Preventing relapse in alcohol disorder with EEG-neurofeedback as a neuromodulation technique: A review and new insights regarding its application

Abstract

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has a disconcertingly high relapse rate (70-80% within a year following withdrawal). Preventing relapse or minimizing its extent is hence a challenging goal for long-term successful management of AUD. New perspectives that rely on diverse neuromodulation tools have been developed in this regard as care supports. This paper focuses on electroencephalogram-neurofeedback (EEG-NF), which is a tool that has experienced renewed interest in both clinical and research areas. We review the literature on EEG-based neurofeedback studies investigating the efficacy in AUD and including at least 10 neurofeedback training sessions. As neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback in which a measure of brain activity is provided as feedback in real-time to a subject, the high degree of temporal resolution of the EEG interface supports optimal learning. By offering a wide range of brain oscillation targets (alpha, beta, theta, delta, gamma, and SMR) the EEG-NF procedure increases the scope of possible investigations through a multitude of experimental protocols that can be considered to reinforce or inhibit specific forms of EEG activity associated with AUD-related cognitive impairments. The present review provides an overview of the EEG-NF protocols that have been used in AUD and it highlights the current paucity of robust evidence. Within this framework, this review presents the arguments in favor of the application of EEG-NF as an add-on tool in the management of alcohol disorders to enhance the cognitive abilities required to maintain abstinence more specifically, with a focus on inhibition and attentional skills.

Keywords: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD); Attention; Dual process model; EEG; Inhibition; Neurofeedback.