AB1580-HPR IMPROVEMENT OF THE EMOTIONAL STATUS OF PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE NEUROFEEDBACK TRAINING COURSE
Authors: R. Grekhov, M. Raza, M. Y. Raza
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2024)

<h3>Background:</h3> The personality of patient with systemic sclerosis (SS) changes due to the direct influence of the symptoms of the disease, as well because of the patient's psychological experience of the situation, which leads to a decrease in self-confidence and self-esteem, dissatisfaction with a forced lifestyle, the development of anxiety, anger and depression. Such patients are convinced that they will not be able to effectively control the symptoms of their disease, since the cause of the disease is unknown, and its course and outcome cannot be predicted, which contributes to the formation of a pattern of maladaptive behavior, which can be attributed to a state of so-called "learned helplessness". <h3>Objectives:</h3> To study the dynamics of the level of subjective control in patients with systemic sclerosis (SS) after the neurofeedback (NFB) training. <h3>Methods:</h3> There were 90 patients with SS under observation, who were randomly divided into two groups: the main group (n = 60) and the control group (n = 30). The average age of the patients was 54.31 ± 12.8 years, and the average duration of the disease was 9.71 ± 7.9 years (M±σ). The patient groups were comparable in terms of gender, age, and duration of the disease. Patients with SS in the main and control groups received similar medical and physiotherapy treatment, but patients in the main group additionally received 14 procedures of neurofeedback (NFB) multimedia training. The technique was carried out using the psychophysiological rehabilitation complex "Reacor". Training was used based on the parameters of the electrical activity of the brain (electroencephalogram relaxation), aimed at increasing the alpha activity of the brain. The study of the level of subjective control was carried out using the "LSC" questionnaire (Bazhin E.F. et al., 1987). <h3>Results:</h3> As a result of NFB training course, the indicators of the level of subjective control underwent significant changes on all scales of the questionnaire. The use of NFB contributed to an increase in the internality (increase in indicators) of patients with SS on scales in the general sphere (p&lt;0,001), the sphere of achievements (p&lt;0,001) and attitudes to health (p&lt;0,01). In patients receiving conventional therapy, the dynamics of LSC was similar, but unreliable - LSC indicators also changed in the control group, but a significant increase was recorded only on the scale of general internality and scale of interpersonal relations (p&lt;0,01). <h3>Conclusion:</h3> The impact of the NFB training is associated with the reorientation of the external locus of control to the internal one, which is considered as a component of personal maturity. With the help of NFB, patients acquire a sense of control over their disease, adhere to the treatment regimen more strictly, and take responsibility for taking care of their health. Perhaps it is this aspect that leads to more effective results of the therapeutic process when the patient's faith in his ability to control the symptoms of the disease acts as more critical value than change in the physiological parameter. <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Disclosure of Interests:</h3> <b>None declared.</b>