Biofeedback Volume 42: Issue 1

Research in the field of biofeedback is not always effective for the development of the field. In particular, neurofeedback has had spotty success, with many studies failing to meet rigorous methodological standards. Many researchers are lacking in the basic understanding of neuromodulation and its inherent learning model. And many clinicians, while knowledgeable in clinical applications, lack understanding of the rigors of good research. However, the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research (ISNR) Foundation and the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB) Foundation for Education and Research in Biofeedback are rich in expertise, yet that expertise is seldom tapped. The following interview with the president of the ISNR Research Foundation, David Trudeau, will spotlight the foundation's impact on the field of neurofeedback. A second interview with Paul Lehrer, Chair of AAPB's Foundation for Education and Research in Biofeedback (FERB) will appear in the summer 2014 issue of Biofeedback. It is hoped that this interview series will provide insight to both foundations and facilitate future collaboration.

Biofeedback and neurofeedback certification expanded internationally, and the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) revised both recertification and certification programs in 2013. This article examines the main engines that have fueled certification growth: the BCIA affiliate program, the international expansion of BCIA-accredited training programs, and international educational and scientific society meetings held by the Society for Applied Neuroscience and the Biofeedback Federation of Europe. The authors conclude with a review of recent changes in recertification, academic certification, and the Neurofeedback Blueprint and a progress report on BCIA's HRV Biofeedback Certificate of Completion, Board Certified Practitioner and Mentor Directory, and Job Board programs.

A sixty-three year old woman with a recent diagnosis of dementia sought biofeedback treatment for depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) revealed brainwave patterns that could be associated with anxiety as well as possible dementia. The context of her forgetfulness and disorientation was explored and discovered to coincide with anxiety-related hyperarousal. Following a combination of heart rate variability (HRV) and neurofeedback (EEG biofeedback), she reported significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment.

Ever since Descartes conceptually argued for a separation between the body and the mind, Western culture has struggled with the notion that our friends, our family members, even our spouses are “crazy” or “weak” if they should ever suffer a mental illness.

The book entitled Pathways to Illness, Pathways to Health by Angele McGrady and Donald Moss is a definitive refutation of Descartes ill-advised and incorrect assertion.

To those for whom Descartes' concept of a separation of the mind and body dies hard, McGrady and Moss's text is a necessary read. For beginners of health science education, medical

SPECIAL ISSUE: The Impact of a Romantic Partner on Patient Experience of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback

Adrian Knauss,

Jakob F. Jensen,

Matthew T. Fish,

Linda P. Bolin, and

Andrew S. Brimhall

From the Editor

The Foundations Supporting Biofeedback and Neurofeedback: Why Collaborative Research?

What BCIA Learned from Bob Dylan

Anxiety Misdiagnosed as Dementia? A Complex Case Successfully Treated Using a Multimodal Biofeedback Approach

Making the Unaware Aware: Surface Electromyography to Unmask Tension and Teach Awareness

From Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) to Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Biofeedback: The Bridge Between High-Tech Medicine and High-Tech Psychology—How Can We Proceed in Clinical Practice?

Effect of a Brief Guided Imagery on Stress

Pathways to Illness, Pathways to Health

SPECIAL ISSUE: The Impact of a Romantic Partner on Patient Experience of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT: Establishing a University-Based Biofeedback Clinic for Practice, Education, and Research

REPORT: Report from FABBS Meeting

SPECIAL ISSUE: Pain—There Is Hope

ABSTRACTS: Abstracts of Posters Presented at the 54th Annual Scientific Meeting of AAPB