EEG Biofeedback as a Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: Review, Rating of Efficacy, and Recommendations for Further Research

Electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback has been employed in substance use disorder (SUD) over the last three decades. The SUD is a complex series of disorders with frequent comorbidities and EEG abnormalities of several types. EEG biofeedback has been employed in conjunction with other therapies and may be useful in enhancing certain outcomes of therapy. Based on published clinical studies and employing efficacy criteria adapted by the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback and the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research, alpha theta training—either alone for alcoholism or in combination with beta training for stimulant and mixed substance abuse and combined with residential treatment programs, is probably efficacious. Considerations of further research design taking these factors into account are discussed and descriptions of contemporary research are given

Increased Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Obese Adolescents; A Magnetoencephalographic Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: Obesity is not only associated with metabolic abnormalities, but also with cognitive dysfunction and changes in the central nervous system. The present pilot study was carried out to investigate functional connectivity in obese and non-obese adolescents using magnetoencephalography (MEG). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Magnetoencephalographic recordings were performed in 11 obese (mean BMI 38.8+/-4.6 kg/m(2)) and 8 lean (mean BMI 21.0+/-1.5 kg/m(2)) female adolescents (age 12-19 years) during an eyes-closed resting-state condition. From these recordings, the synchronization likelihood (SL), a common method that estimates both linear and non-linear interdependencies between MEG signals, was calculated within and between brain regions, and within standard frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha1, alpha2, beta and gamma). The obese adolescents had increased synchronization in delta (0.5-4 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) frequency bands compared to lean controls (P(delta total) = 0.001; P(beta total) = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study identified increased resting-state functional connectivity in severe obese adolescents. Considering the importance of functional coupling between brain areas for cognitive functioning, the present findings strengthen the hypothesis that obesity may have a major impact on human brain function. The cause of the observed excessive synchronization is unknown, but might be related to disturbed motivational pathways, the recently demonstrated increase in white matter volume in obese subjects or altered metabolic processes like hyperinsulinemia. The question arises whether the changes in brain structure and communication are a dynamic process due to weight gain and whether these effects are reversible or not

The Effects of a Psychological Stressor on Cigarette Smoking and Subsequent Behavioral and Physiological Responses

Stressful stimuli have been reported to trigger increased smoking. The present experiment involved induction of differing levels of performance anxiety in 10 male smokers. In the high anxiety condition, subjects performed mental arithmetic with competitive pressure; in the low anxiety control condition, no competitive pressure was applied. Both sessions included smoking and sham smoking trials. Scores on the Profile of Mood States showed significantly more anxiety on the day of the high anxiety session than on the day of the low anxiety session, confirming the effectiveness of anxiety-induction procedures. Nicotine intake as inferred from topographical measures was significantly greater under conditions of high anxiety. Greater post-smoking decreases in anxiety in the high-anxiety condition, as compared to the low-anxiety condition and the two sham-smoking conditions, were also observed. Both smoking and anxiety level significantly increased heart rate; lack of statistical interaction suggests additive rather than potentiating effects. Peripheral skin temperature rose in response to mental arithmetic, a trend counteracted by smoking. No significant smoking-related changes in performance were found.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75365/1/j.1469-8986.1987.tb00295.x.pd

Higher C-reactive protein and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor levels are associated with poor physical function and disability: A cross-sectional analysis of a cohort of Late Middle-Aged African Americans

Background: This cohort of "late middle-aged" African Americans has an excess of disability. We aimed to determine associations of circulating cytokine receptors (sTNFR1, sTNFR2, and sIL-6R) and C-reactive protein (CRP) with disability, physical function, and body composition. Methods: Stratified sampling of two socioeconomically diverse strata of St Louis, Missouri, occurred in 2000–2001. Inclusion criteria were self-reported black or African American race, born 1936–1950 inclusive, and Mini-Mental State Examination score of 16 or greater. In-home evaluations of handgrip strength, lean body mass percentage (LBM%), physical performance, upper and lower body functional limitations (UBFLs and LBFLs), and basic and instrumental activities of daily living (BADLs and IADLs) were collected. Of the 998 participants, 368 had blood sampled at baseline. Serum was stored and assayed in 2006. Results: Absolute risks were LBFLs of 2 or more, 46%; UBFLs of 1 or more, 23.5%; BADLs of 2 or more, 20.6%; and IADLs of 2 or more, 22.5%. Independent of age, sex, and underlying comorbid conditions, higher CRP and sTNFR were associated with poorer physical performance (β = −1.462, p < .001 and β = −0.618, p = .003), UBFLs (odds ratio [OR] 2.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–4.64 and OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.96–2.02), LBFLs (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.19–4.45 and OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.26–2.91), BADLs (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.03–5.96 and OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.11–2.46), and IADLs (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.03–4.41 and OR 1.43, 95% CI 0.99–2.08). Higher CRP (β = −3.251, p <.001), sIL-6R (β = −6.152, p = .013), and lower adiponectin (β = 2.947, p = .052) were associated with lower LBM%. Conclusions: Higher CRP and sTNFR are independently associated with disability and physical dysfunction. Higher sIL-6R, CRP, and lower adiponectin associate with lower LBM%.Matthew T. Haren, Theodore K. Malmstrom, Douglas K. Miller, Ping Patrick, H. M. Perry, Margaret M. Herning, William A. Banks and John E. Morle