Effects of swLORETA Z-score neurofeedback in Z-coherence of the fronto-limbic circuit in patients with major depressive disorder.

Researchers observed changes in selected EEG connectivity measures following training. These brain-signal findings do not by themselves establish better clinical recovery.

Huang MH, Yeh YC, Yen CF, Ke CK, Jian CR, Lin CW, Lin IM.
Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging · Publication date: 2026-01-28
Added to site: 2026-09-09
DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112157

Publication date recorded by Europe PMC; online and issue dates may differ.

Modalities

Neurofeedback, swLORETA, Z-score, QEEG

Clinical focus

Depression, Anxiety

Population

Patients with major depressive disorder

Sample

61 patients

Intervention / method

swLORETA Z-score neurofeedback with resting EEG before and after treatment

Comparator

Control group

Clinician summary

Selected fronto-limbic theta and beta Z-coherence measures decreased relative to controls. Depression and anxiety improved within the neurofeedback group; this does not establish between-group superiority for both symptoms.

How to interpret the findings

Randomization and long-term outcomes were not established in the reviewed abstract. Possible cohort overlap with related publications has not been resolved; do not pool them as independent samples.

Equipment and disclosures

NeuroGuide normalization is described in the abstract; hardware is not verified.

Funding and competing-interest disclosures were not verified from the reviewed abstract.

Related evidence

Compare findings from the same clinical area, including mixed results.

• Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with antidepressant pharmacotherapy for depression: state-dependent mechanisms, clinical evidence, and translational challenges · Positive with limitations
• Transcranial low voltage pulsed electromagnetic fields in patients with treatment-resistant depression. · Positive with limitations
• The effect of heart rate variability biofeedback training on stress and anxiety: a meta-analysis. · Positive with limitations
• The effects of swLORETA Z-score neurofeedback for patients comorbid with major depressive disorder and anxiety symptoms. · Positive with limitations
• Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT): A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. · Positive with limitations
• Regulation in acute stress experience through functional near-infrared spectroscopy neurofeedback of the prefrontal cortex. · Positive with limitations
• Clinical Efficacy of High-Frequency Deep Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Treatment of Depression and the Predictive Role of Baseline Triglyceride Levels: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial. · Positive with limitations
• TMS-EEG Correlate of Suicidal Ideation in Individuals with Depression: A Multi-Site Synthesis. · Positive with limitations
• Motor Cortex rTMS Alleviates Pain and Comorbid Depression After Spinal Cord Injury with a Correlate in M1 Intracortical Inhibition. · Positive with limitations
• A PRISMA-compliant Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Late Positive Potential in Depression. · Positive with limitations
• Feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary effectiveness of an accelerated bilateral intermittent theta-burst stimulation protocol in adults with posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid depressive disorder following mild traumatic brain injury. · Positive with limitations
• Accelerated TMS is associated with changes of subgenual cingulate-default mode network coupling in depression: an observational 7 Tesla fMRI study. · Mixed
• Identifying poor responders to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation using structural brain networks. · Positive with limitations
• Theta burst stimulation with 80 and 120% resting motor threshold do not differ in their antidepressant efficacy: a retrospective analysis. · Positive with limitations
• The Effects of Alpha-Theta EEG Biofeedback Training on Anxiety and Stress: Novel Use of Hair Cortisol Concentration as a Biomarker · Positive with limitations
• TMS-Evoked Cortical Reactivity Signatures as a Multidimensional Biomarker of Depression: A TMS-EEG Meta-Analysis from Diagnosis to Prognosis. · Positive with limitations
• Psychological and physiological changes following a mindfulness-based intervention integrating breathing training and HRV biofeedback in adults with anxiety disorders · Mixed
• The effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) on heart rate variability (HRV) in people with depression and/or anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis · Positive with limitations