@article{ref1,
title="Problem solving, biofeedback, and severe brain injury: the moderating role of positive affect",
journal="Rehabilitation psychology",
year="2018",
author="Kim, Sonya and Rath, Joseph F. and Zemon, Vance and Cavallo, Marie M. and McCraty, Rollin and Sostre, Ana and Foley, Frederick W.",
volume="63",
number="1",
pages="148-154",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To examine how positive affect influences ability to benefit from heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback treatment for individuals with severe brain injury. <br><br>METHOD: Secondary data analysis of a nonrandomized experimental study that assessed the efficacy of biofeedback treatment for executive dysfunction in 13 individuals with chronic severe brain injury. <br><br>RESULTS: Bivariate correlations between the predictors (levels of HRV and positive affect) and the outcome (change in Category Test errors) showed large effect sizes for higher levels of HRV coherence (r = -.495, p =.085) but not for positive affect (r =.069, p =.824). Although positive affect had a negligible effect on Category Test improvements by itself, positive affect played a moderating role that complemented the effect of HRV coherence. HRV coherence had a stronger effect on Category Test performance among those participants who demonstrated higher positive affect. A regression model was fit that included main effects for HRV coherence and positive affect, as well as their interaction. The interaction term was significant in a 1-tailed test (b = -3.902, SE = 1.914, p =.072). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Participants who had the most positive emotions made the most gains in the HRV biofeedback training and performed better posttreatment on a test designed to measure problem-solving ability. <br><br>RESULTS indicate that positive affect can improve cognition, specifically mental flexibility and abstract thinking. Addressing factors that shape negative affect such as irrational beliefs and self-doubt is an important target for therapeutic intervention even in those with severe, chronic deficits. (PsycINFO Database Record<br><br>(c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0090-5550",
doi="10.1037/rep0000197",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rep0000197"
}