OBJECTIVE:: To study the clinical effectiveness of biofeedback treatment in reducing tics in patients with Tourette syndrome. BACKGROUND:: Despite advances in the pharmacologic treatment of patients with Tourette syndrome, many remain troubled by their tics, which may be resistant to multiple medications at tolerable doses. Electrodermal biofeedback is a noninvasive biobehavioral intervention that can be useful in managing neuropsychiatric and neurologic conditions. METHODS:: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of electrodermal biofeedback training in 21 patients with Tourette syndrome. RESULTS:: After training the patients for 3 sessions a week over 4 weeks, we observed a significant reduction in tic frequency and improved indices of subjective well-being in both the active-biofeedback and sham-feedback (control) groups, but there was no difference between the groups in these measurements. Furthermore, the active-treatment group did not demonstrably learn to reduce their sympathetic electrodermal tone using biofeedback. CONCLUSIONS:: Our findings indicate that this form of biofeedback training was unable to produce a clinical effect greater than placebo. The main confounding factor appeared to be the 30-minute duration of the training sessions, which made it difficult for patients to sustain a reduction in sympathetic tone when their tics themselves were generating competing phasic electrodermal arousal responses. Despite a negative finding in this study, electrodermal biofeedback training may have a role in managing tics if optimal training schedules can be identified.
Nagai, Y., Cavanna, A., Critchley, H., Stern, J., Robertson, M., Joyce, E. (2014). Biofeedback treatment for Tourette syndrome: A preliminary randomized controlled trial. COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL NEUROLOGY, 27(1), 17-24 [10.1097/WNN.0000000000000019].
Biofeedback treatment for Tourette syndrome: A preliminary randomized controlled trial
Cavanna A;
2014
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:: To study the clinical effectiveness of biofeedback treatment in reducing tics in patients with Tourette syndrome. BACKGROUND:: Despite advances in the pharmacologic treatment of patients with Tourette syndrome, many remain troubled by their tics, which may be resistant to multiple medications at tolerable doses. Electrodermal biofeedback is a noninvasive biobehavioral intervention that can be useful in managing neuropsychiatric and neurologic conditions. METHODS:: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of electrodermal biofeedback training in 21 patients with Tourette syndrome. RESULTS:: After training the patients for 3 sessions a week over 4 weeks, we observed a significant reduction in tic frequency and improved indices of subjective well-being in both the active-biofeedback and sham-feedback (control) groups, but there was no difference between the groups in these measurements. Furthermore, the active-treatment group did not demonstrably learn to reduce their sympathetic electrodermal tone using biofeedback. CONCLUSIONS:: Our findings indicate that this form of biofeedback training was unable to produce a clinical effect greater than placebo. The main confounding factor appeared to be the 30-minute duration of the training sessions, which made it difficult for patients to sustain a reduction in sympathetic tone when their tics themselves were generating competing phasic electrodermal arousal responses. Despite a negative finding in this study, electrodermal biofeedback training may have a role in managing tics if optimal training schedules can be identified.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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