Investigation of the neurofeedback training effects on cognitive and sensory-motor skills

Objective: The porpose of this study investigate the effects of 30 sessions sesory motor rythm neurofeedback training on cognitive and sensory-motor skills. The sub-objective is to determine whether protecting control of somato-sensory and somoto-motor pathways which hand with SMR NFT in the short and long period or not. Method: 21,59±1,62 years old 39 male individual who have been students in Akdeniz University School of Physical Education and Sport participated to the study. They were divided into 3 groups which were NGBA (n=12), YNGBA (n=13) ve KONT (n=14). 30 sessions SMK NFT or sham NFT were applied to the individuals and 4 session measurements which were pre, post, 1st follow-up and 2nd follow-up were applied to the individuals. The measurements were including cognitive (attention, memory, spatial perception) and sensory-motor (sensory-motor coordination, targeting, reaction time) skill tests which were computer-aided. Also, SMR EEG records had been taken simultaneously with the tests and rest. Results: According to the results of the study, there were differences with large effect size between the pre, post, 1st follow-up and 2nd follow-up measurements of NGBA group's attention [F(3,33)=4.893, p<0.05] (2=.30), recollection [F(3,33)=5.804, p<0.05] (2=.34) and sensory-motor coordination [F(3,33)=19.179, p<0.001] (2=.64) tests. Also these effect sizes were larger than the other groups effect sizes. There were no differences between groups or measurements in the other skills. Results of EEG recordings, excluding the targeting EEG value, show that only NGBA groups SMR EEG values were reducing while other groups' were increasing. Conclusion: Consequently 30 sessions SMR NFT has a positive effect on the cognitive skills and sensory-motor coordination of individuals. Also, that reduces the SMR EEG values of them. Key Words: Sensory-motor rhythm, neurofeedback, attention, recollection, reaction.