Field updatesSep 27, 2026
Wearable Closed-Loop EEG-Guided Mindfulness System Beats a Sham-Feedback Arm in 60 Chronic Tinnitus Patients Over One Month of Daily 20-Minute Home Training
A randomised controlled study published online September 27, 2026 in IFMBE Proceedings volume 146 (MEDICON 2026, Mediterranean Conference on Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing; Springer, peer-reviewed proceedings) tested a wearable closed-loop EEG-guided mindfulness trainer against sham feedback. The full abstract, retrieved first-party from the publisher page and quoted verbatim: "Chronic tinnitus is commonly accompanied by sleep disturbance, emotional distress, and impaired attentional regulation, yet effective non-pharmacological interventions remain limited. We developed a wearable closed-loop EEG-guided mindfulness system for home-based tinnitus intervention and evaluated its feasibility and preliminary efficacy in a randomized controlled study. Sixty patients with chronic tinnitus were enrolled, and 57 completed the protocol. Participants were assigned to an experimental group receiving real-time EEG-contingent feedback or to a control group receiving sham feedback during daily 20-min mindfulness training over 1 month. Linear mixed-effects modeling showed a significant group-by-time interaction for Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), indicating a greater reduction in tinnitus-related handicap in the experimental group than in the control group. Within the experimental group, tinnitus severity and anxiety decreased, mindfulness level increased, and subjective sleep improved. EEG measures in the experimental group further showed a reduced theta/beta ratio and an increased decoded mindfulness score after intervention, suggesting improved attentional regulation. These findings support the feasibility of wearable closed-loop EEG-guided mindfulness training as a home-based, non-pharmacological intervention for chronic tinnitus and suggest potential benefits for tinnitus-related burden, sleep, and brain-state regulation." The sham-feedback control arm is the notable methodological feature: it tests the premise that real-time EEG-contingent feedback outperforms a plausible placebo. Two limits to carry: the indication is chronic tinnitus rather than contemplative development, and conference proceedings are a weaker venue than a journal. Authors and affiliations verified first-party from the publisher page: Xiaoyu Bao, Minhao Gao, Xueji Feng, Kaixiu Jin, Xiaofeng Lin, Ruichuan Lu and Canjian Huang (School of Automation Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, and Research Center for Brain-Computer Interface, Pazhou Laboratory, Guangzhou); Yinfei Liang, Zhicheng Li and Xiangli Zeng (Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and Center of Dizziness and Tinnitus Diagnosis and Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University); Junhao Lin (Pazhou Laboratory); Qiyun Huang (Pazhou Laboratory and School of Future Technology, SCUT); and senior author Yuanqing Li, who lists SCUT, Pazhou Laboratory and "South China Brain-Computer Interface Technology Co., Ltd., International Bio-Island, Guangzhou, China." The corporate affiliation is printed on the paper, so it is public record rather than inferred strategy. Print volume is dated 2027; the publisher states "First Online: 27 September 2026," which is the event date. DOI 10.1007/978-3-032-37736-4_8.
