PURPOSE: The authors would like to introduce two patients who presented with velopharyngeal inadequacy. We emphasize the importance of nasaopharyngeal endoscopy in evaluating the velopharyngeal function and the usefulness of biofeedback trial therapy. METHODS: Two patients visited our clinic due to velopharyngeal inadequacy. Both of the patients showed hypernasality, nasal emission and compensatory articulation such as glottal stop. During oral examination and nasopharyngeal endoscopy both showed no evidence of structural deformities. One inconsistently showed a small gap during articulation. The other showed a rather large gap during compensatory articulation. Both received a simultaneous biofeedback trial therapy using the nasopharyngeal endoscope. RESULTS: Both patients were successfully diagnosed and treated at once using biofeedback trial therapy with nasopharyngeal endoscopy. By giving direct visual feedback to the patient, they were both able to achieve complete velopharyngeal closure during production of 2~3 nonsence syllables and hypernasality was not detected in both of them. CONCLUSION: The authors were able to help patients with velopharyngeal inadequacy to have velopharyngeal closure through biofeedback trial therapy. The accurate evaluation of velopharyngeal function and the possibility of closure prevented unnecessary operations.
Biofeedback, Psychology ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis, Oral ; Endoscopy ; Feedback, Sensory ; Humans ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

PURPOSE: To compare audio-only biofeedback to conventional audiovisual biofeedback for regulating patients' respiration during four-dimensional radiotherapy, limiting damage to healthy surrounding tissues caused by organ movement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six healthy volunteers were assisted by audiovisual or audio-only biofeedback systems to regulate their respirations. Volunteers breathed through a mask developed for this study by following computer-generated guiding curves displayed on a screen, combined with instructional sounds. They then performed breathing following instructional sounds only. The guiding signals and the volunteers' respiratory signals were logged at 20 samples per second. RESULTS: The standard deviations between the guiding and respiratory curves for the audiovisual and audio-only biofeedback systems were 21.55% and 23.19%, respectively; the average correlation coefficients were 0.9778 and 0.9756, respectively. The regularities between audiovisual and audio-only biofeedback for six volunteers' respirations were same statistically from the paired t-test. CONCLUSION: The difference between the audiovisual and audio-only biofeedback methods was not significant. Audio-only biofeedback has many advantages, as patients do not require a mask and can quickly adapt to this method in the clinic.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Feedback, Sensory ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Masks ; Radiotherapy* ; Respiration* ; Volunteers

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology*

No abstract available in English.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Electric Stimulation*

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Rectal Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the biofeedback balance training using Interactive Balance System (IBS) in acute stroke patients. METHOD: We recruited 40 acute stroke patients who were able to stand independently. The patients were divided into two groups. One group received conventional balance training (control group) and the other group received biofeedback balance training using IBS (case group) for 2 weeks. After training, the effects were evaluated using 3 parameters: indices from IBS (stability score, weight distribution index, and distance form zero point to body's center of pressure (COP) in coordinate), balance assessments (Berg balance scale and postural assessment scale for stroke patients), and functional outcome (the Korean version of modified Barthel index). RESULTS: There were no differences in age and time since onset between the two groups. All parameters were significantly improved in both groups after training. However, the distribution of COP of the case group was significantly closer to the zero point than that of the control group in coordinate after training (p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Biofeedback balance training using IBS has a better effect on the symmetry in static condition on evaluation using IBS than conventional balance training for acute stroke patients.
Biofeedback, Psychology ; Humans ; Stroke

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Motor Neurons*

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Humans ; Meningomyelocele*

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Defecation* ; Humans