PsychoPhysiological Medicine and Type-A Executive Health: A Memorable Metamorphosis of Type A Executive Stress

This research study,one of the first of its kind is a controlled comparison of the effectiveness of two established psycho- physiological treatments on the reduction of stress and behaviour-related clinical cardiac symptoms in Type A Executives utilising a brain-based Neurofeedback or electro- encephalography (EEG) treatment for one randomly selected and assigned group and a Heart Rate Variability treatment for a second group. A third non-treatment group was also measured as a control factor, in order to be able to make a statement regarding potential generaliseability of the outcome possible. Results showed some statistically greater improvements in measures of stress and symptom reduction for the EEG Treatment group by comparison with those who received the Heart Rate Variability Treatment and those who received no treatment.

This work contributed to the field of Quantitative EEG and Neurofeedback Professional Clinical Treatment and was the first controlled true experimental study (three groups) with a Type A population in a medical environment. The study showed that even those individuals with excessively high levels of competitiveness in business and in executive positions were capable of learning how to modify their own brain electrical activity characteristics that resulted in greater awareness of their own physiological boundaries and more healthful behaviour that improved the quality of their lives with enhanced health, social and domestic relationships.