HRV biofeedback and neurofeedback for traumatic brain injury.

Why the issue was published.

The editors cite CDC figures of 2.5 million emergency room visits, hospitalizations or deaths associated with traumatic brain injury in 2010, and more than 248,000 emergency visits in 2009 by children and teens for sports- or recreation-related concussion. Football and soccer are named as sports where lasting effects are a growing concern.

Two approaches.

• Neurofeedback trains brain electrical activity. The editors note it is increasingly accepted after concussion, and was tentatively rated “probably efficacious” for brain injury in a field reference text.
• HRV biofeedback is the newer approach. Earlier work by Dr. Lagos and colleagues (2012) reviewed evidence that concussion reduces parasympathetic activity, increases sympathetic activity and lowers HRV, and argued that retraining HRV is a credible approach.

Inside the issue.

• An editorial by Dr. Lagos on the overlap between post-concussion symptoms and post-traumatic stress (summary).
• A study by Kim and colleagues in which people with severe brain injury learned to raise HRV and showed better attention, emotional control, life satisfaction and self-esteem.
• Two articles from the ADD Centre in Toronto combining HRV biofeedback and neurofeedback, including case narratives showing low baseline HRV after injury and large increases after training.
• Reviews of neurofeedback methods, and a case of a 17-year-old goalie with two consecutive concussions tracked with brain mapping before and after each.

Read more.

Read HRV biofeedback for post-concussion symptoms: what the research shows, or learn how the 10-week HRV biofeedback protocol is taught in NYC.

The paper.

Moss D, Lagos L (eds). The use of heart rate variability biofeedback and neurofeedback for traumatic brain injury. Biofeedback. 2015;43(1):1-3. doi:10.5298/1081-5937-43.1.03.

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