What Is the Impact of Neurofeedback on Anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. Anxiety can impact people negatively and cause debilitating symptoms. Neurofeedback (NFB) has been shown to be effective in a multiple of ways, but research with anxiety is lacking. This study explored the impact of a brief NFB intervention on anxiety. Two participants completed the study. Neither participant showed reliable change from baseline to post-assessment. A phenomenological qualitative analysis was used to gain a greater understanding of NFB’s impact on each participant and their anxiety. One participant reported NFB had a positive impact on anxiety symptoms. Both participants participated during a stressful time of the year for them, and reported NFB might have had an impact on their stress. Both participants liked training in the morning and both liked the training itself, particularly being able to play a video game. These findings suggest NFB can be a fun and engaging intervention to help people reduce their anxiety