Evan Birkhead
(908) 910-6988
evan.birkhead@stresseraser.com
MAY 5, 2008 – NEW YORK – Helicor, Inc. announced today that Biofeedback, the journal of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, has published a paper by Frederick Muench, Ph.D., Helicor’s Director of Clinical Research and Development.
The article appears in the Spring 2008 issue of Biofeedback in a special section focusing on heart rate variability (HRV). Entitled “The Portable StressEraser HRV Biofeedback Device: Background and Research,” the article summarizes clinical research performed with the StressEraser to date.
Abstract
Heart rate variability biofeedback is a burgeoning clinical intervention for a variety of disorders. This paper describes a handheld heart rate variability biofeedback device called the StressEraser. The role of home training devices, the device algorithm and biofeedback method, and current research findings are highlighted. Additional attention is paid to the importance of user preferences and compliance with home practice when choosing appropriate interventions.
There is now ample evidence that heart rate variability is a diagnostic marker of health and adaptability. Correspondingly, there is a rapidly growing literature on the efficacy of heart rate variability/respiratory sinus arrhythmia (HRV/RSA) biofeedback for a variety of conditions. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is the natural fluctuation of heart rate that is influenced by breathing and the impulses from the baroreceptors. Rather than summarize the empirical literature on HRV/RSA presented in this special issue, this article will summarize the background and current research on the StressEraser, a portable RSA biofeedback device.
About the AAPB
The Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB) was founded in 1969 as the Biofeedback Research Society. The goals of the association are to promote a new understanding of biofeedback and advance the methods used in this practice. AAPB is a non-profit organization as defined in Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.
AAPB's mission is to advance the development, dissemination and utilization of knowledge about applied psychophysiology and biofeedback to improve health and the quality of life through research, education and practice. The Association is hard at work meeting these objectives:
* Encouragement of scientific research and expansion of clinical and educational applications of biofeedback and applied psychophysiology.
* Integration of biofeedback with other self-regulatory methods.
* Promoting high standards of professional practice, ethics, and education.
* Increasing member knowledge through meetings, publications, educational programs and special interest sections and divisions.
* Making the public aware of biofeedback.
Membership in AAPB is open to professionals interested in the investigation and application of applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, and in the scientific and professional advancement of the field. The AAPB has grown to more than 2,000 members representing the fields of psychology, medicine, nursing, social work, counseling, physical therapy, education and other health care areas. We also thank those corporations who support AAPB through their Corporate Membership. There are many state chapters, and the Association has members in many countries.
Biofeedback has become an accepted form of treatment not only within the medical community, but with consumers as well. Today, through the efforts of the AAPB staff, board members and committees, many health care professionals, alternative medicine almost equals traditional medicine in total revenues.
About the StressEraser
The StressEraser is an award-winning, portable medical device that relaxes the body and calms the mind in 15 minutes. The StressEraser can be used to quiet the mind before sleeping, rapidly relieve intense stress, and even to stay calm during highly stressful situations.
From beat to beat, your heart rate reflects the activity of your stimulating and pacifying nerves. The StressEraser displays these tiny changes as a wave. By watching your wave characteristics in realtime, you learn to adjust your breathing and mental focus. This decreases the activity of the stimulating nerves (thereby decreasing stress) and increases the activity of the pacifying nerves (thereby increasing relaxation).
The StressEraser’s list of honors includes:
- Best Self-Monitoring Health Initiative or Device, National Wellness Prevention & Fitness Conference (2007)
- Seal of Approval, American Institute of Stress (2007)
- Technology Innovation of the Year, Frost & Sullivan (2006)
- The Best of Gadget Lab (9 out of 10 rating), WIRED Magazine (2006)
The StressEraser is classified by the FDA as a Class II 510(k) exempt medical device. The indicated use is for relaxation, relaxation training and stress reduction. The StressEraser is available for $299 from the StressEraser web site at http://stresseraser.com. The StressEraser is currently available to U.S. residents only. Patents are pending.
Helicor’s corporate headquarters is located at 19 Fulton Street, Suite
407, New York, NY 10038. Phone: 212-346-9339; Fax: 212-346-9335. Email:
info@stresseraser.com. Web: http://stresseraser.com. Interviews and
photographs are available by request.
© Helicor, Inc. All
rights reserved. StressEraser® and StressEraser Breathwave® are
registered trademarks of Helicor, Inc. The StressEraser wave logo™ is a
trademark of Helicor, Inc. All other trademarks in this document are
the properties of their respective owners.
LMA-00089 Rev A.
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