Alpha control and its mediating effects on pain and anxiety
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Authors
Dunne, Robert R.
Dudley, Scott B.
Subjects
Alpha control
Alpha brainwaves
Alpha brainwaves
Advisors
Wyatt, Thomas A.
Date of Issue
1976-03
Date
March 1976
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
en_US
Abstract
The purpose of the experiment was to examine the medicating effects of alpha brainwaves on pain and anxiety. Three groups of five subjects each received biofeedback training with either alpha brainwaves (alpha group), the pre-recorded brainwaves of the alpha group (yoked group), or beta brainwaves (beta group). All subjects believed they were receiving alpha training. Their subjective evaluation of the intensity of cuff-induced pain was recorded along with the amount of alpha generated, pulse rate and blood pressure. The alpha and yoked (brain waves randomly and intermittently reinforced) groups showed no significant difference in enhancement of alpha over baseline measurements or in the reduction of blood pressure and pulse rate (physiological indicators of anxiety), however, both groups performed significantly better than the beta group. The alpha group was significantly better at controlling alpha and in increasing tolerance to pain over trials ( p < .10), however there was no overall difference between groups in tolerance to pain. Regardless of initial group assignment, "high" alpha producers generally showed a greater tolerance to ischemic pain than "low" alpha producers. Group differences were significant only at the p < .20 level.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Operations Research and Administrative Sciences
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.