EEG biofeedback training, known as neurofeedback, has been explored as a nonpharmacologic prophylaxis for migraines. Based on the conceptual model of disregulation of central arousal function, the Othmers proposed a protocol in migraine prophylaxis by raising the sensory motor rhythm (SMR, 12- 15 Hz), accompanied by an inhibition of theta ( 4- 7 Hz) frequency. Relaxation with music, on the other hand, is another type of nonpharmacologic prophylaxis for migraines and is used to reduce perceived psychological and/or physiological stress and pain. Studies showed that an effective relaxation with music program is one that integrates certain relaxing musical characteristics and personal factors. Six female participants (29 to 57 years of age) previously diagnosed with migraines participated in this single-subject design study. This study employed two independent variables- the SMR/theta training and music therapy, and the dependent variables were the SMR and theta recording registration. Each participant first participated in the EEG Base-rate recording session, and was then randomly assigned to the following treatment conditions: SMR/Theta training only, music therapy only, and SMR/Theta training and music therapy." Counterbalancing of the treatment conditions was applied across participants, two sessions weekly for a total of 13 sessions, 30 minutes each session. In SMR/Theta training only, participants were instructed to raise their SMR while inhibiting theta. In music therapy only, participants were instructed to select their relaxation CD music to be played during the sessions. The SMR and theta data were graphed for each participant and implications were discussed. Graph analysis indicated that two participants were responsive to SMR/Theta training and music therapy and SMR/Theta training only respectively. Overall, all participants acquired relaxation skills and seemed better at adapting themselves to a stressful environment.

Background: Traumatic brain injury is a significant public health problem. Heart rate variability is a potential modality to measure physiological dysfunction following traumatic brain injury to assist in determining recovery time and the relationship between traumatic brain injury severity and recovery. To date, a summary of the evidence across injury severities and the possible role of heart rate variability biofeedback in traumatic brain injury treatment is lacking but needed to determine potential clinical utility. Participants and Methods: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Systematic literature searches on CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, and MEDLINE were conducted in August of 2020. There were two parts to this systematic review. Part I reviewed the relationship between heart rate variability and injury severity, recovery, and cognitive and emotional functioning. Part II reviewed the relationship between heart rate variability biofeedback and traumatic brain injury. Two coders coded each article and provided quality ratings with discrepancies resolved by consensus. Results: Regarding Part I, eighty-five papers met inclusion criteria. For outcome measures, eight studies (9%) focused on HRV as a predictor of mortality following moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury; 9 studies (10%) included a measure of post-concussive symptom improvement; 7 studies (8%) included a measure of mood disturbance/change; 3 studies (3%) assessed return to consciousness. Overall, there appears to be a positive relationship between increased heart rate variability and recovery of clinical symptoms following traumatic brain injury. For Part II, seven papers met inclusion criteria. All studies included a measure of mood; 5 studies (71%) included neuropsychological functioning as an outcome measure; 1 study (14%) included a measure of life satisfaction. On average, participants completed 14 sessions of heart rate variability biofeedback (mean = 13.5, SD = 13.5, range = 1 to 40). Biofeedback was associated with improved heart rate variability following traumatic brain injury, though the methodological quality is questionable, and more controlled studies and randomized controlled trials are needed. Conclusions: Findings to date suggest a positive relationship between increased heart rate variability and recovery of clinical symptoms, including improvements in cognitive function and physical symptoms including headaches, dizziness, and sleep problems. Literature on traumatic brain injury and heart rate variability biofeedback treatment is in the early stages, and effectiveness is unclear due to poor-to-fair study quality, though early results are promising.

