Effect of Individual Features of the CNS on Efficiency of Relaxation Biofeedback Training in 9- to 10-Year-Old Children

The possibilities of biofeedback training for improvement of the self-control of the functional state (relaxation) were studied in 9- to 10–year-old children. At the first stage, under conditions of electrophysiological experiment, relaxation shifts were assessed in the cycle quiet wakefulness–relaxation–recovery of the initial state by autonomic (skin resistance) and EEG (spectra and coherence) indices. The children were then trained to control their functional state with a computer game including a feedback loop by skin temperature. After the training cycle, children were repeatedly examined in electrophysiological experiment with the instruction to control their state. Comparative analysis of self-induced relaxation changes before and after a successful training course revealed greater shifts of skin resistance and an increase in the number of distant functional connections (especially, in the intermediate and high-frequency EEG subbands), with a significantly increased coherence level during relaxation. A correlation was found between the efficiency of self-regulation training and some individual psychophysiological characteristics (simple motor reaction time, autonomic coefficient, resting EEG). Low efficiency of self-control training was observed in younger schoolchildren with a sharply deviant (from the mean group values) reaction time and autonomic coefficient, as well as with EEG manifestations of functional immaturity of the upper brain regulatory structures. The dependence of the EEG changes on the self-regulation strategy is discussed on the basis of obtained evidence and data in the literature.     

The effect of BFB training on the efficiency of voluntary relaxation in junior schoolchildren

Psychophysiological features of schoolchildren seven to eight and nine to ten years of age (their autonomic balance and brain functional state) were studied; the effect of biofeedback (BFB) training on the regulatory influence of relaxation was evaluated (BFB signal—electrical skin resistance). Before and after BFB training, the electrophysiological experiment, i.e., relaxation testing, was performed without BFB in three situations: background, relaxation, and the state after relaxation. The EEG of various cortical areas was recorded, and the electrical skin resistance was determined. The short-term memory test was used to determine changes in the functional state at the behavioral level. Short-term training (five sessions) often enhanced the efficiency of voluntary relaxation and improved the postrelaxation mnestic function only in the group of 9- to 10-year-old children. The effect of training on the relaxation of the regulation depended on the individual psychophysiological features of children.     

Effects of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback in Subjects with Stress-Related Chronic Neck Pain: A Pilot Study

Recent studies focusing on autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunctions, together with theoretical pathophysiological models of musculoskeletal disorders, indicate the involvement of ANS regulation in development and maintenance of chronic muscle pain. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback (BF) in increasing HRV and reducing the symptoms of different disorders characterized by ANS aberration. The study investigated the effects of resonance frequency HRV BF on autonomic regulation and perceived health, pain, stress and disability in 24 subjects with stress-related chronic neck-shoulder pain. Twelve subjects participated in 10 weekly sessions of resonant HRV BF and were compared to a control group. Subjective reports and HRV measures during relaxation and in response to a standardized stress protocol were assessed for both groups pre- and post-intervention. Group × time interactions revealed a significantly stronger increase over time in perceived health (SF-36) for the treatment group, including vitality, bodily pain and social functioning. Interactions were also seen for HRV during relaxation and reactivity to stress. The present pilot study indicates improvement in perceived health over a 10 week intervention with HRV-biofeedback in subjects with chronic neck-pain. Increased resting HRV as well as enhanced reactivity to hand grip and cold pressor tests might reflect beneficial effects on ANS regulation, and suggest that this intervention protocol is suitable for a larger controlled trial.     

Emotion Self-Regulation,Psychophysiological Coherence,and Test Anxiety: Results from an Experiment Using Electrophysiological Measures

This study investigated the effects of a novel, classroom-based emotion self-regulation program (TestEdge) on measures of test anxiety, socioemotional function, test performance, and heart rate variability (HRV) in high school students. The program teaches students how to self-generate a specific psychophysiological state—psychophysiological coherence—which has been shown to improve nervous system function, emotional stability, and cognitive performance. Implemented as part of a larger study investigating the population of tenth grade students in two California high schools (N = 980), the research reported here was conducted as a controlled pre- and post-intervention laboratory experiment, using electrophysiological measures, on a random stratified sample of students from the intervention and control schools (N = 136). The Stroop color-word conflict test was used as the experiment’s stimulus to simulate the stress of taking a high-stakes test, while continuous HRV recordings were gathered. The post-intervention electrophysiological results showed a pattern of improvement across all HRV measures, indicating that students who received the intervention program had learned how to better manage their emotions and to self-activate the psychophysiological coherence state under stressful conditions. Moreover, students with high test anxiety exhibited increased HRV and heart rhythm coherence even during a resting baseline condition (without conscious use of the program’s techniques), suggesting that they had internalized the benefits of the intervention. Consistent with these results, students exhibited reduced test anxiety and reduced negative affect after the intervention. Finally, there is suggestive evidence from a matched-pairs analysis that reduced test anxiety and increased psychophysiological coherence appear to be directly associated with improved test performance—a finding consistent with evidence from the larger study.     

