Effect of EEG neurofeedback therapy on addiction disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

IF 5.3 1区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Addiction Pub Date : 2025-08-12 DOI:10.1111/add.70164

Huan Wan, Biao Chen, Xiaoming Li, Junjie Bu

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Abstract

Background and aim: Recently, electroencephalogram neurofeedback (EEG-NF), a non-invasive neuromodulation technique, has shown promising potential in treating addiction disorders. However, the heterogeneity of clinical populations and research methodologies make it challenging to reach consistent conclusions regarding its efficacy. This meta-analysis investigated the therapeutic effects of EEG-NF on addiction disorders, including both substance and behavioral addictions.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase and Web of Science, including 17 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2000 and 2025 that utilized EEG-NF for addiction treatment, with a total of 662 participants. Subgroup analyses were carried out based on addiction type and neurofeedback modality, alongside meta-regression analyses considering publication year, sample size, age, sex, number of sessions and duration.

Results: EEG-NF statistically significantly alleviated addiction symptoms (Hedges'g = 0.85, P < 0.001), with stronger effects on substance addiction than behavioral addiction. Auditory feedback was the most effective modality, while audio-visual feedback was less effective and visual feedback was the weakest. Despite significant heterogeneity, subgroup and meta-regression analyses suggested that neurofeedback modalities and the number of neurofeedback sessions may be the primary factors influencing therapeutic efficacy.

Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis provides robust evidence supporting the efficacy of electroencephalogram neurofeedback (EEG-NF) in the treatment of addiction disorders, with particularly promising results for substance use disorders. Our findings underscore the critical need for protocol optimization, emphasizing both modality selection and careful dose-response calibration to maximize treatment outcomes.

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脑电图神经反馈治疗对成瘾障碍的影响：系统回顾和荟萃分析。

背景与目的：近年来，脑电图神经反馈（EEG-NF）作为一种非侵入性神经调节技术在治疗成瘾障碍方面显示出良好的潜力。然而，临床人群和研究方法的异质性使得对其疗效得出一致的结论具有挑战性。本荟萃分析调查了脑电图- nf对成瘾障碍的治疗效果，包括物质成瘾和行为成瘾。方法：系统回顾PubMed、Cochrane Library、Embase和Web of Science，包括2000年至2025年间发表的17项随机对照试验（rct），这些试验使用脑电图神经因子进行成瘾治疗，共有662名参与者。根据成瘾类型和神经反馈模式进行亚组分析，同时考虑出版年份、样本量、年龄、性别、治疗次数和持续时间进行meta回归分析。结论：本系统综述和荟萃分析提供了强有力的证据，支持脑电图神经反馈（EEG-NF）治疗成瘾障碍的疗效，尤其是对物质使用障碍的治疗效果。我们的研究结果强调了方案优化的关键必要性，强调了模式选择和仔细的剂量-反应校准，以最大限度地提高治疗效果。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Addiction 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

10.80

自引率

6.70%

发文量

319

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Addiction publishes peer-reviewed research reports on pharmacological and behavioural addictions, bringing together research conducted within many different disciplines. Its goal is to serve international and interdisciplinary scientific and clinical communication, to strengthen links between science and policy, and to stimulate and enhance the quality of debate. We seek submissions that are not only technically competent but are also original and contain information or ideas of fresh interest to our international readership. We seek to serve low- and middle-income (LAMI) countries as well as more economically developed countries. Addiction’s scope spans human experimental, epidemiological, social science, historical, clinical and policy research relating to addiction, primarily but not exclusively in the areas of psychoactive substance use and/or gambling. In addition to original research, the journal features editorials, commentaries, reviews, letters, and book reviews.