effect of neurofeedback training on aggression and impulsivity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial

Introduction: aggression and impulsivity are some of the behavioral symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adhd). neurofeedback (nf) training has been suggestedas a promising treatment in these children. this study aimed to investigate the effect of nftraining on aggression and impulsivity in schoolchildren with adhd.methods: a total of 40 male elementary school children with adhd (aged 11.17±0.97years) were randomized into the nf and sham groups. the nf group received 12 nf trainingsessions, each taking about 60 minutes for six consecutive weeks (twice a week), based onthe hammond protocol. the subjects’ parents were questioned to evaluate the outcomes,including aggression and impulsivity, using the buss-perry aggression questionnaire (bpaq)and barratt impulsiveness scale (bis).results: after the intervention, in the nf group, the bpaq score changed from 87.60±9.33 to81±7.23 and the bis score from 94.7±7.25 to 88.05±5.4, which were significant (p=0.001). theresults indicated the large effect size of nf on aggression and impulsivity in adhd.conclusion: our findings suggest nf training as a clinically applicable method for decreasingaggression and impulsivity, also support concurrent use of medication and nf training inchildren with adhd.