Neurofeedback Training Effects on Hypertension, Human Attention, Stress and Brain Wave Patterns: Case Study
Increase in alpha brain wave activity has been clinically proven to aid in the eliciting of relaxation response, characterized by a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure. In this manner, the relaxation response serves as an organic method in which to counteract increased sympathetic nervous system activity associated with the fight-or-flight response. This is found to be beneficial to individuals suffering from hypertension, as the disease is often a response to regular inappropriate activation of this sympathetic nervous system activity.
Matthew, a forty-nine-year-old male fire-fighter diagnosed with hypertension pharmacologically managed was referred to a licensed neurotherapist for neurofeedback. Matthew underwent twenty-six sessions of alpha-increase biofeedback for a period of fifteen weeks. Prior to engaging in neurofeedback therapy for regulation of his blood pressure, Matthew was prescribed Lotensin (benazopril), blood pressure medication, once a day for a period of one year, when his systolic and diastolic blood pressure reached a level of 160/100 mm Hg. His attending physician continued to monitor Matthew throughout his neurofeedback training, and discontinued the use of the Lotensin during his fifteenth neurofeedback session, by which Matthew’s blood pressure had decreased to 135/83 mm Hg. Statistical analysis of his blood pressure levels indicated no significant variance between his mean arterial blood pressure with and without the Lotensin; indicative of Matthew’s ability to maintain normal blood pressure without the use of medication, resulting in cessation of the prescription.
In an interview conducted upon completion of the neurofeedback therapy sessions,
Matthew reported an increase in self-awareness levels throughout the training
sessions, granting him the ability to recognize to what degree his body responded
to perceived emergency situations related to his work duties. Through his
new found self-awareness, Matthew recognized the perceptual signals associated
with his employment that triggered a fight-or-flight response, and was better
able to counter his initial automatic reaction, and manage physiological
responses in order to maintain his blood pressure at a non-threatening level. Through
the use of neurofeedback, Matthew learned how to manage his physical reaction
to certain stimuli in a more productive fashion, aiding him find greater
enjoyment in his job, and allowing him to remain in his position longer,
as it now posed less of a threat to his physical health, in terms of his
blood pressure.