Researchers combined the results of 38 randomized trials that tested neurofeedback for ADHD. The trials included 2472 people aged 5 to 40 years, all with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD or hyperkinetic syndrome. Most used EEG-based neurofeedback (33 trials), while the other 5 used brain imaging methods. The team focused on trials with more trustworthy ratings, where the people judging symptoms were probably unaware of who got the treatment.
In those better-rated trials, neurofeedback did not lower overall ADHD symptoms in any meaningful way (SMD 0.04). A small benefit did appear when they looked only at trials using well-established standard protocols (SMD 0.21). Among five tests of mental skills, just one improved: processing speed, and only by a small amount (SMD 0.35).
The authors point to several limits. Most trials had a high risk of bias, mainly because people knew which treatment they were getting. Only about half of the better-rated trials checked whether participants actually learned to regulate their own brain activity. Few trials measured everyday functioning, quality of life, or school results. There were also too few adult trials and too few longer-term trials to include, so the effects over time and in specific settings could not be examined.
Source: Westwood S, Aggensteiner P, Kaiser A, et al.. Neurofeedback for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry (2025). doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.3702