The Effect of Neurofeedback Training in Virtual and Real Environments based on BCI

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effect of real-time neurofeedback systems by adjusting the speed of a racing car and report the difference in effect between virtual and real environments. Thirty participants were divided into two conditions of the neurofeedback system (i.e., racing in real track and virtual game). For the performance evaluation, the band power of resting state EEG data and cognitive tests (Stroop and Digit span) were evaluated before and after the neurofeedback training. In the result, a significant increase of band power in the alpha frequency range (8–13Hz) as well as the test score were observed in both the virtual and real environments. Furthermore, neurofeedback in the virtual environment showed enhanced training effects compared to the real environment. We conclude that the performance of the neurofeedback training can be profoundly effected by the system environment as various factors (e.g., motivation, reward) are involved in the performance.