How can we measure the effects of African drum and dance on the Mind/Body?

Biofeedback is a process that uses instruments that record physiological signals from a person’s body and then displays the information so that a person can learn to change the signal that is being measured.  One therapeutic application of biofeedback is for helping people with stress related disorders.  In this context sensors may be attached to a client and signals including muscle tension, breathing and heart rate are measured and displayed on a computer screen.  The client with the help of coaching from a therapist learns to control these signals and bring them to a more relaxed level. 

Signals that are recorded with biofeedback instruments include:

Surface EMG (Electromyograph) – measures electrical signals produced when muscles contract.  These signals are picked up by sensors that are placed on the skin and attached to an instrument.

Skin Temperature – Measured from the hands or feet giving an indication of peripheral blood flow.  Skin temperature tends to increase when a person is more relaxed due to dilation of the local blood vessels which causes more blood to flow to the fingers or toes increasing the temperature.  Skin temperature tends to decrease when a person is stressed due to constriction of the local blood vessels causing a reduction of the amount of blood in the fingers or toes.

Skin Conductance – Measured from the palm side of the hands or feet gives an indication of changes in the amount of sweat on the skin.  Increased sweat on the hands or feet is an indication of emotional reactivity or arousal. 

Respiration – Breathing is recorded by using a belt sensor that is placed around the abdomen.  It senses how often and how deeply a person breathes based on how often and how much the belt is stretched.  Breathing tends to be faster and shallower when a person is anxious and deeper and slower when a person is more relaxed.

Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability - There are two ways to measure heart rate.  The first is by use of a photoplethysmography sensor.  It is like the pulse oximeter used in hospitals. This type of sensor shines a light into the skin, usually on the palm side of a finger, and then records how that light comes back to the sensor.  This gives information about how much blood is traveling through the blood vessels, how fast the heart is beating as well as other data.  The other type of sensor that measures heart activity is the ECG or EKG electrocardiogram.  It uses electrodes that are placed on the torso, or wrists to measure electrical impulses given off each time the heart beats.  The signals picked up from the heart are more complex than just how fast the heart is beating.  It is also possible to look at the variability of the heartbeat and the balance of the frequencies which have a great deal of meaning related to overall health and emotional state.

EEG – Electroencephalography or brainwave.  This involves recording electrical activity recorded from the brain.  We look at the power distribution of the various frequencies including Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.  Each of these brain waves are associated with different states of consciousness from deep sleep to active focused thinking and anxiety. 

Besides using this technology as a therapy tool.  We can also use it to measure how the mind/body unit reacts to various conditions.  In this way it can be used as for research.  I was approached by Dr. Jamila Codrington to see if we could measure a person’s physiology while they are playing African drums.  Having not done this before but being curious I agreed to participate in conducting an initial test to see how this might work.  We arranged to do a trial run at my office in Ossining, NY.  Baba Abiona Cedrick Ogunrinde and Najja Codrington (both seasoned drummers) were the subjects of the test.

I applied sensors to record surface EMG, Skin Conductance, Skin Temperature, Respiration, EKG, and EEG from Baba Abiona Cedrick Ogunrinde.  We recorded while he played solo as well as with our other drummer.  Although we were all very interested to know what changes we would see in physiology, my initial interest was to find out how practical and accurate recording under these conditions would be. 

There are changes that we might expect to see when a person relaxes.  These are not necessarily the changes I was expecting to see during drumming.  To begin with, drumming is physical.  It also can involve an aroused or excited state instead of a relaxed state.  During the recording, skin conductance increased which in one setting could indicate a fight or flight reaction but, in this setting, likely represented excitement or exhilaration.  Changes in other modalities were similar.  Another challenge is to figure out which modalities are susceptible to artifact or inaccurate signals caused by movement or the physical demands on the body caused by the activity of drumming.  Just as in dancing, the demands of the muscles, heart, and breathing are different than while a person is sitting still.  It is important to take this into consideration when analyzing the results.  Are the changes purely due to physical activity or are they more specifically due to something else about drumming?

I am very excited to learn more about how African drumming and dancing affects the mind/body.  There is great potential in relating this to polyvagal theory (Porges, 2007).  There is a constant balancing game between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems in the body as well as the changes that happen in the balance of the various frequencies in the brain.  All of this can be affected negatively by trauma and in a positive way by therapeutic interventions.  I believe that we will be able to demonstrate this with African drumming and dancing.  I look forward to discussing best ways to design future experiments in these areas.

References

Ellis, R. J., & Thayer, J. F. (2010). Music and Autonomic Nervous System (Dys)function. Music

perception, 27(4), 317–326. doi:10.1525/mp.2010.27.4.317

Porges S. W. (2007). The polyvagal perspective. Biological psychology, 74(2), 116–143.

doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.009