Integrated assessment of neurodynamic and autonomic indicators in adolescents: Age-specific,gender-specific,and typological characteristics

The results of investigations carried out in school students aged 11–16 years (n = 930) have allowed us to determine some gender- and age-specific features in the neurodynamic and autonomic indicators of adolescents and identify the factors determining the formation of their psychophysiological state. The analysis of associations between the characteristics recorded in adolescents and a specific type of autonomic regulation has led to the conclusion about the predictive significance shown by the assessment of their functional constitution as an individual’s adaptation and resource characteristics.     

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Feedback in a Stressed Population Exposed to a Brief Stressor Demonstrated by Quantitative EEG and sLORETA

Previous investigations of electroencephalograms during relaxation have identified increases in slow wave band power, correlations between increased levels of alpha activity with lower levels of anxiety, and autonomic changes characterized by otherwise documented decreased sympathetic activity. This study was carried out to determine the overall changes in quantitative electroencephalographic activity and the current source as a result of an acute session of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) biofeedback in a population of subjects experiencing stress. This study’s findings provide physiological evidence of RSA feedback effect and suggest that RSA training may decrease arousal by promoting an increase of alpha band frequencies and decrease in beta frequencies overall and in areas critical to the regulation of stress. It was of interest that novices could achieve these objective alterations in EEG activity after minimal training and intervention periods considering that the previous literature on EEG and meditative states involve experienced meditators or participants who had been given extensive training. Additionally, these effects were present immediately following the training suggesting that the intervention may have effects beyond the actual practice.     

The age-related features of influence biofeedback training on efficiency of functional state voluntary regulation in young schoolchildren

The aim of the study was to assess an impact of biofeedback training (5 sessions) onto the voluntary regulation of the brain functional state (relaxation) in two groups of children of 7-8 and 9-10 years old. EEG alpha-band spectral coherence and skin resistance were measured during pre-relaxation, relaxation and post-relaxation phases before and after training. Short-term memory test was used to evaluate behavioral changes in functional state regulation before and after training. The group of children of 9-10 y.o. was the only group that showed any significant relaxation-related changes of spectral coherence in alpha-band after training. Besides, that group showed a significant post-relaxation improvement in short-term memory volume. We found a number of individual psychophysiological indices that influenced an efficiency of the biofeedback training.     

Peculiarities of brain mechanisms of regulation of level of wakefulness and of cognitive activity in children with retardation of psychic development and in healthy children of the same age

The work opens possibilities of the of modifications of the developed at the Laboratory systemic-integrative psychophysiological approach to study of the age-related organization or of deviation from norm in formation of superslow informational-controlling brain systems participating in mechanisms of regulation of the wakefulness level and of cognitive activity in the 5–7-year old healthy children and in children of the same age group with retardation of psychic and speech development of the cerebral-organic genesis. There are disclosed peculiarities of organization of: (a) cortical-brainstem and limbic-reticular mechanisms of regulation of the level of wakefulness; (b) suprasegmentary mechanisms of autonomic, hemodynamic, and oxygen-dependent energy supply of the wakefulness level in the examined children’s contingent. There are substantiated concepts about interrelations of peculiarities of the level of actual development of emotional and cognitive spheres with age-related peculiarities or disturbances of formation of mechanisms of regulation of the wakefulness level, its autonomic and hemodynamic provision as well as of the oxygen-dependent energetic potential.     

Biofeedback,relaxation training,and music: Homeostasis for coping with stress

This study compared the efficacy of five relaxation training procedures, four of which employed EMG auditory feedback: (1) biofeedback only (BF), (2) autogenic training phrases (ATP), (3) music (MU), (4) autogenic training phrases and music (ATP & MU), and (5) a control group, in developing self-regulation of a cultivated low arousal state as a countermeasure to tensed muscular reaction to stressful imagery. Twenty subjects established a pre- and posttraining frontalis region EMG biofeedback baseline measurement. Sixteen subjects were assigned at random to the 25-minute taped relaxation training procedure. After eight training sessions (4 weeks), MU and ATP & MU groups achieved highly significant differences when compared with the control group. The ATP & MU group attained the lowest postbaseline arousal level measured by the EMG. EMG as a physiological measure for transfer of training functioned well in detecting the psychophysiological affect of stressful imagery.This report is based on a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Psychology degree by the author. The author extends his gratitude to Dr. Theodore Steiner, Dr. Paul Eskildsen, and Dr. Frank Hovell, who served on the committee, and to Rosemary Kolentus, for her help with this article.     

