Sleep Med Psychophysiol.  2002 Jun;9(1):61-67.

Psychophysiological Response Patterns Measured by a Biofeedback System in Healthy People

• Kim YL
• Koo MS
• Kim EJ
• Yu BH

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study is aimed at measuring psychophysiological responses using a biofeedback system in health people to obtain basic normative data for biofeedback research and treatment.
METHODS
Ninety-six healthy volunteers (55 males and 41 females : average age 30.4+/-8.0) without any history of major medical or psychiatric illnesses participated in this study. Psychophysiological responses were assessed using the ProComp+ and BioGraph program (ver.2.1) with regard to forearm and frontal electromyography (EMG), electrodermal response (EDR), and skin temperature. They were measured in 3 phases (baseline, stress, and recovery phases), respectively Beck depression inventory and Spielberger state and trait anxiety inventory were used to measure mood states. We compared psychophysiological reponses according to age and gender differences, respectively and examined the relationship between mood states and psychophysiological measures.
RESULTS
People in their twenties showed higher EDR levels in the 3 phases than those of other age groups. Female subjects showed higher frontal EMG levels in the 3 phases compared with male subjects. There was no significant correlation between biofeedback measures and mood states in these subjects.
CONCLUSION
We present normative data of psychophysiological responses measured by a biofeedback system in healthy people. These results suggest that gender and age should be considered as important variables in assessing psychophysiologicla responses using a biofeedback system.

Keyword

Psychophysiological responses; Biofeedback; Mood states

MeSH Terms

Anxiety
Biofeedback, Psychology*
Depression
Electromyography
Female
Forearm
Galvanic Skin Response
Healthy Volunteers
Humans
Male
Skin Temperature