Heart Rate Variability and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Clinical Applications
This paper discusses the clinical applications of heart rate variability (HRV) data in the treatment of clients who have experienced traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). In the authors' clinical practice, HRV data is collected at the initial assessment, at progress assessments, and again after the completion of a course of neurofeedback combined with HRV biofeedback treatment. This paper describes HRV seen in healthy individuals compared to HRV in individuals known to have experienced a TBI. Three clinical case examples are discussed that explore the changes in heart rate variability following traumatic brain injury as well as improvements noted during, and following, a course of neurofeedback combined with HRV biofeedback training. The cases illustrated in this paper demonstrate the impressive changes in heart rate variability that can occur following a traumatic brain injury and also highlight how neurofeedback combined with biofeedback training can be used to improve heart rate variability and ameliorate related cognitive symptoms.
Training screen for HRV training, showing heart rate and respiration line graphs, as well as spectral displays (based on Biograph Infiniti® software).
HRV statistics on the same 28-year-old female physician, showing a high SDNN of 155 ms and high HRV total power of 8,926 ms2 (based on a display from the CardioPro® software; Thought Technology Ltd., Montréal West, QC, Canada). This example is taken with permission from Thompson and Thompson (in press).
This second example is taken from data collected by the authors from an athletic man after a head injury and shows a low SDNN value of 30 ms and a low total HRV power at 571 ms2 (statistical display from CardioPro® software).
Andrea Reid-Chung
Michael Thompson
Lynda Thompson
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