Abstract
Only five studies of patients met criteria for this review. Four of the five had a good clinical outcome. The only one without efficacy reported no enhancement of the target waveform. Of the other four, two reported some enhancement, whereas two gave no details about changes in the target waveform. There were 10 studies of nonpatients with generalized anxiety, of which eight had a good outcome. The decrease of anxiety in these eight studies was correlated with enhancement of the target waveform in five. Three of the eight had no increase of alpha, showing placebo plays a part in neurotherapy. There were nine studies of nonpatients with phobic anxiety, of which six had enhancement of the target waveform accompanied by good outcome. The remaining three studies had poor outcome in spite of enhancement of the target waveform.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allgulander, C., Hackett, D., & Salinas, E. (2001). Venlafaxine extended release (ER) in the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder: twenty-four-week placebo-controlled dose-ranging study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 179, 15–22.
Alpert, R., & Haber, R. N. (1960). Anxiety in academic achievement situations. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 61, 207–215.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC.
American Psychiatric Association. (1980). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed.). Washington, DC.
Chisholm, R. C., DeGood, D. E., & Hartz, M. A. (1977). Effects of alpha feedback training on occipital EEG, heart rate, and experiential reactivity to a laboratory stressor. Psychophysiology, 14(2), 157–163.
Dahlstrom, W. G., & Welsh, G. S. (1960). An MMPI handbook: A guide to use in clinical practice and research. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Garrett, B. L., & Silver, M. P. (1976). The use of EMG and alpha biofeedback to relieve test anxiety in college students. In I. Wickramasekera (Ed.), Biofeedback, behavior therapy, and hypnosis. Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall.
Gelenberg, A. J., Lydiard, R. B., Rudolph, R. L., Aguiar, L., Haskins, J. T., & Salinas, E. (2000). Efficacy of venlafaxine extended-release capsules in nondepressed outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder: A 6-month randomized controlled trial. Journal of American Medial Association, 283(23), 3082–3088.
Glueck, B. C., & Stroebel, C. F. (1975). Biofeedback and meditation in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 16(4), 303–321.
Hardt, J. V., & Kamiya, J. (1978). Anxiety change through electroencephalographic alpha feedback seen only in high anxiety subjects. Science, 201, 79–81.
Hare, J. F., Timmons, B. H., Roberts, J. R., & Burman, A. S. (1982). EEG alpha-biofeedback training: An experimental technique for the management of anxiety. Journal of Medical Engineering and Technology, 6(1), 19–24.
Holmes, D. S., Burish, T. G., & Frost, R. O. (1980). Effects of instructions and biofeedback on EEG-alpha production and the effects of EEG-alpha biofeedback training for controlling arousal in subsequent stressful situation. Journal of Research in Personality, 14, 212–223.
Knox, S. S. (1980). Distribution of ‘criterion’ alpha in the resting EEG: Further argument against the use of an amplitude threshold in alpha biofeedback training. Biological Psychology, 11(1), 1–6.
Lehrer, P. M. (1978). Psychophysiological effects of progressive relaxation in anxiety neurotic patients and of progressive relaxation and alpha feedback in nonpatients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(3), 389–404.
Lenox-Smith, A. J., & Reynolds, A. (2003). A double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled study of venlafaxine XL in patients with generalised anxiety disorder in primary care. The British Journal of General Practice, 53(495), 772–777.
Mills, G. K., & Solyom, L. (1974). Biofeedback of EEG alpha in the treatment of obsessive ruminations: An exploration. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 5, 37–41.
Moore, N. C. (2000). A review of EEG biofeedback treatment of anxiety disorders. Clinical Electroencephalography, 31(1), 1–6.
Overall, J. E., & Gorham, D. R. (1962). The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Psychological Reports, 10, 799–812.
Passini, F. T., Watson, C. G., Dehnel, L., Herder, J., & Watkins, B. (1977). Alpha wave biofeedback training therapy in alcoholics. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 33(1), 292–299.
Peniston, E. G., & Kulkosky, P. J. (1991). Alpha-theta brainwave neuro-feedback therapy for Vietnam veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Medical Psychotherapy, 4, 47–60.
Pettigrew, C. G., & Dawson, J. G. (1979). Death anxiety: “state” or “trait”? Journal of Clinical Psychology, 35(1), 154–158.
Plotkin, W. B., & Rice, K. M. (1981). Biofeedback as a placebo: Anxiety reduction facilitated by training in either suppression or enhancement of alpha brainwaves. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 49, 590–596.
Pressner, J. A., & Savitsky, J. C. (1977). Effect of contingent and noncontingent feedback and subject expectancies on electroencephalogram biofeedback training. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45(4), 713–714.
Rice, K. M., Blanchard, E. B., & Purcell, M. (1993). Biofeedback treatments of generalized anxiety disorder: Preliminary results. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 18, 93–105.
Rice, K. M., & Blanchard, E. B. (1982). Biofeedback in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Clinical psychology Review, 2, 557–577.
Sittenfeld, P., Budzynski, T. H., & Stoyva, J. M. (1976). Differential shaping of EEG theta rhythms. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 1, 31–46.
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., & Lushene, R. E. (1970). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Tyson, P. D. (1996). Biodesensitization: Biofeedback-controlled systematic desensitization of the stress response to infant crying. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 21(3), 273–290.
Valle, R. S., & DeGood, D. E. (1977). Effects of state-trait anxiety on the ability to enhance and suppress EEG alpha. Psychophysiology, 14(1), 1–7.
Watson, B. W., Woolley-Hart, A., & Timmons, B. H. (1979). Biofeedback instruments for the management of anxiety and for relaxation training. Journal of Biomedical Engineering, 1(1), 58–62.
Watson, C. G., & Herder, J. (1980). Effectiveness of alpha biofeedback therapy: Negative results. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 36(2), 508–513.
Zuckerman, M., & Lubin, B. (1965). Manual for the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List. San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moore, N.C. The Neurotherapy of Anxiety Disorders. J Adult Dev 12, 147–154 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-005-7031-y
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-005-7031-y