EEG beta and theta training with learning disabled children : variables associated with individual responsivity

EEG biofeedback Beta and Theta training has been shown to increase academic and cognitive functioning and decrease attentional deficits in learning disabled children. Conditioning increases in Beta wave activity is associated with increased arousal of the central nervous system and focused attention and concentration. The present study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an EEG biofeedback training program within the public school setting, and at the same time begin exploring individual differences in increasing Beta activity and suppressing Theta activity. Elementary school age learning disabled students (N=56) receiving EEG biofeedback training served as subjects. Subjects received biofeedback training to increase Beta brain wave activity and suppress Theta activity two times per week throughout the academic year. As a group subjects had significant increases in Beta activity and concomitant decreases in Theta activity. Individual subject increases in Beta and decreases in Theta, as expected, were variable. A number of subject and treatment characteristics were examined for their relationship to increased levels of Beta activity. Analysis of the biofeedback data suggested relationships between increasing Beta activity and 1) pretreatment levels of Beta activity, 2) pretreatment levels of Theta activity, and 3) significant discrepancies between Verbal-Scale and Performance-Scale IQ scores. The variables age, gender, IQ, number of treatment sessions, reading level, math level, attention span, and visual-motor integration skills were not related to increases in Beta and decreases in Theta in this san:q)le. Further research with a larger san^le size and more rigorous control of biofeedback training is suggested to define these relationships.