WHAT IS FEEDBACK?
In order to survive, humans protect themselves with a number of stabilizing mechanisms. One of the basic mechanisms used to maintain balance is "feedback control".
The brain, like a master control center, regulates all the functions that ensure human survival. In order for the brain to do its job and control a response or behavior in the body, there must be "information-transmission" to the brain about that behavior.
This information comes to the brain through one or many sensations. To give a simple example, in order for us to reach out our hand and take the glass in our hand, information such as visual sensations and information about the distance between the glass and the hand must be communicated by nerve messages. This process is called the feedback loop.
Feedback is an effective method of treatment.
WHAT IS BIOFEEDBACK?
Biofeedback is a process in which a person learns about their own biological state. People are often unaware of their physiological functions. Especially those controlled by the autonomic nervous system, such as heart rhythm, vasodilation and constriction, skin electrical resistance due to the functioning of sweat glands.
Biofeedback devices allow a person to monitor instantaneous changes in their physiological state. To make an analogy, biofeedback can be thought of as a psychophysiological mirror.
Just as we need the image in the mirror to fix our clothes, we need the notification of what is going on in our inner life and physiology in order to fix them. Instantaneous changes in human biological processes are transmitted to the computer through a set of sensing devices, and with the help of audiovisual signals, it is possible to obtain information about these changes, which under normal conditions cannot be recognized.
What does this information do?
Thanks to this feedback on biological processes, the person realizes the link between the changes he/she perceives in his/her inner life and the physiological reactions in his/her body and has the opportunity to gain control of these functions through various trial-and-error strategies.
Use in stress management:
The most common areas where biofeedback is used are relaxation and stress management. During stress, there is sympathetic system activation in the autonomic nervous system. The human body is in a state of physiological arousal.
Stress-induced palpitations, shortness of breath, muscle tension and complaints such as forgetfulness and distraction, especially when they are very severe, can reach a dimension that disrupts the person's life. Failure to recognize that these symptoms are of psychological origin may lead the person to seek unnecessary tests and treatment. The disappearance of these symptoms is only possible by controlling stress.
Biofeedback is a technique that helps the person to control these symptoms by increasing awareness of the physical symptoms of stress and, in a sense, to learn to relax and relax psychologically. Momentary changes in heart rhythm, blood pressure, respiration, body temperature, skin electrical resistance, muscle tone or brain waves are measured and transferred to a computer. The computer displays this on the screen with visual and auditory signals. Thanks to the biofeedback method, the person learns to follow these instantaneous changes on the screen, to bring them to the desired level and to bring themselves to a state of comfort.
Biofeedback is used not only for psychological problems and stress management but also for hypertension treatment, cardiac arrhythmias, migraine, reyno syndrome, stomach acidity, incontinence, vaginismus.
The Use of NeuroBioFeedback in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Video)
WHAT IS NEUROFEEDBACK/ NEUROTHERAPY?
The stress level of the brain can be measured. After large budgets were allocated to brain research in the US, new methods began to be found. According to an article published in Nature Neuroscience, chronic stress has been proven to shrink the parts of the brain involved in learning. In a study conducted by McGill University experts in Montreal, 50 people aged 70 were followed for 5 years and this conclusion was reached. Then, ways to reduce the effect of stress on the brain were investigated. There are programs specially designed for children. In these programs in the form of games, children can fly airplanes and drive race cars with their brain power. This method, which has started to be applied in Turkey, is considered as one of the innovations of medical technology. It is successfully applied especially to people who have difficulty overcoming stress and depression, children with learning difficulties, attention deficit and hyperactivity.
Neurofeedback / Neurotherapy (Nerve feedback) is a type of biofeedback method.
As a result of rapid advances in technology, detailed measurements of the bioelectrical activity of the brain can now be made using computer technology. In neurofeedback training, information about brain waves from the person's current EEG is communicated to the person with visual and/or auditory signals and the person is asked to control certain aspects of this. Depending on the problem or need of the person, a learning environment is created by organizing a treatment protocol according to which region of the brain needs to increase/decrease the waves in which frequency. The person sees the connection between his/her current thoughts and brain waves and learns to control them in the desired direction.
The basic bioelectrical activity of the brain is alpha, beta, theta and delta waves. Slow delta waves occur mostly in the 3rd-4th stages of deep sleep. Theta waves are generally associated with daydreaming. Alpha activity is seen in an alert, attentive but relaxed state. Beta is seen in the concentration of sight-hearing and attention, i.e. in a state of fully awake thinking. If there are many alpha waves in the mix of transmissions, there is a state of alert peace. When teaching anxiety control, alpha waves are monitored with a feedback device and communicated to the person through visual and auditory signals. In this way, the person can objectively observe the ups and downs in the alpha level and its relationship with the anxiety they are experiencing. With such a study, the person can learn to produce more alpha by controlling his/her anxiety.
Neurofeedback method is widely used in clinical practice to improve mental performance and especially in the treatment of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, in addition to anxiety control, and effective results are obtained.
Use in Children:
Neurotherapy / Neuro-Biofeedback is also used in children, especially in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), in order to give the child the ability to concentrate and sustain attention. This technique enables children with ADHD to become aware of their impetuous, impatient and inattentive behaviors and to establish self-control over them.
Seeing the waves emitted by the brain in the computer environment and being able to intervene in this by concentrating attention (programs with goals such as flying airplanes, having races, etc. are used for this purpose in children) increases the child's self-confidence.
This technique is important as a drug-free method for individuals to gain the ability to remain calm in a stressful environment. There are no side effects as no electrical signals are given to the body.
