Effect of Galvanic Skin Resistance-Aided Biofeedback Training in Reducing the Pulse Rate, Respiratory Rate, and Blood Pressure Due to Perceived Stress in Physiotherapy Students

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of galvanic skin resistance-aided biofeedback (GSRBF) training in reducing the pulse rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure (BP) due to perceived stress in physiotherapy students. Material and Methods: Forty-three students, those having a perceived stress scale (PSS) score of 20 or more out of 40, were subjected to GSRBF training 5 days a week for 3 weeks. The outcome measures of this study were pulse rate, respiratory rate, BP, and perceived stress. Perceived stress was assessed using PSS 10. Paired t-test was used to study the changes in dependent variables over time. Results: The reduction of the pulse rate, respiratory rate, BP, and perceived stress was found to be statistically significant at the end of the trial (p< 0.001). Conclusion: The GSRBF training was found to produce a significant reduction in the physiological response and perceived stress in physiotherapy students. Further, controlled research should be conducted to verify these findings and to identify the most effective stress-reducing training protocol.