The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of
alpha-
increase neurofeedback
training (Performance Enhancement Training) on self-awareness, human attention, blood pressure,
stress reduction and brain wave patterns. A forty-nine-year-old male college student, diagnosed with essential hypertension controlled by medication, had undergone twenty-six
sessions of alpha-increase biofeedback (8-13 Hz) at PZ electrode site for a total period of 15 weeks.
pre and Post visual TOVA tests were administered to assess variables of attention in accuracy, reaction time (RT), and RT variability. The results of the TOVA tests clearly showed an improvement in individual’s reaction time, the reaction time variability and percentage of omission error.
Participant’s blood pressure was measured twice in each session, namely before and after training. After 13 sessions of training, participant discontinued his medication as advised by his physician. The analyses of Mean Arterial Blood pressure (MAP) revealed that the post training sessions’ MAP measures were significantly lower than the pre training sessions’ MAP measures. The participant’s systolic and diastolic blood pressures of the first 13 sessions were not significantly different from those of the last 13 sessions. Pre and Post training assessment of stress with Osterkamp and Press Self-Assessment Stress Inventory indicated stress reduction in two areas, work and social life. The participant was able to increase his alpha amplitude level, in relation to his baseline reading, from 61% in his initial five sessions to 89% in his five final sessions. QEEG evaluation was conducted prior as well as upon the completion of the study. Statistical analyses showed that before and after QEEG evaluations were within normal limits.