Improving Managers’ Psychophysical Well-Being: Effectiveness of Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Biofeedback

High work stress has been consistently associated with disturbed autonomic balance, specifically, lowered vagal cardiac control and increased sympathetic activity, which may lead to increased cardiovascular risk. Stress management procedures have been proposed to reduce autonomic dysfunctions related to work stress in different categories of workers exposed to heightened work demands, while a limited number of studies addressed this issue in managers. The present study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) biofeedback (BF) intervention on psychological and physiological outcomes, in managers with high-level work responsibilities. Thirty-one managers leading outstanding private or public companies were randomly assigned to either a RSA-BF training (RSA-BF; N = 16) or a control group (N = 15). The RSA-BF training consisted of five weekly 45 min sessions, designed to increase RSA, whereas controls had to provide a daily stress diary once a week. After the training, managers in both groups reported reduced heart rate at rest, lower anxiety levels and improvement in health-related quality of life. More importantly, managers in the RSA-BF group showed increased vagal control (as indexed by increased RSA), decreased sympathetic arousal (as indexed by reduced skin conductance and systolic blood pressure) and lower emotional interferences, compared to managers in the control group. Results from this study showed that RSA-BF training was effective in improving cardiac autonomic balance at rest. Moreover, findings from this study underline the effectiveness of biofeedback in reducing psychophysiological negative outcomes associated with stress in managers.     

Emotionally Triggered Asthma: A Review of Research Literature and Some Hypotheses for Self-Regulation Therapies

Asthma is a common disease whose morbidity and mortality are rapidly increasing. Panic disorder is common in asthma. Panic, other negative emotions, and a passive coping orientation may affect asthma by producing hyperventilation, increased general autonomic lability, a specific pattern of autonomic arousal that may cause bronchoconstriction, and/or detrimental effects on health care behaviors. Generalized panic is a risk factor for increased asthma morbidity. A repressive coping style also appears to be a risk factor for asthma morbidity because it is accompanied by an impaired ability to perceive symptoms, a necessary prerequisite for taking appropriate remediation. Several self-regulation strategies are hypothesized to be useful adjuncts to asthma treatment. Preliminary research has been done on relaxation therapy, EMG biofeedback, biofeedback for improved sensitivity in perceiving respiratory sensations, and biofeedback training for increasing respiratory sinus arrhythmia. It is hypothesized that finger temperature biofeedback also may be a promising treatment method, and that relaxation-oriented methods will have their greatest effect among asthmatics who experience panic symptoms, while improved perceptual sensitivity will be helpful both for patients who panic and those with repressive coping styles.     

Individual specificity of the autonomic support of purposive activity in students performing computer-aided tests

The autonomic correlates of individual differences in the effectiveness of purposive activity during a computer-aided sensorimotor test and computer-aided testing of the level of knowledge of students were studied. Students who reached high results of sensorimotor and academic tests were characterized by lability of autonomic indices, which manifests itself in a change in the absolute values and relationship of the characteristics of heart rate and hemodynamics in accordance with activity stages. These changes were specific for each form of activity and were connected with the results of the tests. The physiological prerequisites of the high lability of autonomic characteristics which ensures the ability of the subject to successfully adapt to the conditions of the activity included high initial values of TP and power of LF- and HF-ranges of heart rate variability at a LF/HF ratio close to unity, reflecting a high level of balanced sympathetic and parasympathetic effects on cardiovascular functions.     

The psychophysiological cost of intense information load in 5-to 14-year-old children and adolescents

The psychophysiological cost of activity was determined in 5- to 14-year-old children and adolescents (n = 612) by correlating the performance of intense information load with the value of autonomic shifts in the course of the test. It was shown that the psychophysiological cost of information load in the state of functional comfort (self-determined speed) decreased 2.2- to 5.4-fold in the period from 5–6 to 13–14 years of age and the psychophysiological cost of intense intellectual activity with the maximum speed under the conditions of a time deficit (the maximum speed) decreased 1.2- to 4-fold. The greatest changes in the psychophysiological cost of intense intellectual activity were observed at the beginning of regular schooling and during puberty. The data indicate the need for a continuous search for new, efficient, and more physiologically adequate ways of control of the process of training and education taking into consideration the psychophysiological cost of intense academic activity in different periods of ontogeny and ensuring a beneficial effect of educational technologies on the health and development of schoolchildren.     

