Developing a neurofeedback based intervention to reduce tremor in Essential Tremor

Abstract

Essential Tremor (ET), the most common adult movement disorder, can interfere with activities of daily living (ADLs). ET is difficult to treat and many individuals with ET try many combinations of treatments, including but not limited to: pharmacotherapies, physio/occupational therapies, or surgical intervention. While neurofeedback (NF) has been implemented successfully to treat other movement disorders, its impact on ET is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether adults (n=9) diagnosed with ET were able to use auditory NF to manipulate the theta/beta ratio (TBR) over motor cortex. Results showed individual variability across all participants, with no significant change in TBR for either trained condition. When compared to healthy participants, baseline values for TBR were higher and more variable between participants. Overall, the results of this study provide future research with framework and criteria for the design and implementation of NF training for ET.