Efficacy of neurofeedback as a treatment for executive dysfunction: establishing best practice from clinical evidence

The primary aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical utility and ecological validity of neurofeedback (NFB) in an Australian sample, effectively contributing to the recognition of NFB as an evidence-based practice. It was anticipated that this study would demonstrate improvements in the core symptoms of executive dysfunction (poor behavioural and metacognitive self-regulation) following NFB intervention. The present study also aimed to investigate the minimum number of neurofeedback training sessions required to demonstrate significant improvements as indicated by client reports and quantitative measures. The secondary aim of the study was to establish the viability of using clinical data for longitudinal studies to investigate the retention of NFB treatment effects. Participants were patients seen at a private clinician's practice in Toowoomba, Australia. The participant pool consisted of both males and females aged between 6 and 12 years. They were referred to the clinic by their general practitioner or primary caregiver(s) and received treatment on a fee for service basis. The participants were assessed to be demonstrating symptoms of executive dysfunction, predominantly associated with developmental disorders of childhood such as ADHD, PDD, or Anxiety. Some of the participants were on an existing treatment plan of psychostimulant medication while others were seeking psychological intervention as a non-invasive method of treatment. At the time of consultation, the clinician obtained informed consent in writing for data to be de-identified and collated in the event of a future study. All participants engaged in at least one session of neurofeedback training within the past two years. The study is currently in progress

Towards pedagogical consensus: the first chapter in a Faculty of Education strategic review

Higher education communities are not immune from the demands of the knowledge. New technologies, rapidly evolving knowledge and policies promoting standards, outcomes and graduate attributes exhort pedagogical revision and renewal. Facilities are pressured by downsizing, global market competition and increased accountability to the public (Pierce, 1998). Consumer demands exhort educational institutions to renew their programs and processes to develop unique identities and approaches to educational provision. This paper aims to describe the procedures, processes and protocols exercised by staff engaged in a strategic review of their Faculty of Education. It commences with an exploration of education reform and the reconceptualising of pedagogy in one learning organisation. The paper is written from the perspective of the author-participants. Outcomes to date are sharing in the context of discussing about organisation learning

Neurofeedback and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity-Disorder (ADHD) in children: rating the evidence and proposed guidelines

Stimulant medication and behaviour therapy are the most often applied and accepted treatments for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity-Disorder (ADHD). Here we explore where the non-pharmacological clinical intervention known as neurofeedback (NFB), fits on the continuum of empirically supported treatments, using standard protocols. In this quantitative review we utilized an updated and stricter version of the APA guidelines for rating 'well-established' treatments and focused on efficacy and effectiveness using effect-sizes (ES) and remission, with a focus on long-term effects. Efficacy and effectiveness are compared to medication and behaviour therapy using benchmark studies. Only recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses as well as multi-centre randomized controlled trials (RCT's) will be included. Two meta-analyses confirmed significant efficacy of standard neurofeedback protocols for parent and teacher rated symptoms with a medium effect size, and sustained effects after 6-12\ua0months. Four multicenter RCT's demonstrated significant superiority to semi-active control groups, with medium-large effect sizes end of treatment or follow-up and remission rates of 32-47%. Effectiveness in open-label studies was confirmed, no signs of publication bias were found and no significant neurofeedback-specific side effects have been reported. Standard neurofeedback protocols in the treatment of ADHD can be concluded to be a well-established treatment with medium to large effect sizes and 32-47% remission rates and sustained effects as assessed after 6-12\ua0months