CONNECT IT TO YOUR LIFE
Performance has
a personal definition.
For an athlete, a goal can involve a specific skill or competition routine. For a founder or executive, it can involve attention during a demanding task or being able to shift out of work mode. Start by describing the situation you want your plan to address.
How the training works.
Neurofeedback uses feedback from measured brain activity to practice self-regulation. Performance studies investigate this approach in defined tasks, allowing researchers to compare training conditions and measured results.
Background source
Sitaram and colleagues, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2017. “Closed-loop brain training: the science of neurofeedback.”
Original review (new tab) ↗SELECTED PUBLISHED STUDIES
Positive findings in sport
and performance under pressure.
Better performance on sport-related motor tasks.
What researchers observed: A review of EEG neurofeedback studies found an overall positive effect on sport-related motor performance compared with control conditions. Outcomes included measures such as movement precision, reaction time and balance.
In everyday terms: The review found a positive overall effect on the sport-related motor tasks studied, supporting interest in neurofeedback within performance training.
How to apply this finding: The benefit studied was performance on specific motor tasks. A sports plan should use goals relevant to your activity; these studies did not measure executive decisions or business productivity.
Review details & source
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2025. “The Effect of EEG Neurofeedback Training on Sport Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Twenty-five studies were reviewed; 21 entered the meta-analysis. Both randomized and nonrandomized controlled designs were eligible. DOI: 10.1111/sms.70055.
Original review (new tab) ↗Regulating arousal helped people perform under pressure.
What researchers observed: During a demanding virtual-reality navigation task, participants lasted longer before failure with genuine EEG-based arousal feedback than in comparison conditions. Physiological measures also supported reduced arousal.
In everyday terms: In this experiment, EEG-based arousal feedback helped participants sustain performance longer during a demanding task.
How to apply this finding: This result links arousal regulation with performance in a demanding task. The laboratory system differed from at-home training, and transfer to work or sport was not tested. Your plan should explain the proposed method and real-life measures of progress.
Study details & source
Faller and colleagues · PNAS, 2019. “Regulation of arousal via online neurofeedback improves human performance in a demanding sensory-motor task.” DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817207116.
Original paper information (new tab) ↗CONNECT RESEARCH TO YOUR GOALS
What the findings
mean for your goals.
Skills with a measurable result.
The sports review includes tasks such as movement precision, reaction time and balance. These give concrete examples of performance outcomes examined in neurofeedback research.
Self-regulation during pressure.
The laboratory experiment paired EEG feedback with a demanding task. It offers an example of researchers studying arousal regulation and performance together.
Training with a purpose.
Bring a specific skill, routine or experience to Claire. A defined goal helps connect the proposed training to a practical review of progress.
GOAL-SETTING EXAMPLES
Define your performance goal
before choosing a program.
Choose one pressure point
“My focus drifts during a key practice task” or “I carry work intensity into the evening.”
Name what you want to review
Choose a relevant task, routine or experience. Avoid relying on a broad label such as peak performance alone.
Set the review process
Agree how to observe progress, when to discuss it and how training fits alongside your existing commitments.
Athletes and business leaders have different goals. Your plan should explain the proposed training approach and use measures relevant to your situation.
BEFORE YOUR CONVERSATION
Your next questions.
Is this relevant to founders and executives?
The self-regulation questions are relevant to discussing work under pressure. The papers here measured sports tasks and laboratory performance. Bring your work-specific goal so Claire can explain the evidence and proposed plan in that context.
How is this different from physical practice or coaching?
A neurofeedback program focuses on its specified brain-training protocol. Discuss how it would fit alongside the physical, technical or professional work you already do, and which responsibilities remain with your existing team.
What practical commitment should I expect?
Ask for the proposed session schedule, equipment requirements, full program cost, support arrangements and progress reviews. Mention travel or changing routines when you discuss whether the plan fits.