Description
CAPTURE OF THE CARDIAC SIGNAL BY THE SMARTPHONE’S CAMERA
You will position your finger – preferably the index – on your smartphone’s camera.
As a matter of fact, during each heartbeat, a pulsatile flow of oxygenated blood goes through your finger, which changes the intensity of the light beam sent through your finger.
Using a photo-sensor, the camera of your smartphone will be sensitive to this light change going through your finger at each heartbeat: we can then monitor over time your cardiac frequency.
The treatment of your cardiac signal is done by a device patented by the University Hospital of Lille, to analyze your cardiac coherence level.
CARDIAC COHERENCE BIOFEEDBACK
Cardiac coherence biofeedback is becoming quite popular in the general population and healthcare professionals. Previously applied in the context of cardiovascular prevention, it is increasingly used in programs for managing emotional responses, stress and anxiety.
The method is very simple.
By controlling your breathing, i.e. slow breathing around six breath cycles per minute (1 inspiration + 1 expiration every 10 seconds) your body will automatically, and without you being aware of it, synchronize three physiological rhythms : respiration, heart rate and blood pressure.
The perfect synchronization to be reached, measured via technology, is an equilibrium called cardiac coherence, its regular stimulation will be beneficial for all the systems in your body: nervous, cardiovascular, hormonal and immune systems.
Faced with the stressful solicitations of everyday life, the cardiac coherence biofeedback will reinforce the adaptability the self-regulation capacity of your physiological system to fight-off psychological and physical issues, allowing your system to maintain a better inner balance (homeostasis).
There is a wide variety of application fields: stress, anxiety, depression, pain, high blood pressure, addictions, phobia, insomnia, performance, learning abilities, etc.
BENEFITS OF CARDIAC COHERENCE BIOFEEDBACK TRAINING
Cardiac coherence training increases the vagal tone and reinforces the flexibility of the autonomic nervous system, allowing the body to maintain a better homeostasis and help fight psychological, physical and psychosomatic disorders.
Recent scientific studies have demonstrated the relevance of cardiac coherence for:
– better adapting emotional responses when facing stressful situations;
– preventing the risks of heart attacks;
– increasing pulmonary capacities;
– decreasing the symptoms of respiratory disorders;
– reducing perceived physical pain;
– improving depression and anxiety states;
– decreasing high blood pressure.
– improving concentration and cognitive performances.
