Can Amygdala-Derived-EEG-fMRI-Pattern (EFP) Neurofeedback Treat Sleep Disturbances in PTSD?

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/ Tendler A, Stern Y, Harmelech T. 
Brain Sciences. 2025; 15(3):297. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15030297 . 

 

Sleep disturbances are a core feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), affecting up to 90% of patients and often persisting after standard PTSD treatment. 
 

A secondary analysis of a prospective, single-arm trial (n = 58) was carried out evaluating Prism™ amygdala-derived EFP neurofeedback. Sleep outcomes were assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) sleep item, PTSD Checklist (PCL-5) sleep item, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) sleep items at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. 
 

At 3-month follow-up, 63.79% of participants demonstrated clinically meaningful reduction in sleep disturbances (≥1 point reduction in CAPS-5 Item 20). Sleep improvement showed a moderate correlation with overall PTSD symptom reduction (r = 0.484, p < 0.001) and a balanced improvement pattern (−15.1% early, −9.1% late). Sleep responders sustained improvement across multiple measures and showed significant increases in cognitive reappraisal (mean change: +2.57 ± 1.0, p = 0.006), while non-responders showed initial but un-sustained improvement in trauma-related dreams. 

Amygdala-derived EFP neurofeedback shows preliminary promise for treating PTSD-related sleep disturbances.

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To read the full article on Brain Sciences - https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/3/297