Am J Psychiatry 1981; 138:1487-1489
Copyright © 1981 by American Psychiatric Association
Biofeedback in the treatment of blepharospasm: a case study
GE Rowan and K Sedlacek
Although biofeedback has been of value in treating spastic paresis and
torticollis, its effectiveness in other movement disorders is less clear.
Blepharospasm, which has no definitive treatment, often has a strong
psychogenic component. The authors report the use of electromyographic and
temperature biofeedback in a women with blepharospasm who had responded
poorly to psychotherapy. Her improvement during biofeedback treatment
further elucidated psychogenic factors contributing to the disorder. At
3-months follow-up it seemed that the patient's secondary gain from the
blepharospasm diminished the maximum treatment response she could have had
to biofeedback.
