Biofeedback Found to be a New Treatment for Dementia-Like Symptoms
Denton, TX (PRWEB) April 10, 2014 -- Biofeedback – Dementia, which affects approximately 5% of people age 65 and older, is a group of symptoms caused by many different diseases and conditions that people most commonly associate with Alzheimer’s disease. The possibility of losing one’s mental faculties must be taken seriously, so all medical avenues for confirming or disconfirming a diagnosis of dementia must be explored.
If difficulties with thinking, memory, and reasoning begin to negatively affect daily life, it is time to see a specialist, but if one receives a diagnosis of dementia, it is wise to seek a second opinion. An article in the current issue of Biofeedback discusses a case in which a 63-year-old woman was initially diagnosed with dementia, but a second look at different diagnostics and medication interactions suggested that her “dementia” was in fact severe anxiety and stress.
The patient in the study was put through many levels of testing that focused on her anxiety and depression levels, her abilities to sleep and to focus, and her brainwave patterns. She also spoke with a therapist to assess her state of mind and obtain a clear mental picture. The overall outcomes of the testing showed that she was suffering primarily from high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression; however, some of the testing was inconclusive because it was not completed (the patient’s preference) or because the mixture of medications she was taking was interfering with the therapist’s ability to obtain accurate results.
As a result of these new outcomes, the patient began biofeedback treatment, including counseling sessions, deep-breathing exercises, ways to help control her heart rate during increased times of stress (known as heart rate variability), and ways to help retrain her brain to function more efficiently (neurofeedback). After several months of treatment, the patient experienced significant changes in mood, behavior, sleep patterns, and cognitive function, and began having a more positive outlook in general. Her medication regimen, under the supervision of her other doctors, was altered, and her “dementia” symptoms subsided dramatically.
Dementia is not a disease unto itself, but a group of symptoms caused by other underlying diseases. In this case, what appeared to be dementia was anxiety and the wrong mix of medications. This case reinforces the importance of exploring all options before beginning a heavy medication regimen and accepting one diagnosis as the only meaning of the symptoms.
Full text of the article, “Anxiety Misdiagnosed as Dementia? A Complex Case Successfully Treated Using a Multimodal Biofeedback Approach,” Biofeedback, Vol. 42, No. 1, 2014, is available at http://www.aapb-biofeedback.com/doi/full/10.5298/1081-5937-42.1.08.
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About Biofeedback
Biofeedback is published four times per year and distributed by the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. AAPB’s mission is to advance the development, dissemination, and utilization of knowledge about applied psychophysiology and biofeedback to improve health and the quality of life through research, education, and practice. For more information about the Association, see http://www.aapb.org.
Bridget Lamb, Allen Press, Inc., http://allenpress.com/, +1 800-627-0326 Ext: 410, [email protected]
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