EMG Biofeedback Training Research Articles

EMG Biofeedback Training to Promote Hand Function in a Cerebral Palsied Child with Hemiplegia

EMG Biofeedback Training to Promote Hand Function in a Cerebral Palsied Child with Hemiplegia

Pre-sleep cognitive intrusions and treatment of onset-insomnia

The importance of differences in pre-sleep cognitive intrusions in the treatment of sleep-onset insomnia were investigated. Twenty-four patients suffering from persistent psychophysiological insomnia were assessed on a pre-sleep cognitive intrusion inventory and divided into high and low scorers. Within these groups Ss were randomly assigned to either a cognitively focused program (cognitive restructuring. paradoxical instructions and thought stopping) or a psychophysiologically focused method, EMG-biofeedback training. Patients were treated individually for 6 sessions. Within-group comparisons showed that both treatments yielded significant improvement in latency to falling asleep, pre-sleep tension, hours of sleep and sleep quality. Between-group comparisons showed a greater reduction of pre-sleep intrusions in patients treated by the cognitive method and of pre-sleep tension in patients trained in biofeedback, but no differential results were found in outcome variables either after treatments or at 3- and 12-month follow-ups. The results indicate that the use of differential treatments added little to the outcome of therapy, and do not support the hypothesis that greater benefits are gained when the treatment matches the patient's claims of cognitive hyperarousal.

EMG Biofeedback Training to Promote Hand Function in a Cerebral Palsied Child with Hemiplegia

This paper will describe how EMG biofeedback can be used in training a hemiplegic cerebral palsied child. Specifically will be described how EMG biofeedback will promote relaxation of spastic upper-extremity muscles and active movements of antagonistic muscles, for potential improvement in hand function. To illustrate the biofeedback approach used, a case study will be presented.

Biofeedback and relaxation training: the effect on headache and associated symptoms.

SYNOPSISPatients suffering with migraine and muscle contraction headaches were treated with EMG and thermal biofeedback and relaxation training. Three groups were formed: Patients whose last contact with the practice was 3–12, 13–24, or 25 or more months prior to the follow‐up study. Each group included patients who never attended biofeedback, who attended one session, two to six sessions, or seven or more sessions of biofeedback. A telephone questionnaire revealed that 86% of patients who attended seven or more sessions of biofeedback maintained a 75–100% reduction in headache frequency through time (25 or more months). Of these patients, 65.5% reported a reduction in associated symptoms. Only 31% of patients who never attended biofeedback reported a reduction in headache frequency. Only 16.3% of patients who never attended biofeedback reported a reduction in associated symptoms. The combination of biofeedback and relaxation training clearly results in a reduction of both headache experience as well as in associated symptoms.

EMGバイオフィードバックによる重度脳性麻痺者における筋緊張異常の制御

EMGバイオフィードバックによる重度脳性麻痺者における筋緊張異常の制御

A fundamental study concerning the application of frontal EMG biofeedback training.

A fundamental study concerning the application of frontal EMG biofeedback training.

Perceived and actual control in EMG treatment of back pain

The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that the perception of the apparent amount of voluntary control over muscle activity determines the efficacy of EMG biofeedback treatment in back-pain patients. Twenty-four patients with nonorganic or minor organic back pain were randomly assigned to three training conditions: low-success, high-success and linear feedback of training performance. Contrary to expectations about the relationship between perceived control over muscle tension and pain, no differences in the effects of treatment were found between these three experimental groups. Statistically and clinically significant treatment gains were, however, found in all groups. Thus, the hypothesis of a relationship between perceived muscle tension reduction and pain reports in chronic back-pain patients is not confirmed. After a close analysis of the training sessions, and the muscle activity reduction actually obtained, an alternative hypothesis about EMG biofeedback training procedures is formulated.

The assessment of EMG biofeedback training in cerebral palsy

The assessment of EMG biofeedback training in cerebral palsy

EMG biofeedback, attained relaxation and hypnotic susceptibility: is there a relationship?

