EEG-enabled tests for neurofeedback training assessment

Neurofeeback training can be used to enhance cognitive abilities related to multitasking such as working memory, attention, etc. To assess effectiveness of the neurofeedback training, cognitive ability tests such as Schulte test to measure the attention ability, the Sternberg test to measure the ability of memorization and mental rotation test to measure the spatial abilities are used before and after sessions of the neurofeedback training. Alpha band activity of Electroencephalogram (EEG) can be used to assess the memory and information processing, as alpha suppression occurs in situations involving mental efforts. We propose to integrate traditional "Test of Attentional Vigilance" with EEG recording to enhance the test results with parameters extracted directly from the EEG. The traditional test requires the subject to detect a rare visual stimulus. The subject needs to press the button if the white rectangle appears on the top of the black square but to ignore the rectangle which appears at the bottom of the black square. The score of the test is given as missed shots (omission error), wrongly reacted shots (commission error), and the subject's reaction time. To integrate EEG recording to the test, we added close/open eyes sessions for 1 min each right before the test. 9 subjects were asked to take the test. The EEG was recorded during the test. The subject's individual alpha peak frequency andindividual alpha band width were calculated, and the corresponding program was integrated in the test. The results show that the individuals who had a larger alpha peak frequency and a wider individual alpha band width perform better in the attentional vigilance test. The proposed test allows studying the correlation between the test performance score and EEG parameters such as individual alpha peak frequency and individual alpha band width. The test can be applied for assessment of the effectiveness of neurofeedback training.