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Alpha wave biofeedback training therapy in alcoholics
Author(s) -
Passini Frank T.,
Watson Charles G.,
Dehnel Luther,
Herder Joseph,
Watkins Bruce
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(197701)33:1+<292::aid-jclp2270330166>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - psychology , minnesota multiphasic personality inventory , alpha wave , adjective check list , anxiety , paranoia , systematic desensitization , rating scale , clinical psychology , placebo , anhedonia , neurofeedback , personality , psychiatry , electroencephalography , medicine , developmental psychology , social psychology , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , alternative medicine , pathology
This investigation evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of alpha‐wave biofeedback treatment for alcoholics. Twenty‐five S s were compared to a matched control group before and after administration of a 3‐week alpha‐wave biofeedback regimen on a wide variety of criteria that included State‐Trait Anxiety, the MMPI, Multiple Affect Adjective Check List, Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, Watson's Anhedonia Scale, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and baseline alpha. The experimental S s received 10 hour‐long alpha training sessions. The experimentals showed more improvement than did controls on alpha production and two anxiety measures. Contradictory results appeared on two suspicion/paranoia measures. Alpha training appeared useful in the treatment of anxiety, but not other problems. However, the absence of significant correlations between amount of change on alpha and the anxiety measures suggests that the improvement may be due to a placebo effect.