Neurofeedback Therapy Added to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-Based Psychoeducation for Test Anxiety Among Undergraduate Students: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Resumo breve

The goal of this clinical trial was to learn whether adding neurofeedback therapy to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-based psychoeducation could reduce test anxiety in university students more than CBT-based psychoeducation alone. The main questions it aimed to answer were: 1. Did adding neurofeedback to CBT-based psychoeducation produce a greater reduction in test anxiety than CBT-based psychoeducation alone? 2. Did test anxiety levels change from before the intervention to the middle and end of the intervention period? Researchers compared two groups. One group received CBT-based psychoeducation together with neurofeedback training, while the other group received CBT-based psychoeducation alone. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two groups. Participants: * Completed screening for test anxiety using the Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS). * Completed the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) before, during, and after the intervention. * Received CBT-based psychoeducation on test anxiety and coping strategies. * Participants assigned to the neurofeedback group also completed a baseline EEG assessment and received 10 sessions of EEG-based neurofeedback training targeting high-beta2 activity at the F4 electrode site. * Practised CBT-based coping strategies during the intervention period. The main outcome was change in Test Anxiety Inventory scores across the three assessment points and whether the pattern of change differed between the two study groups.