The 4 differences between Biofeedback and Neurofeedback

These two techniques are often used as part of the therapeutic intervention in disorders.

Although they may not be among the best known procedures, biofeedback and neurofeedback are treatments that are gradually enjoying increasing applicability in different disorders, both medical and psychiatric. These two techniques are usually closely associated, neurofeedback being one of the existing types of biofeedback. However, there are some differences between the two concepts. Thus, we are going to dedicate the present article to talk about the differences between biofeedback and neurofeedback..

Definition of both concepts

There are slight differences between neurofeedback and the other types of biofeedback, but before being able to determine what they are, it is first necessary to make a brief description of each of these concepts.

Biofeedback: basic description

Biofeedback is known as the set of techniques used at a therapeutic level that base their functioning on awareness of the biological and physiological processes carried out by our body in different that our body carries out in different problem situations. This awareness is carried out with the help of different procedures or technologies, and it is intended that after that the subject can not only recognize but also get to voluntarily control biological processes usually not conscious.

The main objectives of this technique are to acquire control over the physiological system, to learn to maintain self-control of this system in the absence of biofeedback and to generalize this self-control.

The type of responses or biological elements that can be regulated by this technique is very varied, and can belong to almost any body system. Temperature, electrodermal activity, muscle control, heart rate or Blood volume in a given area are examples. The instruments used for their measurement are also highly variable.. Based on the elements measured, we can find different types of biofeedback, being the electromyographic one of the best known (based on muscle activity).

It has been used with proven efficacy in different disorders and diseases, such as neurological, cardiac, muscular, intestinal, respiratory, chronic pain, allergies or psychological problems such as stress or anxiety.

Neurofeedback

As far as neurofeedback is concerned, we are faced with a specialization of the previous technique which is based on the control of the electrophysiological activity of the brain itself. In other words, in this type of biofeedback, the recording of the brain's electrical activity is used to train the subject in its control through its visualization.

The recorded brain waves will be converted into a signal that will be used to teach the subject to control his or her visualization. signal that will be used to teach the subject to control brain activity patterns. It is possible that the pacinete is directly taught his encephalogram or that this signal is previously analyzed and processed in such a way that it is transformed into different visual stimuli (for example, numbers) or topographic maps of the brain that allow visualizing in 3D the areas of the brain and its activity.

This type of biofeedback is very useful for training in various skills and for patients to observe their own brain activity. for patients to observe their brain activity in disorders or problems such as insomnia or or problems such as insomnia, epilepsy, ADHD, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, memory problems, lack of impulse control, learning problems, aphasia and other language problems or anxiety or stress levels. Also in paralysis and paresthesias, eating disorders or urinary incontinence.

Main differences between biofeedback and neurofeedback

As we have seen from their definition, biofeedback and neurofeedback are two techniques that present a great number of similarities, neurofeedback being in fact a type of biofeedback. However, however, they present a series of differential characteristics that could lead to separate both types of technique. These include the following.

Level of specificity

One of the clearest differences, which is visible from the beginning of the article, is the level of specificity of both techniques. Neurofeedback, also known as electroencephalographic biofeedback, is a specific type of biofeedback aimed at learning to control brain activity patterns. The term biofeedback would encompass this and other types of biofeedback, it is necessary to specify the type of biological information to be worked on..

2. Processes to be worked on

Although the objective of both biofeedback and neurofeedback is to help patients learn to control processes that are in principle unconscious in such a way that these processes do not escape their control and cause them harm, the truth is that the areas of application are somewhat different from each other.

In general, biofeedback usually works at the level of control of the chosen activity, i.e. learning to control respiratory or cardiac activity, for example, or the flow of blood to certain parts of the body. This can also be used at the psychological level to reduce anxiety or stress levels, but it is mainly applied to bodily aspects.but it is mainly applied to bodily aspects.

However, neurofeedback tries to give some control over the level of brain activation. Although this includes some corporeality, the aspects that will be especially influenced are mainly mental, and mental activation must be controlled in order to introduce changes in the brain pattern.

3. Level of complexity

Another possible difference between neurofeedback and other types of biofeedback lies in the level of complexity involved in the measurement and use of the technique. Although muscle control or even respiratory control is a concept that is not strange and it is easy to visualize how to carry it out (although it may be more complex than it seems), the same is not true when it comes to brain activity patterns. We are not used to trying to exert some control over this organ, and it can be somewhat abstract to understand that certain ways of acting correspond to the stimulus presented to us.

4. Technical difficulties

The aforementioned complexity may not only be not only at the practical level, but also at the methodological level.. And the fact is that correctly recording encephalographic activity and also pinpointing the areas responsible for it presents more difficulties than the recording of other types of activities, despite the fact that nowadays there is more and more knowledge of mapping and knowledge of brain functioning.

It should also be borne in mind that the activity required to activate certain brain reactions in each brain can vary greatly depending on the type of activity. can vary greatly depending on the nervous configuration or even the personality of the patient. or even the personality of the patient.

Bibliographical references:

• Carrobles, J.A. (2016). Bio/neurofeedback. Clínica y Salud, 27 (3): 125-131.