Enhancing Autonomic Regulation and Attention Through Biofeedback in Female Athletes

Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Biofeedback Training; Volleyball Players; Psychological Aspects; Autonomic Regulation; Skin Temperature Change

Treatments: Other: control group; Device: Biofeedback training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07061834

KMU_SBF-YM-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a multimodal biofeedback intervention on autonomic function and sustained attention in female volleyball players.

Full description

Optimal performance in elite athletes is shaped by a combination of physical preparedness and psychological readiness, where managing stress and anxiety is as critical as enhancing physical capabilities. Competitive anxiety can disrupt cognitive functioning, attention, and decision-making, affecting athletes' composure and overall performance. Cognitive abilities such as attentional control, mental flexibility, and perceptual-motor coordination are vital during high-pressure moments in sports, especially team sports like volleyball. Emerging approaches in applied sports psychology have started using biofeedback (BFB) to address these psychological and cognitive demands. BFB enables athletes to consciously regulate physiological responses associated with stress, such as heart rate variability (HRV), galvanic skin response (GSR), peripheral temperature (PT), and muscle activity, by providing real-time feedback. These interventions aim to enhance autonomic control, emotional regulation, and ultimately, cognitive performance.

Multimodal BFB interventions that simultaneously target several physiological parameters are gaining attention for their potential to support mental readiness and attentional performance in athletes. However, the application of such protocols in team sports remains underexplored. Given the high cognitive demands of volleyball, especially in sustained attention and rapid decision-making under pressure, there is a need to examine whether multimodal BFB can produce meaningful improvements in these areas. This study investigated the effects of a five-week, 15-session multimodal BFB intervention on sustained attention and physiological responses in competitive female volleyball players. It was hypothesized that the intervention would lead to measurable physiological changes-specifically a reduction in GSR and an increase in PT-which in turn would support improved cognitive performance in the form of enhanced sustained attention.

Enrollment: 12 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 17 to 20 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Good general health
• Nonsmoking status
• A history of regular menstrual cycles
• No mental, neurological, or cardiovascular disorders
• Active participation in national volleyball tournaments

Exclusion criteria

• Use of illegal substances, oral contraceptives, antidepressants
• Consuming alcohol or drugs
• Current psychotherapy
• A history of BFB intervention

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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12 participants in 2 patient groups

Biofeedback group

Experimental group

Description:

The BFB group completed 15 sessions of multimodal BFB training over five weeks.

Treatment:

Other: control group

Device: Biofeedback training

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group received no intervention.