Background: Reduced heart rate variability is an important factor in evaluation of autonomic nervous system and diseases. Resonance frequency breathing is a non-invasive and effective training method for increasing heart rate variability. Turing this breathing exercise into a video game is an efficient way to reduce training time and vapidity. Though there has been a successful implementation in 3D game, the influence of virtue reality technology application and interaction elements still need to be explored. Objective: The main objective is to build and evaluate the virtue reality game. Applying appropriate game design and interaction elements will also be discussed. The correct and efficient training should be ensured. Also, recognizing the relationship between game elements and efficiency is also included in the task. By evaluating the impact in heart rate variability biofeedback, the understanding of breathing training game design will be broadened and deepened. Methods: A 3D virtue reality running game is designed with biofeedback framework. Development process is conducted in a user-centred way with interface test. The summative evaluation will be performed 10 participants in a controlled setting. (participant age and health state) Each participant will fill a post-test questionnaire about game experience. The sensor data will be stored on local device. Qualitative analyse of data will be done. Results: VR environment game has shown more significant effects in helping increase heart rate variability than normal game (P<0.05). Both modes have shown more than 50% increase in standard deviation of heart rate variability. A high immersion and positive effects along was reported by a Game Experience Questionnaire. Conclusion: The results have shown that the VR game has the potential to help increase HRV via the resonance breathing training. The game can also allow long-term study by increasing the motivation of participants. Evaluation with GEQ are presented, which will give insights about the usability of this game. Additionally, the new tracks for future study have been explored.

As upper-limb rehabilitation devices development continue to grow, lower limb rehabilitation devices have limited development. Thus a device that measures weight bearing of heel and forefoot during gait and also produces auditory feedback at certain thresholds were made in this project. The device was constructed based on an ARM-Core microcontroller and was supported by 5 force sensing resistor sensors for each foot. Communications between the modules and the computer as the GUI were established using an UART interface. For testing, sensors were placed beneath the foot using a stretchable cloth so each different subjects’ pressure points were correctly placed. The biofeedback used for this device was by enabling a buzzer and LED embedded to the designed board that turns on when heel strike or push off reached acertain threshold. Testing were divided into phase one and two. From phase one, it was concluded that both push off and heel strike event can have a reading exceeding 8.5% of the body weight. It was then used as a threshold for the biofeedback event. During the biofeedback tests, improvements in the subjects’ walking pattern and reading were noted. Results suggest that biofeedback can change the behavior of the subject. / I takt med att utvecklingen av rehabilitationsapparater i övre extremiteterna fortsätter att växa, har rehabiliteringsanordningar för nedre extremiteterna begränsad utveckling. Således gjordes en anordning som mäter viktbearbetning av häl och framfot under gång och också ger hörselåterkoppling vid vissa trösklar i detta projekt. Enheten var konstruerad baserad på en ARM-Core mikrokontroller och stöds av 5 kraftsavkännande motståndssensorer för varje fot. Kommunikation mellan modulerna och datorn som GUI upprättades medhjälp av ett UART-gränssnitt. För testning placerades sensorer under foten meden töjbar duk så att varje olika försöks tryckpunkter placerades korrekt. Den biofeedback som användes för den här enheten var genom att aktivera en summer och LED inbäddad i det konstruerade kortet som slås på när hälslaget eller skjutstoppet nådde en viss tröskel. Testningen delades in i fas en och två. Frånfas ett drogs slutsatsen att både push off och hälstreffhändelse kan ha en avläsningsom överstiger 8.5% av kroppsvikt. Den användes sedan som en tröskelför biofeedback-händelsen. Under biofeedback-testen noterades förbättringar i försökspersonernas gångmönster och läsning. Resultaten tyder på att biofeedback kan förändra beteendet hos ämnet.

Two subjects exhibiting drug-induced hand tremor received EMG feedback from electrode sites above the forearm extensor muscles . EMG feedback resulted in reductions in muscle potentials for both subjects. However, self-report measures of tremor severity showed only general improvement in Subject l and little or no improvement in Subject 2. Behavioral measures of hand steadiness taken immediately after each treatment session showed slight changes across treatment conditions for both subjects. As indicated by a rapid increase in EMG measures during reversal, treatment effects appear transitory.

This paper is aimed at investigating whether a biofeedback device can positively increase a player's experience of thrill and suspension in a horror game. To facilitate this, two versions of the same horror game were created with a connection to a heart rate monitor. The difference between the two versions of the game was that the core elements were controlled by the heart rate which attempted to keep the player in a constant suspense state based on their heart rate. This was done to enhance the player's experience and thrill. These two versions of the game were then play-tested by users. Users had no insight into which version they were testing and afterward, a questionnaire was administered to ascertain the tester's emotional responses.The collected data was then analyzed and a pattern could be observed where testers preferred the version of the game that was controlled by the heart rate. This, backed by previous studies showed that using a biofeedback device to implement only the heart rate into a game had a marked positive effect on player experience. Still, additional research is needed with a larger control group to get more accurate results.

