Neurofeedback and biofeedback with 37 migraineurs: a clinical outcome study

Abstract

BackgroundTraditional peripheral biofeedback has grade A evidence for effectively treating migraines. Two newer forms of neurobiofeedback, EEG biofeedback and hemoencephalography biofeedback were combined with thermal handwarming biofeedback to treat 37 migraineurs in a clinical outpatient setting.Methods37 migraine patients underwent an average of 40 neurofeedback sessions combined with thermal biofeedback in an outpatient biofeedback clinic. All patients were on at least one type of medication for migraine; preventive, abortive or rescue. Patients kept daily headache diaries a minimum of two weeks prior to treatment and throughout treatment showing symptom frequency, severity, duration and medications used. Treatments were conducted an average of three times weekly over an average span of 6 months. Headache diaries were examined after treatment and a formal interview was conducted. After an average of 14.5 months following treatment, a formal interview was conducted in order to ascertain duration of treatment effects.ResultsOf the 37 migraine patients treated, 26 patients or 70% experienced at least a 50% reduction in the frequency of their headaches which was sustained on average 14.5 months after treatments were discontinued.ConclusionsAll combined neuro and biofeedback interventions were effective in reducing the frequency of migraines with clients using medication resulting in a more favorable outcome (70% experiencing at least a 50% reduction in headaches) than just medications alone (50% experience a 50% reduction) and that the effect size of our study involving three different types of biofeedback for migraine (1.09) was more robust than effect size of combined studies on thermal biofeedback alone for migraine (.5). These non-invasive interventions may show promise for treating treatment-refractory migraine and for preventing the progression from episodic to chronic migraine.

Pain Management Using 19-ElectrodeZ-Score LORETA Neurofeedback

“…Very similar therapeutic approaches were used to ameliorate the symptoms of the aforementioned pain disorders. Previously, other researchers described the efficiency of NFB in reducing pain due to headaches, fibromyalgia, and other pain syndromes (Caro & Winter, 2011;Kayiran, Dursun, Ermutlu, Dursun, & Karamürsel, 2007;Kayiran, Dursun, Dursun, Ermutlu, & Karamürsel, 2010;Stokes & Lappin, 2010;Walker, 2011). Stokes reported that 70% of migraine patients experienced at least a 50% reduction in pain.…”

What is Neurofeedback: An Update

“…Carmen (2004) reported improvement of more than 90% in migraine sufferers who completed at least six sessions of HEG training. For Stokes and Lappin (2010), 70% of migraine patients experienced at least a 50% reduction in frequency on more than 1-year follow-up from a combination of 40 neurofeedback sessions combined with HEG training. Tansey (1991a) published four case reports.…”

Treating Trauma Survivors with Neurofeedback: A Grounded Theory Study

“…Neurofeedback is biofeedback applied to the brain and the central nervous system (Hammond, 2006). Numerous quantitative studies have indicated that neurofeedback may be effective in ameliorating symptoms often rooted in traumatic experience such as depression and anxiety (Hammond, 2005), substance abuse (Kelley, 1997;Peniston & Kulkosky, 1999;Scott, Kaiser, Othmer & Sideroff, 2005), posttraumatic stress disorder (Peniston & Kulkosky, 1991;Smith, 2008), and somatic symptoms such as migraine headaches (Stokes & Lappin, 2010) and fibromyalgia (Mueller, Donaldson, Nelson, & Layman, 2001). However, there is a paucity of research exploring the factors that produce those positive outcomes.…”