Performance Simulation Neurofeedback Training for Elite Athletes – A New Concept in Neurofeedback Training

Background: Neurofeedback training is a well-known tool in sport psychology for improving skill acquisition and performance, but it has also been beset by conceptual and methodological problems. This work examined the use of a new form of electroencephalographic (EEG) based training, dubbed performance simulation neurofeedback training (PSNT), as a means to improve elite-level athletes’ (archers) performance.

Methods: We adopted a mixed design with group (PSNT, active control) as a between-subject factor and phase of session (pre-, post-testing) as the within-subject factor. Unlike traditional neurofeedback training, PSNT measures EEG activity across multiple brainwaves and compares it to that of the previously identified desired brain activity in a dedicated performance simulation. A single channel EEG device, NeuroSky Mindwave mobile (San Jose, CA, USA), and the software Hit the Gold (Core Interface; Zagreb, Croatia) were used for this work. Eleven elite-level archers attended on average five sessions, in which a simulated PSNT or a video observation intervention was conducted between 36 pre- and 36 post-intervention measured arrows.

Results: Participants in the PSNT group increased their score from pre- to post-testing while participants’ score in the video observation group deteriorated from pre- to post-testing (Two-Way Mixed ANOVA, p = .046).

Conclusion: Archers can improve their performance by using a PSNT platform. Further research using more accurate hardware is needed to explore PSNT’s effectiveness over time and across other performance domains. Other athletic disciplines may benefit from this method as well.