Biofeedback Vs. Neurofeedback – What’s The Difference?

Neurofeedback is often used to treat forms of psychopathology or mental illness and performance enhancement, whereas biofeedback may help improve physiological functioning or distress.

To learn more about neurofeedback, please read the article; What Is Neurofeedback.

What Is Biofeedback?

Biofeedback (BF) is a non-invasive psychophysiological treatment technique with a bio-monitoring system and sensors to measure, amplify, and feedback information that enables an individual to learn how to unconscious physiological activity into the realm of the conscious.

Biofeedback is a way to change how much you sweat, breathe, and even how many times your heart beats per minute. It uses a mechanical device to show changes in the body commonly not felt.

A biofeedback machine can measure any bodily function, and using specific learning techniques, and anyone can improve health and performance. BF devices used in the comfort of one’s home may allow individuals to self-treat and decrease travel to clinics to receive training. However, telehealth professionals’ visits may still be needed, and adherence may be an issue for some individuals.

Are Biofeedback and Neurofeedback The Same?

Neurofeedback is a specific type of biofeedback called EEG-Biofeedback. Neurofeedback focuses on the central nervous system and the brain to improve neuro-regulation and stabilization. Through brain activity modulation, individuals can affect behavioral changes that produce significant changes in their performance at work, socially, and in daily living activities.

NF trains the patient to enhance poorly regulated brainwave patterns by using computer technology. Feedback is provided to the patient in real-time operating sounds or video images – positive feedback or negative feedback, depending on whether the desired brain activity is achieved or not achieved.

Biofeedback belongs to both practitioners and researchers. It intersects multiple disciplines and perspectives such as humanistic and transpersonal psychology, neuroscience, neurology, internal medicine, sports coaching, nursing, somatic therapy, psychology, physical therapy, and consciousness studies.

We can appreciate the field’s richness through this diversity when we allow ourselves to see the world through varied colleagues’ differently colored glasses. Many isolated clinicians, researchers, and even research subjects helped create the field we now know as biofeedback

What Is the History of EEG-Biofeedback?

In 1875, scientists discovered that mental activity resulted in fluctuations in the brain’s electrical activity. In 1920, Hans Berger recorded the first electroencephalograph (EEG signals) on the human scalp. He observed how thinking and alertness affected the EEG signal’s patterns. He believed that observable patterns in the EEG could reflect clinical disorders.

For the next seventy years, EEG remained in the world of the Neurologists, Scientists, and Government Black Box research projects. In the 1990s, President George Bush assisted Neuroscience research with “The Decade of The Brain.” This attention fueled a renaissance in the world of computational neuroscience research. Computers were getting faster, and it was becoming easier to gather neuroscience data. Through this decade, the field of EEG-Biofeedback or more colloquially known as Neurofeedback, was born.

Fast forward a century later, Dr. Star and his team have brought Dr. Berger’s dream to reality with the US Patent for analyzing brainwaves to assist with a medical diagnosis. This technology provides accurate Neurofeedback protocols for disorders of the brain and body.

Credible Research on Biofeedback

https://www.loc.gov/loc/brain

https://www.aapb.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00999123

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/biofeedback/about/pac-20384664

https://www.springer.com/journal/10484