Description
The Mindfield eSense Skin Temperature Biofeedback home-use device is a small sensor for measuring skin temperature on the go using the microphone input of smartphones or tablets (Android or Apple iOS). A free included App from Mindfield makes it possible to provide temperature biofeedback training with your device in your home comfort to get a better state of mind, overcome stress and its consequences, and manage your health.
Measurements are presented in different ways with visual and auditory feedback. You can also export your measured data as a CSV file and PDF Report (e.g., via e-mail, Dropbox, or Google Drive).
What is skin temperature and how does it reflect our mind/body state?
The temperature of the skin at its surface changes with the amount of blood flowing through the tissue. The small blood vessels (arterioles) crossing through the tissue are surrounded by fibers of smooth muscle, which are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.
In a state of increased exertion, excitement, and stress, these muscle fibers contract, causing stenosis (narrowing) of the vasculature. This leads to a reduction of the blood flow to the skin and consequently, skin temperature is reduced. In contrast, in a state of relaxation, the musculature of the vessels is also relaxed, causing the expansion of the vessels and consequently, an increase in the blood flow to the skin. Hence, the skin temperature rises.
Mental stress often leads to lower peripheral perfusion and a decrease in skin temperature at the hands, caused by increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system. This has a sense of evolution because tension and anxiety originally served as the preparation for an impending flight or an attack. As a result, as much blood as possible is available in the working muscles (upper arms, thighs, and torso), which is achieved by the narrowing of vessels in the hands, feet, and forearms.
We all know a time in our lives when we got wet hands. For example, think of a speech that you gave in front of an audience or a job interview panel. If you were anxious in those situations, can you remember having cold (and sweaty) hands?
This physiological stress reaction can be useless or even harmful in many contexts in modern society (e. g. mental exertion, worries, psychosocial stress, and anxiety disorder). Conscious control of physiological stress can help you react in a more relaxed and efficient manner to many situations.
eSense Skin Temperature Biofeedback home-use device is an established way to learn this kind of control!
How does hand-warming biofeedback work?
To reduce stress and its vegetative symptoms, biofeedback training can be conducted by striving for a rise in the skin temperature.
A particularly easy and effective biofeedback method is hand-warming training. It works with the eSense Temperature sensor attached to a finger, or simply held between the thumb and index fingers. You will learn through direct feedback to intentionally raise the temperature of your fingers, thus increasing perfusion in your hands. The biological temperature sensors in our hands give us only an inaccurate impression of our skin temperature. We can just roughly decide between warm, cool, cold, and so on. The real-time feedback with the precise eSense Sensor will give you much more precise information on the perfusion and temperature of your hands, enabling you to learn conscious control of these parameters and your relaxed well-being.
Handwarming training aims to show a person their skin temperature and help them get direct control over the blood circulation in their outer limbs.
Biofeedback training consists of four training stages.
Schedule for the first training about 60 to 90 minutes of free time in which you can conduct the training undisturbed and flexibly.
It must also be differentiated between different types of stress. There is “bad stress”, distress, and there is “good stress”, eustress. You need to ask yourself if you are stressed because you feel overwhelmed and are angry about something or because you are upset. Or are you “stressed” because you are full of drive and excitement? In both cases, the eSense Skin Response shows elevated values, but in the first case only, this is to be judged negatively. In the second case, you can simply enjoy and use the active or euphoric state.
Indication for use
To reduce stress and its vegetative symptoms, biofeedback training can be conducted by striving for a rise in the skin temperature.
Biofeedback with skin temperature is mainly applied in relaxation exercises. It’s easy to handle and learn. Experience with this technique shows a high rate of success and improvement in subjective well-being. In the therapeutic field, skin temperature biofeedback is often used in migraine and chronic pain.
