Many biological predispositions exist for anxiety and depression. Mood and anxiety disorders are among the most common types of mental disorders. These conditions are debilitating and are associated with considerable costs at an economic, societal, and personal level.
Common treatment options for such disorders include pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. But new research shows that medications for anxiety, depression, and related symptoms such as insomnia are only slightly more effective than placebo treatments. Additionally, not all patients respond positively to pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy and often experience unpleasant side effects.
The good news is there are other treatment options that can be quite effective, such as biofeedback. Biofeedback is a non-invasive treatment technique that helps patients get feedback from how their body or brain is functioning and then use that information to improve their body or brain function. In biofeedback therapy, a person’s psychophysiological state is captured by specials sensors that measure heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, or brain activity. With the patient receives this information, he/she can then try to change his/her heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, or brain activity.
For example, a biofeedback device can show that your heart rate races at 100; then you can take deep breaths for 10-15 minutes, and your heart rate gradually falls to 80-90. If you do this exercise twice a day for two months, your baseline heart rate becomes calmer – even when you are not trying to focus on breathing slowly. Such treatment can over time improve your blood pressure and reduce your risk for heart attacks and strokes.
Neurofeedback Therapy
A specific type of biofeedback is neurofeedback therapy or Neurotherapy. Neurofeedback is a research-based intervention that can improve your brain function through brain training exercises.
Your brain cells can become overactive when you are anxious or stressed out. But your brain can “learn” to calm down if you were to receive input about how overactive your brain is (just as you can appreciate how fast your heart is racing if you were to have a device that measures your pulse). The electrical activity of your brain (known as “brain waves”) can be measured by sensors placed on your head (similar to EKG sensors that are used to measure heart activity). Neurofeedback trains a patient’s brain to improve the brainwave patterns by way of computer technology. The feedback is administered to the patient in real-time, by using video images or by using sounds. Neurofeedback can lead to behavioral changes for relaxation and better mood.
Brain science has proven that repetitive exercise of brain networks, such as that involved with neurofeedback, has the ability to reshape the brain. It helps to optimize brain wave patterns while enhancing connections between neurons and networks. Neurofeedback therapy also improves the parasympathetic nervous system while slowing blood pressure and heart rate. After 20-60 sessions of neurofeedback, many patients experience a reduction of their anxiety and depression symptoms.
Neurofeedback for Depression and Anxiety
A great deal of scientific evidence in the past 30 years has provided evidence for the effectiveness of neurofeedback as a treatment modality for anxiety and depression. In each study, anxiety and/or depression were reduced after neurofeedback training was administered for three months.
One method for reducing anxiety with neurofeedback has been shown in a publication in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Deficient emotion regulation can be a marker for anxiety. These deficits are closely linked to impaired prefrontal regulatory control (the “logical parts of the brain) over the amygdala, a part of the brain that is tightly linked with emotions such as anxiety. Thankfully this impairment is sensitive to treatment with neurofeedback which leads to a reduction in symptoms of anxiety.
Numerous studies have shown that a person’s mood is positive when the left frontal area of the brain is more active than the right frontal region – and that the mood is poor when the right is more active than the left. Neurofeedback therapy uses this established finding to treat depression. According to multiple controlled studies, the mood was improved when the left front side of the brain was trained to be more active than the right by way of neurofeedback therapy.
A study by Dr. Majid Fotuhi and his colleagues showed that neurofeedback therapy, especially when combined with another form of biofeedback that involved breathing slowly (called Heart Rate Variability training) can be quite effective for reducing symptoms of both anxiety and depression. They performed an assessment with the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) symptom checklist. 183 of the 334 clients had abnormal scores for depression, anxiety, or both. During the study, clients experienced substantial improvement after 30 sessions of neurofeedback and heart rate variability training. More importantly, many of the clients fell into the normal group after treatment. And for clients who exemplified the most severe symptoms of anxiety and depression, 57.1% of those with severe anxiety and 45.8% of those with severe depression fell into the normal group after treatment.
Evidence from many other studies in recent years continues to show that neurofeedback is a viable treatment option for patients who suffer from anxiety, depression, and related symptoms such as poor sleep, difficulty with attention, and brain fog. Click here for more information on neurofeedback services at NeuroGrow.
This blog is written by Mrs. Courtney Cosby and edited by Dr. Majid Fotuhi.
Overview
Biofeedback is a technique you can use to learn to control some of your body’s functions, such as your heart rate. During biofeedback, you’re connected to electrical sensors that help you receive information about your body.
This feedback helps you make subtle changes in your body, such as relaxing certain muscles, to achieve the results you want, such as reducing pain. In essence, biofeedback gives you the ability to practice new ways to control your body, often to improve a health condition or physical performance.
Types of biofeedback
Your therapist might use a variety of biofeedback methods depending on your health problems and goals. Biofeedback types include:
- Brain waves. This type uses scalp sensors to monitor your brain waves using an electroencephalograph (EEG).
- Breathing. During respiratory biofeedback, bands are placed around your abdomen and chest to monitor your breathing patterns and respiration rate.
