Effects of Alpha Feedback Training on Occipital EEG, Heart Rate, and Experiential Reactivity to a Laboratory Stressor

Abstract

The intent of this study was to examine whether brief alpha biofeedback training would alter the degree of physiological and experiential stress evidenced in an aversive laboratory situation. While occipital alpha and heart rate were monitored, 36 subjects underwent 8 presentations of a warning tone preceding fingertip electric shock by 30 sec. Subjects were then placed into one of three treatments taking place in dim light with eyes open. Group 1 received 24 min of contingent feedback. Group 2 received an equivalent amount of non‐contingent feedback and Group 3, a no‐feedback control condition, listened to music. Following the treatment period, 12 additional tone‐shock pairings were presented, equally divided between eyes‐open and eyes‐closed trials, also with and without continuation of the treatment period “signal” (i.e. contingent, non‐contingent feedback, or music). The results revealed that, in general, enhanced alpha density was maintained by the contingent feedback group during the post‐treatment aversive situation. However, the reduction in alpha suppression was not systematically accompanied by corresponding heart rate and self‐report reductions in situational reactivity. It was concluded that alpha feedback training was not sufficient to produce a generalized relaxation to the aversive situation. Alternative accounts of the results, focusing primarily on independence of response systems, are discussed.

Training for voluntarily increasing individual upper α power as a method for cognitive enhancement

“…This skepticism has some meth odological grounds: (1) biofeedback training aimed at increasing the power in a standard range not related to individual spectral-frequency characteristics may not only prove ineffective, but even harm the patient's condition [43,44]; (2) some researchers carry out α stimulating training with the subject's eyes open [6,42]; therefore, when teaching the subjects to voluntar ily increase the α wave amplitude with the eyes open, they decrease the degree of activation (the difference between the amplitudes in the eyes closed and eyes open states) [45] and, hence, decrease the subject's capacity for self control [46], which accounts for the low efficiency of α stimulating biofeedback as a self regulation training; (3) the training for an α power increase does not take into account the coherence of the scalp's EMG and EEG signals, which disorient the subjects as to what sensations they should memorize: those corresponding to the α state or to the tension of the scalp muscles [15,16].…”

The Neurotherapy of Anxiety Disorders

“…The minimum duration of EEG-biofeedback training required for efficacy is unclear. Five hours have been suggested (Hardt & Kamiya, 1978), yet shorter periods have been Garrett (1976) 18 + Some at end 4 hr + Garrett (1976) Alpha 10 + − + + Alpha + EMG 10 + − + + Chisholm (1977) 12 + + − + Pettigrew (1979) 10 + NA − − Holmes et al (1980) Alpha with 11 + + − − instructions Alpha without 11 + + − − instructions Tyson (1996) Crying 5 effective (Pressner & Savitsky, 1977;Valle & DeGood, 1977;Lehrer, 1978;Chisholm et al, 1977;Tyson, 1996;Plotkin & Rice, 1981;Rice et al, 1993;Garrett & Silver, 1976). Five hours have also been suggested as the minimum required to distinguish between learners and nonlearners (Glueck & Stroebel, 1975).…”

“…All three feedback groups had a significant reduction in test anxiety, whereas the relaxation and the untreated groups had none, suggesting that the improvement in the feedback groups was not merely a placebo effect. Chisholm, DeGood, and Hartz (1977) divided 18 male and 18 female students into three treatment groups, matched for gender. The students then received eight electric shocks, resulting in reduced alpha, increased tension and increased heart rate.…”

Alpha Neurofeedback Training with a portable Low-Priced and Commercially Available EEG Device Leads to Faster Alpha Enhancement

“…Many authors use electrode sites like Cz, Pz, Fz and C3 which differ from the sites used during the current study (see e.g. [9,13,51,52]). However parietal and occipital electrode sites are used commonly for IUA NFT as well (e.g.…”