If you suffer from a serious disorder or medical condition, always consult a professional physician or therapist, and do not attempt to treat yourself. Biofeedback training is not an officially recognized medical procedure. Hence the eSense Skin Temperature Biofeedback device is not a medical device and may only be used for stress reduction training.
eSense Skin Temperature Biofeedback device can be effectively used to manage:
- cold hands or feet,
- anxiety,
- panic attack,
- depression,
- migraine and tension headaches,
- Raynaud’s syndrome (poor circulation in hands),
- neurosis,
- chronic pain,
- phobias,
- blood pressure fluctuations,
- stress and its vegetative symptoms (cold hands, tachycardia, arrhythmia, high blood pressure, tachypnea, etc.),
- optimal performance (public speech, taking exams, etc.),
- guide for meditation.
Procedure
Handwarming training aims to show a person their skin temperature and help them get direct control over the blood circulation in their outer limbs.
Biofeedback training consists of four training stages. For the first training, schedule about 60 to 90 minutes of free time in which you can conduct the training undisturbed and at a stretch.
Create the conditions needed for successful training:
- find a quiet room (mobile phone etc. switched off)
- the appropriate temperature of 20-22° C (68-72° F)
- convenient seating
- comfortable clothing
As skin temperature depends also on ambient temperature, you should try to perform each training session under similar ambient conditions.
You should get accustomed to the ambient temperature for at least five minutes (acclimatization), letting the training start while your body is in a relaxed and constant state. This phase of acclimatization can already raise your hand temperature by several degrees.
In comparison with other biofeedback techniques, you will need fewer sessions for reliable success. 6-10 sessions should be sufficient. To keep focused throughout the entire session, you should limit each session’s length to about 30 minutes. If you start feeling tired while training, you should shorten your sessions and practice more often instead.
A procedure consists of several assembled modules. With this new feature, you can build the perfect individual relaxation guide, do a stress test, use it for pre-defined biofeedback training, or use it for research.
An especially effective and commonly used biofeedback method is the hand-warming exercise.
Attach the eSense Temperature Sensor to your index or middle finger with the included Velcro strap or simply hold it between your thumb and forefinger.
There are many possibilities. During a procedure, your skin response or temperature (depending on the eSense sensor you have) is recorded, and after the recording is made, you can see your results for each module and in total.
To find more details regarding the eSense Skin Temperature Biofeedback device and hand-warming session procedure please look at the Instruction Manuals (download/see from links below).
Supported iOS and Android™ devices
- All Android™ Smartphones and Tablets from 6.0 (Your Android™ device requires a 3.5 mm jack, and headphone jack, for external microphones!).
- Apple® iPhone® 7 to iPhone® 11 Pro and newer (in combination with a Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter).
- Apple® iPad® from the third generation or higher.
- Apple® iPad® Pro from the first generation or higher (if necessary, in combination with USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter).
- Apple® iPod® touch from the fifth generation or higher.
eSense Temperature includes
- Mindfield® eSense Temperature Sensor.
- Velcro strap for the sensor.
- eSense App by Mindfield® (Apple App Store, Google Play, or Amazon App Store).
- detailed instructions for effective biofeedback training.
The eSense sensors can be combined with restrictions. You can use this combination in the eSense app in both Open Training and Procedure.
Since the eSense Skin Response, eSense Temperature, and eSense Respiration each require the 3.5mm headphone jack in your smartphone or tablet, these 3 sensors cannot be combined.
The video explains the exact procedure for combining the eSense. The settings in the eSense app show how a later evaluation of the combined measurements can be made.
Since the eSense Pulse connects via Bluetooth, you can combine the eSense Pulse with each of the other sensors (via the 3.5mm headphone jack).
This results in the following possible combinations regarding sensors and biofeedback parameters (in brackets):
- eSense Pulse (pulse) + eSense Skin Response (skin conductance)
- eSense Pulse (pulse) + eSense Temperature (temperature)
- eSense Pulse (pulse) + eSense Respiration (respiration) (+ eSense Skin Response)*.
*The eSense Respiration can only be combined with the eSense Skin Response, based on the Skin Response.
You can save money by purchasing a Biofeedback eSense Temperature Set (€ 169.00). With this Set, you will get eSense Temperature, the finger clip, the Magic Blue smart light bulb, and a roll-up poster.
