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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by dj on November 30, 2000, at 19:12:03
Anyone have any experience with the following - good, bad or indifferent??? The books mentioned at the end are older ones... I've seen some info. recently on the EEG used with a video monitor as follows:
"Neurofeedback Therapy sessions are surprisingly fun and simple, like playing a computer game where every move is made by the mind. Through the use of visual and sound cues the client can guide his/her own brain waves into the optimal state of relaxation and alertness."
(more on this at www.klatu.com/landry/)
And from yahoo...
> > > > > >
BiofeedbackThis specialized type of training allows people to gain control over physiological reactions that are ordinarily unconscious and automatic. Malfunctions in these automatic responses contribute to a wide variety of medical problems. In study after study, biofeedback has shown the ability to help bring such counterproductive reactions back into line, providing significant relief for many of the people who try it.
Although it's not a sure cure, biofeedback helps many people with chronic pain, including the pain of arthritis, muscle spasms, and headache (both migraine and tension headache). It can reduce tension and anxiety, combat chronic insomnia and fatigue, alleviate depression, reduce hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, and even help overcome alcoholism and drug addiction. Some people have found it helpful for controlling high blood pressure or an abnormal heart rate. It's also useful for retraining, reconditioning, and strengthening muscles after an accident or surgery, restoring loss of control due to pain or nerve damage, and overcoming urinary (or bowel) incontinence.For asthmatics, biofeedback offers the possibility of controlling bronchial spasms and reducing the severity of attacks. Many victims of Raynaud's disease (periodic loss of circulation in the fingers) have been able to rectify the problem through biofeedback. The technique has helped others deal with digestive disorders such as ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, acidity, dysfunction of the esophagus, and difficulty swallowing.
Biofeedback is under study as a potential aid in the treatment of a number of other ailments as well, although results are more mixed. It may help relax the muscles in temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ). It appears to reduce the severity and frequency of seizures in some (though not all) epileptics. It can help ease the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. It has even been tried as a remedy for chronic constipation, motion sickness, and the uncontrollable tics and compulsions of Tourette syndrome.
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How the Treatments Are Done
Biofeedback is not a passive treatment. It requires your intensive participation as you learn to control such normally involuntary ("autonomic") functions as heart rate, blood pressure, brain waves, skin temperature, muscle tension, breathing, and digestion.
At your first session, you'll be asked a few questions about your own health and that of family members. The biofeedback therapist will then apply sensors to various points on your body. The location depends on the problem that needs treatment. If you have migraines, sleep problems, and mood disorders, for example, the electrodes are often attached to your scalp; to treat heart problems and muscle tension, they will be placed on your skin. Other possible sites include the hands, feet, or fingers.The sensors are connected to a computer, a polygraph, or another piece of monitoring equipment that provides instant feedback to you on the function you're trying to control, such as the tension in a particular set of involuntary muscles or circulation to a specific part of the body. Some biofeedback machines signal changes graphically on a computer display, others beep, buzz, or blink to indicate the strength or level of the function you're targeting.
The therapist will teach you mental or physical exercises that can help you affect the function that's causing a problem. You can easily gauge your success by noting any changes in the intensity, volume, or speed of the signals from the machine. Gradually, you'll learn to associate successful thoughts and actions with the desired change in your involuntary responses.
Once you've thoroughly learned an effective pattern of actions, you'll be able to assert control without the aid of the feedback device.
Among the feedback instruments you're most likely to encounter are the following:
Electromyographs (EMGs) measure muscle tension. Therapists use them to relieve muscle stiffness, treat incontinence, and recondition injured muscles.
Skin Temperature Gauges show changes in the amount of heat given off by the skin, a measurement that indicates any change in blood flow. These gauges are used in the treatment of Raynaud's disease, high blood pressure, anxiety, and migraines.
Galvanic Skin Response Sensors (GSRs) use the amount of sweat you produce under stress to measure the conductivity of your skin. They are often used to reduce anxiety.
