Behavioural treatment to improve stress - Budzynski et al

Question 1

Name the aim of the Budzynski study?

Answer 1

To see whether biofeedback is an effective method of reducing tension headaches

Question 2

What was the method used in the study?

Answer 2

Experimental method, with patients being trained in a laboratory

Question 3

How was data collected?

Answer 3

By measuring muscle tension using an EMG feedback machine with electrodes on the muscles producing a graph of muscle tension

Question 4

What else were participants given to test depression and headaches?

Answer 4

Psychometric tests

Question 5

Who were the particpants in the Budzynski study?

Answer 5

18 participants, 16 females, 2 males - who replied to an advertisement in a local paper in Colarado

Question 6

What was done before the study to ensure that there were no other reasons for their headaches?

Answer 6

Respondents were initially screened by telephone, and then underwent psychiatric and medical examinations

Question 7

What type of design was used in this study?

Answer 7

Independent design

Question 8

How many groups were participants randomly allocated to?

Answer 8

3

Question 9

For how long did participants have to record of their headaches?

Answer 9

2 weeks

Question 10

How many sessions of training did Groups A and B receive?

Answer 10

16, with 2 sessions each week for 8 weeks

Question 11

Describe Group A

Answer 11

Participants had biofeedback sessions with relaxation training and EMG feedback. They were taught relaxation and told the ‘clicks’ of the biofeedback machine would reflect their muscle tension, with slower clicks indicating less muscle tension

Question 12

Describe Group B

Answer 12

Group B had relaxation training but only had pseudo-feedback. This was a tape recording of real biofeedback, from another persons session, but it was obviously not linked to the participants relaxation

Question 13

Describe Group C

Answer 13

Group C was the control group who were told they were on a waiting list, but were asked to come to the laboratory for appointments to keep them in the study and to control for attention the others might be getting

Question 14

What was the difference between Group A and Group B’s muscle tension after 3 months?

Answer 14

Group A’s muscle tension was significantly lower

Question 15

What else had improved in Group A?

Answer 15

Headaches dropped significantly from their baseline

Question 16

What decreased in Group A?

Answer 16

Drug usage

Question 17

What did Budzynski conclude from the results?

Answer 17

That biofeedback is an effective way of training patients to relax and reduce their tension headaches, so can be seen as an effective method of stress management

Question 18

What was concluded about relaxation training?

Answer 18

That it is more effective than just being monitored, but is better when used together with biofeedback