Examination of the effect of long-term frontal asymmetry neurofeedback training for Japanese university students.

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K13136
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Clinical psychology
• Research Institution: Iwate University
• Principal Investigator: Hiroshi Yamaguchi 岩手大学, 人文社会科学部, 教授 (20174625)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ニューロフィードバック / バイオフィードバック / 脳波 / ポジティブ心理学 / うつ / 前頭部左右差

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we examined the effect of the neurofeedback training (NF) of the frontal electroencephalogram asymmetry (left frontal area activation> right frontal area activation training), considered to be effective for “depression tendency”, also in healthy university students. We conducted NF training for a long period (20 days) and examined its effect.
The experiment consisted of a control group (8 persons: BDI-2 mean 23.1) and an NF experimental group (8 persons; BDI-2 mean 23.5,), and the experimental group underwent 25 minutes of NF training each time. Although there are untrained subjects, it is a result report as a middle course, but the depression score dropped significantly only in the experimental group. I could not say that I could predict the advantage of intensive learning for this type of NF training. In order to achieve further effects, it is necessary to consider learning methods and training time allocation based on the subject’s reports collected this time.

Free Research Field

臨床心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は、①今まで日本での前頭部非対称性ニューロフィードバック訓練に係わる長期間訓練効果の報告がない点、②フィードバック情報として（右前頭部α／β－左前頭部α／β）／（右前頭部α／β＋左前頭部α／β）を基礎とした点、個人によって見られる左右の全脳波パワー値の違いに左右されないフィードバック情報による研究である点、③本分野で最近無視されがちな被験者のストラテジーを詳しく聞き取り訓練効果との対応を考える点に意義がある。今回、訓練参加者が脳波に対する十分なセルフコントロールを獲得したとは言えないが、今回のデータをもとによりよいストラテジーの獲得と訓練時間の検討を行うことが可能となる。