ABSTRACT
This article traces the history of the Annual International Symposium on Respiratory Psychophysiology from its origins in the late 1970s at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, U.K., to the September 1993 symposium in London, U.K. (sponsored by the Department of Medicine of the Westminster and Charing Cross Medical School), where the formation of the International Society for the Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology (ISARP) was announced, along with plans for a new, associated journal, Breathing Research and Therapy. The workshops, symposia, participants, and publications generated since the first formal meeting in 1981 are listed. This article also provides a summary of the 1993 workshops and a request for information concerning membership and future meetings of ISARP.
Subject(s)
Congresses as Topic/history , Psychophysiology/history , Respiration/physiology , History, 20th Century , HumansABSTRACT
Patients with clinically diagnosed agoraphobia to whom it had been demonstrated that a standard hyperventilation provocation could produce their feared symptoms were alternately allocated to two treatment groups: 7 patients were treated with two sessions of breathing retraining followed by 7 weekly sessions of real-life exposure to the feared situation, and 5 patients were treated with 9 weekly sessions of real-life exposure without breathing retraining. At discharge and at 1 month's follow-up the two groups of patients showed similar degrees of improvement in frequency of panic attacks and other psychophysiological scores. At 6 months' follow-up the patients treated with real-life exposure alone were beginning to show a fall-off in relearned adaptive behaviour (learning decrement), whereas those given breathing retraining showed further improvement. This suggests that patients pretreated with breathing retraining are less likely to need further treatment.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Agoraphobia/therapy , Phobic Disorders/therapy , Respiration , Adolescent , Adult , Behavior Therapy , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Hyperventilation/physiopathology , Hyperventilation/therapy , Male , Middle Aged , Time FactorsABSTRACT
This paper outlines the design of a specialized alpha-biofeedback system for use in the treatment of anxiety. The relationship of electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha activity to various anxiety states is described, and the rationale for use of alpha-biofeedback training with chronic anxiety patients is explained. Those features of the specialized system, and associated training methods, which are considered essential for this particular application are described and include the following: (1) use of visual feedback and eyes-open training; (2) use of oculomotor influences to facilitate alpha production; (3) encouragement of a passive attitude in the patient by using both verbal instructions and 'low-information' feedback with covert shaping. The training procedures used and the design and function of the instrument are described. The initial clinical results obtained with this equipment are also presented.
Subject(s)
Alpha Rhythm , Anxiety/therapy , Biofeedback, Psychology , Eye Movements , Humans , Monitoring, PhysiologicABSTRACT
An EEG alpha biofeedback system and a portable GSR monitor/feedback box are described. The rationale for the use of these instruments in the management of anxiety and for relaxation training, respectively, is also described, as well as the training techniques presently in use at St. Bartholomew's Hospital.