Applications of Neurofeedback in Treating Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects social communication and behavior. Neurofeedback is used to help people control their brain waves based on feedback, and it can treat ASD. This review aims to find improvements in neurofeedback treatment in individuals with ASD, identify areas lacking research, and summarize new enhancements in neurofeedback technology. A library discovery system was searched for papers about neurofeedback treatment for autism. Eligible articles were original research about neurofeedback treatment for autism in English from 2015 or later. Neurofeedback treatment was very effective; only one study didn’t find improvements compared to the control group. In the studies, neurofeedback treatment improved attention, executive function, facial recognition, behavior, communication, (lower) aggression, and social interaction. Favorable changes in alpha activity, delta activity, mu suppression, and theta/beta ratios were observed. Innovations in neurofeedback for ASD include fMRI, mobile games, and AI. There is a lack of research on females with autism and the effects of neurofeedback in autistic adults. Future research should prioritize females and adults; more high-quality studies are needed.