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Biomedical subjects

L M Libo

Publications and source records attributed to L M Libo.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1983

Does training to criterion influence improvement? A follow-up study of EMG and thermal biofeedback.

On follow-up 1 to 5 years after therapy, patients in six diagnostic groups who received EMG (N = 53) and/or thermal (N = 54) biofeedback and who reached criterion levels (EMG less than or equal to 1.1 microV; thermal greater than or equal to 95 degrees F) reported a higher improvement rate than those who had not achieved these criterion levels. Neither the patients nor the therapist were aware of these training criteria during therapy. Most patients received both EMG and thermal biofeedback training. Of the EMG achievers, 93% improved, compared to 65% of the nonachievers. Of the thermal achievers, 96% improved, compared to 76% of the nonachievers. These percentages significantly exceed the high base rate (81%) of long-term improvement in this study. Failure to achieve the criterion level in both modalities was associated with a lower improvement rate (73% did not improve), while achieving the criterion in only one modality was sufficient to be associated with improvement. Of the patients who did not improve, 80% had not achieved the EMG criterion, and 88% had not achieved the thermal training criterion. These results question biofeedback therapy outcome studies which slow low improvement rates without determining whether self-regulation skills had, in fact, been acquired.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Relaxation practice after biofeedback therapy: a long-term follow-up study of utilization and effectiveness.

This follow-up study 1 to 5 years after biofeedback therapy, involving 58 patients in six diagnostic groups (migraine headache, tension headache, mixed headache, chronic pain, anxiety, and essential hypertension), revealed that 86% of the patients who continued to practice relaxation techniques improved, while only 50% of those who had stopped practice improved (p = .04). Among the patients who improved, 91% had continued to practice and only 9% had stopped practice, while among the patients who did not improve, 63% had continued to practice and 36% had stopped practice. Patients who were practicing only "occasionally," "as needed," or "when stressed" improved as much as or more than those who practiced regularly and frequently (i.e., at least weekly): 89% versus 77% improved, respectively (p = n.s). There was no difference in the occurrence or frequency of relaxation practice between patients who have been out of therapy 3 to 5 years and those who completed therapy more recently, or between those who were in brief versus longer-term therapy. Although continued relaxation practice is significantly related to the maintenance of long-term improvement, a few patients manage to improve without it, or continue to practice yet relapse. Furthermore, it appears that only occasional relaxation practice after therapy is sufficient to maintain long-term therapeutic gains.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

EMG biofeedback for functional bladder-sphincter dyssynergia: a case study.

The present study utilized EMG biofeedback in the treatment of functional bladder-sphincter dyssynergia, a learned incoordination of bladder and urethral sphincter activity during voiding. The condition is usually associated with a history of painful urination due to bladder infections, surgery, or harsh toilet training. The subject was an 8-year-old girl with chronic diurnal urinary frequency, urge incontinence, and nocturnal enuresis. Treatment consisted of intensive instruction in alternately tensing and relaxing her lower pelvic musculature, as well as relaxing during voiding. These exercises were accompanied by EMG biofeedback from perianal and perivaginal surface electrode sites. Home practice consisted of the tense-relax exercise, relaxation during voiding, and self-monitoring and record-keeping. There were 17 sessions over a period of 9 months. No medication was used. Marked reduction (to normal levels) in diurnal urgency and frequency occurred by the 3rd week of therapy, and complete recovery of normal function, including nocturnal continence without waking, occurred by the 13th therapy session, 5 months after therapy began. Follow-up 1 year after therapy revealed that these gains were being maintained. Pre- and posttherapy urodynamic studies corroborated the achievement of normal urinary function.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