Biofeedback is applied in a variety of fields as a method of ‘visualising’ changes in the body and mind and providing feedback to encourage mental and physical adjustment and awareness. For an overview of biofeedback in psychosomatic medicine, see this column.
In psychosomatic medicine, research is being conducted from perspectives following.
- Assessment of the mind-body relationship
- Psychosomatic awareness through biofeedback
- How to objectively capture changes in various situations, such as interviews, various activities and stress
- Effects of feedback (on mind and body)
- Investigation of methods to enhance autonomic function and interoception
In recent years, with the evolution of various wearable devices and smartphones, it has become possible to easily capture and feed back changes in the body and mind (biofeedback in the broad sense).
⇒ See also ‘Psychosomatic monitoring and stress assessment in daily life’.
The mechanisms, effects and significance of biofeedback, including biofeedback in a broader sense, are being investigated from the perspective of psychosomatic medicine.