phone: 1-877-669-6463 ..... 914-762-4646
|
phone: 1-877-669-6463 ..... 914-762-4646 |
|
| |
A free email service that keeps you posted on new information
and products which increase the effectiveness of the services
you offer, the economic health of your practice, and your
creative thinking.
----------------------------------------------------------------
***** INSIDE THIS ISSUE *****
I. One Modality Does Not Fit All - by Harry Campbell
Many practitioners get stuck on using a single modality. This can happened
for many different reasons. The practitioner may only have equipment that
allows one modality. They may have produced good results using one modality
and become convinced that it was good for all applications or clients.
Sometimes new practitioners are initially taught to use a particular
modality. They follow the teaching, never expanding their knowledge of the
usefulness of other modalities. Each modality has peculiar properties and
applications. They work on different systems of the physiology. Learning
regulation of one modality does not mean regulation of every other modality.
I have worked with professional biofeedback practitioners who have used one
or two biofeedback modalities for a long time who find it challenging to
reach criteria on a modality that they have not used before. The same would
be even more significant for their clients. There can be additional
benefits gained by learning regulation of other modalities.
Following is a basic review of the major biofeedback modalities:
===EMG (Elecromyograph)===
Measures the electrical activity coming from the skeletal muscles. It works
on the voluntary nervous system. The voluntary motor cortex initiates
skeletal muscle control.
In stress management EMG is used to help a person to become more aware of
excess muscle contraction. We use the EMG to help people learn to relax
their muscles. This can be useful in general stress reduction, tension
headaches, muscle spasms, muscle pain, anger management, and other
applications. EMG can also be used in an opposite way to help people
increase muscle contraction. Some of the applications for teaching muscle
contraction are muscle rehabilitation, stroke, physical therapy, strength
training, and pelvic muscle disorders including incontinence.
I like to use EMG biofeedback as the first modality that I demonstrate to
people because I find that it is the easiest for people to learn to control.
It seems to respond the fastest and it is relatively easy for a person to
know what they have to do to make the level improve.
===Skin Temperature===
Changes in skin temperature are caused by the constriction or dilation of
blood vessels in the hands or feet. Sympathetic nervous system activation
causes constriction of the blood vessels due to contraction of the smooth
muscles in the walls of the blood vessels. When a person is able to
decrease their sympathetic nervous system activation, the smooth muscles in
the blood vessels relax and the blood vessels dilate. This causes more
blood to circulate and increases the hand or foot skin temperature.
Applications of temperature training include: Migraine headaches,
hypertension, asthma, and Raynaud's Disease.
===Skin Conductance/Electrodermal===
Affected by the sympathetic nervous system. Measures conductance on the
fingers or palm between two sensors. Changes in the amount of sweat on the
skin affects the level of conductance. When there is less sweat the
conductance is lower. When there is more sweat the conductance is higher.
Emotional reactivity or arousal causes an increase in the conductance level.
Some of the standard applications for Skin Conductance are anxiety, phobias,
PTSD, and looking for and dealing with reactivity during psychotherapy.
===Respiration===
There are several types of respiration biofeedback devices. The most
popular type is called a strain gauge. It uses a sensor band that is placed
around the abdomen, chest or both. It includes a flexible sensor that
stretches as the subject inhales. It gives feedback about the relative
expansion of the abdomen or chest and the rate of breathing. Respiration is
under both voluntary and involuntary control. We breathe when we are not
thinking about it, even while sleeping. When we are focused on our
breathing we can control how deeply and at what rate we breathe. The
respiration sensor feedback can help a person learn this control more
effectively than verbal instructions alone.
EMG sensors can be used instead of strain gauge sensors. They can be placed
in the abdomen area to measure the contraction of the muscles used to breath
abdominally. Another set of sensors can be placed on the upper trapezius
(upper back area) muscles and scalene (front-neck/throat area) muscles to
help reduce thoracic (upper body) breathing.
Another device called an incentive inspirometer uses a piston in a cylinder
that has volume markers. It has a mouthpiece and tube connected to it. As
a subject breathes in through the mouthpiece the cylinder rises to indicate
the amount of air the person is breathing in. This can be used to help a
person learn how to increase the amount of air they breathe in. It can also
be used in combination with an EMG instrument to keep the breathing
abdominal and not thoracic.
The last device called a capnometer measures and gives feedback for
end-tidal CO2. It uses a tube that goes into the nostril of the subject to
measure the CO2 in their breath. It can also measure breaths per minute.
Some people consider this type of respiration feedback the most effective
and exact but it is not as widely used.
Respiration should be used with almost all stress reduction applications. It
is one of the easiest ways to help a person learn to initiate the relaxation
response. It is notably helpful with asthma, anxiety, phobias, and
hypertension. It can also be helpful in teaching a person to warm their
hands when using temperature biofeedback.
===Heart Rate/Heart Rate Variability===
Heart Rate is affected by both Sympathetic and Parasympathetic systems.
