality-Based EEG Neurofeedback in Health-Related Symptoms Relief: A Systematic Review.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2025Pooled it
- Neurofeedback training for executive function in ADHD children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- EEG-neurofeedback and executive function enhancement in healthy adults: A systematic review.Psychophysiology · 2021Pooled it
- Psilocybin-assisted neurofeedback for the improvement of executive functions: a randomized semi-naturalistic-lab feasibility study.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2024Trial
- Executive Function-Related Improvements on a Commercial CBT-Based Weight Management Intervention: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
- Low-beta frequency band neurofeedback training: effects on attentional orientation, executive control, and underlying neural mechanisms.Behavioral and brain functions : BBF · 2026Article
- Mapping EEG Metrics to Human Affective and Cognitive Models: An Interdisciplinary Scoping Review from a Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective.Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- A role for preparatory midfrontal theta in autism as revealed by a high executive load brain-computer interface reverse spelling task.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Multidimensional Dynamic Feedback Model: A Comprehensive Framework for Understanding and Managing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Evaluating the effects of multimodal EEG-fNIRS neurofeedback for motor imagery: An experimental platform and study protocol.PloS one · 2025Article
- Evaluation of Theta EEG Neurofeedback Procedure for Cognitive Training Using Simultaneous fMRI in Counterbalanced Active-Sham Study Design.Human brain mapping · 2025Article
- Effects of one session of theta or high alpha neurofeedback on EEG activity and working memory.Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience · 2024Article
- Electroencephalography Neurofeedback Training with Focus on the State of Attention: An Investigation Using Source Localization and Effective Connectivity.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Naturalistic approach to investigate the neural correlates of a laundry cycle with and without fragrance.Biomedical optics express · 2024Article
- Enhancing Working Memory and Reducing Anxiety in University Students: A Neurofeedback Approach.Brain sciences · 2024Article
- Same, Same but Different? A Multi-Method Review of the Processes Underlying Executive Control.Neuropsychology review · 2024Review
- Abnormal theta and alpha oscillations in children and adolescents with first-episode psychosis and clinical high-risk psychosis.BJPsych open · 2024Article
- Integrated use of biofeedback and neurofeedback techniques in treating pathological conditions and improving performance: a narrative review.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2024Review
- Executive function rehabilitation and evaluation based on brain-computer interface and virtual reality: our opinion.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2024Article
- Efficacy of neurofeedback training for improving attentional performance in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Electroencephalographic (EEG)-neurofeedback training (NFT) is a promising technique that supports individuals in learning to modulate their brain activity to obtain cognitive and behavioral improvements. EEG-NFT is gaining increasing attention for its potential "peak performance" applications on healthy individuals. However, evidence for clear cognitive performance enhancements with healthy adults is still lacking. In particular, whether EEG-NFT represents an effective technique for enhancing healthy adults' executive functions is still controversial. Therefore, the main objective of this systematic review is to assess whether the existing EEG-NFT studies targeting executive functions have provided reliable evidence for NFT effectiveness. To this end, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the literature since the limited number of retrieved studies did not allow us meta-analytical comparisons. Moreover, a second aim was to identify optimal frequencies as NFT targets for specifically improving executive functions. Overall, our systematic review provides promising evidence for NFT effectiveness in boosting healthy adults' executive functions. However, more rigorous NFT studies are required in order to overcome the methodological weaknesses that we encountered in our qualitative analysis.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.