The effect of transcranial pulse stimulation and neurofeedback training on attention

Abstract

The capacity to pay attention is fundamental for building meaningful relationships, facilitating effective communication, and successful learning. This skill is vital in almost every facet of life, including health, education, and the workplace. Various noninvasive brain stimulation techniques and neurofeedback (NFB) training have been studied for attention enhancement; however, results have been mixed. While transcranial pulse stimulation has emerged as the newest noninvasive neurostimulation method for improving cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer’s (Beisteiner et al., 2020), its effect remains unclear for attention enhancement. Very limited studies have been conducted on the effects of TPS on attention enhancement, nor have any studies compared the effects of TPS with NFB in training attention. In the present study, we compared the effects of TPS and NFB on young adults aged 20 to 34 who exhibited subclinical attention deficits. Thirty-five participants were included, with 12 receiving TPS, 12 receiving NFB, and 11 in the waitlist control group. Both intervention groups underwent a total of 12 sessions, with 45 minutes per session, 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks. Control participants were also subjected to the same series of tests and assessments with comparable time intervals to the TPS and NFB groups. Both their attention and sustained attention were assessed using the Conners Continuous Performance Task, Third Edition, and the Gradual Onset Continuous Performance Task. We found significant improvements in participants’ sustained attention from the GradCPT results at post-intervention, 1-month follow-up, and 2-month follow-up for the TPS group, as well as for the NFB group at post-intervention and 1-month follow-up; however, fewer variables demonstrated improvement in the NFB group than in the TPS group. TPS can be concluded as having a longer-lasting effect on improving individuals’ sustained attention than neurofeedback. Significant improvement was also reported in participants’ commission errors assessed by the Conners CPT-3 in the TPS group at post-intervention and 2-month follow-up. However, more variables in the GradCPT showed improvement than in the CPT-3, and most of these were long-lasting. Taken together, it can be assumed that TPS is particularly effective in enhancing sustained attention among young adults who exhibited below-norm attention levels for up to 2 months post-intervention and has the potential to be used as an effective method for improving attention and sustained attention among healthy and clinical populations.