Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback最新文献

This study was conducted to determine the effects of slow breathing exercises performed following primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) on the heart rate, blood pressure, and quality of life of patients. Data were collected from patients admitted to the cardiology inpatient clinic of a hospital in Türkiye after primary PCI between October 2023 and November 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 34) and control (n = 33) groups. The intervention group performed slow breathing exercises twice daily for 10 min over an 8-week home follow-up period. Both groups monitored their heart rate and blood pressure at home during this time. Data were collected using a "Patient Information Form" and the "MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire" at discharge, as well as at the 4th and 8th weeks post-discharge. In all follow-up measurements, the quality of life of the patients in the intervention group was significantly better than that of those in the control group. Throughout the follow-up period, the antihypertensive medication doses of the patients in the control group needed to be increased significantly more. Slow breathing exercises increased the quality of life and reduced the heart rate and diastolic blood pressure values of patients following primary PCI. The exercises led to decreases in heart rate and blood pressure immediately after they were performed.Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov, TRN: NCT06098222, Registration date: 5 October 2023.

This study examined heart rate variability (HRV) in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using a case-control design. A total of 52 children aged 6-12 years participated. ADHD diagnosis was confirmed by a child psychiatrist according to DSM-5 criteria, and comorbidities (e.g., anxiety, ODD) were excluded. Participants were then stratified into ADHD (n = 33; 17 boys, 16 girls) and control groups (n = 19; 12 boys, 7 girls), with MOXO d-CPT used to characterize performance profiles. Resting-state HRV was recorded for 5 min using the validated Polar H10 device. Time-domain (SDNN, RMSSD), frequency-domain (VLF, LF, HF), and non-linear indices were analyzed. The Good performance group demonstrated significantly lower VLF power compared to the Weak group (η² = 0.176, p < 0.05), and the SNS Index was significantly higher in the Weak hyperactivity group (d = 0.49, p = 0.048), indicating increased sympathetic activation associated with poorer performance. Non-significant trends were observed for SDNN (η² = 0.08) and RMSSD (η² = 0.07), suggesting modest parasympathetic differences, though these did not reach statistical significance. These findings highlight VLF and the SNS Index as the most robust HRV metrics associated with impulsivity and hyperactivity performance on the MOXO d-CPT, while other HRV domains showed only preliminary or non-significant effects. Future longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate HRV's potential for monitoring treatment response and its specificity to cognitive subdomains in ADHD.

Real-time fMRI neurofeedback enables individuals to learn self-regulation of specific brain regions, such as the amygdala, which is often targeted for downregulation in trauma-related disorders. However, repeated exposure to emotional stimuli during lengthy sessions may lead to habituation, with amygdala activity naturally decreasing over time independent of self-regulation success. Presentation rate may influence this effect--however, empirical evidence remains limited with that rate varying widely across studies (ranging from three pictures every 4.5 s to one picture for 20 s). Therefore, prior to conducting an intended real-time fMRI neurofeedback study, we conducted this pilot to evaluate two types of presentation rate. We compared two aversive image presentation procedures and used skin conductance as an index of amygdala activation to identify an optimal presentation rate for a future neurofeedback study. The final sample included 13 healthy adults, who viewed blocks of six aversive images every four seconds (labeled "dynamic") and blocks of one aversive image for 24 s (labeled "static") while skin conductance was continuously recorded. Before the task, participants completed questionnaires assessing stress exposure and anxiety to explore their relationship with skin conductance. Skin conductance level (SCL), a measure of longer-term tonic arousal, remained higher in the dynamic condition than in the static condition. Although the static condition elicited a sharper initial peak, the response decayed more rapidly, whereas the dynamic condition yielded sustained SCL with small increases following each image onset. Further, we found that higher anxiety scores, as defined with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults, correlated with lower SCL. These findings suggest that dynamic image presentations may mitigate amygdala habituation more effectively than static presentations, highlighting stimulus timing as a key factor for optimizing protocols such as neurofeedback.

The increased use of consumer off-the-shelf wearables (COTSW) for exercise training and self-monitoring has resulted in some COTSW offering individual 'recovery' or 'readiness' scores. These scores are derived using heart rate variability (HRV) and are designed to be easily interpreted (percent score; color codes) to assist users in optimizing their training. Limited research exists on the perceived informational utility associated with HRV-derived scores, which can impact user adoption and fidelity. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand individuals' experiences using and interacting with their COTSW and readiness/recovery scores. Seventeen regular exercisers who owned and used a Whoop™ band or Oura™ ring for at least 3 months participated in a one-on-one virtual semi-structured interview. Interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, with themes supported by 'in-vivo' quotes. This paper focuses on three key themes for a comprehensive demonstration. Theme 1, 'It's kinda validating, right?' (Detroit) highlights how users found validation and reinforcement in their lifestyle choices and feelings about their well-being. Theme 2, 'It's really putting the power in my hands,' (Misty) indicates users' curiosity and experimentation with their devices, leading to behavioral adjustments aimed at improving their readiness/recovery scores. Theme 3, potential for 'more of an emotional response rather than a rational one, (Brian) demonstrates the complex reactive responses users may have towards these scores and each wearable's interface. These findings contribute to the understanding of how COTSW estimates of readiness or recovery impact users' behavior and self-perception, while highlighting the potential need for user education and design considerations to promote positive interactions with such data.

Treatment response remains one of the key challenges in managing patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of combining neurofeedback with pharmacotherapy in treating OCD. We conducted a single-blind, randomized clinical trial at Farschian Hospital in Hamadan, Iran. Forty-five patients with OCD were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 15 per group): experimental, placebo, and control. The experimental group received 25 neurofeedback sessions (three 45-minute sessions per week) alongside pharmacotherapy. The placebo group followed a similar protocol but without actual neurofeedback administration. The control group received pharmacotherapy alone. Data were analyzed using SPSS-22. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the mean total obsession score, including both thought and compulsion subscales (p < 0.01). The experimental group showed significantly greater improvement in all outcome measures compared to both control groups (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between the placebo and control groups (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that combining neurofeedback with pharmacotherapy significantly reduces OCD symptom severity compared to either treatment alone. Neurofeedback may serve as an effective, novel, and non-invasive complementary therapy for OCD when combined with standard pharmacological treatment.Trial registration The trial was registered at the Iranian registry of clinical trials ( www.irct.ir ; registration number: IRCT2015030321313N1).