Using the Concepts of Time-delayed Feedback Control in Biofeedback Systems in Children with ADD: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

The reported efficacy of biofeedback is not consistent across studies. One issue that has not been addressed in previous studies is the effect of the reference signal in a biofeedback system.\n\nWe compared the effects of two different reference signals using a computational model and human experiments. One reference signal was fixed, and the other was variable and was designed based on time-delayed feedback control concepts. The computational model consists of a plant and a controller. Groups of typically developing and children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) participated in our experiments.\n\nThe computational model showed that time-delayed reference feedback control could have more positive effects on the performance than using a fixed reference signal. The model prediction was consistent with the results obtained from the experiments performed on children with ADD. However, in typically developing children, using time-delayed reference feedback control had a negative effect. Our preliminary results, which need to be investigated on more subjects, indicate the importance of selecting the reference signal in biofeedback systems according to the characteristics of each participant. The results remind the importance of \"single-case methodology\" in neurocognitive rehabilitation systems. Using computational concepts, some other predictions have also been provided, which need more investigations.