Hammond, D C · NeuroRehabilitation · 2001
This study describes one young woman with ME/CFS whose main problem was brain fog and difficulty thinking clearly. Doctors found an abnormal brain wave pattern on her EEG scan and treated her with two techniques: neurofeedback (training to change brain wave patterns) and self-hypnosis. She felt significantly better, with improvements in fatigue and mental clarity that lasted for at least 9 months.
This study contributes to growing evidence that ME/CFS involves measurable brain dysfunction and suggests that brain-targeted interventions may help reduce symptoms, particularly cognitive impairment. For patients struggling with brain fog, this case offers a potential alternative approach worth exploring in larger trials.
This single-case report cannot prove that neurofeedback and self-hypnosis are effective treatments for ME/CFS generally, nor can it establish causation between the observed EEG abnormality and symptom improvement. The lack of a control group or blinding means improvement could be due to placebo effect, natural recovery, or other unmeasured factors. Results from one patient cannot be generalized to the broader ME/CFS population.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Hammond, D C (2001). Treatment of chronic fatigue with neurofeedback and self-hypnosis.. NeuroRehabilitation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11790917/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-hammond-2001-treatment-chronic,
author = {Hammond, D C},
title = {Treatment of chronic fatigue with neurofeedback and self-hypnosis.},
journal = {NeuroRehabilitation},
year = {2001},
note = {PubMed: 11790917},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/hammond-2001-treatment-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/hammond-2001-treatment-chronic
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