Biofeedback (gray Matter)

Biofeedback Biofeedback Brain Development Brain Disorders Brain Facts Cells of the Nervous System Emotion and Stress The Forebrain The Hindbrain Learning and Memory Meditation and Hypnosis The Midbrain The Neurobiology of Addiction New Techniques for Examining the Brain Pain Sensation and Perception Sleep and Dreaming Speech and Language The Spinal Cord The Teen Brain Biofeedback Krista West Series Editor Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D. Biofeedback Copyright © 2007 by Infobase Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Chelsea House An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data West, Krista. Biofeedback / Krista West. p. cm.— (Gray matter) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-7910-9436-5 (hardcover) ISBN-10: 0-7910-9436-7 (hardcover) 1. Biofeedback training—Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series. RC489.B53W48 2007 615.8’51—dc22 2006101019 Chelsea House books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Chelsea House on the World Wide Web at http://www.chelseahouse.com Text and cover design by Terry Mallon Printed in the United States of America Bang EJB 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. All links and Web addresses were checked and verified to be correct at the time of publication. Because of the dynamic nature of the Web, some addresses and links may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. Contents 1. Biofeedback in Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. What Is Biofeedback?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3. Brain Basics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 4. The Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5. Biofeedback and Mental Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 6. Biofeedback and Physical Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 7. Biofeedback and You. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 8. The Future of Biofeedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Further Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 1 Biofeedback in Action The goal of biofeedback is to unite the mind and the body— to make the conscious, thinking mind more aware and more in control of what the body is doing. At its simplest, biofeedback is a process that uses instruments to make information about the body available to the mind. The idea is to give the mind the knowledge it needs to heal the body. This, some say, is the key to solving many health problems without drugs or surgical invasions. Other people seek scientific evidence to support the claims of biofeedback. The science, so far, is incomplete. Biofeedback treatments have been used for nearly 50 years, but formal and controlled scientific studies of the mechanism that makes biofeedback an effective treatment are few and far between. Exactly how an