NCT07061834

Enhancing Autonomic Regulation and Attention Through Biofeedback in Female Athletes

Enhancing Autonomic Regulation and Attention Through Galvanic Skin Response and Peripheral Temperature Biofeedback in Female Volleyball Players: a Randomized Pilot Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 12 (actual)
• Sponsor: Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 17 Years – 20 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

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

Detailed 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.

Conditions

• Psychological Aspects
• Skin Temperature Change
• Biofeedback Training
• Volleyball Players
• Autonomic Regulation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Biofeedback training	The intervention consists of biofeedback training using the Nexus 10 device, which provides real-time feedback on physiological signals including galvanic skin response and peripheral temperature. Participants undergo sessions where they learn to consciously regulate their autonomic nervous system activity by observing and modifying these signals. This training aims to improve stress regulation and enhance physiological self-control. Unlike other biofeedback interventions, this protocol focuses on combined skin conductance and temperature measures delivered through the Nexus 10 system over multiple sessions.
OTHER	control group	The control group received no intervention.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-08-01
• Primary completion: 2023-09-15
• Completion: 2023-09-30
• First posted: 2025-07-11
• Last updated: 2025-07-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)