Anxiety & PTSD
Review Papers
Neurofeedback with Anxiety and Affective Disorders
Compelling evidence exists for a neurophysiologic basis for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A large number of positron emission tomographic and single photon emission computed tomographic studies have found increased blood flow and metabolism in the mediofrontal, anterior cingulate, right frontal, or orbitofrontal areas [1–14], which implicates a cortico-striato-thalamocortical network. Functional abnormalities also have been documented in a large number of quantitative EEG (qEEG) studies [15–22] and evoked potential studies [23–27]. OCD seems to be somewhat heterogeneous, however, with at least two qEEG subtypes that have been found [17–21].
A Review of EEG Biofeedback Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
Alpha, theta and alpha-theta enhancements are effective treatments of the anxiety disorders (Table 1). Alpha suppression is also effective, but less so (Table 2). Perceived success in carrying out the task plays an important role in clinical improvement.
Articles
Case Study: Anxiety and Panic Attacks
This 29 year old woman was a victim of repeated panic attacks. She decided to try alpha brain wave training after the discouraging and ineffective experiences she had while seeking treatment for her condition through the modes of traditional medicine, which included medical doctors, therapists, even hypnotists.
Research Papers
Differential Shaping of EEG Theta Rhythms
Heart rate, EEG, frontal EMG, and forearm EMG were recorded in 20 subjects for 3 baseline, 8 feedback, and 2 postbaseline sessions in order to compare two biofeedback methods of teaching subjects to increase theta EEG activity. Subjects were divided into high- and low-EMG groups.
Evaluating the Efficacy of a Biofeedback Intervention to Reduce Children's Anxiety
This study explored the reduction of anxiety with children using a combination of electromyograph and thermal biofeedback techniques. One hundred and fifty children (7th and 8th graders) were identified by teachers as anxious and randomly assigned to biofeedback intervention and no-intervention groups.
Anxiety Change Through Electroencephalographic Alpha Feedback Seen Only in High Anxiety Subjects
Subjects who were either high or low in trait anxiety used alpha feedback to increase and to decrease their electroencephalographic alpha activity. The alpha changes were tightly linked to anxiety changes, but only in high anxiety subjects (for whom anxiety was reduced in proportion to alpha increases, and was increased in proportion to alpha suppression).
EEG Signature and Phenomenology of Alpha/Theta Neurofeedback Training Versus Mock Feedback
Alpha/theta (a/t) neurofeedback training has in the past successfully been used as a complementary therapeutic relaxation technique in the treatment of alcoholism. In spite of positive clinical outcomes, doubts have been cast on the protocol's specificity when compared to alternative relaxation regimes.
Child trauma, Attachment and Biofeedback Mitigation
The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between the quality of attachment in early infancy and the effects of child trauma, as well as to introduce some innovative therapeutic approaches. For this reason, a group of 10 children manifesting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diagnosed by ICD-10, was selected.
The Effects of Brief, Eyes-Open Alpha Brain Wave Training with Audio and Video Relaxation Induction on the EEG of 77 Army Reservists (abs.)
Recently, psychologist Barry Sterman of the UCLA School of Medicine became involved in measuring the brainwave activity of pilots engaged in a variety of tasks for the purpose of identifying the brainwave correlates of peak performance under different load conditions.
The Peniston-Kulkosky Brainwave Neurofeedback Therapeutic Protocol: The Future Psychotherapy for Alcoholism/PTSD/Behavioral Medicine
Electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback has been in use since the early 1970's for treatment of anxiety disorders and a variety of psychosomatic disorders. Early work conducted by researchers such as Kamiya and Kliterman focused on alpha wave biofeedback (Kamyi & Noles, 1970). Much of this initial research associated changes in EEG state with different states of consciousness (Basmajian, 1989).
Treatment of Chronic Anxiety Disorder with Neurotherapy: A Case Study
The objective of the present case study is to report the effects of alpha-decrease biofeedback training on a patient diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder Three Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventories (MMPI and MMPI-2) were used as objective measures of treatment efficacy. Following 15 sessions of slow wave inhibit/fast wave increase EEG feedback training, the patient reported a significant reduction in anxiety-related symptoms.
Biofeedback Treatments of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Preliminary Results
Forty-five individuals with generalized anxiety (38 with GAD as defined by DSM-III) were randomized to 4 treatment conditions or a waiting list control. Patients received 8 sessions of either frontal EMG biofeedback, biofeedback to increase EEG alpha, biofeedback to decrease EEG alpha, or a pseudomeditation control condition.