No Effects of Neurofeedback of Beta Band Components on Reaction Time Performance

Many performance situations, whether in everyday life or, e.g., in sports, require speeded responses. Reaction time (RT) in laboratory tasks—as an index of processing speed—can be improved through neurofeedback training (NFT). Learning to enhance the power of a high EEG frequency (> 10 Hz; e.g. beta band), suppressing a low frequency (< 10 Hz; e.g., theta band), or reducing the ratio between low- and high-frequency powers by means of NFT has been found to improve performance in attention and RT tasks. We aimed to test the frequency specificity of these effects on different aspects of attention and RT performance, and to explore the application of the protocols in athletes. NFT aiming to reduce the power ratio between theta (4–7 Hz) and mid-beta (15–18 Hz) ranges was compared with NFT enhancing power in the low-beta range (sensory motor rhythm [SMR] 12–15 Hz). Following two baseline measurements, participating soccer players (N = 38) were randomly assigned to train for 10 sessions with one of theta/beta ratio (TBR), SMR, or one session with a sham protocol. Training effects were measured by d2, simple, and choice RT tasks and by power of trained frequencies in the EEG. NFT did not lead to modifications in the trained frequency bands and was not able to improve attention or RT performance. The findings of this well-controlled study strongly indicate that the effects of NFT are smaller than what can be inferred from published studies. Clearly, more research is needed in order to establish the effect of NFT on optimizing performance.