Abstract Subjects low in hypnotic susceptibility were assigned to three treatments. Those in one group received two EMG biofeedback training sessions and were post-tested for susceptibility at the end of their second training session (i.e., while still experiencing high levels of training induced relaxation). Those in a second group also received two EMG training sessions but were posttested for susceptibility in a separate session. Controls were posttested without intervening training. None of the groups showed significant baseline to posttest increments in susceptibility. Nevertheless, subjects in the two training groups showed significant decrements in muscle tension and significant increments in rated relaxation across the training sessions. Moreover, subjects posttested at the end of their training session began hypnotic posttesting with significantly lower muscle tension and significantly higher rated relaxation than subjects in the other two groups. Contrary to the relaxation hypothesis muscle tens...

Predictors of success in the EMG biofeedback training of hyperactive male children.

EMG biofeedback training is continuing to evolve as a promising treatment of hyperactivity. But while research on its application suggests that this technique induces significantly lower EMG levels in experimental samples as a whole, it also discloses that some children evidence but limited reductions. Most likely, this variability is introduced by differences in subject attributes. This study assessed that prospect by examining whether four common subject characteristics correlated with the extent of decrease in EMG level achieved by 59 hyperactive school-aged boys. Those variables were pretreatment EMG level, age degree of hyperactivity, and locus of control. Number of applications or training sessions was included as the fifth predictor. A multiple regression analysis determined that only locus of control was predictive of success in EMG training; however, it accounted for 72% of the variance. Implications of these findings are discussed.

The Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting

Given the diversity of assessment methodologies in previous studies, and given the increasing attention being shown in studies in which nausea and vomiting are used as outcome measures, it is reasonable to expect that there are more questions on the assessment of nausea and emesis than there are answers. There is little consensus on the efficacy of various approaches used to help control chemotherapy-induced nausea and emesis. There is also little consensus on the appropriate assessment techniques for their measurement. While there is room for much controlled experimentation and study of the ways to assess nausea and emesis, a review of past studies indicates several guidelines that should be kept in mind. The first of these is that nausea is a subjective phenomenon. It exists only insofar as it is defined by the patient. The clinical reality is that patients' decisions to delay or terminate chemotherapy are based on their subjective evaluations of the side effects, not on evaluations made by a clinician or others. With this in mind, a self-report approach to the assessment of nausea appears the most reasonable at this time. On the other hand, while vomiting does have subjective aspects, it represents a behavior that may be reliably observed by others. Thus, it is appropriate that observer ratings be obtained whenever feasible. The use of such indirect measures of nausea and vomiting as time to food intake, appetite change, and other measures of patient well-being should be considered whenever feasible. As with all measures, the cost in patient time needs to be balanced against the scientific needs of any study quantifying nausea and vomiting. While direct, physiologic measures would provide an important external reference to the assessment of nausea and vomiting, at the present time, these appear useful only in animal studies. The fact that nausea and vomiting can occur independently points to the validity of their assessment as separate behaviors. It is also important to note that their frequency, severity, and duration are separable phenomena. A complete assessment of nausea and vomiting responses should include separate measures of frequency, severity, and duration. Anticipatory nausea and vomiting are clinical phenomena that appear to occur with a reasonable enough frequency so that their measurement would be important in clinical studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Change mechanisms in EMG biofeedback training: Cognitive changes underlying improvements in tension headache.

Change mechanisms in EMG biofeedback training: Cognitive changes underlying improvements in tension headache.

EMGバイオフィードバック法による筋制御に関する研究 : 拮抗筋を用いた筋知覚の向上について

EMGバイオフィードバック法による筋制御に関する研究 : 拮抗筋を用いた筋知覚の向上について

Does training to criterion influence improvement? A follow-up study of EMG and thermal biofeedback.

