Home
 
Biofeedback
 
emWave
 
emWave Desktop
 
Healing Rhythms
 
ThoughtStream
 
ThoughtStream&
Proteus Package
 
StressEraser
Pocket Size
 
Mental Games
 
Replacement Parts
 
Stress & Biofeedback
Directory
 
Definition of
Biofeedback Devices
 
Stress Effects on
the Body
 
CES
 
Hemi-Sync
Single Titles
 
Series
 
Mind Machines
 
Tuning Forks
American Made
Life Time guarantee
 
Yoga
 
Medical Disclaimer
 
S&H + Return Policy
 
Arizona Residents
 
Business Information
 

RV Pets
 
Customer Appreciation
 
 
http://www.new-mind.com©
all articles are copyrighted
1996-2010 all rights reserved
 
email
phone 520-405-2842

Types and Uses of Biofeedback Devices, Equipment and Machines

Biofeedback is a type of non-invasive treatment that provides real-time information on brain or body functions.  Teaching an individual to control thoughts and bodily reactions is the goal of biofeedback.  Biofeedback does not eliminate a problem.  The individual engaged in the biofeedback training learns to control the symptoms and therefore control the problem.  Various forms of biofeedback have been shown to be effective in the treatment of anxiety, hypertension, incontinence, ADHD, and headaches, among other conditions.  Biofeedback is especially use in diminishing symptoms of phobias, anxiety and stress related disorders.

Various Biofeedback Systems are:

1 - Electromyography (EMG) - measurements of muscle tension.

2 - Electroencephalography (EEG) - measures brain waves.  Often a game is involved in which the user must concentrate and effectively activate certain brainwaves in order to win.  (EEG is currently gaining popularity as an effective treatment of ADHD.)

3- Heart Rate Variability (HRV) - uses a pulse sensor to measure changes in heart rate.  The user is encouraged to increase the variability in heart rate to achieve a state of relaxation and increase vagal tone.

HRV, is considered by scientists and physicians to be an excellent non-invasive measurement of nervous system activity and heart health. 

HRV can be calculated from basic pulse rate data.  It refers to the tiny beat-to-beat variations of the heart rate. The time between one beat and the next may be 1 second; the time from the 2nd beat to the 3rd beat may be .6 seconds.

The variation in time from one beat to the next is the HRV.  The time between beats is the inter-beat-interval (IBI).  There are different ways to analyze the variations, but in its raw form, HRV is calculated by taking the standard deviation of the differences in the IBI.  These differences are called SDNN, which stands for Standard Deviation of Normal to Normal intervals.

4 - Galvanic skin response (GSR) biofeedback measures the sweat produced on the skin of the user in order to determine the user’s level of anxiety.