Electroencephalographs (EEGs) measure brain-wave activity. Conditions that may benefit from training on these machines include attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, tooth grinding, head injuries, and depression (including bipolar depression and seasonal affective disorder).
Electrocardiographs (ECGs) monitor the heart rate and may be useful in relieving an overly rapid heartbeat and controlling high blood pressure.
Respiration feedback devices concentrate on the rate, rhythm, and type of breathing to help lessen symptoms of asthma, anxiety, and hyperventilation and promote relaxation.
Along with biofeedback training, the therapist may also give you instruction in deep breathing, meditation, visualization, and muscle relaxation--all of which may aid in relieving stress-related symptoms.
Treatment Time: Sessions usually last between 30 minutes and 1 hour.
Treatment Frequency: In most cases, people can learn to raise or lower their heart rate, relax specific muscles, lower blood pressure, and control other functions in 8 to 10 sessions. Some problems, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, take longer--sometimes up to 40 sessions.
Depending on the severity of the problem and the technique used, therapists suggest you attend 1 to 5 sessions per week.
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What the Treatment Hopes to Accomplish
Biofeedback is a "mind over matter" form of therapy that has only recently begun to filter into mainstream medicine. Although ancient Greek, Chinese, and Indian healers were convinced that the mind could influence the body, either causing illness or curing disease, the concept fell into disrepute as Western medicine began to discover the infectious agents and chemical malfunctions that lie at the root of so many familiar ailments. It was only when modern instrumentation made it possible to measure subtle changes in unconscious physical reactions that medicine once more turned its attention to the mind-body connection.
Although biofeedback promises to remedy certain ailments through disciplined mental effort, it has nothing in common with other forms of mind-body therapy such as meditation and yoga. It does not rely on maintenance of some sort of theoretical balance or harmony in order to achieve its effects. Instead, it seeks control over specific, measurable physiological reactions that have somehow gone awry. As such, it can prove especially useful for any disorder caused or aggravated by involuntary muscular tension or tightening. Like other forms of mind-body therapy, it's entirely useless for fighting infections, curing cancer, relieving allergies, or healing injuries.
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Who Should Avoid This Therapy?
If you use a pacemaker or have a severe heart disorder, check with your doctor before using a biofeedback device that measures your perspiration output. These machines use a small amount of electricity to produce readings, and, even though no problems have been reported to date, there is a chance that they may affect your pacemaker or damage your heart.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Side Effects May Occur?
Like other mind-body forms of therapy, biofeedback is notably free of side effects. Indeed, it's often turned to by people seeking a respite from the side effects of conventional medicines.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Choose a Therapist
Select a biofeedback therapist with training in psychology and, ideally, physiology. He or she should be certified by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America. Directories of biofeedback practitioners are available from the Institute.
You may also check with a biofeedback association in a major city near you, ask your physician for a recommendation, or (as a last resort) find a therapist in the Yellow Pages.
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When Should Treatment Stop?
If you see no improvement in 10 to 20 sessions, or if your problem worsens, you're probably one of the people for whom biofeedback doesn't work. You should discontinue the training and ask your doctor about other alternatives.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See a Conventional Doctor If...
Although biofeedback is harmless--and can often be helpful--it is not a substitute for regular visits to the doctor if you have a serious chronic condition such as diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, or high blood pressure. For such problems, failure to continue conventional care can be more dangerous than any alternative you care to try.
Likewise, if you try biofeedback to help ease depression, do not suddenly drop other forms of treatment. Continue to see your doctor. Eventually, he may be able to reduce the dosage of your antidepressant medication as you continue your training.Remember, too, that if your biofeedback techniques suddenly fail to work, you may be facing a new medical problem for which biofeedback is ineffective. At such times, it's wise to see your doctor for a thorough diagnosis.