Reaction of Cardiac Activity of Senior Pupils of Schools Providing Differentiated Education upon Examination Stress

Effects of examination stress on psychological characteristics and indices of the autonomic nervous system were studied in pupils of the eighth and tenth grades of high schools providing differential (test group, Neuron gymnasium) and general education (control group). General health state and levels of activity and mood (feeling, activity, mood; FAM) and neuroticism (according to Eysenck) were determined in both groups. Main hemodynamic indices (heart rate and blood pressure) were measured, and mathematical analysis of the heart rate by was performed according to Baevskii. Comparative analysis of psychophysiological tests and heart rate changes in the control and test groups points to a high tension in the cardiac rhythm regulation mechanisms and strong anxiety in schoolchildren in the differential education school. The character and depth of preexamination stress depended on the type of autonomic control of cardiac activity. Schoolchildren with sympathicotonic cardiac rhythm regulation showed the strongest emotional tension. Schoolchildren with the normotonic type of regulation were the most calm.     

Evaluation of the functional state of operators with allowance for individual psychological characteristics

This article deals with the features of the evaluation of changes in the functional state during the professional activity of operators. We estimated the dynamics of the functional state and efficiency of operators under the effect of aircraft noise and individual psychophysiological characteristics. We also investigated changes in the functional state of operators depending on their psychological characteristics. It was found that changes in the functional state of the organism in operators with high levels of anxiety, low degrees of extraversion, and high emotional lability were more pronounced in the modeling of operator activity with exposure to aircraft noise, as evidenced by significant changes in psychophysiological parameters. After 60 minutes of noise stress, the latent period of a simple and a complex sensorimotor reaction in introverts increased by 9.1% (p < 0.05) and 8.1% (p < 0.05), respectively. In the group of subjects with high levels of anxiety, there was a decrease in the general state, activity, and mood by 18.9% (p < 0.01), 20.9%, and 14.9% (p < 0.05), respectively, and a decrease in the accuracy of reaction to a moving object by three times (p < 0.05). The latent period of simple sensorimotor reaction in emotionally labile subjects after the exercise was increased by 15% (p < 0.05), and the reaction time on a moving object was increased by 8.9% (p < 0.05) as compared with the group of emotionally stable subjects. Thus, the data suggest that changes in the functional state of operators depends on the level of extraversion, personal anxiety, and emotional lability, and does not depend on the level of behavioral regulation, which must be taken into consideration during the assessment of functional state.     

Psychophysiological condition of first-year students with different levels of physical activity

The psychophysiological condition of first-year students (males) going or not going in for sport in the course of training was investigated. Baevskii’s method was used to determine the level of stress of regulatory mechanisms. The functional level of the nervous system, the stability of neural responses, and the level of functional abilities of the developed functional system were evaluated using the variation chronoreflexometric method. It was established that an improvement in the mental capacity parameters (increased mental capacity, reduction in the number of errors, an increase in the level of functional abilities, and shortening of the latent period of visuomotor response) was accompanied by an increase of stress of the body regulatory systems, which was more marked in individuals with a low level of physical activity. This fact indicates that physical activity reduces the cost of the adaptation of the body to permanently changing environmental conditions. The optimal human adaptive systemic reactions are ensured by the dynamic interaction of the functional systems forming complex correlations in the somatic, autonomic, motor, and psychoemotional spheres of the body’s activity.     

Voluntarily Produced Increases in Heart Rate Variability Modulate Autonomic Effects of Endotoxin Induced Systemic Inflammation: An Exploratory Study

