NeMoRe · NeuroModulation Rehabilitation. A neurofeedback and transcranial alternating-current stimulation approach for the neurorehabilitation of patients with attentional deficits after acquired brain injury
Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2023-09-11 → 2025-10-10
- EU contribution
- €165,313
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
NeuroModulation Rehabilitation. A neurofeedback and transcranial alternating-current stimulation approach for the neurorehabilitation of patients with attentional deficits after acquired brain injury
Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a leading cause of long-term cognitive disability in Europe, with attentional deficits representing one of the most frequent and functionally disabling consequences. Despite their impact on autonomy, return to work, and quality of life, available cognitive rehabilitation interventions often show limited effectiveness and poor patient engagement. At the same time, non-invasive, technology-based interventions such as EEG neurofeedback have gained increasing attention, but robust clinical evidence supporting their efficacy, feasibility, and added value over standard rehabilitation remains scarce. Within this context, the NeMoRe project aimed to investigate EEG-based neurofeedback as a novel, patient-centered cognitive rehabilitation approach for ABI. The overarching objective was to validate neurofeedback as a safe, feasible, and effective intervention for attentional rehabilitation, and to explore its future integration with neuromodulation techniques. The project was embedded in a broader political and strategic framework promoting digital health solutions, innovation in neurorehabilitation, and evidence-based, personalized medicine within the European Union. By generating clinical, behavioral, and neurophysiological evidence, NeMoRe sought to address the need for more engaging and scalable rehabilitation tools, while strengthening European expertise in advanced neurotechnologies for health. The expected impact spans clinical practice, research innovation, and health system sustainability.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Acquired brain injury (ABI) represents non-progressive cerebral damage occurring after birth (eg., trauma, hypoxia, stroke). ABIs affect several domains, including cognitive functions. Specifically, up to 80% of ABI patients show attentional deficits that highly impact their quality of life and independence by hampering the execution of daily tasks. Since cognitive rehabilitation seems to be only mildly effective in treating these deficits, it is crucial to explore more effective tools for neurorehabilitation. Among emerging techniques, neurofeedback (NF) can effectively improve attentional abilities in patients with ADHD. NF is a training where a subject receives online feedback on their brainwaves, with the goal to normalize brain oscillations through operant conditioning. It is a promising tool for attention rehabilitation of ABI patients, however, currently only 30% of subjects are able to master NF techniques. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive electrical stimulation technique that, by delivering a weak current to the brain, can entrain specific frequencies in the brain. Thus, tACS (by increasing the target frequency of NF) could facilitate NF and increase its effectiveness. Our study has 2 aims: 1) to validate NF as an attentional rehabilitation tool for ABI patients; 2) to show that tACS can increase NF effectiveness. We will perform a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial with 75 subjects with ABI (with mixed etiologies, matched by cognitive profile) with 3 arms: a) NF alone, b) NF+tACS , c) Control group. Both tACS and NF will target β power. We will have measures for efficacy, transfer to daily life and motivation of the intervention. This innovative protocol will validate a new tool for ABI patients’ neurorehabilitation and open new doors for the combined use of NF+tACS in other rehabilitation fields.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/101108141
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e514fb9bc5&appId=PPGMS
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e521ac1e0b&appId=PPGMS
Data: CORDIS, © European Union