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Cephalic vasomotor feedback in the modification of migraine headache

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Abstract

The effect of cephalic vasomotor response (CVMR) and frontalis electromyographic (EMG) feedback on control of temporal arterial vasoconstriction and frontalis muscle activity in migraine and muscle contraction headache patients was investigated. A single subject multiple baseline design (across subjects and responses) was introduced to evaluate (1) patterning in the two physiological systems and (2) the effects of CVMR and EMG feedback on headache activity. The data indicated that (a) all four patients demonstrated an ability to control CVMR activity during CVMR feedback and EMG during EMG feedback, (b) idiosyncratic patterns of physiological activity emerge during feedback training, and (c) learned control of the pain mechanism for muscle contraction and migraine headaches was related to reduced frequency and duration of these headaches.

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Reference notes

  1. Zamani, R.Treatment of migraine headache: Biofeedback versus deep muscle relaxation. Paper presented at the Biofeedback Research Society meeting, Monterey, 1975.

  2. Adams, H. E., Webster, J. S., & Graham, L. E.Cephalic vasomotor response feedback as a method for modifying migraine headache: Two case studies. Paper presented at the South-eastern Psychological Association, New Orleans, March 1976.

  3. Sturgis, E. T., Tollison, C. D., & Adams, H. E.Cephalic vasomotor response and electromyographic feedback treatment of combined migraine-muscle contraction headaches. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C., September 1976.

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Feuerstein, M., Adams, H.E. Cephalic vasomotor feedback in the modification of migraine headache. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation 2, 241–254 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00998649

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00998649

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