- Heart rate. This type uses finger or earlobe sensors with a device used to detect blood volume changes (photoplethysmograph). Or sensors placed on your chest, lower torso or wrists use an electrocardiograph (ECG) to measure your heart rate and how your heart rate varies.
- Muscle contraction. This type involves placing sensors over your skeletal muscles with an electromyograph (EMG) to monitor the electrical activity that causes muscle contraction.
- Sweat gland activity. Sensors attached around your fingers or on your palm or wrist with an electrodermograph (EDG) measure the activity of your sweat glands and the amount of perspiration on your skin, alerting you to anxiety.
- Temperature. Sensors attached to your fingers or feet measure blood flow to your skin. Because your temperature often drops when you’re under stress, a low reading can prompt you to begin relaxation techniques.
Biofeedback devices
You can receive biofeedback training in physical therapy clinics, medical centers and hospitals. A growing number of biofeedback devices and programs also are being marketed for home use, including:
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Interactive computer programs or mobile devices. Some types of biofeedback devices measure physiological changes in your body, such as your heart rate activity and skin changes, by using one or more sensors attached to your fingers or your ear. The sensors plug into your computer.
Using computer graphics and prompts, the devices then help you master stress by helping you to pace your breathing, relax your muscles and think positive self-statements about your ability to cope. Studies show that these types of devices might be effective in improving responses during stress and inducing feelings of calm and well-being.
Another type of biofeedback therapy involves wearing a headband that monitors your brain activity while you meditate. It uses sounds to let you know when your mind is calm and when it’s active to help you learn to control your stress response. The information from each session can be stored on your computer or mobile device so that you can track your progress over time.
- Wearable devices. One type involves wearing a sensor on your waist that monitors your breathing and tracks your breathing patterns using a downloadable app. The app can alert you if you’re having prolonged tension, and it offers guided breathing activities to help restore your calm.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a biofeedback device, Resperate, for reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. Resperate is a portable electronic device that promotes slow, deep breathing.
However, the FDA doesn’t regulate many biofeedback devices marketed for home use. Before trying biofeedback therapy at home, discuss the types of devices with your care team to find the best fit.
Be aware that some products might be falsely marketed as biofeedback devices, and that not all biofeedback practitioners are legitimate.
Why it’s done
Biofeedback, sometimes called biofeedback training, is used to help manage many physical and mental health issues, including:
- Anxiety or stress
- Asthma
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Chemotherapy side effects
- Chronic pain
- Constipation
- Fecal incontinence
- Fibromyalgia
- Headache
- High blood pressure
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Raynaud’s disease
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Stroke
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
- Urinary incontinence
Biofeedback appeals to people for a variety of reasons:
- It’s noninvasive.
- It might reduce or eliminate the need for medications.
- It might enhance the benefits of medications.
- It might help women who can’t take medication during pregnancy.
- It helps people feel more in control of their health.
Risks
Biofeedback is generally safe, but it might not be appropriate for everyone. Biofeedback devices might not work properly on people with certain medical conditions, such as heart rhythm problems or certain skin conditions. Be sure to discuss it with your doctor first.
How you prepare
You don’t need special preparation for biofeedback.
To find a biofeedback therapist, ask your doctor or another health care professional with knowledge of biofeedback therapy to recommend someone who has experience treating your condition. Many biofeedback practitioners are licensed in another area of health care, such as psychology, nursing or physical therapy.
State laws regulating biofeedback practitioners vary. Some biofeedback practitioners choose to become certified to show their extra training and experience in the practice.
Ask a biofeedback practitioner you’re considering using questions before starting treatment, such as:
- Are you licensed, certified or registered?
- What is your training and experience?
- Do you have experience providing biofeedback for my condition?
- How many biofeedback sessions do you think I’ll need?
- What’s the cost and is it covered by health insurance?
- Can you provide a list of references?
What you can expect
During the procedure
During a biofeedback session, a therapist attaches electrical sensors to different parts of your body. These sensors might be used to monitor your brain waves, skin temperature, muscle tension, heart rate and breathing. This information is fed back to you via cues, such as changes on a monitor, a beeping sound or a flashing light.
The feedback teaches you to change or control your body’s reactions by changing your thoughts, emotions or behavior. This can help the condition for which you sought treatment.
For instance, biofeedback can pinpoint tense muscles that are causing headaches. You then learn how to make deliberate physical changes in your body, such as relaxing specific muscles, to reduce your pain. The ultimate goal with biofeedback is to learn to use these techniques at home on your own.
A typical biofeedback session lasts 30 to 60 minutes. The length and number of sessions are determined by your condition and how quickly you learn to control your physical responses. Biofeedback might not be covered by insurance.
Results
If biofeedback is successful for you, it might help you control symptoms of your condition or reduce the amount of medication you take. Eventually, you can practice the biofeedback techniques you learn on your own. Don’t stop the medical treatment for your condition, however, without consulting your care team.
Clinical trials
Explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions.