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Resources
ORGANIZATIONS Association for Applied Psychotherapy and Biofeedback (AAPB)
10200 West 44th Ave.
Suite 304
Wheatridge, CO 80033
Phone: 303-422-8436Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (BCIA)
10200 West 44th Ave.
Suite 304
Wheatridge, CO 80033
Phone: 303-420-2902Center for Applied Psychophysiology
Menninger Clinic
P.O. Box 829
Topeka, KS 66601-0829
Phone: 913-273-7500 (ext)5375Mind-Body Medical Institute
Division of Behavioral Medicine
New England Deaconess Hospital
183 Pilgrim Rd.
Boston, MA 02213
Phone: 617-732-9330Society for the Study of Neuronal Regulation (SSNR)
4600 Post Oak Place
Suite 301
Houston, TX 77027
Phone: 713-552-0091FURTHER READING Biofeedback: An Introduction and Guide. David G. Danskin and Mark Crow. Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1981.
The Future of the Body: Explorations into the Further Evolution of the Human Species. Michael Murphy. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc., 1992.Third Line Medicine. Melvyn R. Werback. New York: Third Line Press, 1988.
> > > > >Any insights based on personal experience or referencing studies of this would be appreciated!
Sante!
dj
Posted by dj on December 1, 2000, at 2:22:46
In reply to Yahoo on biofeedback and depression - comments???, posted by dj on November 30, 2000, at 19:12:03
Anyone know anything about this stuff?????
Posted by Noa on December 1, 2000, at 14:19:55
In reply to neuofeedback and depression - comments/insights???, posted by dj on December 1, 2000, at 2:22:46
> Anyone know anything about this stuff?????
No, DJ, but I have seen news reports about new developments in software for Biofeedback training for ADHD--in the form of computer games. It intrigues me and I would love to try it for anxiety and depression.
Posted by dj on December 1, 2000, at 15:58:40
In reply to Re: neuofeedback and depression - comments/insights??? » dj, posted by Noa on December 1, 2000, at 14:19:55
> > Anyone know anything about this stuff?????
>
> No, DJ, but I have seen news reports about new developments in software for Biofeedback training for ADHD--in the form of computer games. It intrigues me and I would love to try it for >anxiety and depression.Noa,
Received a slightly longer response including the following from a local friend (a special ed teacher who's been checking this out here in Van.)
"I have not had any strong responses yet. Friends of mine who have experienced very powerful positive responses from Dr. Swingles treatments have been encouraging me to see hiem for well over a year. Their issues were depression, ADD, traumas amongst others. The whole family has attended at one time of another. X's most obvious response is that he went from being a "reluctant leader" in his business to being a powerful self-directed leader and more powerful speaker with no need for medications for depression and ADD any more. I have only had the intro sessions "aerobics for the brain" is how it was described to me, jarring the brain out of old ineffective modes....The assessment itself was worth the experience. Brain waves tell alot."
May get the chance to check it out myself yet but at $100 (Cdn) or so a pop for a session and looking at maybe 30 sessions one needs to know there is some value to be gained.
Sante!
dj
Posted by Noa on December 1, 2000, at 16:41:04
In reply to Re: An off-PB response...Noa, posted by dj on December 1, 2000, at 15:58:40
Thanks, dj. I suppose if the therapist is licensed, it can be covered by insurance, and $100 isn't more than most therapists.
Posted by medlib on December 1, 2000, at 23:39:01
In reply to neuofeedback and depression - comments/insights???, posted by dj on December 1, 2000, at 2:22:46
dj---
I have owed you more than one post for quite awhile, so please bear with me as I try to cover everything in one loooong post. (Unreasonable, I know, but I'm afraid I won't get up the nerve to say these things otherwise.)
FIRST, my impressions of biofeedback. (I've never done it, but observed/learned about it during my UCLA psych degree, and just now did a quick/dirty search on PubMed and Google.) I think that:
--Biofeedback-induced changes of all kinds are easier to maintain the way they are attained--with a feedback mechanism. Without it, awareness of appropriate body cues and ability to generate and focus the intense concentration needed tend to wane over time, sort of like speed reading.
--The feedback mechanism appropriate to depression is the EEG, a very expensive, messy and cumbersome technology. (You definitely need a post-session shampoo.) I know of no home or self-applicable EEG apparatus.
