The Effect of a Single Session of Short Duration Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on EEG: A Pilot Study
- PDF / 332,628 Bytes
- 12 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 40 Downloads / 174 Views
The Effect of a Single Session of Short Duration Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on EEG: A Pilot Study Gabriell E. Prinsloo • H. G. Laurie Rauch David Karpul • Wayne E. Derman
•
Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2012
Abstract This pilot study examines the effect of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback on measures of electroencephalogram (EEG) during and immediately after biofeedback. Eighteen healthy males exposed to workrelated stress, were randomised into an HRV biofeedback (BIO) or a comparative group (COM). EEG was recorded during the intervention and during rest periods before and after the intervention. Power spectral density in theta, alpha and beta frequency bands and theta/beta ratios were calculated. During the intervention, the BIO group had higher relative theta power [Fz and Pz (p \ 0.01), Cz (p \ 0.05)], lower fronto–central relative beta power (p \ 0.05), and higher theta/beta [Fz and Cz (p \ 0.01), Pz (p \ 0.05)] than the COM group. The groups showed different responses after the intervention with increased posterior theta/beta (p \ 0.05) in the BIO group and altered posterior relative theta (p \ 0.05), central relative beta (p = 0.06) and central–posterior theta/beta (p \ 0.01) in the postintervention rest period. The findings of this study suggest that a single session of HRV biofeedback after a single training session was associated with changes in EEG suggestive of increased internal attention and relaxation both during and after the intervention. However, the comparative intervention was associated with changes suggestive of increased mental effort and possible anxiety during and after the intervention.
G. E. Prinsloo (&) H. G. L. Rauch D. Karpul W. E. Derman MRC/UCT Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, PO Box 115, Newlands, Cape Town 7725, South Africa e-mail: [email protected]
Keywords Heart rate variability biofeedback EEG frequency changes Theta/beta ratios
Introduction Chronic psychological stress is increasing in prevalence in the world today. In a poll conducted by the American Psychological Association in 2007, a third of people in the U.S. reported experiencing ‘extreme levels of stress’ and a fifth experienced high levels of stress at least 15 days a month (American Psychological Association 2012). Extreme and chronic stress leads to increased anxiety (National Institute of Mental Health 2012), increased risk of chronic disease (Esch et al. 2002; Kendler et al. 1999; Pieper et al. 1989) as well as impaired cognitive function (Beck et al. 1994; Kirschbaum et al. 1996; Lupien et al. 1997). As a result of the high burden of stress and stress related disease, it is becoming increasingly important to identify effective stress management techniques. HRV biofeedback has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety (Mikosch et al. 2010; Reiner 2008) as well as increase cognitive performance under stressful conditions (Prinsloo et al. 2011). In a recent publi
Data Loading...
