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A Protocol for the Administration of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training
Published on: August 24, 2017
Stability of physiological variables in chronic tinnitus sufferers
Cornelia Weise1, Kristin Heinecke, Winfried Rief
1Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Marburg, Gutenbergstrasse 18, Marburg, Germany. weise@staff.uni-marburg.de
Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
|July 5, 2008
Summary
Psychophysiological measurements for tinnitus patients show muscle activity (EMG) is stable over three months, but skin conductance and temperature are not. This impacts biofeedback treatment reliability for tinnitus relief.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Clinical Research
- Tinnitus Management
Background:
- Tinnitus models suggest physiological arousal exacerbates suffering.
- Psychophysiological treatments are used to manage tinnitus.
- Reliable measurement of physiological parameters is crucial for biofeedback efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the 3-month reproducibility of psychophysiological parameters in tinnitus patients.
- To determine the stability of muscle activity (EMG), skin conductance level (SCL), and skin temperature.
- To evaluate the reliability of relative scores for these parameters.
Main Methods:
- A repeated-measures design was employed with 60 tinnitus patients.
- Psychophysiological parameters were assessed twice over a 3-month interval.
- Measurements included frontalis, masseter, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid muscle activity, SCL, and skin temperature during stress and relaxation trials.
Main Results:
- Electromyography (EMG) measurements for frontalis, masseter, and trapezius muscles demonstrated 3-month stability.
- Retest-stability was not evidenced for sternocleidomastoid muscle activity, SCL, and skin temperature.
- Test-retest stability was weak for all relative scores across parameters.
Conclusions:
- EMG measurements in a clinical tinnitus sample are stable over a 3-month period.
- SCL and skin temperature measurements, along with all relative scores, exhibit less stability.
- EMG stability suggests potential for attributing physiological changes to biofeedback treatments, warranting further investigation.