Twenty years ago I only remember hearing about people in biofeedback working
with heart rate. The goal was to decrease elevated heart rates to a normal
level. In recent years heart rate variability has become the new hot
modality. Heart rate is supposed to increase when a person inhales and
decrease while they exhale. This is called the respiratory sinus arrhythmia
(RSA). The RSA shows the heart's ability to adapt to changing demands.
Heart Rate Variability is often combined with respiration training. When
this is done the goal is to get the heart rate and respiration to be
perfectly in-phase. The peaks and valleys of both the heart rate and
breathing should match. Other goals are to train the subject to breathe
between 5 and 7 breaths per minute and to maximize the amplitude of the
heart rate oscillations at 0.1 Hz in the low frequency range. Many people
are using HRV training for almost all applications. Some of the
applications that I am most comfortable with are anxiety, hypertension,
asthma, general stress reduction, and performance enhancement.
===Electroencephalograph (EEG)===
EEG biofeedback is associated with the Central Nervous system. EEG measures
the electrical activity given off by brain activity. The raw electrical
signal is broken down into various frequency bands from the lowest Delta to
the Highest Beta and Gamma. The different frequencies are associated with
different mind states like sleep, relaxation, or focused attention. EEG can
be measured from various parts of the brain. The expected amplitude of the
various frequency bands varies with the location since different parts of
the brain have different functions. EEG feedback helps a subject learn how
to increase or decrease the amplitude of a frequency band to normalize brain
activity. There are many applications of EEG biofeedback since the brain
controls so many functions. Some of the applications include ADD/ADHD,
learning disorders, head injuries, stroke, substance abuse, insomnia,
anxiety, and performance enhancement and even pain.
I hope that this might stimulate your interest in any of the modalities that
you have not been using. For more detailed information on each modality I
suggest the following resources:
"Biofeedback, A Practitioner's Guide", Mark S. Schwartz, Frank Andrasik
(book)
"Biofeedback and Somatics", Eleanor Criswell, Ed.D. (book)
"Biofeedback Tutor", Fred Shaffer, Ph.D, (a CD)
"Biofeedback Bootcamp", Fred Shaffer, Ph.D., (an Online Course)
II. Announcements
Thought Technology announces its new BioGraph Infiniti version 4.0
BioGraph Infiniti version 4.0 is compatible with Windows Vista, and comes
with over 100 exciting new features and new functions . The upgrade cost is
US$150. If bundled with the purchase of one EEG Suite or Physiology Suite,
it will only be $50. Please contact us about your upgrade options.
Major new features of 4.0 version:
The hardware devices and basic software functions for Slow Cortical
Potentials (SCP), Evoked and Event-Related Potentials (EP/ERP), Reaction
Time Testing and Joint Time Frequency Analysis (JTFA) are also be available
with 4.0 version. However, the specialized application Suites are still
under development, and are expected to be released in 2008.
For details go to:
Or call 877-669-6463 or 914-762-4646
III. Biofeedback and Neurofeedback Training 2008 Schedule
BIOFEEDBACK:
NEUROFEEDBACK:
For details go to: click here
IV. New Brain Training Software
MindFit is a computer program that has been specifically designed for adults
who wish to actively maintain a vital, agile and vigorous mind. The program
is designed for use on a Microsoft Windows based computer; it is easy to use
and requires minimal computer knowledge. MindFit is based on scientific
studies of the adaptability of the adult human brain which have shown that
training can bring about an improvement in mental abilities. The software is
geared to the adult population and instructions are given both as written
directions and verbally. There is a self-assessment section followed by a
training section with varied, challenging tasks.
The self-assessment takes about one hour and is divided into three sittings.
The results of the assessment are compared to norms to determine the
strengths and weakness of the user. It must be emphasized that the whole
process is anonymous for maximum protection of the individual's privacy.
For details go to: click here
Feel free to forward this newsletter to a friend.
****************************************************************
One Modality Does Not Fit All
23 January 2008
- a BioFeedBack Resources International email newsletter -
written & edited by Harry L. Campbell, President
technical editing and production by Edwin Johnson
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please go to the end of this email.
----------------------------------------------------------------
click
here
click
here
click
here
click here
Apr 5-9, 2008 - Hawthorne, NY
Aug 2-6, 2008 - Chicago, IL
Oct 25-29, 2008 - San Francisco, CA
May 2-5, 2008 - Hawthorne, NY
Jul 11-12, 2008 - Hawthorne, NY (Advanced)
Nov 7-10, 2008 - Hawthorne, NY
Or call 877-669-6463/914-762-4646
If not subscribed, to continue receiving this newsletter, reply
to this email with the word, "subscribe" in the Subject.
----------------------------------------------------------------
To be removed from our newsletter email list, please reply to
this email with the word "remove" in the Subject.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Back issues are archived on our website.
Letters to the editor or comments: 
www.biofeedbackinternational.com
914.762.4646 877-669-6463
fax:914.762.2281
****************************************************************