OPERANT TREATMENT OF OROFACIAL DYSFUNCTION IN NEUROMUSCULAR DISORDERS

The popularity and reported success of biofeedback treatment for neuromuscular disorders has occurred despite a lack of research identifying the critical variables responsible for therapeutic gain. In this study, we assessed the degree to which severe neurological dysfunction could be improved by us...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied behavior analysis 1984, Vol.17 (4), p.413-427
Main Authors: Parker, Lynn H., Cataldo, Michael F., Bourland, Gordon, Emurian, Cleeve S., Corbin, Roger J., Page, Jeanne M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
behavioral medicine
Biofeedback, Psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Conditioning, Operant
contingency management
Electromyography
Face - physiopathology
Female
Humans
Jaw - physiopathology
Male
Masseter Muscle - physiopathology
Medical sciences
Mouth - physiopathology
Neuromuscular Diseases - physiopathology
Neuromuscular Diseases - therapy
neuromuscular disorders
orofacial dysfunction
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
rehabilitation medicine
Reinforcement (Psychology)
Relaxation. Biofeedback. Hypnosis. Selfregulation. Meditation
Tongue - physiopathology
Treatments
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Summary:The popularity and reported success of biofeedback treatment for neuromuscular disorders has occurred despite a lack of research identifying the critical variables responsible for therapeutic gain. In this study, we assessed the degree to which severe neurological dysfunction could be improved by using one of the components present in all biofeedback treatment, contingency management. Three cases of orofacial dysfunction were treated by reinforcing specific improvements reliably detectable without the use of biofeedback equipment. The results showed that contingency management procedures alone were sufficient to improve overt motor responses but, unlike biofeedback treatment, did not produce decreases in the hypertonic muscle groups associated with the trained motor behavior. The findings suggest that sophisticated, expensive biofeedback equipment may not be necessary in treating some neuromuscular disorders and that important clinical gains may be achieved by redesigning the patient's daily environment to be contingently therapeutic, rather than only accommodating the disabilities of the physically handicapped.
ISSN:0021-8855
1938-3703
DOI:10.1901/jaba.1984.17-413