Kesaria, Anam
College of Science and Mathematics
Professor: Dr. Rachel Hopp
ABSTRACT:
Recently, biofeedback is gaining popularity as an alternative to medications. Biofeedback gives the patients the skills needed to self control their body as it shows information about physiological responses in real time. This intervention is an effective therapy for insomnia, depression, attention deficit disorder, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, and other disorders. However, research on biofeedback is still in its infancy. The cost effectiveness of biofeedback sessions, duration and number of sessions, long term gains, consistency of results across studies, and other factors remain unanswered. By discovering answers to these problems, many cognitive and physiological disorders can be treated effectively without having to consume a single pill. A variety of instruments are used to collect data such as the electroencephalogram and the electrocardiogram. Many devices are found over the counter and require no special training (Kemper). During EEG biofeedback studies, it was observed that increased alpha wave frequency of good memory performers was about 1 Hz higher than those of bad performers (Klimesch et al). In another study, patients given brief bursts of alpha photic stimulation showed an increased recognition of words more than the control group (Williams et al). The goal of this study is to first determine the overall efficacy of biofeedback on female college students and also to see if there is a correlation between alpha waves and memory. The hypothesis of this experiment is that biofeedback will increase word recall in participants and also will prove to be an effective technique in lowering stress levels and improving academic performance.
