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BIOFEEDBACK ARTICLES

 


NEUROFEEDBACK IN ADDICTIVE DISORDERS TREATMENT
Alexey B. Skok, Mark B. Shtark, Olga Shubina
Abstract


This paper describes a new method of treating addictive disorders, based on neurofeedback. The core of the method is the placing of the patient in therapeutic virtual environment where he or she learns to influence cerebral structures responsible for emerging and sustaining addictive behavior. The authors tell about the new original biofeedback technology for treating opiate addiction and present data on its effectiveness in patients with a variety of co-morbid pathologies. CNS mechanisms of the Neurofeedback influence on addicts are discussed.

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CHRONIC STRESS PREVENTION IN ADOLESCENTS BY MEANS OF COMPUTER GAME BIOFEEDBACK
O. Yu. Lazareva
Abstract from "Biofeedback-4. Theory and Practice"


The aim of the investigation was to assess the changes of psychoemotional condition of adolescents in the course of biofeedback game training. 24 students aged 13-16 passed through biofeedback training based on "VIRA!" and "Rowing Canal" biofeedback game trainers developed in the IMBB SB RAMS. The participants were asked to relax under the control of their heart rate during 30-minutes seance. The training course consisted of 10-12 days.
To reveal personal characteristics of the individuals we used 8-color Luscher test, Spielberger-Khanin inventory (STAI) and test of attention concentration before and after biofeedback course. During the seances the series of cardiointervals was registered.
All the participants made progress in learning self-regulation experience and managed to control their psychoemotional condition under the stressful game situation. In accordance with training results all participants were divided in 2 groups. Adolescents from 2nd group met some difficulties during the training related to psychological factors. After the biofeedback course all subjects demonstrated improving of attention parameters and reducing of anxiety. Biofeedback game training can be regarded as a basis of stress-preventing program at school.


GAME BIOFEEDBACK - A TECHNOLOGY FOR PREVENTING STRESS-INDUCED DISORDERS
O. A. Jafarova, O. G. Donskaya, A. A. Zubkov, M. B. Shtark
Abstract from "Biofeedback-4. Theory and Practice"


The paper presents the technology of game computer biofeedback. Theoretical and practical aspects of the method applying for correction of psychoemotional tension, and therefore for psychosomatic disorders prevention, are described.
26 healthy subjects passed through the course of game biofeedback using the rehabilitation game trainers "VIRA!" and "Rowing Canal". The course comprised 10-12 sessions of 20-30 minutes each. The game plot was controlled by the player's heart rate that had to be reduced by the player in order to win.
During the course the durations of cardiointervals were registered. To assess heart rhythm variability the rhythmogram spectral analysis was used. Before the course all subjects were put to psychological tests including: Russian version of STAI (Spielberger-Khanin test); Russian version of Mini-Mult test; Locus of Control; General State, Activity, Mood; JAS; Eysenck Personal Inventory. 8-color Luscher Test was used at the beginning, middle and final sessions of the course, before and after the seance.
According to the results of the investigation all subjects were divided in two groups: resistable (Group 1) or susceptible (Group 2) to emotional stress. The subjects from Group 1 successfully reached the aim of the training from the very beginning, the subjects from Group 2 met significant difficulties during the training course. The participants were found to differ both in psychological and physiological parameters, particularly in regulation mechanisms of vegetative functions. All subjects learned to increase RR-intervals to the course end, but the change of vegetative balance to more parasympathetic activity occurred in different ways: by the increase of parasympathetic tone in Group 1, and by the decrease of sympathetic activity in Group 2.
The individual model of behavior appeared to be the main determining factor of learning self-regulation in the modeled stressful situation. The subjects susceptible to emotional stress had higher index of internality and belonged to type A behavior.
The undoubted positive effect of the game biofeedback was shown especially for subjects susceptible to stress. During the training they trained to overcome modeled emotionally stressful situation, to reduce the level of sympathetic activity, to develop behavior strategy that allowed reacting properly to real life situations.


CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF NEUROFEEDBACK ( EEG-BETA-STIMULATION TRAINING ) USE IN ADD/HD SYNDROME CORRECTION
O. A. Jafarova, A. B. Skok, E. V. Haimovich
Abstract from "Biofeedback-4. Theory and Practice"


28 patients with Attention Deficit Disorder Syndrome were treated by means of neurofeedback performed on the BOSLAB hard & software. 11 cases related to ADD without defiant behavior, in 6 cases ADD was combined with defiant behavior, and in 11 patients ADD was combined with significant organic pathology of brain. The treatment course comprised beta-stimulation training and relaxation computer games. Each session of beta-stimulation training consisted of three episodes. The first was the 10-minutes episode of the beta-stimulation neurofeedback performed by the use of the screen with graphical signal image. The second episode was the 14-minute game "Flowers" (the higher was the magnitude of beta, the faster was the flowers' growth. The third period of treatment session included relaxation computer games (VIRA, RALLY and others). The data obtained corroborated the connection between certain attention disorders and frontal cortical slow-wave activity prevailing. The use of EEG beta-stimulation training based on BOSLAB allowed to reduce slow cortical activity and to achieve the remission of ADD syndrome in more than 80% of cases, with the exception of the cases of significant organic cerebral pathology. Long-termed (not less than 20 sessions performed twice a week) course of biofeedback led to the changes in bioelectrical activity which proved to be statistically significant. As a rule, minimal values of theta-beta ratio corresponded to the best results obtained in Shulte attention test. Effective beta-stimulation training allows to correct attention disorders that promotes enhancing of progress in studies and positive behavioral changes.


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