The role of EEG and NEBA (NEUROPSYCHIATRIC EEG-BASED ASSESSMENT AID FOR ADHD) in ADHD diagnosis and characterization

Neuropsychiatric research applications of electroencephalography (EEG), the earliest approach to imaging human cortical brain activity, are attracting increasing scientific and clinical interest. EEG research has attempted to characterize and quantify the neurophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), most consistently associating it with increased frontocentral theta band activity and increased theta to beta power ratio during rest compared to non-ADHD controls. Recent reports suggest that while these EEG measures demonstrate strong discriminant validity for ADHD, significant EEG heterogeneity also exists across ADHD-diagnosed individuals. In particular, additional studies validating the use of the power ratio measure appear needed before it can be used for clinical diagnosis. The NEBA (NEUROPSYCHIATRIC EEG-BASED ASSESSMENT AID FOR ADHD) system uses brainwaves (EEG) along with a clinician’s initial diagnostic impression to improve the accuracy of the ADHD diagnostic process. NEBA measures the electrical activity in the front part of the brain to derive a biomarker. NEBA then combines this information with the clinician’s diagnostic impression. Using this data and a patented method, NEBA categorizes children and adolescents with ADHD symptoms into three groups: ADHD – confirmatory support, Support for further testing – focus on ADHD, Support for further testing – focus on ‘other conditions’. NEBA is the first of a new kind of medical device cleared by the FDA that uses brainwaves to help clinicians more accurately diagnose ADHD in children and adolescents. FDA created an entirely new category of medical device to regulate NEBA