The Effect of Neurofeedback Training on Executive Control Network of Attention and Dart-Throwing Performance in Individuals with Trait Anxiety

This study aimed to investigate the effect of neurofeedback training on the executive control network of attention and dart-throwing skill performance in individuals with trait anxiety. Twenty girls (24.65 \( \pm \) 2.83 years) participated in this study. They were divided into neurofeedback and control training groups. All participants practiced 14 sessions. The neurofeedback group performed neurofeedback training (increasing SMR wave, decreasing theta, and increasing alpha) and dart-throwing exercise, and the control group only completed the dart-throwing exercise. The post-test, including Attentional Networks Test (ANT) and dart-throwing, was conducted 48 h after the last training session. The results revealed a significant difference in the performance of the executive control network and dart-throwing skill between the neurofeedback and the control training group. In general, these findings support the effect of neurofeedback training on the neural mechanisms of the executive control network of attention, and performance in dart-throwing skill improves by improving attentional performance processes.