Biofeedback headband
Encyclopedia
A biofeedback headband is a self-contained biofeedback
unit which is worn on the head and held in place by an elastic strap. Biofeedback headbands are most often used for controlling bruxism
during sleep, but can also be used during the day. Clenching is sensed through electromyography
(EMG) by picking up microvolt-level muscle signals from the temporalis muscles through black conductive rubber sensor pads which contact the user's forehead
and temples when the unit is worn. Modern biofeedback headbands track clenching and grinding activity as well as providing biofeedback. After a night of use, the user can read out of the unit both the number of clenching incidents detected, and the total amount of clenching time accumulated through the night. Biofeedback headbands may also be used to reduce tension headaches and migraines which are caused when bruxism or excessive tightening of frontalis muscle
.
was invented by Lee Weinstein, in 1998, and patented in September, 2000. Advances were made in the following year and patented in August, 2001. The first headband commercially available for use in the reduction or elimination of bruxism was introduced by BruxCare at the Yankee Dental Congress
in Boston
, in February 2001. These early units had reliability problems and were re-designed by Holistic Technologies in 2007. The currently available model is sold under the trade name SleepGuard. All of these units use an audio tone
as the biofeedback.
In 2007, a Danish
company began producing a similar headband, which used electric shock
instead of an acoustic tone as the biofeedback. Modern acoustic tone biofeedback headbands and modern electric shock biofeedback headbands have both been shown in clinical trials to be effective aids in allowing users to reduce bruxism.
Prior to the development of the biofeedback headband, biofeedback electronics was typically housed in table-top instruments which connected to a person through a set of wires connected to electrodes which are adhesively connected to the skin. Sleep labs which offer biofeedback or EMG measurement typically use such table-top EMG measurement and biofeedback equipment.
or an earphone, both of which have less potential to disturb a sleep partner than speaker
on a tabletop unit. Biofeedback headband sensor electrodes typically last through many more uses than adhesive electrodes, and are much less costly to use over time. Finally, mobility is not inhibited by wearing a biofeedback headband as it is by the wiring harness of typical bedside biofeedback equipment.
In the following years, there were a series of improvements to the design, reducing power consumption, and eventually the rechargeable units were replaced with units which run on inexpensive disposable batteries. Modern units such as the SleepGuard biofeedback headband can typically be used for more than 35 nights on a single set of batteries.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is the process of becoming aware of various physiological functions using instruments that provide information on the activity of those same systems, with a goal of being able to manipulate them at will...
unit which is worn on the head and held in place by an elastic strap. Biofeedback headbands are most often used for controlling bruxism
Bruxism
Bruxism is characterized by the grinding of the teeth and typically includes the clenching of the jaw. It is an oral parafunctional activity that occurs in most humans at some time in their lives. In most people, bruxism is mild enough not to be a health problem...
during sleep, but can also be used during the day. Clenching is sensed through electromyography
Electromyography
Electromyography is a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph, to produce a record called an electromyogram. An electromyograph detects the electrical potential generated by muscle...
(EMG) by picking up microvolt-level muscle signals from the temporalis muscles through black conductive rubber sensor pads which contact the user's forehead
Forehead
For the Arsenal striker see GervinhoIn human anatomy, the forehead is the fore part of the head. It is, formally, an area of the head bounded by three features, two of the skull and one of the scalp. The top of the forehead is marked by the hairline, the edge of the area where hair on the scalp...
and temples when the unit is worn. Modern biofeedback headbands track clenching and grinding activity as well as providing biofeedback. After a night of use, the user can read out of the unit both the number of clenching incidents detected, and the total amount of clenching time accumulated through the night. Biofeedback headbands may also be used to reduce tension headaches and migraines which are caused when bruxism or excessive tightening of frontalis muscle
Frontalis muscle
The Frontalis muscle , also known as the occipitofrontalis or epicranius, is thin, of a quadrilateral form, and intimately adherent to the superficial fascia. It is broader than the Occipitalis and its fibers are longer and paler in color...
.
History
The first biofeedback headbandHeadband
A headband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plastic or metal...
was invented by Lee Weinstein, in 1998, and patented in September, 2000. Advances were made in the following year and patented in August, 2001. The first headband commercially available for use in the reduction or elimination of bruxism was introduced by BruxCare at the Yankee Dental Congress
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is the largest exhibition center in the Northeast United States, with some 516,000 square feet of contiguous exhibition space. It is located on Summer Street near the South Boston waterfront, Boston's World Trade Center, and across the harbor from Logan...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, in February 2001. These early units had reliability problems and were re-designed by Holistic Technologies in 2007. The currently available model is sold under the trade name SleepGuard. All of these units use an audio tone
Audio feedback
Audio feedback is a special kind of positive feedback which occurs when a sound loop exists between an audio input and an audio output...
as the biofeedback.
In 2007, a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
company began producing a similar headband, which used electric shock
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
instead of an acoustic tone as the biofeedback. Modern acoustic tone biofeedback headbands and modern electric shock biofeedback headbands have both been shown in clinical trials to be effective aids in allowing users to reduce bruxism.
Prior to the development of the biofeedback headband, biofeedback electronics was typically housed in table-top instruments which connected to a person through a set of wires connected to electrodes which are adhesively connected to the skin. Sleep labs which offer biofeedback or EMG measurement typically use such table-top EMG measurement and biofeedback equipment.
Advantages over tabletop biofeedback
Biofeedback headbands have several advantages over tabletop biofeedback machines. Since a biofeedback headband is self-contained and does not require the use of adhesive sensors or a wiring harness, many people find it easier to sleep using a biofeedback headband than using a table-top bedside biofeedback unit. Acoustic feedback from biofeedback headbands is either a forehead-contacting sound transducerTactile sound
Tactile sound is the sensation of sound transmitted directly to the human body by contact, rather than by sound waves through the ears. For example, when you stand on a train platform you can feel the train approaching as well as hearing it. Explosions, crashes, sonic booms, and thunder are all...
or an earphone, both of which have less potential to disturb a sleep partner than speaker
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
on a tabletop unit. Biofeedback headband sensor electrodes typically last through many more uses than adhesive electrodes, and are much less costly to use over time. Finally, mobility is not inhibited by wearing a biofeedback headband as it is by the wiring harness of typical bedside biofeedback equipment.
Battery life
The original models, introduced in 2001, employed rechargeable batteries which lasted about three days before needing to be recharged. The lithium ion batteries used in those original units unfortunately suffered from a problem that if a unit was allowed to totally discharge (for instance, by being left in a drawer without use for a month or two), the batteries would no longer hold a charge.In the following years, there were a series of improvements to the design, reducing power consumption, and eventually the rechargeable units were replaced with units which run on inexpensive disposable batteries. Modern units such as the SleepGuard biofeedback headband can typically be used for more than 35 nights on a single set of batteries.