The Effectiveness of Neurofeedback Therapy in Craving of Methamphetamine Use

Peyman Hashemian

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Ibn-e-Sina Hospital, Faculty of Medicine , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

DOI: 10.4236/ojpsych.2015.52020                

Abstract

Introduction: Relapse in methamphetamine dependency is one of the most difficult parts to treat. Therefore treatment of craving for usage is one of the essential sections of treatment in methamphetamine dependency (addiction). This study evaluates the effect of neurofeedback therapy on craving for use. Methods: In this study 20 male patient with methamphetamine dependency who diagnosed on the basis of DSM-V were selected. None of the patients had any psychiatric and neurologic disorder except addiction of methamphetamine. Patients were divided into 2 groups of 10. The first group has taken real neurofeedback therapy sessions while the second has undergone non-real neurofeedback (sham) therapy. Then the two groups have been compared with t-test. Result: The result shows that in the first group (real neurofeedback), craving for methamphetamine use has been decreased significantly whereas in the second group (non-real or sham), the decrease was not significant. Conclusion: Neurofeedback therapy is effective in treatment of craving for methamphetamine use.

Keywords

Methamphetamine, Neurofeedback, Craving

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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