Background: Individuals with depression have a higher incidence of comorbidity which significantly decreases their ability to function and increases their utilization of health care. Due to the severity of the economic burden resulting with depression, research is needed to further examine the most effective treatments for depression. Biofeedback is a therapy that teaches patients how to control the physical affects that manifest during depression. Aim: The purpose of this review of literature is to discover the benefits of biofeedback for patients diagnosed with depression. Method: An electronic literature search was conducted using various databases to retrieve articles examining biofeedback as an intervention for patients with depression or depressive symptoms. Results: Studies that used biofeedback as an intervention for depression reported significant physical benefits for patients, including decreased heart rate variability and respiratory rate, as well as improved function. Conclusion: Research indicates that treatments need to have the potential to empower individuals, relieve them of their negative symptoms, relieve their financial burden, and allow them the quality of life they deserve.

No description available.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects over 1.7 million people annually in the U.S., often leading to autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation and reduced heart rate variability (HRV), which may impact cognitive performance. This study investigated whether HRV biofeedback (HRV-B) improves HRV at rest and recovery after stress in individuals with TBI. Secondary aims examined links between HRV improvements and reductions in physical symptoms, enhanced emotional functioning, and better cognitive performance, as well as the role of practice adherence in moderating HRV-B effects. This randomized controlled trial compared HRV-B treatment to a sham control using a pre- and post-assessment design. Of 58 participants with TBI, 49 completed the study (HRV-B: 25, mean age 27.1 ± 9.7 years; sham: 24, mean age 26.6 ± 9.9 years). Participants underwent five weekly sessions, and assessments included cognitive, emotional, and physical measures. Heart rate variability data, encompassing both frequency-domain metrics (e.g., HF, LF, LF/HF ratio) and time-domain metrics (e.g., SDNN, RMSSD), were obtained through electrocardiogram recordings. At rest, a significant group main effect was found for the LF/HF ratio (F(1, 43) = 9.38, p = 0.004), with the HRV-B treatment group demonstrating an increase in the LF/HF ratio compared to the sham group after treatment. During stressor recovery, the LF/HF ratio differed significantly between groups (F(1, 172) = 4.27, p = 0.040), with the HRV-B group values higher than the sham group. A significant group-by-session interaction for the LF/HF ratio (F(1, 172) = 4.18, p = 0.04) further indicated an increase in the LF/HF ratio over time following a stressor in the HRV-B group compared to the sham control. For cognitive outcomes, session effects were significant for both the Fluid Cognition Composite Score and the Total Composite Score, suggesting improvement over time in both groups, although no differences were observed between the HRV-B and sham groups. Session significantly influenced anxiety and depression, with the HRV-B group showing notable improvement in depression, while no significant group effects were observed for stress and life satisfaction. Individuals with TBI who received HRV-B showed higher LF/HF ratio values at rest and during stressor recovery compared to the sham group, driven by enhanced LF components indicative of improved autonomic regulation and stress resilience. While cognitive and emotional improvements were observed across groups, the absence of condition-specific effects underscores the need for larger studies with extended interventions to clarify the unique benefits of HRV-B for TBI recovery.

Approximately 50% of individuals who undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA) fail to achieve a full functional recovery. Current physical therapy practices commonly utilize neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to passively activate quadriceps muscles. This passive approach does not directly reteach the lost response, but can strengthen the atrophied muscle. Study 1 compared surface electromyography with biofeedback (sEMGBF) with a changing criterion design to NMES alone. Study 2 compared static sEMGBF to NMES with feedback. Study 3 compared surface electromyography (sEMG) with instructions only to NMES. All other methods were constant across the three studies, where I compared the passive and active approach within-subject, across knees, and across groups while controlling for condition order and leg dominance. Each participant receives both NMES and the shaping procedure. Each condition lasts five minutes and consists of 30 muscle contractions. Each contraction lasts 5 seconds and was followed by a 5 second rest. I compared pre and post adapted maximal voluntary isometric contraction (A-MVIC) tests to determine the effectiveness of each condition. Results of the three studies demonstrated that actively teaching voluntary vastus medialis oblique (VMO) engagement using sEMG is more effective than NMES at increasing maximum voluntary isometric contractions of the VMO.