Comparison of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Neurofeedback: Reducing Insomnia Symptoms

INTRODUCTION: The term sleep disorder refers to difficulty in initiating sleep, maintaining it or a relaxing sleep despite having enough time to sleep. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a non-drug multi-dimensional treatment that targets behavioral and cognitive factors of this disorder. Some studies have shown that psychiatric and neurological disorders can be distinguished from distinct EEG patterns and neurofeedback can be used to make a change in these patterns. This study aimed to compare the cognitive behavioral therapy and neurofeedback in the treatment of insomnia.

METHODS: The sample included patients, who had already been diagnosed insomnia by a psychiatrist in Isfahan, Iran. Random sampling was employed to choose the participants. Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI) was used for the selection of the participants, too. The sample was included 40 patients who were randomly selected and interviewed. Finally they were divided into 3 groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Following the analysis the independent effect of the treatment was significant and one-way ANOVA with post hoc test L.S.D were carried out on CBT and control (p = 0.001), CBT and neurofeedback therapy (p = 0.003), neurofeedback treatment and control (p = 0.001).

RESULTS: Results showed a significant difference between the groups. Based on the analysis the two abovementioned treatments, neurofeedback therapy in the first position and cognitive-behavioral therapy in the second position were most effective, and the control group showed the lowest efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS: Both treatments were significantly effective, and so we can use both NF and CBT for the treatment of insomnia.