Study Finds Neurofeedback May Help with Parkinson’s

Though there have been several studies on the use of Neurofeedback with ADHD patients, this is the first study of using Neurofeedback with Parkinson’s patients.  And the results are exciting!  This new study was conducted by researchers from Cardiff University (UK) and reported in a paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience.  The study found that patients with early stage Parkinson’s Disease could, using fMRI Neurofeedback, alter local brain activity to improve motor function.  The Neurofeedback training targeted the brain’s supplementary motor complex, with other areas, such as the cortical motor areas and the basal ganglia, also showing signs of activation during Neurofeedback.  Though this was a small study (5 experimental subjects, 5 control), it opens doors to future larger clinical studies.  The authors emphasize that this is not a ‘cure’ for Parkinson’s, but a way of dealing with the symptomology.  Read the full study here.