Exposure of healthy people to lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) produces a pro-inflammatory response, subjective symptoms, and decreased heart rate variability (HRV). Given the efficacy of HRV biofeedback (BF) for treating asthma, the large autonomic effects of HRV BF, and the link between vagus nerve activity and inflammation, we hypothesized that HRV BF would dampen the acute manifestations of systemic inflammation induced by LPS challenge. Healthy participants age 18-40 were randomly assigned to four-one-hour training sessions of either HRV BF (n = 6) or a control 15/min paced breathing condition (n = 5) prior to acute experimentally induced LPS exposure. Participants were coached to do the procedures for 10 min each at five hourly time points after LPS injection, and then 2 h later. Subjective symptoms, HRV parameters, and plasma cytokine levels were measured at each time point, 2 h afterward, and the following morning. Participants were able to perform the procedures both during four pre-exposure training sessions and while experiencing LPS-induced symptoms. The HRV BF group showed significant attenuation of the LPS-induced decline in HRV for the 6 h following LPS exposure, suggesting that HRV BF decreased autonomic dysfunction produced by LPS-induced inflammation. HRV BF also reduced symptoms of headache and eye sensitivity to light, but did not affect LPS-induced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines or symptoms of nausea, muscle aches, or feverishness. Further evaluation of HRV BF appears to be warranted among patients with inflammatory conditions.     

Cardiac Autonomic Function Associated with Treatment Adherence After a Brief Intervention in Patients with Chronic Pain

The goal of this study was to investigate psychophysiological characteristics in chronic pain patients during a pain stressor (cold pressor test) and after a brief diaphragmatic breathing intervention. Laboratory procedures were designed to quantify the effects of diaphragmatic breathing training at six breaths per minute on cardiac autonomic reactivity as indexed by root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and sequential baroreflex sensitivity (sBRS). Participants (n = 22) completed an initial laboratory assessment including the diaphragmatic breathing training session and were instructed to practice the technique for three ten-minute sessions daily. Self-monitoring of the use of the technique along with daily pain and fatigue scores was accomplished with hand-held computers. Participants returned to the lab for a second assessment after two-weeks. Participants demonstrating improved resting physiological status as indexed by change in RMSSD and sBRS after training (improvers) were compared to those not demonstrating any change in these variables (non-improvers). After two weeks of training, the improvers showed higher tolerance (p < .05) and lower blood pressure reactivity to the cold pressor test (p < .05) compared to the non-improvers. Time spent practicing the breathing technique was significantly different between the groups with the improvers maintaining daily practice close to the intervention recommendations. These results suggest the potential for significant improvements in autonomic functioning and inhibitory response to stress after a single intervention session and two weeks of practice.     

Heart Rate Variability,Flow, Mood and Mental Stress During Yoga Practices in Yoga Practitioners,Non-yoga Practitioners and People with Metabolic Syndrome

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia are directly associated with autonomic flexibility, self-regulation and well-being, and inversely associated with physiological stress, psychological stress and pathology. Yoga enhances autonomic activity, mitigates stress and benefits stress-related clinical conditions, yet the relationship between autonomic activity and psychophysiological responses during yoga practices and stressful stimuli has not been widely explored. This experimental study explored the relationship between HRV, mood states and flow experiences in regular yoga practitioners (YP), non-yoga practitioners (NY) and people with metabolic syndrome (MetS), during Mental Arithmetic Stress Test (MAST) and various yoga practices. The study found that the MAST placed a cardio-autonomic burden in all participants with the YP group showing the greatest reactivity and the most rapid recovery, while the MetS group had significantly blunted recovery. The YP group also reported a heightened experience of flow and positive mood states compared to NY and MetS groups as well as having a higher vagal tone during all resting conditions. These results suggest yoga practitioners have a greater homeostatic capacity and autonomic, metabolic and physiological resilience. Further studies are now needed to determine if regular yoga practice may improve autonomic flexibility in non-yoga practitioners and metabolic syndrome patients. Clinical Trial No ‘ACTRN 2614001075673’     

The concept of typological variability of physiological individuality: III. Psychophysiological characteristics of functional types differing in habitual physical activity

Results of longitudinal studies were used to estimate the psychophysiological characteristics of preschool and young school children and young adults of both sexes belonging to functional types (FTs) with low, medium, and high habitual physical activity (HPA) levels (FT-1, LHPA; FT-2, MHPA, and FT-3, HHPA, respectively). Statistical analysis of the distributions of averaged psychophysiological parameters in the total sample with the use of the χ² and λ tests showed wide quantitative and qualitative ranges of psychophysiological individuality in a healthy population and demonstrated that it is reasonable to distinguish three typological groups (FT-1, FT-2, and FT-3). Typical first- and second-order parameters, as well as the results of third-order tests characterizing the current state, were determined for each FT. Determination of the psychophysiological characteristics of FT-1, FT-2, and FT-3 and their prevailing behavioral tendencies makes it possible to differentiate between strategies of organism-environment interaction and estimate their advantages and disadvantages.