Clinical practice in EEG-based neuromodulation : intersections with speech-language pathology.

Acquired brain injury affects millions of Americans each year. Though many individuals recover some or all of their original function, many others suffer from long-term impairments. Among the most prevalent effects of brain injury are impairments in cognitive and language function, which can have large effects on an individual’s ability to communicate. One promising candidate for therapy in this area is EEG neurofeedback, which aims to train an individual’s electrical brain activity, inducing corresponding improvements in cognitive-linguistic function. While this method is used in successfully treating many populations the field suffers from a deficit in published research documenting these successes, and a corresponding lack of standard protocols. Thus, the aim of this thesis project is two-fold: 1) To summarize the existing research literature on neurofeedback in treating cognitive-linguistic disorders, and 2) To collect survey data from neurofeedback practitioners on the “state-of-the field” in terms of current clinical practice in this area.