Biofeedback Volume 43: Issue 4

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FROM THE EDITOR

Beyond the Self in Self-Regulation

PhD, BCB, BCN and

PhD

The cover of this issue of Biofeedback shows a photograph of the Seattle, Washington skyline, a reminder that the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB) will hold its annual meeting March 9–12, 2016 in Seattle.

Introduction to the Special Issue

The Guest Editor for this special issue is Richard Harvey of San Francisco State University, who is also the current president of AAPB. Dr. Harvey has chosen to focus this special issue on previewing the theme of the AAPB 2016 annual meeting: Beyond the Self in Self-Regulation.

The articles in this special issue reflect applications of biofeedback

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PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Foundation for Education and Research in Biofeedback (FERB): Accomplishments and Appeal

PhD

DOI: 10.5298/1081-5937-43.4.04

Attendees at last year's Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB) meeting are aware of the excitement and energy of the meeting, in large part stemming from increased student attendance. To encourage this, and as an investment in the future of our field, the Foundation for Education and Research in Biofeedback (FERB) awarded 21 student travel scholarships and three student research grants. In the past 2 years, the number of both awards per year has more than tripled.

FERB was established by AAPB to encourage interested students to devote their research energies to biofeedback and to become involved with like-minded

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SPECIAL ISSUE

Interpersonal Biofeedback: Biofeedback in a Relationship Context

LMFT, BCB, BCN and

MFT, BCB, BCN, QEEGT

DOI: 10.5298/1081-5937-43.4.07

Marriage and family therapy has had well over 70 years of research and clinical practice. The roots of biofeedback therapy go back to the 1960s for both research and clinical practice. This article reviews both couples therapy and group family therapy to illustrate the integration of psychophysiologically based interventions (interpersonal biofeedback), into relational therapy contexts. It also illustrates the utility of this approach for both clients and clinicians.

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Beyond the Self in Self-Regulation—Reaching Beyond Technologies: The Importance of Others and Relationships to Individual Well-Being

PhD

DOI: 10.5298/1081-5937-43.4.02

As technologies become increasingly integrated in all aspects of culture, we may be losing our therapeutic pulse on how important true face-to-face and heart-to-heart relationships are to our personal and collective well-being. Social isolation and excessive utilization of i-technology appear to contribute to the development or maintenance of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, and ADHD. Human engagement risks being eclipsed by the novelty and excitement of the digital age. Current practice indicates that there are potentially positive and even therapeutic applications of technologies for betterment and healing, but that we should be selective in our applications.

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Multicultural and Diversity Training Considerations for Biofeedback Practitioners

PhD,

PhD, BCB, and

MSCT, BCB

DOI: 10.5298/1081-5937-43.4.05

This report identifies curricular considerations related to multicultural and diversity training. Various models of cultural diversity are discussed that are useful for research, education, and clinical professionals who use biofeedback tools, whether those tools are used to educate clients and students in instructional settings or diagnose and/or treat patients in clinical settings. The report begins by describing a practical framework for discussing terms such as “multicultural” and “diversity training,” and continues with describing curricular components for increasing awareness of diverse cultural perspectives encountered by biofeedback practitioners in various settings.

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Seeing is Believing: Biofeedback as a Tool to Enhance Motivation for Cognitive Therapy

PhD,

PhD, and

PhD

DOI: 10.5298/1081-5937-43.4.03

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) as applied by behavioral scientists includes strategies for changing negative cognitions that contribute to depression and anxiety. Biofeedback is a useful strategy to demonstrate to clients the mind (cognitive, psychological) to body (physiological) interaction. For example, a cognitive, psychological reaction to a stimuli results in a physiological effects as illustrated by changes in skin conductance or muscle tension. A case example is used to demonstrate an anticipatory psychophysiological response resulting in covert activity of the forearm as a client simply imagines playing the piano.

