Self-Hypnosis, Biofeedback, and Voluntary Peripheral Temperature Control in Children

Abstract

Forty-eight children, aged 5 to 15 years, were tested for their ability to raise and lower their index finger temperature with self-hypnosis and/or biofeedback. Group A (self-hypnosis only) and group B (self-hypnosis with biofeedback) were children who had previous successful experience with self-hypnosis (eg, for the treatment of enuresis, pain, asthma, or obesity). Group C (biofeedback only) were children with no experience with hypnosis. All three groups showed significant success with warming and cooling. The range of warming for the three groups was 0 to 3.7 F, and for cooling, 0 to 7.3 F or 0 to 8.8 F for attempts exceeding the ten-minute trial period. No significant difference in ability to warm or cool was noted when the children were compared by group, age, or sex. Some of the children in group A who had little or no success with hypnosis only were very successful with the addition of biofeedback monitoring, suggesting a synergistic effect between biofeedback and hypnosis. A significant temperature rise was also noted in groups A and B accompanying a neutral hypnotic induction relaxationimagery exercise in which no mention of temperature change was made. This rise varied from 0 to 6 F, averaging 1.7 F. Possible therapeutic implications include the treatment of migraine headaches, Raynaud's syndrome, sickle cell anemia, and the use of temperature monitoring as a diagnostic and therapeutic adjunct to clinical hypnosis.