Comparison of biofeedback and relaxation in the treatment of pediatric headache and the influence of parent involvement on outcome.

50 children (aged 8–14 yrs) with tension-type or combined headaches took part in the study. 40 Ss were randomly assigned to the 4 different treatment conditions, and 10 Ss participated in the self-monitoring control group. The training comprised of 6 1-hr sessions in the relaxation treatment and 12 1.5-hr sessions in the biofeedback group. Headache diaries were kept by children and their parents for a 4-wk period prior to therapy, and for a similar length of time at post-treatment and 6-mo follow-up. Multivariate analyses of variance on the headache diary data found no significant main or interaction effects of treatment format or of parent involvement. A main effect of period was found, indicating a general efficacy of the 4 treatment conditions. At follow-up the reduction of headache activity was even more prominent. A different evaluative approach points to the superiority of biofeedback revealing a mean effect size for biofeedback training that reflects a good to excellent improvement rate. Correlations between headache data from children and parents were high. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Accession Number: 1999-05839-001. PMID: 10384247 Other Journal Title: Biofeedback & Self Regulation. Partial author list: First Author & Affiliation: Kröner-Herwig, Birgit; Georg-August-U Goettingen, Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, Goettingen, Germany. Release Date: 19990801. Publication Type: Journal (0100), Peer Reviewed Journal (0110). Format Covered: Print. Document Type: Journal Article. Language: English. Major Descriptor: Biofeedback Training; Headache; Parent Child Relations; Parental Involvement; Relaxation Therapy. Classification: Health & Mental Health Treatment & Prevention (3300). Population: Human (10); Male (30); Female (40). Age Group: Childhood (birth-12 yrs) (100); School Age (6-12 yrs) (180); Adolescence (13-17 yrs) (200); Adulthood (18 yrs & older) (300). Methodology: Empirical Study; Followup Study. Page Count: 15. Issue Publication Date: Sep, 1998.