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Did You Ask About Abdominal Surgery or Injury? A Learned Disuse Risk Factor for Breathing Dysfunction

PhD,

PhD, and

PhD

DOI: 10.5298/1081-5937-43.4.06

Abdominal surgery or injury may affect breathing and, if the disturbed breathing pattern is maintained, illness may result, as illustrated by two case examples. This report describes the process of learned avoidance of pain through which abdominal surgery may cause dysfunctional breathing. This clinical note is a reminder to clinicians to ask about abdominal surgery or injury during the intake. In cases in which symptoms occurred months after the abdominal surgery or injury, it may be possible to reduce the symptoms through teaching effortless breathing.

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Stimulation Technologies: "New" Trends in "Old" Techniques

CET

DOI: 10.5298/1081-5937-43.04.11

Optimal functioning of the brain and mind is essential for good mental health and well-being. Unfortunately, disruptions in specific brain region function may arise for a variety of reasons, which include adverse genetic predispositions, poor nutrition, illness and cerebral accidents, developmental hormonal shifts, and negative life events resulting in overload and stress reactions. Fortunately, there are low-cost, easy-to-use, and effective electronic brain-stimulating technologies available today. These stimulation technologies include audiovisual entrainment (AVE) devices (e.g., light and sound machines), as well as electrostimulation technologies such as cranio-electro stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation. The instruments are all designed to aid individuals with modulating their own cortical arousal levels, whether to regain lost functionality or to enhance outcomes such as improved social interactions, athletic performance, mathematical problem-solving, or creating new art and music. This article reviews a range of current techniques used for stimulating and modulating brain regions for positive gain.

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FEATURES

Biofeedback in Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren: Correlations Between Subjective and Objective Measures

PhD, RN-BC, FAAN,

PhD, RN, FAAN, and

MSN, RN

DOI: 10.5298/1081-5937-43.4.01

Research shows that 20% of grandmothers raising grandchildren experience stress and depression. Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback may help grandmothers track and regulate their physiological response to stress. This study therefore examined correlations between coherence scores reflecting HRV and self-report measures of stress, negative emotions, and depressive cognitions in 20 grandmothers raising grandchildren. Higher coherence scores were inversely and significantly correlated with self-report measures, suggesting the need to examine the effects of HRV biofeedback on biomarkers reflecting stress and depression.

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MEMORIAL

In Memoriam: Michael G. McKee, PhD, BCB

PhD, BCB and

PhD

DOI: 10.5298/1081-5937-43.4.08

Michael G. McKee, PhD, a past president of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, died on October 26, 2015. Dr. McKee served for many years at the Cleveland Clinic as the vice chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology and chair of the Section of Health Psychology and General Psychology, directing a program that focused on diagnosis and treatment of stress-related disorders and enhancement of health and performance. He was internationally recognized for his expertise in biofeedback and served as a consultant to business, health care, education, and athletics. Two of his closest colleagues provide tributes here to Michael G. McKee, the man and his work.

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Beyond the Self in Self-Regulation

Introduction to the Special Issue

Foundation for Education and Research in Biofeedback (FERB): Accomplishments and Appeal

Interpersonal Biofeedback: Biofeedback in a Relationship Context

Beyond the Self in Self-Regulation—Reaching Beyond Technologies: The Importance of Others and Relationships to Individual Well-Being

Multicultural and Diversity Training Considerations for Biofeedback Practitioners

Seeing is Believing: Biofeedback as a Tool to Enhance Motivation for Cognitive Therapy

Did You Ask About Abdominal Surgery or Injury? A Learned Disuse Risk Factor for Breathing Dysfunction

Stimulation Technologies: "New" Trends in "Old" Techniques

Biofeedback in Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren: Correlations Between Subjective and Objective Measures

In Memoriam: Michael G. McKee, PhD, BCB

ABSTRACTS: Abstracts of Papers Presented at the 54th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback

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

MEMORIAL: Eleanor Criswell-Hanna, 1938–2024

SPECIAL ISSUE: Lessons Learned: A Pilot Study on the Feasibility of Using Biofeedback Monitoring in a Remote Setting with Special Forces Veterans in Saipan

SPECIAL ISSUE: The ACT of Biofeedback—Training for Psychological Flexibility