Biofeedback: Theory and Application to Speech Pathology

Abstract

This chapter discusses biofeedback, which is an intervention technique that uses electronics to monitor and amplify body functions that may be too subtle for normal awareness. Electronic instruments sense bioelectrical signals emitted by subliminal body behavior and deliver information back to the subject via sensory modalities—usually auditory, visual, tactile, or a combination. In essence, subconscious internal cues are made explicit, and, through interaction and clinical practice, the client can develop control over specific body functions. Unlike the traditional medical model, which places the responsibility on the physician to cure the illness, biofeedback places responsibility on the patient in a self-control model. The chapter describes the principles underlying biofeedback procedures as they relate to speech pathology and explores the limitations of biofeedback techniques. Biofeedback can be defined as the use of instrumentation to provide moment-to-moment information about a specific physiological system that is under control of the nervous system but not clearly or accurately perceived. Biofeedback derives its effectiveness by making ambiguous internal cues explicit, thereby providing accurate information about changes in target responses during training so that instrumental control of the response is facilitated.