Table 3. Change in mood ratings (post-pre scan scores) following neurofeedback training for each experimental group.
| Change Post-Scan | Experimental [n = 14] | Control [n = 7] |
| STAI | ||
| State | −2.14 (3.21)* | 3.86 (7.65)** |
| Traita | −3.00 (4.30)* | −1.14 (3.39) |
| POMS | ||
| Depression | −4.50 (8.48)* | −2.43 (5.26) |
| Tension | −3.00 (6.06) | −1.43 (5.86) |
| Anger | −2.36 (3.65)* | −3.29 (5.82) |
| Vigor | −0.29 (5.14) | 0.29 (8.48) |
| Fatigue | 0.57 (8.50) | −0.43 (5.32) |
| Confused | −1.00 (3.98) | 1.29 (4.23) |
| Friendly | 0.57 (6.32) | −0.14 (5.58) |
| Total Mood Disturbance | −9.21 (27.2) | −5.43 (29.0) |
| VAS | ||
| Happy | 1.75 (1.16)* | 0.29 (1.63)** |
| Restless | −1.04 (1.73)* | −1.00 (3.37) |
| Sad | −0.93 (2.09) | −1.57 (1.62)* |
| Anxious | −1.79 (1.53)* | −0.57 (2.64) |
| Irritated | −1.36 (2.37)* | −0.86 (1.07) |
| Drowsy | 0.11 (2,34) | 0.72 (2.69) |
| Alert | −0.54 (2.53) | −0.86 (2.12) |
Numbers in parentheses indicate one standard deviation of the mean. * indicates a significant change from pre to post-scan ratings at p<0.05. ** indicates a significant differences from the experimental group at p<0.05.
Abbreviations: POMS = Profile of Mood States; STAI = State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; VAS = Visual Analogue Scale
One may wonder why the trait subscale of the STAI was administered both pre and post neurofeedback. While the Trait measure of anxiety is supposed to be a relatively stable measure, there is no set time period that the rating scale covers (such as the SHAPS which asks over the past week how often have you felt…) and instead asks how one “generally feels.” We wondered whether the neurofeedback procedure would alter how participants viewed themselves more generally, and indeed participants in the experimental group reported less general anxiety following the neurofeedback procedure. This could indicate they reflect more positively on themselves after the procedure and is another example of amygdala neurofeedback improving mood. However, as the test-retest reliability of the Trait measure of the STAI ranges from.65-.8645 (Spielberger CD, Gorsuch RL, R.E L (1970) Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press) the changes could simply be chance fluctuations in scores and replication is needed to confirm our hypothesis that how anxious one generally feels is indeed decreasing following amygdala neurofeedback