On follow-up 1 to 5 years after therapy, patients in six diagnostic groups who received EMG (N = 53) and/or thermal (N = 54) biofeedback and who reached criterion levels (EMG less than or equal to 1.1 microV; thermal greater than or equal to 95 degrees F) reported a higher improvement rate than those who had not achieved these criterion levels. Neither the patients nor the therapist were aware of these training criteria during therapy. Most patients received both EMG and thermal biofeedback training. Of the EMG achievers, 93% improved, compared to 65% of the nonachievers. Of the thermal achievers, 96% improved, compared to 76% of the nonachievers. These percentages significantly exceed the high base rate (81%) of long-term improvement in this study. Failure to achieve the criterion level in both modalities was associated with a lower improvement rate (73% did not improve), while achieving the criterion in only one modality was sufficient to be associated with improvement. Of the patients who did not improve, 80% had not achieved the EMG criterion, and 88% had not achieved the thermal training criterion. These results question biofeedback therapy outcome studies which slow low improvement rates without determining whether self-regulation skills had, in fact, been acquired.

Mechanism of biofeedback in the treatment of chronic back pain: an hypothesis.

Although EMG biofeedback has been successfully used in the treatment of headache, its application to back pain has been sparse, with meager to moderate success. This paper deals with some of the specific problems encountered in EMG biofeedback training of patients with chronic back pain. It questions whether treatment outcome can be related to a change in muscle tension and whether relaxation will be accompanied by reduction of the pain. An alternative view of the application of EMG biofeedback in the treatment of back pain is suggested.

EMG biofeedback used to reduce standing levels of paraspinal muscle tension in chronic low back pain

Twenty chronic low back pain (LBP) patients with relatively high standing paraspinal EMG levels (> 5 gmV) were randomly assigned to 2 groups. One group (N = 10) received EMG biofeedback training to reduce standing paraspinal EMG levels, the other group (N = 10) served as a waiting list control group. Changes in perceived pain (duration × intensity) and paraspinal EMG in standing position were measured at a 3 week pretreatment baseline, during the 3 week treatment period, and at a 3 week post-treatment baseline. Compared to patients in the waiting list control group, those who received EMG biofeedback showed a significant decrease in standing paraspinal EMG from pretreatment to post-treatment baseline. However, no significant differences in reported pain were found during these periods. It is concluded that reduction of standing paraspinal EMG does not lead to reduction in pain.

Electromyography: Potential Use in Occupational Therapy

EMG biofeedback is a rapidly developing field of treatment being used for an ever-increasing range of medical conditions. Many researchers have documented the effectiveness or noneffectiveness of this treatment modality. This article describes the clinical usefulness of EMG biofeedback training from an occupational therapist's point of view. Two clinical case studies are documented and recommendations are made.

The Effects of Exercise on Muscle Tension and Subsequent Muscle Relaxation Training

Abstract This investigation examined the effects of physical exercise on muscle tension and subsequent muscle relaxation training. Twenty college students participated in the first phase of the study, which included a 10-minute EMG baseline, 30 minutes of pedalling on a bicycle ergometer, followed by EMG measurements on the frontalis muscle for up to 3 hours after the end of exercise. The same subjects from Phase I went on to Phase II, which included eight 32-minute EMG biofeedback training (BFT) sessions, utilizing the frontalis muscle. Ten subjects randomly assigned to the experimental group received BFT following an acute exercise bout, while the 10 subjects in the control group received no treatment. The greatest decrease in muscle tension in Phase I occurred 90 minutes after the end of the exercise. This finding was not significantly different from the baseline, indicating that there was no relaxation effect as a result of exercise. In Phase II, significant differences between pre and post-test measu...

Effectiveness of biofeedback for treating migraine and tension headaches: a review of the evidence.

A review of the research reveals no evidence that finger temperature biofeedback training or temporal artery pulse biofeedback training is effective for treating migraine headaches. On the other hand, there is evidence that EMG biofeedback training is effective for treating tension headaches, but the EMG biofeedback training is not more effective than less complex and less expensive relaxation training. Reasons for the ineffectiveness of biofeedback training are discussed. The results of the controlled investigations are in sharp contrast to the prevailing beliefs and the results have a variety of implications.

EMG biofeedback training of Type A and Type B behavior pattern subjects.

EMG biofeedback training of Type A and Type B behavior pattern subjects.