Biofeedback Methodology: a Narrative Review

In this paper, we review the state of biofeedback methodology 50 years after its inception, with the objective to facilitate well-informed, scientific discourses around the topic. The scope of our review is limited to quantitative analysis of body of work published over the last decade, from which it is evident that biofeedback experiences a major methodological shift - away from strictly confined medical and research facilities, and towards personal, consumer-level use, thanks to wireless gadgets, wearables and smart devices available en masse. With such change come new opportunities and challenges, in the form of technological aspects, such as data processing trade-offs, efficiency of sensor placement, modalities and architectures, as well as general effectiveness of biofeedback in novel application areas, surrounded by privacy concerns and implications of e-health mobile technologies, which already available, but not yet ready for the prime-time. It is our intent to reflect on this liminal state of affairs.