Biofeedback: a possible substitute for smoking, experiment I.

Biofeedback techniques were utilized in this study to identify those physiological variables which possibly contribute to maintenance of cigarette smoking and to investigate the hypothesis that smoking frequency would decrease when individuals were trained via biofeedback procedures to increase 8-12 Hz occipital EEG activity as a substitute for smoking. Results of the study indicate that of the six smokers physiologically monitored, the following physiological changes occurred while actually smoking one cigarette: four smokers increased the percent of time they were producing 4-8 cycle per second (Hz) brain waves; five smokers increased their heart rate (beats per minute); all six smokers decreased their 8-12 Hz activity. Immediately after the smoking of one cigarette, six of the smokers demonstrated an increase in their heart rate and four of the smokers demonstrated a decrease in their skin temperature. There did not appear to be any specific consistent brain wave change across the subjects. Two smokers, who were able to continue producing high levels of 8-12 Hz activity without use of the biofeedback equipment, were able to quit completely at the end of an eight-month followup period.