A Study On Biofeedback Therapy To Improve The Executive Function Of Adolescent Methamphetamine Addicts

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the effectiveness of biofeedback on psychophysiological reactions and executive function in adolescent methamphetamine addicts, in order to help the adolescent methamphetamine addicts preventing relapse when returning to society.Materials and MethodsThis study selected the abstinent adolescent methamphetamine addicts who were stayed in Chengdu Compulsory Isolated Rehabilitation Center, during May to August2015. A self-designed questionnaire was measured to collect the basic information and medications of the subjects. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 90 adolescent methamphetamine addicts were selected as the study group. The study group was randomly divided into a treatment group(N=40) and a control group(N=36).at the same time, recruited 71 healthy adolescents matched with the study group on age and gender. Experimental methods and procedures:(1) the healthy group and study group were tested by a series of executive function tests(including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, More-odd shifting, and Tower of Hanoi).(2) Collected the electromyography,temperature, electroencephalography and other physiological parameters of treatment group and control group by multi parameter module, EEG module, electromyography module and the respiratory module of the biofeedback 2000x-pert.(3) The treatment group received three 20-min sessions of relaxation training for two weeks, then accepted four 20-min sessions of SMR/β training for three weeks, both of the training were implemented twice a week and intervals for three days.(4)Finally, both study groups were evaluated again by physiological parameters collection and a series of executive function tests(post-test) after completing their respective treatment regimens.ResultsFrom the previous study, it can be concluded that there were serious defects in the executive function of adolescent methamphetamine addicts, and the following data were resulted from biofeedback therapy:1. The following data were resulted from the studies of executive function of adolescent methamphetamine addicts:(1)In the pre-test of executive function, there were no significant differences(P>0.05) between the treatment group and control group, besides the right number of mixed odd and moving time. It can be considered that the treatment group and control group matched on executive function.(2) The comparison of pre-post-test of executive function on treatment group, in the MOS test, the number of correct responses of each item had significantly increased(P< 0.01) and the reaction time had reduced, there was significant difference in the correct reaction time of individual size(P<0.05). In the WCST, there were significant differences in all items(P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) except for correct responses and the number that could not maintain a complete classification(P>0.05). In TOH test, the moving time had significantly reduced(P < 0.01). But in the post-test of executive function, there were no significant differences(P>0.05) between the treatment group and control group on MOS, WCST, and TOH.2. From the studies of physiological parameters of adolescent methamphetamine addicts, we had the following outcomes:(1) There were no significant differences(P>0.05) between the treatment group and control group except the EMG(P<0.05). It can be considered that the treatment group and control group matched on physiological index baseline.(2) The EMG of the treatment group had significantly increased after biofeedback treatment(P<0.05). In the first, third, fourth times of EEG biofeedback treatment, the beta, SMR, alpha, theta of the treatment group had increased compared with those before treatment. It can be presumed that SMR-β biofeedback had improved the sympathetic excitability of adolescent methamphetamine addicts.Conclusion1. This study showed that the biofeedback had improved the conversion ability,concept formation, cognitive transfer, and abstract generalization ability of adolescent methamphetamine addicts.2. After biofeedback treatment, the EMG of the adolescent methamphetamine addicts had obviously increased(P < 0.05), as well as beta, SMR, alpha, and thetapower. It can be speculated that EEG biofeedback training had improved the sympathetic excitability of adolescent methamphetamine addicts.3. The increased theta power of the adolescent methamphetamine addicts was found to correlate with the impairments of brain structure and function.