--IMHO, there is a reason autonomic body functions are not normally under conscious control; they would take way too much of one's available conscious energy to get much else done.
--Biofeedback seems to work best on single-action body functions. Depression is a multifactorial syndrome. Available research seems to suggest that biofeedback for depression works best on coexisting disorders such as anxiety, alcoholism, headache or GI distress, or as an adjunct to meds. (One study involving asymmetrical alpha waves sounded intriguing--might be worth replicating with a larger N.)
--There aren't many recent citations on EEG BFB; most of those listed don't have abstracts; and the principal journal cited doesn't have an online link. Most authors seem to be affiliated with one for-profit company. These are not signs of a widely accepted therapy; therefore, caveat emptor. A search on Google ("biofeedback depression") turned up the aforementioned company, and you might be interested in the 1st, 4th, and last hits on the first page of results.SECOND, re overdue congratulations. I found PB a little over a year ago (from Google). Your posts from that time often seemed to me to be polemical, argumentative and abrasive. Since you've been back, your posts have been empathetic, supportive, often informative and thought-provoking. I presume that this reflects remarkable personal growth representing a great deal of hard work on your part; certainly no one else on PB has evinced such a dramatic positive change in communication style, intent and content. Wish I had.
THIRD, an overdue but huge THANK YOU for your Asperger's posts. It's impossible to overstate what a profound impression your discussion of this topic made on me. I'm still baffled that I managed to remain unaware of this syndrome's application to me for so long. My psych degree included courses on both learning disabilities and autism, the latter taught by Dr. Ivar Lovaas, a pioneer in this field who first championed early intervention. (Of course, he did focus mainly on his own research.) I even had a graduate course in which a student identified himself as having Aspergers; I found him annoyingly inappropriate and verbose. Then I "saw myself" in your descriptions, and it dawned on me that that was exactly how other students in ALL of my classes must have seen me! The light bulbs were blinding. Since earliest childhood I've known I came from "someplace else." I just never knew its name, or that there were other aliens here somewhat like me.
I began to research the subject and ended up reading the entire Internet Asperger's Ring. I ordered the book "Pretending to be normal" on its oh-so-relevant title alone. When I mentioned it to my brother in the Seattle area, he bought and read it the next day, finding that it fit him even more perfectly than it does me.
My reactions to this diagnosis are contradictory. On the one hand, I am calmer, more at peace, finally knowing the dimensions of my disability. I have even attempted to explain some of it to my 2 adult children (neither of whom have it, thankfully). They seem to have accepted my Asperger's idiosyncrases long ago as "the way Mother is" and remain much more concerned (and affected by) my depression. On the other hand, I (and my brother) are griefstricken. The last, admittedly faint, hope that something could ameliorate or rectify that which isolates us from "normals" has died. This "loss" has understandably worsened our depressions.
Still, I would much rather know than not know, and hope to come to some kind of self acceptance, eventually. I am deeply grateful for your insights on this subject.Sorry this is soooooo long. I hope you read it in chapters.
Many thanks and well wishes---medlib
Posted by dj on December 2, 2000, at 0:08:07
In reply to Re: Biofeedback---and More (long) » dj, posted by medlib on December 1, 2000, at 23:39:01
medlib,
Thanks for your comments and kind words. I'm glad that the Asperberger's info. was of value to you and some of my others posts as well, though not necessarily the original ones.
What may appear to be positive growth on PB based on my more recent postings may initially have been that, however more recently it's been a grappling with my own lack of acceptance of depression, its effects, ways of dealing with it and where I'm at... And the consequences of that are still leaving my deeply dismayed and dimmed my combative spark and a faith in self-possibilities that was deeper before I first discovered PB, which is part of the reason I was flailing more verbally here, initially...that and perhaps the meds I was on subsequentally...
Currently, I'm more apathetic personally, both on and off PB, which is not a good thing but that's where I'm at...
Appreciated your sharing and thoughtful comments, though.
Sante!
dj
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