biofeedback

[ bahy-oh-feed-bak ]

noun
  1. a method of learning to control one's bodily functions by monitoring one's own brain waves, blood pressure, degree of muscle tension, etc.

  2. the feedback thus obtained.

Origin of biofeedback

1
First recorded in 1970–75; bio- + feedback

Words Nearby biofeedback

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use biofeedback in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for biofeedback

biofeedback

/ (ˌbaɪəʊˈfiːdbæk) /


noun
  1. physiol psychol a technique for teaching the control of autonomic functions, such as the rate of heartbeat or breathing, by recording the activity and presenting it (usually visually) so that the person can know the state of the autonomic function he or she is learning to control: Compare neurofeedback

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for biofeedback

biofeedback

[ bī′ō-fēdbăk′ ]


  1. The technique of using monitoring devices to obtain information about an involuntary function of the central or autonomic nervous system, such as body temperature or blood pressure, in order to gain some voluntary control over the function. Using biofeedback, individuals can be trained to respond to abnormal measurements in involuntary function with specific therapeutic actions, such as muscle relaxation, meditation, or changing breathing patterns. Biofeedback has been used to treat medical conditions such as hypertension and chronic anxiety.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for biofeedback

biofeedback

[ (beye-oh-feed-bak) ]


A training technique by which a person learns how to regulate certain body functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, or brain wave patterns, that are normally considered to be involuntary. The person learns by watching special monitoring instruments attached to the body that record changes in these functions.

Notes for biofeedback

Biofeedback has had some success in the treatment of such disorders as chronic headaches and back pain.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.