Prospects for Using Adaptive Biofeedback to Train Musicians

The use of biofeedback (BFB) technology becomes relevant for professional training of musicians to achieve success in psychomotor function control. We compared two training approaches: 20-22 sessions of alpha-EEG/EMG biofeedback implication to increase the аlpha-2 power while reducing the tension of the forehead muscles and sham biofeedback training. Fifty student musicians (18-28 years old) were divided randomly by age, gender, performing specialty, and individual EEG alpha-peak frequency (IAPF) into two groups. Music performance, state anxiety, self-actualization, nonverbal creativity, coefficient of finger movement optimality (Ko) and the efficiency of the single training session (E1) were evaluated before and after for both types of courses. We calculated the change of the EEG power in the individually adjusted alpha-2 range in the Pz and the integrated EMG power of the surface muscles of the forehead in response to finger movement. Training with biofeedback improved music performance score, increased self-actualization, Ko, and E1 while reducing pre-stage anxiety. The students who received the sham biofeedback did not achieve such improvements. When using biofeedback, students with baseline low alpha-peak frequency (LF) showed a more significant increase in scores for music performance, Ko, and E1 than students with high alpha-peak frequency (HF). In LF students, the sessions without biofeedback did not change the studied parameters. In this pilot placebo-controlled study, we demonstrated that achieving success in the optimal musical performance training depends on the baseline genetically determined IAPF and feedback implication from the EEG alpha-2 power and forehead muscle tone.