SELF-EFFICACY IN THE THERMAL BIOFEEDBACK TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE SUFFERERS

Despite the demonstrated efficacy of thermal biofeedback (TBF) for the treatment of migraine headaches, therapeutic mechanisms underlying th is widely used therapy remain poorly understood. Previous investigatio ns of electromyograph (EMG) biofeedback treatment of tension-type head ache have suggested that reductions in headache activity may be mediat ed primarily by changes in perceived self-efficacy, rather than actual self-regulation ability. The present study examined perceived self-ef ficacy as a potential therapeutic mechanism in TBF using an experiment al manipulation of perceived success. Twenty-seven females meeting Int ernational Headache Society (IHS) diagnostic criteria for migraine hea dache were randomly assigned to one of two TBF conditions. Subjects we re shown bogus computer-generated graphs that ostensibly demonstrated that subjects displayed either superior (high success condition) or in ferior (moderate success condition) hand-warming skills relative to a fictitious normative sample. Although the manipulation of perceived su ccess produced significant group differences on measures of perceived self-efficacy, the groups did not experience significantly different r eductions in headache activity or medication consumption. The present findings suggest that perceived self-efficacy, as measured in the pres ent study, may not be a significant mediator of TBF treatment outcome.