TY - JOUR
T1 - Cognitive training with neurofeedback using NIRS improved cognitive functions in young adults
T2 - Evidence from a randomized controlled trial
AU - Nouchi, Rui
AU - Nouchi, Haruka
AU - Dinet, Jerome
AU - Kawashima, Ryuta
N1 - Funding Information:
Conflicts of Interest: This study was supported by NeU Corporation. NeU developed the two-channel portable NIRS device (HOT 1000) and cognitive training. Professor Ryuta Kawashima is CTO at NeU and developed the brain training game in collaboration with NeU. However, these companies were not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, or writing of the manuscript. The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Funding Information:
Funding: This study was supported by the NeU Corporation, was an industry-academic collaboration at Tohoku University. This study was also supported by JSPS KAKENHI grant number 15H05366 (Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)) and 16KT0002 and 19H01760 (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)) and by the Tohoku University-Université de Lorraine Joint Research Fund 2020. R.N. is supported by the JSPS Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers (LEADER) program. None of the funding sources had any involvement in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, or writing of the paper.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - (1) Background: A previous study has shown that cognitive training with neurofeedback (CT-NF) using down-regulation improves cognitive functions in young adults. Neurofeedback has two strategies for manipulating brain activity (down-regulation and upregulation). However, the benefit of CT-NF with the upregulation of cognitive functions is still unknown. In this study, we investigated whether the upregulation of CT-NF improves a wide range of cognitive functions compared to cognitive training alone. (2) Methods: In this double-blinded randomized control trial (RCT), 60 young adults were randomly assigned to one of three groups: CT-NF group, CT alone group, and an active control (ACT) group who played a puzzle game. Participants in the three groups used the same device (tablet PC and 2ch NIRS (near-infrared spectroscopy)) and performed the training game for 20 min every day for four weeks. We measured brain activity during training in all groups, but only CT-NFs received NF. We also measured a wide range of cognitive functions before and after the intervention period. (3) Results: The CT-NF groups showed superior beneficial effects on episodic memory, working memory, and attention compared to the CT alone and ACT groups. In addition, the CT-NF group showed an increase in brain activity during CT, which was associated with improvements in cognitive function. (4) Discussion: This study first demonstrated that the CT-NF using the upregulation strategy has beneficial effects on cognitive functions compared to the CT alone. Our results suggest that greater brain activities during CT would enhance a benefit from CT.
AB - (1) Background: A previous study has shown that cognitive training with neurofeedback (CT-NF) using down-regulation improves cognitive functions in young adults. Neurofeedback has two strategies for manipulating brain activity (down-regulation and upregulation). However, the benefit of CT-NF with the upregulation of cognitive functions is still unknown. In this study, we investigated whether the upregulation of CT-NF improves a wide range of cognitive functions compared to cognitive training alone. (2) Methods: In this double-blinded randomized control trial (RCT), 60 young adults were randomly assigned to one of three groups: CT-NF group, CT alone group, and an active control (ACT) group who played a puzzle game. Participants in the three groups used the same device (tablet PC and 2ch NIRS (near-infrared spectroscopy)) and performed the training game for 20 min every day for four weeks. We measured brain activity during training in all groups, but only CT-NFs received NF. We also measured a wide range of cognitive functions before and after the intervention period. (3) Results: The CT-NF groups showed superior beneficial effects on episodic memory, working memory, and attention compared to the CT alone and ACT groups. In addition, the CT-NF group showed an increase in brain activity during CT, which was associated with improvements in cognitive function. (4) Discussion: This study first demonstrated that the CT-NF using the upregulation strategy has beneficial effects on cognitive functions compared to the CT alone. Our results suggest that greater brain activities during CT would enhance a benefit from CT.
KW - Cognitive improvement
KW - Cognitive training
KW - Dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex
KW - NIRS
KW - Neurofeedback
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121751304&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85121751304&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/brainsci12010005
DO - 10.3390/brainsci12010005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85121751304
VL - 12
JO - Brain Sciences
JF - Brain Sciences
SN - 2076-3425
IS - 1
M1 - 5
ER -